World Championships: U.S. Routs Argentina for Women’s Water Polo Group Title

The U.S. routed Argentina, 26-3, on the third day of women’s water polo play at the 2025 World Championships to earn the Group A title on Tuesday. That allows the U.S. to skip the crossover round and head straight to the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Australia romped past Oceania rival New Zealand, 15-6, to win Group A. Spain polished off the Group D title with a 16-7 win over Great Britain, while Hungary’s 22-6 victory over Croatia earns it the Group C title.

Ava Stryker led the U.S. with six goals. Jovana Sekulic scored four times. Emma Lineback supplied two goals and three assists. Isabel Williams made seven saves in her first game of the tournament.

It was the first in a day of blowouts, the closest game a six-goal affair between Netherlands and China. The Chinese fought valiantly, falling 13-7 despite nine saves from Yineng Shen and three goals from Siya Yan. Sabrina van der Sloot led the Netherlands with four goals. Simone van de Kraats contributed a goal and four assists. Lieke Rogge (goal, three assists) and Kitty-Lynn Joustra (two goals, two assists) were also central for the Dutch.

Spain built a six-goal halftime lead to top Great Britain, 16-7. Bea Ortiz led the way with two goals and four assists. Elena Ruiz tallied a hat trick.

Alice Williams continued a stellar tournament with three goals and three assists to fuel Australia’s 15-6 win over New Zealand. Danijela Jackovich and Sienna Hearn each tossed home hat tricks. Bronte Halligan paired two goals with four assists, and Charlize Andrews notched two and three.

Hungary rendered Croatia winless in the group stage with a 22-6 decision powered by nine first-quarter goals. Krisztina Garda was 4-for-4 shooting. Rita Keszthelyi tallied four goals and four assists. Luca Torma was unbeatable in goal with 17 saves.

Greece overpowered Japan, 25-15, thanks to seven goals from Maria Myriokefalitaki. Stefania Santa had three goals and four assists, Vasiliki Plevritou three and three. Foteini Tricha scored four goals, and Ioanna Stamatopoulou stopped 13 shots.

All 12 Italians in the lineup scored in a 32-5 win over Singapore. Agnes Cocchiere led the way with six markers. Chiara Ranalli tossed in five goals and four assists. Sofia Giustini paired three goals with five assists, and Dafne Bettini dished five assists.

France needed three goals and two assists from Ema Vernoux to outlast a game South Africa side, 13-6. Erica Hardy and Valentine Heurtaux also scored hat trick.

The second- and third-placed teams in each group will play in Thursday’s crossover round. Italy takes on China. The Netherlands will play New Zealand. France and Greece square off, as do Japan and Great Britain. Winners reach the quarterfinals. Losers head to the 9-12 placement bracket.

An ownership group led by Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux has expressed that it is “very interested” in buying his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, as reported by The Athletic on Monday.

Lemieux and his ownership group, comprised of former co-owner Ron Burkle and former executive David Morehouse, have reportedly informed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of their intention to pursue a purchase of the team from Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the organization that acquired the team from their group in 2021.

FSG has announced the pursuit of additional minority investors in the wake of selling just 91.4 percent of available tickets in 2024-25, the lowest amount in two decades, but hasn’t expressed publicly a desire to sell the club.

The Penguins were valued at $1.47 billion in 2024, per Sportico.

Lemieux, 59, was a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins, earning three Hart Trophies among nine All-Star appearances.

His 1,723 career points and 690 career goals remain the most in franchise history, with current Penguins star Sidney Crosby second in both categories.

Since acquiring the team, FSG has presided over just one playoff appearance, including straight postseason misses. The Penguins’ recent record is in stark contrast to the team winning three league championships from 2009-17.

–Field Level Media

Rogers, who boasted a 3.93 grade-point average in interior design prior to graduation last spring, was named among 45 top college student-athletes on the 2024-25 Academic All-America Team for women’s track & field and cross country, as presented by College Sports Communicators. While competing only during the indoor season last year, Rogers was named among 15 stars on the third team.

Rogers and Emily Paupore of Central Michigan were the only members of the Mid-American Conference to be voted among the cast of Academic All-Americans.

