TOPEKA — The best distance runner in the state has officially announced her college commitment. Seaman’s Ryin Miller is committed to run at Arkansas, she announced on Friday. 

Syd Cole, one of the best volleyball players in University of Northern Colorado history, found a new home for her second professional season.

Next month, Cole will move to Switzerland to play with a club in the Swiss Women’s Volleyball League.

Cole, 23, will join VC Kanti Schaffhausen for the 2025-26 season. Cole played earlier this year with the Vegas Thrill of the second-year Pro Volleyball Federation. She moved to Las Vegas not long after finishing her collegiate career with the Bears.

UNC, which set a program record for wins in 2024, advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship semifinals in December. The Bears earned a bid to the NIVC after a second-place finish to Sacramento State at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. UNC won the Big Sky Conference regular-season title last year.

“I definitely want to try Europe just one time, because if I have the opportunity, I might as well take it,” Cole said. “Vegas was a cool experience, learning from all those girls who have been playing pro forever, basically.”

Originally from Parker, Cole had not been away from home before moving to Las Vegas. She found the experience not to be as scary as she thought it might be.

Cole, who plays the position of setter, is the only UNC player to earn All-American honors in the program’s Division I era. She was an honorable mention All-American in 2022 and 2024. Four other players in UNC volleyball history, including its Division II days, earned multiple All-American honors.

Cole was a two-time Big Sky Conference first-team selection in five seasons with the Bears. In 2022, she was the conference player of the year, and she was the setter of the year in 2023. Last fall, she was named the Big Sky Most Valuable Player and setter of the year. Cole was also selected to the conference all-tournament team.

Cole said she didn’t see a lot of playing time in matches with the Thrill. Her experience came mostly through practice. Cole was behind former U.S. National Team standout and NCAA champion Alisha Glass Childress on the Thrill depth chart.

Glass Childress, 37, was a member of the bronze-medal squad at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016 and the gold-medal winning team at the 2014 World Championships. She is a two-time USA Volleyball Female Indoor Athlete of the Year. Glass Childress played college volleyball at Penn State, one of the best Division I programs in the NCAA and where she was a three-time national champion with the Nittany Lions.

Cole said she learned a lot about leadership from playing behind Glass Childress and experiencing her on-court demeanor.

“Going pro, you’re not playing with these girls all the time like you are in college,” Cole said. “You’re just kind of thrown in there with random people. So her leadership, just being able to bring everyone together as a team. She does not get frazzled at all.”

Cole said she heard from Schaffhausen head coach Nicki Neubauer while she was in Las Vegas, requesting a phone call. As a professional athlete, Cole, of course, has an agent. There were contacts with Schaffhausen.

Schaffhausen is located in northern Switzerland on the Rhine River near the border with Germany.

Schaffhausen’s preseason begins Sept. 1, Cole said. The club’s match schedule start in October and runs into April.

“I like this coach. I want to play for him and see what it’s like overseas,” Cole said.

From the fairways to the front row, Baldwin County athletes made their presence felt during the 2025 AHSAA All-Star Sports Week held July 20-24 in Montgomery.

Standouts from across the county competed against some of the state’s top rising seniors in a multi-day showcase across seven sports — and several left with standout performances and lasting impressions.

Girls’ and Boys’ Golf

All-Star Week teed off with golf, where three Baldwin County athletes represented the South squad. Jazz Ortiz (Orange Beach) and Bailee Reaper (Spanish Fort) competed in the girls’ tournament, while Bayshore Christian’s Michael Heaton played in the boys’ match.

Ortiz earned a 10.5-7.5 win in her match to contribute to South’s 43.5-28.5 team triumph on the girls’ side. Reaper dominated her match with a 15-3 victory. Reagan Todd (Daphne) was selected but did not compete.

On the boys’ side, Heaton delivered a standout performance with a commanding 15-3 win in match play, helping lift South to a 56.5-33.5 victory.

