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Seattle Seawolves Align With BlockDAG in Web3-Focused Sports Collaboration

BlockDAG becomes the Official Blockchain Partner of Major League Rugby champions Seattle Seawolves, introducing NFTs, fan tokens, & digital content to deepen engagement. BlockDAG’s rapid ascent in 2025 is now extending beyond crypto circles into mainstream sports, as demonstrated by its latest move. The Seattle Seawolves, one of Major League Rugby’s top franchises, have partnered […]

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BlockDAG becomes the Official Blockchain Partner of Major League Rugby champions Seattle Seawolves, introducing NFTs, fan tokens, & digital content to deepen engagement.


BlockDAG’s rapid ascent in 2025 is now extending beyond crypto circles into mainstream sports, as demonstrated by its latest move. The Seattle Seawolves, one of Major League Rugby’s top franchises, have partnered with BlockDAG as their Official Blockchain Partner for the 2025 season. This collaboration blends Web3 utility with sports loyalty, forming a strategic alliance aimed at enhancing fan engagement through blockchain.

Founded in 2017, the Seattle Seawolves are two-time MLR champions and founding members of the league. Known for their competitive consistency and a strong local following, the team embodies values like discipline and resilience, which closely align with BlockDAG’s emphasis on infrastructure and user-focused growth in the crypto space.

But this isn’t just a branding play. The partnership introduces a new model where blockchain becomes a direct part of how fans interact with their favorite team, bringing functionality and digital ownership into the foreground.

How Web3 Tools Will Power Fan Participation

A central element of the partnership is the introduction of blockchain-enabled fan assets, including NFTs and fan tokens. These tools offer more than novelty; they’re built to serve as access points to exclusive features.

Fans will be able to collect, trade, and interact with digital memorabilia, vote in polls, and unlock unique team experiences. Imagine owning a pivotal match-winning try in digital form, or gaining access to exclusive sessions with players through token-based participation. These mechanisms place fans at the center of the team’s digital strategy in a practical and rewarding way.

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Nicolaas van den Bergh, Chief Marketing Officer at BlockDAG, shared:

“This partnership will enable us to redefine fan experiences, fostering deeper connections built on trust, creativity, and interactive digital engagement.”

Content Campaign to Deepen Digital Engagement

Beyond asset ownership, the partnership will include a monthly co-branded content series across the Seawolves’ digital platforms. This ongoing series will include highlights, fan-driven segments, interviews, and community polls, all crafted to drive active fan participation.

In addition, content created by players will offer behind-the-scenes access that adds context and personal depth. From pre-game preparation to off-field moments, fans will gain a closer, more authentic view of team life.

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This approach reflects BlockDAG’s broader principles; decentralization isn’t limited to tech architecture. It extends to how audiences are included, heard, and engaged through interactive digital channels.

Shared Purpose: Community Trust & Interactive Value

Shane Skinner, CEO of the Seattle Seawolves, emphasized the importance of the partnership:
“We are thrilled to partner with a leading blockchain innovator like BlockDAG to deliver immersive, digital-first experiences to our passionate fanbase.”

This collaboration represents more than surface-level innovation. It points to how the Seawolves plan to grow their digital identity while offering fans more meaningful engagement. For BlockDAG, it’s a calculated entry point into a trusted, established sports environment with a dedicated audience.

With over 200,000 BDAG holders and $329 million raised during its crypto presale, BlockDAG is moving beyond core infrastructure and into broader cultural territory, where branding, trust, and public presence matter just as much as code and scalability.

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This move comes alongside a second July sports partnership with the Seattle Orcas of Major League Cricket. Together, these collaborations signal BlockDAG’s commitment to tapping into both domestic and global audiences, from rugby enthusiasts to cricket’s massive 2.5 billion fan base.

A Forward Move Into Mainstream Culture

The partnership between BlockDAG and the Seattle Seawolves isn’t just a media announcement; it’s a case study in how Web3 can integrate into everyday culture. Sports connect people emotionally. They create rituals, memories, and identity. Now, thanks to blockchain, those elements can also be digital, verifiable, and participatory.