Rogers’ legacy at Ball State was highlighted by four different All-America honors as a pentathlete and heptathlete for the Cardinals. She owns MAC and Ball State records for both the pentathlon (indoors) and heptathlon (outdoors). She earned two All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, and two at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

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AUSTIN, Texas – Central Washington University sophomore track and field athlete and three-time national champion Emy Ntekpere has been named Second Team Academic All-American selected by the College Sports Communicators, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom.
 

“A mentor of mine used to say that these two awards (All-American, Academic All-American) are what we should all pursue,” CWU Head Track & Field Coach Jonathan Hill said. “These are the highest recognitions of our job as a coach. Great students, great athletes, great people. These awards represent excellence. To be the top of her field in athletics and academics is a tremendous accomplishment. Special people do special things and Emy is as special as they come. She works hard to achieve her goals and it’s wonderful to see her recognized for her efforts.”
 
Ntekpere, a sophomore from Vancouver, Washington, owns a 3.55 GPA in Biochemistry. She’s had a season for the ages during 2024-25 earning three national championships: indoor triple jump, outdoor high jump, and outdoor triple jump, becoming the first woman in GNAC history to win multiple national championships in field events. She earned four First Team All-Americans and won six GNAC Championship events this year on top of beign named the GNAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships Athlete of the Year and the GNAC Female Athlete of the Year.
 
View the full CSC Academic All-American teams HERE
 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (SMU) — SMU’s Track and Field program had nine student-athletes named to the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Academic Team, announced by the league office. 

The Mustang awardees include Kirin Chacchia, a sophomore student-athlete studying Psychology; Kaitlyn Gearin, a graduate student- athlete studying Management; Macey Hilton, a junior student-athlete studying Sport Management; Emily Little, a graduate student-athlete studying Sport Management; Leoni Mierswa, a graduate student-athlete studying Management; Hali Murphy, a junior student-athlete studying Creative Coding; Raelyn Roberson, a graduate student-athlete studying Management; Ariana Sutton, a sophomore student-athlete studying Creative Coding; and Emily Waller, a senior student-athlete studying Accounting with a Real Estate Specialization.  

To be named a member of the All-ACC Academic Team, the student-athletes must excel both on the track and in the classroom. Student-athletes must maintain both a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater throughout their career as well as a 3.00 or greater GPA during the previous semester to be considered. To be selected, the student-athlete must have also participated in either the ACC Championship and/or the NCAA Championship. On the women’s side, a total of 268 student-athletes earned All-ACC Academic Team honors. 

SEATTLE – Already proven as elite in their events, four Husky women’s track & field athletes were honored today as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans, one of the most prestigious honors for student-athletes who excel both athletically and in the classroom. The four honorees are the most UW has ever had in one year, and are tied with Oregon for the most in the NCAA this year.
 
NCAA Champions in the pole vault indoors and outdoors, Hana and Amanda Moll were both named First Team Academic All-Americans for the first time. Both sophomores are majoring in Business Administration, with Amanda currently owning a 3.91 cumulative GPA and Hana carrying a 3.86 GPA. The two were each among the ten semifinalists for the Bowerman Award, the top honor in college track & field. They went to 1-2 in NCAA history both indoors and outdoors, with Hana winning National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year outdoors and Amanda winning National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year indoors.
 
On the Second Team is senior Amina Maatoug, who earned four All-America honors in her one season at Washington in 2024-25. Maatoug made the NCAA podium this year in the mile and the 3k indoors, and the 5k outdoors, and won the Big Ten Indoor 3k title and was runner-up at the Big Ten Outdoor meet in the 5k. She earned a 3.62 GPA in postbaccalaureate study after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at Duke.
 
Chloe Foerster was named a Third Team Academic All-American, her first such honor. She has a 3.66 cumulative GPA majoring in Biology. Foerster reached her first NCAA finals this year, indoors and out, placing sixth in the mile final and eighth in the 1,500m final, while running big PRs at every distance. Foerster also won the Big Ten Indoor 800-meters title and helped the Dawgs to a 13th-place NCAA finish in cross country back in the fall.