Girls’ Basketball

Foley’s Amiyah Carvin was selected to represent the South squad in the girls’ basketball contest. She was selected alongside fellow Baldwin County standout Abby Johnson (Daphne), who did not participate.

Carvin made the most of her time on the floor, scoring five points in 10 minutes while adding two rebounds and two assists. South snapped a seven-year skid with an 85-75 win over the North.

Boys’ Tennis

Foley’s Nathan Vecsey and Spanish Fort’s Gillen Holley competed for the South team in boys’ tennis. Holley fell 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 4 singles matches, while Vecsey dropped his No. 3 doubles matches 6-1, 6-1.

Girls’ Cross Country

Bayside Academy’s Shelby Fargason led all Baldwin County runners with a second-place finish in the girls’ 5K, clocking a time of 18:43.11. She was one of three county runners to place in the top 15. Fairhope’s Lynley Grace Anderson finished 13th at 23:15.39, and Spanish Fort’s Ree Sasser placed 15th with a time of 24:49.20.

Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer

Spanish Fort’s Holland Burkhalter held North scoreless during her 40 minutes in goal, recording six saves in the process. Fellow Toro Hayden Kessler anchored the back line for 72 minutes to help preserve South’s 4-3 win. Daphne’s Lacey Daffin fired one shot on goal in 63 minutes of midfield action, and Bayside Academy’s Virginia Merchant recorded an assist in 33 minutes of run.

Orange Beach’s Brylee Joullian and Foley’s Emely Pineda each logged over 35 minutes on the field. Bayshore Christian’s Allie McTaggart saw 42 minutes of action, and her father, Pat McTaggart, served as South’s head coach.

On the boys’ side, Spanish Fort midfielder Jake Bauer scored South’s lone goal on his only shot during 46 minutes of play, earning South MVP honors for his performance. Spanish Fort’s Jack Finlay led the team with 73 minutes of midfield work, while Fairhope’s Max Reger contributed 39 minutes and picked up a yellow card late as South tried to rally. The South boys fell to North 3-1.

Softball

Six Baldwin County players were named to the South All-Star softball team in March, but only two took the field in Montgomery.

Spanish Fort’s Mallarie Beagle and Daphne’s Cammerlyn Herport contributed in key roles as South swept North in two games. Beagle tossed 1.2 innings in the Game 2 win, while neither player recorded a hit in the doubleheader.

Gulf Shores’ Anna Leigh Price, Orange Beach’s Ava Hodo and Teagan Revette and Daphne’s Abagail Johnson were originally selected but did not participate.

Volleyball

The South volleyball squad opened fast and finished strong for a 3-1 win in four sets to close out All-Star Week. Baldwin County athletes were front and center in the victory.

Daphne’s Ella Lomax earned South MVP honors after registering nine kills on 16 swings for a .375 hitting percentage. She also served up two aces. Bayside Academy’s Haley Robinson added five kills, a solo block and two block assists.

Fairhope’s Libby Rogers filled the stat sheet with 12 assists, nine digs and three kills on four attempts with no errors, good for a .750 hitting percentage. M.K. Whitehurst (Bayside Academy) served up five aces and five digs across four sets, while Gabi Berlage (Fairhope) chipped in three kills and a dig to help keep South in control.

For full results from each sport, visit ahsaa.com. 

However, Harris’s remarks were notably short. In the speech, she compared Generation Z to World War II veterans.

“Your generation has grown up on the front lines of so many crises, from [COVID-19] and the climate crisis, to gun violence and mental health. You know what’s at stake, and you are not waiting for someone else to figure it out. You refuse to be passive,” she said. “Not only are you demanding action, you are actively shaping the future, and we need to invest, then, in your generation.”

She continued, “I think of you the way history thought of the greatest generation. Remember when our country made a decision to invest in their future with the GI Bill, affordable housing, and economic opportunity. So we’ve done it before, and in this moment, I believe it is time we do it for you.”

Harris implored summit attendees to keep building their political power, community, and coalitions, and to “keep challenging the status quo.”

