Wheeling, W. Va. – With the first week of May in full swing, the Wheeling University Outdoor Track & Field team is making their final push for the 2025 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. The Men’s team kicked off their schedule on Saturday at the Jesse Owens Classic and now the Women get their run kicked off on Wednesday. Keala McCurry will head to the Hillsdale Invitational where she will compete in the Women’s Pole Vault.  

The Cardinal Women’s Track team had several strong individual performances at the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Cardinals would finish with six top five finishers across the three days of competition, and had two athletes compete in the finals of their event on the third day of competition. Things started out strong in the field on the opening day of competition, with the Cardinals getting their first two top five finishers. The Cardinals would also have their first finals qualifier in the 400-Meter Hurdles as they started the event strong. The two top five finishers would turn into a trend, with the team having two on each day of competition. In the end, they had one runner in the finals of her event and one MEC Champion to round out the event. 

That lone individual championship would go to Keala McCurry, who competed in both the Women’s Pole Vault and the 400-Merer Hurdles across the three days of competition. Her individual title would come in the pole vault, where she won her third straight title with a height of 3.35 meters. She was the only competitor to clear the 3.35 meter mark and attempted 3.63 meters, but was unable to clear. She would also start the event strong on day one, qualifying for the finals of the 400-Meter Hurdles with a time of 1:06.46. it was the third straight PR in the event for McCurry and as she headed into day two, she would improve on that time even further. She finished fourth overall at 1:04.80, and set a new PR for the fourth straight time in the event. She looks to continue building on both events at Hillsdale.  

The other Cardinal top five finishes both came in the field, with Trinity Ortiz in the Javelin and Tara Perry in the High Jump. Ortiz would be the first top five finisher for the Cardinals on Day one, as she continues her success in the Javelin. Ortiz would take fifth overall in the event, throwing a distance of 31.69 meters. It was just over two meters shy of her PR for the event, and was the start of a strong event. The final top five finish came in the field on the final day as Tara Perry took on the High Jump. Perry would jump to a height of 1.50 meters, needing two jumps to clear the height. It was good enough for a fifth place finish in the field as she finished out a strong career with the Cardinals as a leader for the jumping group.  

Wednesday will be one of two Last Chance Meets for McCurry, who has a current season best mark of 3.74 meters in the Pole Vault. It is just one meter shy of her PR at 1.75 meters and has her sitting Just . 04 meters shy of the NCAA Provo Mark. Throughout the season, McCurry has hit a height of 3.50 Meters twice this season and has gone over the 3.40 Meter mark on three different occasions. She hit her current season best in the final event of the regular season at the Otterbein Twilight Invitational, when she hit the height of 3.74 meters. She would hit her current PR of 3.75 meters at last season’s outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she also set the meet record. Those are the only two times in her career that she has eclipsed the 3.70 meter mark and she will have two more chances this week to do just that.  

Event Details 

Wednesday’s Hillsdale Last Chance Meet will be held at the Outdoor Track at Hayden Park with first events beginning at 11 AM. The Men’s and Women’s Hammer Throw will get the event started in the pit while McCurry will be up first in the pole vault at 11 AM. She will be competing against some of the best in the region, who are all looking to qualify for the 2025 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She was the MEC’s top pole vaulter during both indoor and outdoor season and is looking to qualify for the National Championships for the first time in her career.  

Event Info 

First events begin at the Hillsdale College Last Chance Meet at 11 AM. You can follow along with Live Results by clicking HERE.  

The California Lutheran University men’s volleyball team made it to the Final Four of the NCAA DIII Tournament, where their season ended on a three-set loss to Springfield College, the eventual runner-up to first-time national champion Southern Virginia University.

This is the second season in a row, and in program history, that the Kingsmen have earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament, after winning it all last year.

Head Men’s Volleyball Coach Kevin Judd said the Kingsmen have persevered through the challenge of distance,  in regards to how often they have to travel to face teams.

“To travel, to do everything that we needed to do to qualify and get into this tournament, certainly says a lot, and to then be flown 2,800 miles out to New York City was pretty wild,” Judd said.

The Kingsmen earned their spot in the tournament following a five-set victory over the No. 18 University of California, Santa Cruz Banana Slugs in both teams’ last regular season match of the year.

The Kingsmen flew to New York for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, hosted by the No. 1 New York University Violets. Judd said he was not expecting to hear that the team was headed to NYU.

“[I was] shocked that we were going to NYU. I think watching that show, we were just like, ‘Whoa,’ you know, taken aback for a moment,” Judd said.

In the first round of the tournament, the Kingsmen faced Vassar College, the team they beat in the NCAA finals last year. Judd said he was shocked and nervous to find out that Vassar would be the Kingsmen’s opponent in the first round.

“We see that it’s Vassar, and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the team that we faced in the finals last year,’ which makes it scary because those guys wanted redemption,” Judd said.

The Kingsmen defeated Vassar in four sets. While Vassar took the first set 25-19, the Kingsmen took the following three sets (25-17, 25-15, and 25-20) to secure the victory and advance to the second round.