As BlockDAG’s GLOBAL LAUNCH release approaches on August 11 and BDAG coins continue to be sold at $0.0016 until that date, the project is clearly steering beyond traditional crypto boundaries. Stadiums, fans, and athletes are becoming part of its long-term growth narrative.

For the Seawolves community, this is a chance to be part of a new era of engagement. For the wider blockchain space, it’s a clear message: BlockDAG is not only building infrastructure, it’s shaping how crypto connects with real-world culture.

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Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Website: https://blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu

BlockDAG
BDAG



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52 athletes from Southern Arizona earned NJCAA All-Academic status from Pima, EAC, Arizona Western and Central Arizona; Jamie Black named FC Tucson MVP

Share Tweet Share Share Email (FC Tucson Graphic) This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to win either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school […]

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(FC Tucson Graphic)

This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to win either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognition. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know. amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com

Portions from news release.

Jamie Black/Soccer
Canyon del Oro/FC Tucson Women
FC Tucson MVP (7/22)

Carsyn O’Daniels/Softball
Salpointe/Monroe
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Bailey Nichols/Softball
Sabino/Scottsdale CC
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Annalise Holthaus/Basketball
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Mat’Tanaya Vital/Basketball
Amphitheater/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Katie Burns/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Amelie Buffill-Gutierrez/Basketball
Sabino/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Trevor Carlson/Baseball
Tanque Verde/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Oscar Rocha/Baseball
Sabino/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Clarissa Figueroa/Softball
Mountain View/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Talia Martin/Softball
Mountain View/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (3/12)
First Team All-ACCAC (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Sariah Ferrentino/Softball
Sabino/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Julissa Lopez/Softball
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Aubrey Marx/Softball
Cienega/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/25)
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Taiya Teixeira/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Belen Camacho/Softball
Pueblo/Pima
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/13)
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/25)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Cheyanne Ortiz/Softball
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Natalya Rivera/Softball
Sunnyside/Pima
NJCAA D-II National Player of the Week (2/20)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/20)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/29)
First Team All-ACCAC (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Jasmin Joseph/Volleyball
Tanque Verde/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Julia Weatherbie/Volleyball
Mountain View/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Julia Ford/Volleyball
Catalina Foothills/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Elli Meinke/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Kendall Snyder/Volleyball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Phoebe Knisley/Soccer
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Viviana Sanchez/Soccer
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Uriah Burrell/Soccer
Catalina Foothills/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Solaris Graves/Soccer
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Emma Beach/Soccer
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Savannah Michel/Soccer
Walden Grove/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Ella Allred/Track and Field
Benson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Elexia Aragon/Track and Field
Flowing Wells/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Maylee Thompson/Track and Field
Willcox/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American Long Jump (3/9)
NJCAA Indoor All-American Pentathlon (3/9)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Elizabeth Coppola/Track and Field
Pusch Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Reatta Danhof/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Elsie Ibarra-Borboa/Track and Field
St. Augustine/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Layla Konski/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Morgan Pepe/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American Pole Vault (3/9)
All-American (5/17)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

D’Andre Pickett/Soccer
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Eric Nguyen/Soccer
Salpointe/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Missael Montilla/Soccer
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Mateo Soto/Soccer
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Cooper Jones/Basketball
Buena/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Kota Benson/Basketball
Baboquivari/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Noah Brunet/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Jace Schaub/Track and Field
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Tayvien Biancuzzo/Track and Field
Mica Mountain/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Jackson Koontz/Track and Field
Salpointe/Pima
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Yasmin Villa/Softball
Tucson/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Analise Montiel/Softball
Cholla/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Ariana Aguirre/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Malayah Renteria/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Ailani Rodriguez/Softball
Rio Rico/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Kason Jacquez/Baseball
St. David/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Reese McFarland/Softball
Sabino/Eastern Arizona
All-ACCAC First Team (5/7)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)
Riley McFarland/Softball
Sabino/Eastern Arizona
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Brianna Wunderle/Softball
Marana/Central Arizona
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/18)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/7)
All-Region I, Division I (5/7)
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Kaitlyn McLaughlin/Softball
Tanque Verde/Arizona Western
NJCAA All-Academic (7/24)