“And borne out of our love for our country, keep fighting to build a country and a nation that works for everyone,” Harris concluded. “I look forward to continuing in the fight alongside you.”

TRUMP: ‘I’M ALLOWED’ TO PARDON GHISLAINE MAXWELL BUT ‘HAVEN’T THOUGHT’ OF EPSTEIN CASE CLEMENCY

Harris has not ruled out running for president again in 2028, but she would likely have difficulty clearing the Democratic primary following her unsuccessful 2024 campaign.

Polymarket, a prediction market, released its first betting odds of the 2028 general election cycle earlier this week, with Harris earning just the fifth-best chance of securing the Democratic nomination.

Tualatin hurdler is ‘excited’ for what’s to come after making college decision

Published 4:00 pm Friday, July 25, 2025

One of Oregon’s best high school track and field athletes made her college choice official earlier this week.

Tualatin High School’s Campbell Brintnall announced via Instagram that she would be attending and competing for Boise State University this fall.

The recent graduate said she had narrowed her choices down to four schools, Boise, Oregon, Utah and Arizona, but in the end – and after much deliberation – it was the Idaho university that made the most sense.

“It kind of was (a tough decision),” Brintnall said. “It took a really long time, but it was a good choice and I’m very excited.”

Brintnall went on to say that while the area, coaches and overall fit were key factors in her decision, loyalty was also something that played a prominent role in her decision as well.

“The main thing that made me want to go with Boise was that they were with me the whole time,” Brintnall said. “That was the first school that I was really seriously talking to. My visit there was very fun, and I could really see myself living there and being happy there. That was a big deal to me.”

The recent graduate said the process of picking a school had been ongoing since the beginning of the calendar year, but had heightened in recent months as she narrowed her options down. She visited Boise first, saw what the University of Oregon had to offer this past June, then took a trip to Utah where shortly following such Arizona threw their hat in the ring. But while varying school deadlines complicated things, in the end it was Boise that simply felt right.

“I feel like Boise is really trying to grow their program, and that’s something that I’m really interested in,” she said.
Brintnall’s profile grew significantly over the past year as her times vastly improved.

After placing seventh in the 100 hurdles and eighth in the 300 hurdles at the state meet her junior year, as a senior Brintnall won state titles in both events this past May. As a result, the Ducks came knockin’, and with them came the allure of running for a great and historically notable program.

That made the Timberwolf standout’s decision that much more painstaking.

“It definitely was difficult,” Brintnall said. “Oregon definitely was one of my dream schools for a very long time. The allure of Oregon was undeniable…it was a great option, but it wasn’t really the right fit.”

Brintnall and her coaches plan on her competing in both the short and long hurdle events in college. And while the 100 meter event will bring a level of comfort, what was the 300 meter event in high school, will be stretched to 400 meters in college – something that while different, is of no concern to Brintnall.

“I think it’s just going to be about getting used to it,” Brintnall said. “When I’ve done it I’ve started a little slow, then at the end of the race I had a ton of strength and speed left. It’s just a weird adjustment, but it’s not daunting.”

Nor should it be, for Brintnall’s times have dropped precipitously over the past year, and there’s no reason for her to think that drop won’t continue in the coming years as she dials in her technique.

“I believe I still have a lot of room to grow,” Brintnall said. “It’s all starting to click for me. I feel more fluid over the hurdles at this point, my block starts are getting better, and I feel like with a technical event like hurdles, there’s always room to improve.”

And part of that work to improve is ongoing as she continues to work with her track club, The Inner Circle Track Club. But in the weeks to come that too will culminate, and with it will come the end to one chapter, and ultimately the beginning of another.

“It’s a little sad because it feels like the end of an era,” Brintnall said. “New kids are joining now and it’s going to be fun to see how they develop, but for me and my teammates we’re kind of going our separate ways.

“I’ll still talk to my coaches all the time and I’ll visit during breaks, but finishing up the training here is going to be different, and going to college will be exciting.”