MINOT, N.D. – Minot State junior guard Deuce Benjamin led the way in a pair of Beaver wins last week, a pair of performances that earned him NSIC North Division Player of the Week honors.

A transfer from New Mexico Junior College, Benjamin led the way with game-highs on Thursday of 28 points in the Beavers’ 85-78 home win over Jamestown, and Saturday with 24 points in a 91-79 win at Northern State.

Along with averaging 26 points per game in the pair of Minot State victories, Benjamin led the Beavers with 6 assists in the two contests, grabbed 5 rebounds, made 2 steals, and added a blocked shot. He also shot a blistering 17-of-28 from the field (60.7 percent), and knocked down 6-of-11 3-pointers in the two victories.

The honor is the first for Benjamin, who leads Minot State in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game, and in assists with 29 through 9 contests.

The honor is also the first for the Minot State men’s basketball team, which will be back in action this Thursday and Saturday at home as the Beavers host Minnesota State Moorhead and Minnesota Crookston at the MSU Dome.

 

Rick Hall used to play on beer-sponsored pro beach volleyball tours.

He might have time to hit the sand again.

After 41 seasons, Hall is retiring as women’s volleyball coach at Seton Hill.

The Griffins’ hall of famer finished with a record of 822-453.

“After 41 years, countless practices, bus rides, whistles, timeouts, and ‘one more rep’ speeches, I’ve decided it’s finally time to retire,” Hall said in a news release. “From playing volleyball matches in Sullivan, having only three total sports … to 22 sports and some of the best facilities around. I’ve had the privilege of coaching incredible athletes, surviving more five-set thrillers than any cardiologist would approve of, and somehow keeping my clipboard mostly intact through all of it.”

Hall was coach of the Griffins long before they joined the NCAA in 2006.

Early on, he won two Northeast Regional Coach of the Year awards, four district championships, two regional titles and made four national tournament appearances.

Hall led the team to 13 conference tournament trips and a PSAC title in 2018, when the Griffins made the NCAA Atlantic Regional final. They reached the NCAA Tournament four other times on his watch.

A Latrobe and Saint Vincent alum, Hall also coached briefly at Hempfield, has been a longtime college and high school official and has worked with young players in the Catholic Youth Organization in Greensburg for grades 4 through 8.

Football

Transfer portal: Punter Daishaun Alexander (Greensburg Salem) and tight end Braden Laux (Belle Vernon) entered the NCAA transfer portal with one year of football eligibility remaining.

Alexander, a junior who played at Shepherd, was named to the D2CCA All-Super Region One First Team and ranked as one of the top Division II punters in the country.

He had a 44.57-yard average on 44 kicks, 16 of which he placed inside the 20-yard line.

Laux, a freshman who was a standout quarterback and defensive end and won two WPIAL and PIAA titles at Belle Vernon, saw limited action at Eastern Michigan. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Delaware: Grad student offensive lineman Fintan Brose (Hempfield) was named to the All-Conference USA first team. The NFL Draft prospect has played 10 games at left guard and two at center, starting all 12 for the bowl-bound Blue Hens (6-6), who are playing in Conference USA for the first time.

Brose, who began his college career as a defensive lineman, has played in 55 games, tying him for third in program history with, uniquely, his brother, Braden Brose, and Kedrick Whitehead.

Lehigh: Sophomore defensive back Luke Denny (Norwin) had a pair of tackles, but Lehigh (12-1) saw its perfect season come to an end with a 14-7 loss to Villanova in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

IUP: Redshirt sophomore receiver Devin Whitlock (Belle Vernon) was named to the D2CCA Super Region One First Team after a breakout season for the Crimson Hawks.

Whitlock led the PSAC and was third in NCAA Division II with 84 receptions for 927 yards and six touchdowns.

He transferred from Pitt, where was a preferred walk-on.

Men’s basketball

La Roche: Sophomore guard Cooper Rankin (Franklin Regional) had 10 points, his fourth double-digit scoring game of the season, as the Redhawks fell to Penn State Behrend, 75-71.