Mychal Castillo/Baseball
Salpointe/Northland College
UMAC Academic All-Conference (6/11)

Demetrio Crisantes/Baseball
Nogales/ Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks A)
MLB Pipeline Top 10 (7/16)

Juan Hernandez/Baseball
Tucson/Pima
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/15)
Sun Belt Most Outstanding Player (7/16)

Aciel Guillen/Baseball
Salpointe/Pima
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/16)

Aleksander Krupa/Baseball
Cienega/Embry-Riddle
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/15)

Noah Miller/Baseball
Pusch Ridge/Cochise
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/14)

Jose Angel Olivarez/Baseball
Buena/Emporia State
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/13)

Dominic Phillips/Baseball
Sahuaro/Adams State
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)
Sun Belt Player of the Game (7/11)

Benji Cazares/Baseball
Tucson/Oklahoma Christian
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Michel Muniz/Baseball
Sunnyside/Pima
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Giovanni Toledo/Baseball
Sunnyside/Emporia State
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Austin Monge/Baseball
Buena/Central Christian
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Francisco Aldan-Sablan/Baseball
Sahuaro/Dickinson State
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Ruben Villaescusa/Baseball
Tucson/Cochise College
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Ruben Castro/Baseball
Tucson/Oklahoma Christian
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Branden Franz/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Ottawa Kansas
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Maddox Jones/Baseball
Tucson/Bemidji State
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Ezra Vidal/Baseball
Sahuarita/Pima
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Jacob Solis/Baseball
Sahuaro/Arizona Christian
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Liam Padden/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Ottawa University
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Austin Cushman/Baseball
Buena/Cochise
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Camren Hanamoto/Baseball
Mica Mountain/Ottawa
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Michael Escalante/Baseball
Flowing Wells/Crown College
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Sammy Padilla/Baseball
Flowing Wells/Emporia State
Sun Belt All-Star (7/4)

Andre Jackson/Baseball
Cienega/Yokohama DeNA BayStars
NPB All-Star (7/7)

Miia Campos/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Texas at Tyler
CSC Academic All-America (6/17)

Leah Salas/Softball
Sahuarita/Embry Riddle
GSAC Player of the Week (3/10)
GSAC Player of the Year (4/28)
GSAC All-Conference (4/28)
GSAC Gold Glove Team (4/28)
NFCA NAIA All-Region (5/23)
CSC Academic All-America (6/17)

Rumur Rouille/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/LSU
SEC Academic Honor Roll (6/27)

Libby Axen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Embry-Riddle
CSC Academic All-America (6/17)

Hope Hisey/Soccer
Canyon del Oro/Spokane
USL Super League Team of the Month (3/4)
Player of the Match (4/4)
Player of the Match (4/27)
USL Super League First Team (6/10)
USL Super League Keeper of the Year (6/13)
USL Super League Save of the Year Nominee (6/26)

Mason White/Baseball
Salpointe/Arizona
Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American (1/7)
Preseason All-Big 12 Team (1/23)
NCBWA Preseason All-American (2/7)
Big 12 Player of the Week (4/21)
Bobby Bragan Slugger Award watch list (4/27)
Big 12 Second Team (5/20)
Big 12 All-Tournament (5/24)
Big 12 Tourney MVP (5/24)
All-Regional Tournament Team (6/2)
All-Regional Most Valuable Player (6/2)
Perfect Game All-American (6/10)
D1Baseball All-American (6/27)

Sam Hala’ufia/Track and Field
Mountain View/Arizona
CSC Academic All-District (4/24)

Diego Marquez/Track and Field
Salpointe/Arizona
CSC Academic All-District (4/24)

