Sports
Running with the big Dawgs in Georgia
Football 7/2/2025 2:42:00 PM Michael Abdella – Assistant AD for Strategic Communications Story Links There are many ways collegiate student-athletes can spend their summers: staying in shape, gaining first-hand experience for the future career, and learning skills that […]


Football
Michael Abdella – Assistant AD for Strategic Communications
There are many ways collegiate student-athletes can spend their summers: staying in shape, gaining first-hand experience for the future career, and learning skills that will set them up for post-college life, to name a few. This summer, rising junior William Howell has found a way to do both each of these through an internship with the one of the top NCAA Division I football programs in the country.
Since the end of May, Howell has been a football strength and conditioning intern with the University of Georgia football program, which won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. As a kinesiology major, this internship has allowed Howell to gain valuable hands-on experience in his field in a setting with some of the biggest names and faces in the college football world.
Howell’s path to the internship started in an Intro to Kinesiology class he took in the fall when a speaker from a private performance training facility came in one day to talk to the class and answer questions. At the end of the class, Howell introduced himself and told him he was interested in an internship, which led to an internship during St. Olaf’s January Term, a one-month period where students focus on one class or internship.
During January, Howell learned that one of the coaches he was working with had done the internship at the University of Georgia and asked for more information. After reviewing the opportunities that were available for internships, Howell decided he was most interested in the one at Georgia. Before applying, he visited the Piper Center for Vocation and Career – which helps St. Olaf students explore careers, gain experience outside of the classroom, and pursue meaningful post-graduate work – to develop a resume, cover letter, and references. Later, he received a call from the intern coordinator at Georgia and was offered the position.
Howell credits St. Olaf Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance John Waters and the Kinesiology Department for helping him secure the internship.
“Coach Waters introduced me to a high standard for the operations of a collegiate strength program,” Howell said. “With his help, and advising from others in the Kinesiology Department, I feel that I was prepared to take on this internship.”
In Georgia, Howell is part of a staff that includes five full-time strength coaches and roughly 15 interns, who help run the summer strength program for the Bulldogs. Most days, Howell arrives at the facility around 6 a.m. to prepare for the workouts or runs the team will complete that day. This may mean preparing power racks for lifts, setting out cardio equipment and stations for team conditioning, or preparing hydration stations for the athletes.
Once the team arrives, Howell and the other interns direct them to their stations, ensure they have the correct weight loaded for their exercises, spot for the lifts, and help with whatever else is most urgent. When the workout is complete, they clean up and reset the room, so it is ready for the next day.
As someone who aspires to have a future career in strength and conditioning, Howell has gained significant insight into the field during his time in Georgia.
“This opportunity has shown me a lot about what it takes to be a strength coach,” he said. “You need to be passionate, punctual, and dependable. At this level of competition, there are very high expectations for everyone involved. From the head coach to the student support staff, everyone is expected to give their best every day. Additionally, my time here has enabled me to practice many skills that I can use in the future, and I have improved my communication skills and attention to detail.”
Howell’s internship runs through July 31 and has cemented his hope to one day work with athletes at high levels of competition, while helping him learn important skills that will carry over when he returns to The Hill.
“The emphasis on dependability and accountability that I am practicing this summer will surely help my down the line as a student-athlete,” he said. “Being proactive and having the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances are essential to being successful as a student and as a football player at St. Olaf.”
Sports
Hot Buy! Volleyball Tickets on Sale for Vikings’ 2025 Season
Story Links PORTLAND, Ore. — Temperatures soaring in Portland over the weekend gave an appropriate precursor for the Portland State volleyball team, as all tickets (single, group and season) to the Vikings’ 2025 season went on sale Monday. Volleyball tickets have been some of the hottest buys at Viking Pavilion recently. […]

PORTLAND, Ore. — Temperatures soaring in Portland over the weekend gave an appropriate precursor for the Portland State volleyball team, as all tickets (single, group and season) to the Vikings’ 2025 season went on sale Monday.
Volleyball tickets have been some of the hottest buys at Viking Pavilion recently. The Portland State volleyball program has broken its single-match attendance record at Viking Pavilion in each of the past three seasons. A record 1,340 fans saw the Vikings take on then-No. 12 Oregon last September.
The Vikings will host the Ducks again this September, when they’ll look to break the attendance record for a fourth straight year. The date with the Ducks comes as part of back-to-back matches against in-state rivals Oregon and Oregon State. The Vikings host the Ducks Friday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m., then face the Beavers Saturday, Sept. 20, at 5 p.m.