He had seven rebounds, six assists and four steals in a 74-60 loss to Alfred State.

Pitt-Greensburg: Off to their best start in at least 20 years, the Bobcats moved to 8-0 with an 89-88 win at Pitt-Bradford. Senior 6-foot-5 forward Trent Rozich continued to play with momentum, putting up 28 points and 15 rebounds, including 14 of 19 free throws, and senior Jackson Byer had 16 points and eight rebounds.

UPG posted a 93-66 win over Penn State Altoona in the AMCC opener as Rozich had his best all-around game since joining UPG with 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Senior Michael Bigley added 15 points, sophomore Jahmir Collins 12 and senior Joziah Wyatt-Taylor and Byer had 11 each.

Rozich was named the AMCC Player of the Week.

Pitt-Johnstown: Junior guard Adam Bilinsky (Norwin) had a season-high 16 points in 35 minutes and added four steals as UPJ (5-3, 0-1 PSAC) fell to West Chester, 81-72.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore guard Terek Crosby (Yough) had a career-high 21 points, tying a game high as well, but the Bearcats fell to John Carroll, 104-79. Crosby made 8 of 15 shots, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed four rebounds.

The Bearcats (4-3, 1-0) won their PAC opener 84-80 over Waynesburg as junior Maxwell Gordon had a career-high 24 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Senior Jaden Gales added 19 points and six rebounds, and senior Dev Ostrowski had 11 points.

The Bearcats are on a seven-game road trip that will include the Cruzin Classic at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Fla.

SVC coach D.P. Harris coached at St. Thomas from 2019-21 before be returned to Latrobe.

Seton Hill: Senior Gabe Gillespie had 15 points, and junior Kedrick Curtis and redshirt sophomore Edir Ortiz matched double-doubles with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Griffins edged Shippensburg, 88-83.

Junior Dimitrios Sklavenitis (14) and freshman Rashaad Williams (11) also scored in double figures.

The Griffins (7-1, 1-0 PSAC) handed East Stroudsburg its first loss of the season, scoring the first 10 points of overtime for a 93-85 win. Ortiz had 23, and Sklavenitis and Curtis had 10 apiece.

The Griffins swept this week’s PSAC West awards. Curtis was named the athlete of the week, Oritz the defensive player of the week.

Washington & Jefferson: Sophomore Cam Rowell (Franklin Regional) scored a season-high 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 86-71 victory over Chatham in a rematch of last year’s PAC championship game.

Last year’s PAC Newcomer of the Year, Rowell is averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds and shooting 48% from the field.

Women’s basketball

Allegheny: Sophomore Ava Kobus (Norwin) had a season-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and added five rebounds in an 82-74 win over Geneva.

Freshman Regan Kerr (Greensburg Salem) grabbed 10 rebounds for Geneva.

Gannon: Sophomore Olivia Pepple (Penn-Trafford) had nine points, made 6 of 6 free throws and grabbed five rebounds in a 68-51 win over Shepherd.

Grove City: Junior forward Brooke McCoy (Hempfield) has played in seven games, with one start, for the Wolverines. She had 14 points, including 4 of 5 3-pointers, in 15 minutes against Pitt-Greensburg — an 86-49 win.

Penn State Behrend: Junior Lilly Palladino (Penn-Trafford) has started all seven games this season and is averaging 6.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Pitt-Greensburg: Sophomore guard Autumn Matthews (Yough) had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore forward Kaylee Charles added 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists to power the Bobcats (1-6, 1-1) to their first win of the season 62-47 over Pitt-Bradford.

Robert Morris: Senior forward Bailey Kuhns (Greensburg Central Catholic) made a successful return to the court on which she used to play, scoring 10 points and pulling down seven rebounds as the Colonials defeated Mercyhurst, 73-71.

Kuhns transferred from Mercyhurst in the offseason. The All-NEC first teamer led the Lakers in scoring last season with a 19.9-point average.