Richard Legarra/Track and Field
Flowing Wells/Arizona
CSC Academic All-District (4/24)

Jenica Bosko/Track and Field
Tucson/Arizona
All-American (6/12)

Jesse Avina/Track and Field
Buena/Arizona
All-American (6/12)

Aquarina Thomas/Volleyball
Tucson/Des Moines CC
ICCAC All-Region Academic (6/10)

Devyn Netz/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D1Softball Top 100 (1/13)
Top Cat of the Week (2/10)
Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (2/25)
Softball America Star of the Week (4/2)
Top Cat of the Week (4/1)
Arizona Ruby Award Finalist (4/25)
Arizona Highlight of the Year (4/28)
Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (4/29)
Big 12 All-Tournament Team (5/10)
Big 12 Player of the Year (5/7)
Big 12 First Team (5/7)
Big All-Defense Team (5/7)
NFCA West Region First Team (5/15)
Softball America First Team (5/20)
NCAA Division I Rawlings Gold Glove (5/28)
NFCA All-American (5/28)

Liliana Vigil German/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona Western
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (3/26)
All-ACCAC First Team (5/7)
All-Region I, Division I (5/7)
NFCA NJCAA West Region (5/27)

Vanessa Brink/Softball
Empire/Embry Riddle
GSAC Pitcher of the Week (3/10)
GSAC Pitcher of the Year (4/28)
GSAC All-Conference (4/28)
NFCA NJCAA West Region (5/27)

Bria Medina/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox College
MWC Performer of the Week (1/12)
MWC Performer of the Week (2/17)
Midwest All-Conference (3/4)
Knox Athlete of the Year (5/28)

Alexa Corona/Softball
Marana/Cornell
Cornell Freshman of the Year (5/10)
All-Midwest Conference (5/10)

Alyssa Noriega/Softball
Pueblo/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)
Larry Toledo Award (5/28)

Isaiah Jackson/Baseball
Cienega/Arizona State
Big 12 First Team (5/20)

Owen Kramkowski/Baseball
Walden Grove/Arizona
Big 12 Honorable Mention (5/20)

Rebekah Quiroz/Softball
Flowing Wells/Pima Coach
NJCAA West Coach of the Year (5/18)

Jaeleigha Abalos/Track and Field
Walden Grove/PVCC
All-American (5/17)

Nathaniel Curtiss/Track and Field
Rincon/UHS/Pima
All-American (5/17)

Hannah Droeg/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
All-American (5/17)

Ella Allred/Track and Field
Benson/Pima
All-American (5/17)

Reatta Danhof/Track and Field
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
All-American (5/17)

Linda Rivero/Track and Field
Desert View/Pima
All-American (5/17)

Angel Addleman/Basketball
Palo Verde/ OUAZ
GSAC Winter Scholar Athlete (2/25)
GSAC All-Conference (2/25)

Tanvi Narendran/Tennis
Rincon/UHS/Arizona
Big Scholar Athlete of the Year (4/30)

Olivia Rubio/Beach Volleyball
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
XII Student Athlete of the Month (3/22)
Arizona Unsung Hero Award Finalist (4/24)
Arizona Unsung Hero Award (4/28)

Julia Holt/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Howard
MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/30)
MEAC Preseason First Team (1/30)
CSE Top 50 (1/25)
MEAC Pitcher of the Week (3/4)
MEAC All-Academic (5/5)
MEAC All-Conference (5/6)

Alexis Aguirre/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Eastern AZ Coach
ACCAC Coach of the Year (5/7)

Arianna Flores/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (1/29)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/5)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/13)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/20)
ACCAC D-II Co-Pitcher of the Year (5/7)
First Team All-ACCAC Division II (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)

Jiselle Nunez/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/13)
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/26)
First Team All-ACCAC D-II (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)

Jessica Thompson/Softball
Tanque Verde/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/7)
All-Region I, Division II (5/7)

Destanee Nez/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Eastern AZ
All-ACCAC First Team (5/7)
All-Region I, Division I (5/7)