Big Sky Conference play starts the following week, as the Vikings host Idaho State Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
All tickets can be purchased online through the Portland State University Box Office. Season tickets start at $79 while single-match tickets start at $10. Contact Malik Thirdgill, Director of Ticket Sales and Service, at mthird2@pdx.edu for more information.
Sports
With Deadline Approaching, Grand Slam Track Still Owes Facility Rental Fee For Miami Meet
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: The Grand Slam Track Series trophy is seen on display at … More Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Another deadline is fast approaching for Grand Slam Track, and this time it’s in the form […]

PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: The Grand Slam Track Series trophy is seen on display at … More
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Another deadline is fast approaching for Grand Slam Track, and this time it’s in the form of an unpaid facility rental fee at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida.
The startup track and field league currently owes the City of Miramar $77,896 for its facility rental from its Miami Slam, which took place from May 2-4 at the complex, I have learned from a public records request, and the first of three payments from the rental agreement is due on July 18.
Originally, the binding terms of the event-host agreement signed on April 10, 2025, by the City of Miramar and Grand Slam Track indicated that one-half payment of the fee was due 30 days before the event on April 2, while the second-half was to be finalized 30 days after the event on June 2.
However, the bill is still unpaid after 72 days.
The City of Miramar rewrote a new payment plan that indicates Grand Slam Track now owes $30,000 on July 18, another $30,000 on August 18 and the third and final payment of $17,896 on September 18.
It marks a stark turn of events for Grand Slam Track, which you could argue had its most successful event in Miramar, hosting a nearly sold-out crowd over three days at the Ansin Sports Complex, filling the 5,000-seat stadium to the brim as an American record went down in the women’s 100 meter hurdles and various other world leads took place on one of the nation’s fastest tracks.
In this screenshot of the host event agreement between the City of Miramar and Grand Slam Track, the … More
City of Miramar Contact Terms
Current Concerns Plaguing Grand Slam Track
MIRAMAR, FLORIDA – MAY 4: Trey Cunningham of USA celebrates after winning 100m short hurdles at … More
Getty Images
The news follows concerns indicating cash flow issues with the track league, which canceled its fourth and final meet in Los Angeles on June 28-29 at Drake Stadium, with sources telling Runner’s World the league had issues with its venue deal. Grand Slam Track also made adjustments to its race schedule in Philadelphia, eliminating the 5,000 meter race from the schedule entirely and removing one-half of the prize pool for the distance categories – a total of $525,000 between the men’s and women’s events.
“The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season,” Johnson said in a release, announcing his league’s departure. He did maintain, however, that the organization was looking forward for a return to the track in 2026.
When Grand Slam Track was announced in June 2024, it declared $30 million in “financial commitments” from strategic partners and touted its partnership with Winner’s Alliance, which was the “lead investor in the first fundraising close for the new venture,” an idea that seemed certain to revolutionize the sport and provide long-term growth equity for athletes. But in a search of the SEC’s EDGAR database, no filing for Grand Slam Track is available. By season’s end, sources told Front Office Sports that the league was considering postponing “because of a new strategic partnership.”
There are also alleged problems with prize money, with a reported $13 million in race winnings and appearance fees not paid following meets in Jamaica, Miami and Philadelphia. According to a report by Front Office Sports, appearance fees have been paid to athletes who competed in Kingston, though prize money payouts are currently scheduled for the end of July and “by the end of September, which includes the honoring of Los Angeles appearance fees.” Over the course of three meets, over a hundred runners from across the globe featured in the series.
High-level staffers – Chief Live Event Officer John Porco, Chief Content Officer Rick Qualliotine and Vice President of Live Event Marketing Lou D’Angeli – have also been let go.
Olympic Athletes Are Speaking Up
USA’s Gabrielle Thomas of team New Balance crosses the finish line in first place, in the women’s … More
AFP via Getty Images
2024 Paris Olympian and three-time gold medalist Gabby Thomas, who is one of the league’s centerpiece stars and earned $100,000 for her win in the women’s long sprints category in Jamaica, along with $50,000 and $30,000 payouts for finishing second and third in the shorts sprints categories in Miami and Philadelphia, replied to a Grand Slam Track social media post on Tik Tok in early July, writing “So dope!! Pls pay me”.