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Brooke Evans made all nine shots she attempted for a career-high 18 points as the Bearcats rallied for a 75-73 win over Waynesburg in the PAC.

Senior Camdon Bashor had 13 points and eight rebounds, making 6 of 10 shots, in the win.

The Bearcats (6-3, 2-0) shot 51% from the field as a team.

Seton Hill: Senior Helene Cowan had 21 points to lead four Griffins (5-2, 1-0 PSAC) in double figures in a 78-70 win against East Stroudsburg.

Senior Hallie Cowan added 19 points, and two Griffins had double-doubles. Junior Hailee Ford had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and junior Mia Kalich 11 points and a season-high 19 rebounds.

Hallie Cowan was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week.

Shippensburg: Freshman forward Lauren Marton (Penn-Trafford) had a career-high 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, but the Raiders fell to Chestnut Hill, 89-76.

Wrestling

Army: Senior Ethan Berginc (Jeannette/Hempfield) upset No. 3-ranked Zan Fuggit of Wisconsin with a sudden-victory takedown at 133 pounds in the teams’ dual match.

Saint Vincent: Anthony Orlandini (149 pounds) and Chase Brandebura (174) won titles at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational in Grantham.

Orlandini went 5-0 with a pin, major decision and technical fall, and Brandebura was 4-0 and also had a pin and technical fall.

Brandebura was named the PAC Wrestler of the Week.

Women’s swimming

Grove City: Freshman Chaeli Keenan (Derry) won both board event as the Wolverines fell to Franciscan, 138-79.

She took the 1-meter dive with a score of 233.85 and won the 3-meter with a 251.60 total.

Men’s swimming

Westminster: Grad student Gino Piraino (Franklin Regional) won the 1-meter dive with a score of 359.10 points at the Wooster Invitational.

Men’s soccer

Grove City: Junior defender Colton Hudson (Franklin Regional) was named an NCAA Division III Third Team All-American and to the All-Region VII First Team.

The durable defender helped the Wolverines win the PAC and reach the NCAA Tournament. He anchored a defense that allowed just 12 goals in 20 games (10 shutouts), making 19 starts at center back.

Seton Hill: Junior forward James Aubrey and senior midfielder Julian Marker were named to the D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team.

Aubrey led the Griffins with 11 goals, and Marker had four goals and five assists.

Women’s soccer

Pitt-Greensburg: Sophomore defender and midfielder Dionna “Tiger” Santia was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Fourth Team. She had a goal and 10 assists for the Bobcats, making 17 starts.

Saint Vincent: Junior Emma Koller was named to the NCAA Division III All-Region VII Second Team, whereas teammate and sophomore Rilyn Warner made the fourth team.

Koller, a forward, scored a team-high 13 goals and had four assists. Warner, the Bearcats’ goalkeeper, had an 87.2 save percentage and posted 11 shutouts, going 13-4-1.

Women’s volleyball

Seton Hill: Junior middle blocker Catie Flohr was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region First Team.

Flohr has earned all-region honors for three straight years. She led the Griffins with 314 kills and hit .290 while also posting 95 blocks and 85 digs.

Women’s track & field

Duquesne: Freshman Melani Schmidt (Norwin) posted a time of 7.79 in the 60-meter dash in her collegiate debut. The mark is fifth on the Dukes’ all-time list.

Boys Basketball

Luka Cecez, Cottonwood (Jr.)

One of the catalysts behind Cottonwood’s perfect 6-0 start to the season has been junior big man Luka Cecez.

Through six games this season, Cecez is leading the Colts in scoring (15.8) and blocked shots (5.2) and is second in rebounding (7.0).

Cecez helped lead Cottonwood to wins in Cache Valley last weekend over Logan, Sky View and Mountain Crest. He recorded a double-double in the Sky View win and then equaled a career high with 28 points in the win over Logan.