Mya Hernandez/Softball
Sahuaro/Central Arizona
All-ACCAC First Team (5/7)

Luis Pablo Navarro/Baseball
Walden Grove/Pima
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (2/20)
ACCAC D-II Second Team (4/29)
All-Region Second Team (4/29)

Paul Vasquez/Wrestling
Pueblo/Sahuarita Coach
NWCA Coach of the Year (4/2)

Savannah Gutierrez/Soccer
Tucson/Texas A&M International
Defensive Player of the Year (4/29)

Gianna Pancost/Softball
Sabino/Colorado Springs
All-RMAC Second Team (4/30)

Daniel Miranda/Wrestling
Mountain View/ASU
NWCA Scholar All-American (4/2)

Trayvion White-Austin/Track
Sahuaro/Arizona
NCAA Indoor All-American (3/15)
Arizona Sapphire Ward Finalist (4/26)

Michael Masunas/Football
Sabino/Michigan State
Spartan Academic Highest Honor (4/15)

Brianna Arizmendi/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
CSC Academic All-District (3/27)

Audrey Jimenez/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Lehigh
MOW US U20 World Team (4/6)

Brian Peabody/Basketball
Sahuaro/Pima Coach
NJCAA West District COY (3/25)

Joey Staiger/Baseball
Cienega/National Park
NJCAA Region II Pitcher of the Week (3/1)

Isaiah Roebuck/Baseball
Marana/Jamestown
Kennedy S. Wanner Award (4/4)

Lucas Casey/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (1/29)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (3/26)

Diego Bejarano/Baseball
Tucson/ Park-Gilbert
GSAC Champion of Character (3/26)

Lauryn Carbajal/Softball
Sunnyside/Western New Mexico
Athlete of the Week (3/24)
D-II Top Hitter (3/25)

Lillian Gradillas-Flores/Wrestling
Mountain View/Southern Oregon
NAIA All-America (3/15)

Marisol Peña/Wrestling
Cienega/GCU
NCWC All-American (3/15)

Paris Mikinski/High Jump
Salpointe/Arizona
NCAA Indoor All-American (3/15)

Maddie Hairgrove/Softball
Catalina Foothills/Jamestown
NSAA Pitcher of the Week (3/10)

Alma Garcia/Softball
Salpointe/Benedictine
Midwest College Classic Player of the Tournament (3/7)

Coben Bourguet/Football
Salpointe/ASU
NFF Valley of the Sun Scholar Athlete (3/8)

Trenton Bourguet/Football
Marana/ASU
NFF Valley of the Sun Scholar Athlete (3/8)

Sean Elliott/Basketball
Cholla/Arizona
UA Humanities Alumni of the Year (3/3)

Alyssa Bronw/Basketball
Sahuaro/UNLV
Player of the Game (2/23)

Mat’Tanaya Vital/Basketball
Amphitheater/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/27)

Makayla Holthaus/Basketball
Ironwood Ridge/OUAZ
GSAC Winter Scholar Athlete (2/25)

Landyn Lewis/Golf
Tucson/PGA Southwest
PGA Southwest Patriot Award (2/28)

Bruno Fina/Football
Salpointe/Duke
CSC Academic All-District (1/7)
CSC Academic All-America 2nd Team (1/28)

Nayeli Nidez Acuña/Basketball
Sunnyside/Knox College
MWC Performer of the Week (1/21)

Lathan Ransom/Football
Salpointe/Ohio State
PFF Highest Graded Run Defender (1/17)

Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth Wildcats
Game 23 MVP (1/16)
Game 22 MVP (1/15)
Game 21 MVP (1/6)

Wes Ball/Basketball
Marana/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/9)

Dylan Cook/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Morehead State
CSC Academic All-District (1/7)

Tyler Mustain/Football
Pusch Ridge/Arizona
CSC Academic All-District (1/7)










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Spain Captain Felipe Perrone Ends Legendary Career with Storybook Title

Spain Captain Felipe Perrone Ends Legendary Career with Storybook Title Felipe Perrone described it like a movie ending, one that maybe even Hollywood would’ve thought a little too on the nose Thursday. Perrone’s last acts as an international water polo player unspooled at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore. With 18 seconds left in the […]

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Spain Captain Felipe Perrone Ends Legendary Career with Storybook Title

Felipe Perrone described it like a movie ending, one that maybe even Hollywood would’ve thought a little too on the nose Thursday.