“I just knew that Vassar was gonna come out and play us tough, and they certainly did in that first set,” Judd said.

The Kingsmen advanced to the second round of the tournament to face the undefeated Violets. Senior opposite hitter Michael Stahl said the Kingsmen went into that match as the underdogs.

“We had a lot of doubters going in,” Stahl said. “One of the volleyball accounts, whatever, that runs DIII, they said we had, like, a 25% chance of winning.”

The Kingsmen handed the Violets their first loss in over a year as they came out on top in four sets (25-18 L, 25-22 W, 28-26 W, and 25-20 W). Graduate outside hitter Jordan Cooper ended the fourth set with a service ace. Judd said Cooper’s match-ending service ace against NYU was reminiscent of the one he recorded against Stevens Institute of Technology in the Final Four of last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“He happens to just nail that back corner like he did against Stevens, and the celebration as soon as we walked out on the court, that’s the first thing he said to me, ‘Just like Stevens, Coach,’” Judd said.

After returning home for a few days the following week, the Kingsmen flew back east to Salem, Virginia, where they faced Springfield College in the NCAA Final Four. Stahl said a lot of hard work and preparation went into that match.

“A lot of film, watching the team practice and preparing for that game, taking care of our bodies, getting good sleep, eating right, but just really watching the team play and seeing if we can pick up on any tendencies they may have, and just practicing that with our practice times that we had there in Salem,” Stahl said.

The Kingsmen fell to the Pride in three sets (25-19, 25-16, and 25-17), marking the end of their season. Stahl said he did not feel as though the Kingsmen played their best in that match, but remains proud of the team’s season as a whole.

“Definitely could have played better, in my opinion, me personally, and then as a team, I think we all feel the same way,” Stahl said. “Not how, obviously, you want to end a year, but still proud of our season.”

By the end of the NCAA Tournament, the Kingsmen finished out the 2025 season 23-7 overall. Judd said he is proud of his team for reaching this point again.

“Just so proud of the resiliency and the fight that the boys had in them to get the job done and give us another opportunity to get back to the National Championship tournament,” Judd said.

UCLA’s NCAA Academic Progress Rates (APR) remained at high levels for the 2020-21 through 2023-24 period, with three teams recognized as having rates in the top 10 percent of their sport. A total of 16 Bruin teams recorded scores above the national four-year rate of 984, and UCLA’s average multi-year rate for its 23 teams was 986. 

Each academic year, every Division I sports team’s APR is calculated using a simple and consistent formula. Scholarship student-athletes can earn points for staying on course for a degree in their chosen major and points for being retained (or graduating) at the end of each academic term. 

Three UCLA teams received recognition for having rates in the Top 10 percent of their sports. Beach volleyball, women’s cross country and women’s golf all earned perfect scores of 1,000 – beach volleyball for the eighth consecutive year and women’s cross country for the fourth straight year.

A total of 11 UCLA teams earned single-year perfect marks of 1,000 for the 2023-24 academic year – women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, women’s track & field and women’s volleyball.

UCLA’s multi-year APR by sport (2020-21 through 2023-24):

Baseball – 988

Men’s Basketball – 969

Women’s Basketball – 989

Women’s Beach Volleyball – 1,000 (Top 10%)

Men’s Cross Country – 988

Women’s Cross Country – 1,000 (Top 10%)

Football – 967

Men’s Golf – 994

Women’s Golf – 1,000 (Top 10%)

Women’s Gymnastics – 975

Women’s Rowing – 986

Men’s Soccer – 989

Women’s Soccer – 988

Softball – 989

Women’s Swimming & Diving – 995

Men’s Tennis – 971

Women’s Tennis – 992

Men’s Track & Field – 981

Women’s Track & Field – 978

Men’s Volleyball – 970

Women’s Volleyball – 997

Men’s Water Polo – 993

Women’s Water Polo – 986

 

Here’s a look at the boys water polo playoff schedule for the Journal-area:

 

Glenbrook South Sectional:

Tuesday, May 13

Game 1 at TBA: (9) Prospect at (8) Maine West

Game 2 at TBA: (10) Maine East at (7) Glenbrook North

Thursday, May 15

Game 3 at 5 p.m.: (1) New Trier vs. Winner Game 1

Game 4 at 6 p.m.: (4) Glenbrook South vs. (5) Loyola Academy

Game 5 at 7 p.m.: (2) Evanston vs. Winner Game 2

Game 6 at 8 p.m.: (3) Maine South vs. (6) Niles West

Friday, May 16

Game 7 at 7 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Game 8 at 8 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

Saturday, May 17

Game 9 at 12:30 p.m.: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8

 

Barrington Sectional:

Tuesday, May 13

Game 1 at TBA: (9) Rolling Meadows at (8) Hoffman Estates

Game 2 at TBA: (10) Elk Grove at (7) McHenry

Thursday, May 15

Game 3 at 5 p.m.: (1) Palatine vs. Winner Game 1

Game 4 at 6 p.m.: (4) Barrington vs. (5) Hersey

Game 5 at 7 p.m.: (2) Schaumburg vs. Winner Game 2

Game 6 at 8 p.m.: (3) Fremd vs. (6) Conant

Friday, May 16

Game 7 at 7 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Game 8 at 8 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

Saturday, May 17

Game 9 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8

 

Libertyville Sectional: 

Tuesday, May 13

Game 1 at TBA: (9) Lake Forest at (8) Warren

Wednesday, May 14 (games at Deerfield HS)

Game 2 at 5 p.m.: (1) Stevenson vs. Winner Game 1

Game 3 at 6 p.m.: (4) Mundelein vs. (5) Vernon Hills

Game 4 at 7 p.m.: (2) Libertyville vs. (7) Deerfield 

Game 5 at 8 p.m.: (3) Buffalo Grove vs. (6) Highland Park

Friday, May 16 (at Libertyville)

Game 6 at 7 p.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3

Game 7 at 8 p.m.: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Saturday, May 17 (at Libertyville)

Game 8 at 11:30 a.m.: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7

 

York Sectional: 

Tuesday, May 13

Game 1 at TBA: (9) Westinghouse College Prep at (8) Morton

Game 2 at TBA: (10) Leyden at (7) Northside

Thursday, May 15

Game 3 at 5 p.m.: (1) York vs. Winner Game 1

Game 4 at 6 p.m.: (4) Oak Park-River Forest vs. (5) Taft

Game 5 at 7 p.m.: (2) Fenwick vs. Winner Game 2

Game 6 at 8 p.m.: (3) St. Charles North Co-op vs. (6) St. Patrick

Friday, May 16

Game 7 at 7 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Game 8 at 8 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

Saturday, May 17

Game 9 at 1 p.m.: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8

 

State Final Tournament:

Site: Stevenson

Friday, May 23

Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Winner Lyons Sectional vs. Winner Naperville North Sectional

Game 2 at 5:45 p.m.: Winner Lane Sectional vs. Winner Barrington Sectional

Game 3 at 7 p.m.: Winner Libertyville Sectional vs. Winner York Sectional

Game 4 at 8:15 p.m.: Winner Glenbrook South Sectional vs. Winner Lincoln-Way West Sectional

Saturday, May 24

Game 5 at 11:30 a.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Game 6 at 12:45 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Game 7 at 5 p.m.: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6

Game 8 at 8 p.m.: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
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ST. LOUIS – Indiana State senior pole vaulter Will Staggs won his second straight MVC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honor Tuesday afternoon after yet another record-breaking performance on the runway.
 
Staggs cleared the 18-foot mark for the second straight weekend and fifth time in his career with his 5.53m (18-1.75) clearance at the Jesse Owens Classic, breaking his own program record for a second consecutive meet. He cleared marks of 5.23m (17-1.75, third attempt) and 5.38m (17-7.75, first attempt) before clearing the record-breaking mark of 5.53m (18-1.75) on his third attempt. Staggs tied for the top clearance in Columbus at 5.53m (18-1.75), a mark which ranks in the top 10 nationally this season, placing second at the meet on misses. He remains the highest-ranked MVC athlete in any event this season, while his pole vault clearance was the best for a Valley athlete since 2007.
 
Staggs is the MVC and Great Lakes Region leader in the pole vault, while his school record-setting mark ranks second in NCAA East Qualifying and eighth nationally. He is the only athlete in the MVC to rank in the top 10 in the nation in any event this season.
 
The is the 12th of his career and third this outdoor season. Staggs previously earned the honor eight times during indoor track and field seasons and once during a previous outdoor track and field season, prior to his three weekly honors during the 2025 outdoor campaign.
 
Indiana State plays host to the Sycamore Open Friday at the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex. The Sycamores will recognize their senior class, which includes Staggs, in Friday’s meet, their last before the MVC Outdoor Championships.
 
Follow the Sycamores

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
 

– #MarchOn –

The men’s NCAA volleyball tournament begins Thursday at the Covelli Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

Third-seeded UCLA kicks off the action with a matchup against sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey. The Bruins have won a record 21 men’s NCAA volleyball championships, including each of the past two titles.

All matches are available on ESPN’s family of networks and digital platforms.

The tournament culminates with the championship match Monday night on ESPN2.

Here are key facts about the 2025 event:

What is the schedule?

*All times Eastern

Thursday

Quarterfinals

• No. 6 Belmont Abbey vs. No. 3 UCLA: 11 a.m. on ESPN+ and Disney+

• No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 2 Hawai’i: 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Disney+

• No. 8 Fort Valley State vs. No. 1 Long Beach State: 5 p.m. on ESPN+ and Disney+

• No. 5 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 4 Pepperdine: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Disney+

Saturday

Monday

Championship: 7 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+

How can fans watch?

Fans can catch all the action in the men’s NCAA volleyball streaming hub.

How can fans access more college sports coverage from ESPN?

Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for the latest news, features, rankings and more.