In June, Norwegian outlet NRK also asked several of the league’s athletes if they had been paid following their outings at the Diamond League’s Bislett Games in Oslo. Alison dos Santos and Emmanuel Wanyonyi both confirmed they were still without their prize winnings from earlier meets. Forbes also independently verified at least one other account of a GST athlete not being paid.
Grand Slam Track booked the Ansin Sports Complex, which included a 5,000-seat stadium with an FTX Mondo surface, for 14 days (April 22-28 and April 29-May 5), including a “non-exclusive facility rental fee of $2,400 for seven days” and an “exclusive facility rental fee of $8,000” for another seven days.
Included within the signed agreement was also a promise by Grand Slam Track to pay ticket surcharge fees owed to the City of Miramar based on escalating ticket prices.
Grand Slam Track owed the city $1.50 for tickets sold between $1 to $19.99; $2.50 for tickets sold from $20 to $29.99; $3.50 for tickets between $30 to $39.99; and $4.50 for tickets secured at $40 and over.
The City of Miramar is owed another $14,928.50, according to public records.
The event host agreement, signed by Grand Slam Track and the City of Miramar, outlets ticket … More
City of Miramar Event Host Agreement
Sports
Big Ten Honors IU’s 112 Distinguished Scholars
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Big Ten Conference announced Monday that 1,984 students on varsity rosters have earned the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award. The list includes students from all 14 institutions, plus Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame and 41 sports who have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic […]

The 2024-25 class of Distinguished Scholar Award Recipients includes 426 students who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the previous academic term, represented in bold on the official list.
The Big Ten honored 112 Hoosiers that earned the Distinguished Scholar distinction this season.
“IU Athletics is extremely proud of our student-athletes’ long-standing reputation of excellence both in competition and in the classroom.” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “I am excited to congratulate and celebrate these 112 individuals, all of whom have performed at the very highest level academically. The time demands that come along with being a student-athlete are significant, and these students have still managed to perform at a an extraordinarily high level in the classroom. In doing so, they have made their programs and our department very proud. Congratulations to our Big Ten Distinguished Scholars.”
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student’s academic career.
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
Baseball
Drew Buhr
Men’s Basketball
Shaan Burke
Anthony Leal
Jordan Rayford
Women’s Basketball
Lexus Bargesser
Lenee Beaumont
Sydney Parrish
Women’s Golf
Beatriz Junquiera
Caroline Smith
Field Hockey
Javiera Baeza
Maggie Carter
Ines Garcia Prado
Arabella Loveridge
Cecilia Maixner
Anna Mozeleski
Yip van Wonderen
Ava Winner
Men’s Golf
Robert Bender III
Football
Drew Evans
Anthony Chung
Aden Cannon
Camden Jordan
Rowing
Olivia Luban
Annabel Oertel
Lily Haupt
Chelsie Lindauer
Allie Beth Currier
Stella Abodeely
Abbey Armstrong
Ava Olson
Cat Madden
Daniella Mandel
Men’s Soccer
Luka Bezerra
EJ Dreher
JT Harms
Jack Wagoner
Grant Yeagley
Women’s Soccer
Ava Akeel
Olivia Albert
Elle Britt
Piper Coffield
Marisa Grzesiak
Camille Hamm
Dani Jacobson
Natasha Kim
Sydney Masur
Krista Murphy
Kennedy Neighbors
Emma Payton
Olivia Rush
Sarah Sirdah
Olivia Smith
Mary Kate Sullivan
Softball
Aly VanBrandt
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Luke Barr
Jackson Carlile
Mason Carlton
Mikkel Lee
Josh Matheny
Collin McKenzie
Utkarsh Patil
Carson Tyler
Gavin Wight
Benson Wong
Jassen Yep
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Morgan Casey
Mariah Denigan
Mya DeWitt
Katie Forrester
Anna Freed
MacKenna Lieske
Cat Minic
Anna Peplowski
Reese Tiltmann
Sydney Turner
Lily Witte
Men’s Tennis
Nikola Kolyachev
Women’s Tennis
Chase Boyer
Elisabeth Dunac
Li-Hsin Lin
Men’s Track and Field
Dalton Boisseau
Tyler Carrel
Max Grangier
Garrett Messer
Sean Mockler
Cole Raymond
Hunter Smith
Skylar Stidam
Women’s Track and Field
Bridget Beyer
Kelly Moran
Claire Overfelt
Kylee Poulton
Addison Price
Maddie Russin
Grace Tyson
Kristina Vinci
Mariah Wehrle
Katelyn Winton
Volleyball
Kenzie Dafinee
Luca Fickell
Delaynie Maple
Carly Mills
Water Polo
Audrey Cox
Grace Hathaway
Grace Klingler
Gwyneth Le
Sarah Lolli
Portia Sasser
Sophia Sollie
Wrestling
Mason Alley
Jacob Bullock
Jacob Moran
#NeverDaunted
Sports
Delaware State launches $20 million Field House project
Delaware State University (DSU) is entering a new era of growth and excitement. With fall football around the corner and the presence of former NFL star DeSean Jackson, momentum is building at Alumni Stadium. The HBCU is investing in a major facilities upgrade, hiring a star head coach, and transforming its athletic future. DSU Launches […]

Delaware State University (DSU) is entering a new era of growth and excitement. With fall football around the corner and the presence of former NFL star DeSean Jackson, momentum is building at Alumni Stadium. The HBCU is investing in a major facilities upgrade, hiring a star head coach, and transforming its athletic future.