“Luka is a player that we can depend on every day to come ready to play. He is a skilled big man that can score inside and outside. As good as he is on offense, his defense is what has been a key to our success, as he leads the state in block shots,” said Cottonwood coach Marc Miller.

Cecez finished second on the team a year ago in scoring at 11.8 points per game and was voted a 4A all-state honorable mention.

Girls Basketball

Hayden Warren, Lehi (Jr.)

With a successful 3-0 weekend in Southern Utah, Lehi is the undefeated team in 6A and junior point guard Hayden Warren has been one of the catalysts to that hot start.

Even though Warren is only averaging 3.6 points per game, she’s averaging seven assists per game with just 11 combined turnovers in seven games. That outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio has been a big part of Lehi’s offensive success.

“This has made our team so much better as all our players have benefited greatly from her willingness and ability to distribute the basketball,” said Lehi coach Sean Seastrand.

“Beyond this, her defense has been exceptional as well. Her presence on both sides of the ball has helped our team settle into new roles and get out to a great start. I’m very proud of her unselfishness and team first mentality, and it’s trickled down to all our players’ approach to the game.”

Warren recorded a season-high nine assists in last Saturday’s 75-30 win over Crimson Cliffs.

Boys Wrestling

Tanner Telford, Corner Canyon (Jr.)

A year ago in the 120-pound final of the 6A state tournament, Layton’s Lander Bosh beat Corner Canyon’s Tanner Telford in a fantastic final, 7-6.

Fast forward to their much-anticipated rematch in last weekend’s 132-pound final of the Layton Invitational, and Telford got some revenge.

Telford beat Bosh 8-1 to win the 132-pound title and improve to 9-0 on the season.

“Tanner’s win in the finals on Saturday at the Layton Invitational should give him confidence to continue to trust his training,” said Corner Canyon coach Jeff Eure.

Telford finished last season with a 42-7 record.

Girls Wrestling

Avery Winterton, Salem Hills (Sr.)

Avery Winterton is off to a great start in her quest to repeat as state champion.

After winning the 5A individual state title at 145 pounds a year ago, Winterton has jumped out to an 8-0 start so far this season.

Last weekend Winterton went 3-0 at the Skyhawk invitational, winning all three matches with a first period fall. The championship match only last 26 seconds.

“Avery is an amazingly talented wrestler and she is always trying to improve and work on her match. She is a leader on and off the mat,” said Salem Hills coach TJ Brindley.

A year ago Winterton finished the season with a 45-4 record in a dominant junior season.

Boys Swimming

Thomas Chamberlain, Viewmont (Jr.)

Thomas Chamberlain is off to a great start as he looks to build off the momentum from a strong sophomore season.

A month into the season, Chamberlain owns top six times in the entire state in six different events.

His best performance so far came in the 200 individual medley before Thanksgiving as he posted a time of 1:55.04, the fastest time in Utah this year.

His time of 51.75 in the butterfly ranks second and his time of 1:46.91 in the 200 free ranks sixth.

“Thomas Chamberlain has emerged as one of our top performers this season, steadily dropping time in his individual events and leading the way on multiple relays,” said Viewmont coach Stephanie Breinholt.

“His consistency, strong work ethic, competitive spirit, leadership skills, academic achievement and drive are hard to match especially in someone who possesses such extraordinary humility.”

Girls Swimming

Ella Fuller, Snow Canyon (Fr.)

In her first month on Snow Canyon’s swim team, freshman Ella Fuller is making a huge impact in and out of the pool for the Warriors.

She set a new school record by six seconds in the 500 freestyle by posting a time 5:12.95 at the Greg Fernley Invite, which just happens to be the second-best 500 free time in the entire state early this season.

She also owns the best time in Utah in the 200 freestyle as she posted a 1:57.35 at the same Greg Fernley meet last month. The time is just two-tenths of a second off the school record.

“Ella is a freshman this year and has been a phenomenal addition to our team. Her hard work and contagious personality make her a key component to our girls team culture,” said Snow Canyon coach Max Barnett.