Perrone’s last acts as an international water polo player unspooled at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore. With 18 seconds left in the gold-medal match of the World Aquatics Championships, Perrone scored to give Spain a three-goal lead over Hungary, the final touch on a 15-13 victory.

It meant Perrone would end his 14th World Championships with two different countries with a gold medal around, the final entry in one of his generation’s most illustrious careers.

“It was really like a movie,” the Spain captain said. “I couldn’t believe it. I think even the best movies are not so organized like this — like the last goal, winning the world championship. I’m so, so happy and so proud of the team.”

All the beats were there for the 39-year-old. He may not be the dominant force he once was, making the all-tournament team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. (The former came when his current Spain teammate, Biel Gomila, was just two years old.) But Perrone’s game has not fallen far. He was the MVP of the World Championships final in 2022, when Spain beat Italy in the shootout for its first title in 21 years, and made the all-tournament team in 2023.

This year, Perrone had two goals on nine shots and three assists in the first six Spain games. But when his team needed him in the final, he produced two goals and an assist.

Perrone answered when Hungary got out to its biggest lead, at 10-8, with a goal at 3:23 of the third quarter. Spain scored five of the first six goals of the fourth quarter to take the lead, the last by Unai Biel with 3:10 left. It was enough to weather the red card shown to Bernat Sanahuja, the finals MVP, with 3:51 left.

Perrone finished it off personally. When Adam Nagy got Hungary within two at 14-12 with 51 seconds left, the captain replied by drawing the exclusion, then scoring on the power play with 18 ticks left to make it 15-12 and remove all doubt that he’d go out a winner.

Spain Felipe PErrone

Photo Courtesy: World Aquatics/Singapore 2025

“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “Hungary played amazing, but I think our team, we really showed our capacity. As a team, we played amazing. And I think more than that, it was an amazing game for water polo. I think people who watched it just see the best and the most beautiful water polo of all time.”

Perrone’s career is a wild ride. Born in Brazil, he moved to Spain at age 15 and represented both nations at the Olympics, with four Olympic for Spain and the home Games for Brazil in Rio in 2016. An Olympic medal eluded him, Spain finishing fourth in Tokyo, fifth in Beijing and sixth in Paris and London. But Spain has long been one of the most outstanding programs of Worlds.

Thursday was Spain’s fourth World Championship, moving into a tie with Hungary and Italy for the most in the competition’s history. Perrone led two, and he’s medaled in seven World Championships – silver in 2009 and 2019; bronze in 2007, 2023 and 2024. He has five European Championships medals, including gold in 2024.

The dramatic ending fit the emotional build Perrone felt leading to his final games.

“I was crying for the last six months, and every time all the guys were saying beautiful words for me,” he said. “I think it’s more than the result, because now it’s easy to talk about the results, but it was so, so many years with them. I spent more time with them than with my family. For me to finish like this and have them next to me, it is really a special feeling.”

Perrone has dominated domestic competition with 15 titles with CN Atletic-Barceloneta over four stints. He’s won the LEN Champions league with CNAB, Italian club Pro Recco and Croatia’s Jug Dubrovnik, with domestic titles in each league.

He is an icon in the sport.

“There are no words to describe Felipe,” said Alvaro Granados, the MVP of the tournament and perhaps Perrone’s heir apparent. “When the game finished, I said to him that one of the most beautiful things that sport ever gave me was being able to be a friend of him. He was my idol growing up watching water polo and being able to become his friend, his roommate for the last four years is some of the most beautiful things sport has ever given to me and will give to me for sure.