DSU Launches Athletics Transformation Project
In 2024, DSU introduced the Athletics Transformation Project. The goal is to improve athletic facilities and student-athlete experiences. A big part of that effort is the construction of a new 70,000-square-foot field house.
On July 1, Delaware’s state bond bill included $20 million in funding for the project.
“It’s going to inject a lot of energy and goodwill into our campus,” DSU Athletic Director Tony Tucker told Adam Denn of the Delaware News Journal.
DSU hired former NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson as head football coach in December 2024. His arrival created instant buzz.
“He’s brought a lot of energy to the football program, as well as the university,” Tucker said.
Tucker was promoted to athletic director just before Jackson’s hiring. He calls this moment a “perfect storm” of progress and opportunity.
“This is the perfect time for Delaware State athletics,” he said. “We can reach heights never seen before by the university,” he said to Delaware Online.
What Will the DSU Field House Include?
The new DSU field house will sit next to Alumni Stadium. The design includes:
- A 50-yard indoor turf field
- Team meeting rooms
- Player lounge areas
- Updated locker rooms for all sports
Jackson believes the facility will improve recruiting immediately.
“Coming from a big school like Cal and seeing them transform, I think it’s really gonna help,” he said. “We’ve lost talent to schools like Norfolk and Howard. Having better facilities will make a huge difference.”
Tucker said the facility will also serve students beyond athletics.
“Other sports that train indoors will use it. Non-athletes will also have access to lounge and meeting areas.”
DSU Eyes New Convocation Center
In addition to the field house, the state included language supporting a future DSU convocation center. The center would host basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and major events.
This new arena would replace Memorial Hall, the current 1,800-seat venue. The new space is projected to cost $90 million.
“Our location could become a key venue for high school sports,” Tucker said. “We’re in the center of Delaware.”
In 2024, DSU hosted the Delaware state football championships at Alumni Stadium after issues with rental fees at the University of Delaware.
“It’s about creating a better experience for athletes and families,” Tucker said. “Families from Southern Delaware shouldn’t have to drive to the north of the state for big games.”
Jackson Wants to Level the Playing Field
Coach Jackson hopes these changes close the gap between DSU and the University of Delaware.
“Delaware has been getting a lot of talent over us,” he said. “If we can offer similar resources, we’ll get players we’ve missed in the past.”
What’s Next for DSU Athletics?
The field house doesn’t have a firm start date yet. Tucker said the goal is to finish construction in 18 to 24 months.
The convocation center will take more time and funding. But Jackson remains optimistic.
“The sky’s the limit,” he said. “Success this season will open eyes. We’ll be hard to overlook.”
Related
Sports
Italy Men’s Water Polo Tops Serbia in Shootout at World Champs
World Championships: Italy Tops Serbia in Shootout on Second Day of Men’s Water Polo Italy capped a long day at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a penalty shootout win over Serbia, 17-16, on Monday in Singapore. The day opened with the United States stopping Brazil, 16-7, and included a 13-11 thriller won by Croatia […]
World Championships: Italy Tops Serbia in Shootout on Second Day of Men’s Water Polo
Italy capped a long day at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships with a penalty shootout win over Serbia, 17-16, on Monday in Singapore.
The day opened with the United States stopping Brazil, 16-7, and included a 13-11 thriller won by Croatia over Montenegro.