“She’s got a lot of great energy. Her strong start to the season is a testament to the work she has put in with her club coach, Mike Werner, whose training has played a key role before she joined SC Swim.”

DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore Emma Reaves (Westminster, Md.) of the UNH women’s track & field team and senior Kyle Chauvette (Goffstown, N.H.) of the UNH men’s hockey team were named the Service Credit Union Student-Athletes of the Week on Dec. 8. 

Emma broke her own school record in the shot put with a first-place throw of 47 feet, 2.25 inches. Rhody Tri-Meet Opener at Mackal Field House in Kingston, R.I. on Friday (Dec. 5). She previously set the indoor record when she threw 46′ 1.50″ last season. 

In addition to her record-breaking performance in the shot put, Emma also had a first-place finish in the weight throw with a toss of 17.87 meters to secure the victory and cap off an impressive weekend. 

UNH returns to action on Jan. 24 as the indoor track and field team hosts Bryant University at Paul Sweet Oval in Durham, N.H. 

Kyle was excellent in the Wildcats’ sweep of 11th-ranked Maine this past weekend. In the first game, he posted 21 saves and a shutout on Friday, Dec. 5 to lead the ‘Cats to a 1-0 victory. The following night he proved to be just as effective with a total of 28 saves to propel New Hampshire to a 3-2 win that gave the Wildcats’ their first road sweep of Maine since 2008. 

UNH will return to the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex on Sunday, Dec. 14 versus Granite State rival Dartmouth at 4pm as fans can Skate with the ‘Cats after the game. CLICK HERE to buy tickets  

Check back every week during the season to get to know two more Wildcats as part of the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete of the Week. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete of the Week. 

• JoBurg junior Mady Peppin was named the Gaylord Herald Times Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
• Peppin also earned All-State third-team honors after leading the area with 445 kills and 49 blocks.
• Gaylord St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston volleyball teams both secured district championships in 2025.

GAYLORD ― Fall can sometimes be seen as “football season” to high school sports fans. However, volleyball teams across Otsego County have been consistently more successful at bringing home championships, and 2025 was no exception.

Both Gaylord St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston brought home district titles this year, GSM’s first since 2022 and JoBurg’s first since 2020. Meanwhile, a tumultuous season for GHS somewhat overshadowed the end of the careers for a group of influential seniors in Gaylord’s program.

Before we move on to the winter sports season for good, let’s take a look back at the individuals who made this past high school volleyball season so fun to watch. Here is the 2025 all-area team:

CRETE, NEB. — After the first weekend of indoor track & field action of the season, Central College’s Olivia Bohlen (senior, Belle Plaine) has the best pentathlon score in all of Division III following her effort at the Doane Happy Holidays Multi-Event.
           
She tallied 3,546 points to finish third. Zoey Brinker of Kansas State University won with 3,880 points. Teammate Sage Austin (junior, Carlisle) was ninth with 2,343 points.
           
In the men’s heptathlon, Kale Hobart (junior, Mason City) was second with 5,069 points. He’s No. 2 in the country. Freshman Landon Pote (freshman, Ankeny) totaled 4,641 points in his first collegiate heptathlon to take fourth place.

“The athletes did great and this is an exciting way to start the year.,” assistant coach Aaron Fuller said. “We are leaving with a good number of personal bests and looking forward to the rest of the season.” “This was a great way to open the year for Olivia and Kale. They are both starting off the season where they ended their All-American season last year.”

           

Dutch sweep mile at Frigid Bee Opener – At the Frigid Bee Opener hosted by St. Ambrose University on Saturday the Dutch swept the mile races.

           

On the women’s side, Peyton Steffen (senior, Marion) finished first in 5:01.11 while Jack Brown (junior, Norwalk) took the men’s race in 4:07.80. Both won their races by over four seconds.

           

Central hosts the Dutch Holiday Preview on Friday inside H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse, starting with field events at 10 a.m.