Giacomo Cannella was the hero for Italy, scoring in the fifth round of the shootout to put the Italians over the top. The first six scorers all scored before the goalies had their say. Italy’s Gianmarco Nicosia stopped Boris Vapenski in the fourth round and Milos Cuk in the fifth. His opposite number, Lazar Dobozanov, stopped Alessandro Velotto in the fourth round, but Cannella found a way past in the fifth to send Italy top of Group A by a point over Serbia.
Getting a point from the game was a great result for Serbia, which trailed 13-10 with 3:53 left in regulation after Matteo Iocchi Gratta scored. Dusan Mandic scored a penalty goal then on the power play, and Vasilije Martinovic’s power-play tally with six seconds left sent the game to the shootout.
Nicosia led the Italians with 13 saves. Iocchi Gratta shot 3-for-3 from the field. Francesco Di Fulvio added three goals and two assists. Cannella scored four times but took 15 shots to get there.
Mandic characteristically led Serbia with six goals on nine shots. Martinovic was 4-for-4 shooting on the day. Radoslav Filipovic stopped 14 shots in regulation before giving way to Dobozanov.
Marko Bijac made 11 saves, including one with 18 seconds left, as Croatia pulled out a wild one over Montenegro. The Montenegrins pulled within one goal on three occasions in the fourth quarter before Rino Buric’s goal with one second left sealed the game for Croatia.
Luka Bukic scored three times for Croatia. Konstantin Kharkov and Loren Fatovic had two goals and two assists apiece for Croatia, and Marko Zuvela chipped in a goal and four assists.
Djuro Radovic and Dusan Banicevic scored three times each for Montenegro, which got eight saves from Petar Tesanovic.
The Americans started the day by handling Brazil, 16-7. The lead was 8-1 at half. Max Irving and Ryder Dodd scored four goals each, Irving adding two assists. Adrian Weinberg stopped 11 shots. Chase Dodd had a goal and four assists.
The U.S. leads Group C with six points, with a game remaining against last-place Singapore. The host country dropped a 22-10 decision to Canada, thanks to seven goals from Reuel Mark D’Souza and four from Bogdan Djerkovic.
Hungary and Spain won to set up a showdown for the Group B crown in Wednesday’s nightcap. Hungary outlasted a feisty Japan side, 23-18, behind four goals from Zsombor Vismeg. Marton Vamos had two goals and six assists, and Adam Nagy contributed three goals and two helpers. Seiya Adachi and Taiyo Watanabe scored four times each for the Japanese, who are ahead of Australia for third in the group on goal differential.
Spain kept Australia muted in a 10-7 win. The Spanish led 4-0 after one quarter and 9-2 at half despite shooting just 10-for-35 (29 percent) for the game. Roger Tahull scored twice. Alvaro Granados and Bernat Sanahuja scored two goals and an assist each, but they combined to shoot just 4-for-16.
Greece kept the pressure on Croatia and Montenegro in Group D with a 26-5 win over China, thanks to a 12-0 first-half margin. Dimitrios Nikolaidas had a second-quarter hat trick and finished 5-for-5 shooting. Nikolaos Gkillas and Efstathios Kalogeropoulos scored four times each.
Romania deluged South Africa, 24-5, though with a 47-19 edge in shots, it could’ve been worse. Vlad Georgescu and Francesco Iudean scored four goals apiece.
Sports
Mizzou Track & Field Adds Five Signees: The Buzz
Mizzou track and field coach Brett Halter announced the signing of five new additions to his roster for the 2025-26 season on Monday, consisting of four transfers and one freshman. Here is a breakdown of each athlete the Tigers are getting: “We are thrilled to welcome in high-character student-athletes into our program,” Halter said in […]

Mizzou track and field coach Brett Halter announced the signing of five new additions to his roster for the 2025-26 season on Monday, consisting of four transfers and one freshman.
Here is a breakdown of each athlete the Tigers are getting:
“We are thrilled to welcome in high-character student-athletes into our program,” Halter said in a news release. “Brianna, Pheline, Nora, Raymond and Teegan will help us continue to set the standard of winning national championships while competing in the best conference in the nation.”
44 days.
“To this day, if someone was capable of doing this, if they gave me 22 players, no assistant coaches, no telephone, just 22 players and to play another coach with 22 players of equal ability, the one coach I would fear the most was Don Faurot. He could coach every position.”
– Dan Devine
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