“He’s always for the good of the team. He has zero ego being one of the best players in history, for sure, and he puts always the others in front of him for the best of the group. We all learnt a lot from him, so he’s super humble, super good person and a great friend.”

The tributes came from both sides in the final.

“I cannot describe how happy I am for him,” Hungary’s Vince Vigvari said after giving his Barceloneta teammate a big hug. “If there was one player today who deserves it, it’s him. He knows that I love him so much, and I can’t wait to see him again in Barcelona, because I have to learn a lot more from him.”

It’s been a long journey for Perrone, who said he’s looking forward to a break from the year-round grind to spent time with family. It’s difficult to walk away, not from the accolades and trophies but from the people he’s won them alongside.

“I wouldn’t say that winning is an addictive feeling,” he said. “I think sport is an addictive feeling. I shared this with my teammates. It is the sport, every training session. This feeling of being connected with the guys. This is something really special. And sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and I lost a lot. For me, I would say that more than winning. It is the feeling of the relationship that we constructed during these years.”



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Four DI Transfers, Three State Champions, Two National Team Members Highlight Soccer Recruits

Story Links MOREHEAD, Ky. – A 15-member class that features multiple members with collegiate and international experience highlight coach Paul Cox‘s first full recruiting class for the Morehead State women’s soccer team. The group also includes three state champions and three others with state finals experience. The global group features players from […]

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MOREHEAD, Ky. – A 15-member class that features multiple members with collegiate and international experience highlight coach Paul Cox‘s first full recruiting class for the Morehead State women’s soccer team. The group also includes three state champions and three others with state finals experience.

The global group features players from Switzerland, England, California, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey and Kentucky. Virtually every newcomer enters MSU with a long history of playing for highly successful and championship teams.

They will join 10 returnees from an Eagle squad which finished 2024 with a 9-8-6 overall record and a 4-3-2 Ohio Valley Conference mark, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, while setting school records for best road mark, lowest team goals against average and most games played.

“We are excited to bring in a wealth of players that offer something different,” Cox said. “We brought in four transfers in the spring who helped rejuvenate our team culture. We are now bringing in a large freshman class that has international experience for national teams. We have players coming from top level clubs as well as some in-state talent that is going to help our program grow again this year as we look to go back to the NCAA tournament.”

Cox hit the portal hard with five transfers, including four who enrolled in the spring and played with the Eagles in the 2025 offseason. One freshman also joined the squad in January after graduating early from high school. That group helped MSU post an undefeated (4-0-1) spring campaign and outscored its opponents 12-1.

Junior midfielders Hannah Carter (Bowling Green, Ky./Murray State) and Molly Tapak (Greenwood, Ind./Southern Illinois), junior forward Keara Chafee (Blair, Neb./Omaha), redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Sofia Rodriguez (Taylor Mill, Ky./Western Carolina) and freshman defender Faith Peper (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) joined the program earlier this year.

Carter spent two years at Murray State, where she played in 35 matches, starting 20. During that time, she recorded 12 shots and had one assist. As a freshman, she recorded the second most minutes on the squad. A graduate of Greenwood High School, her teams finished with a 69-17-6 record over four seasons, winning the state title in 2019 and advancing to the state semifinals in 2020. In her final two years, GHS was the regional runner-up. As a senior for the Lady Gators, Carter recorded 15 points on seven goals and one assist. She finished second in goals and third in points on the team. Overall, she tallied 13 goals, seven assists and 33 points. Academically, she was a member of the National Honors Society. She played for the Nashville United club side.

Tapak comes to MSU after two seasons at Southern Illinois. In her time as a Saluki, she played in 27 games, starting 20, and finished taking 12 shots. In her first season, she played the full 90 minutes in 14 of 17 contests, finishing with the second-most minutes on the team and fourth most in program history. A two-year starter and team captain at Center Grove High School, her squad was a semi-state runner-up after winning the regional and sectional. She also competed in gymnastics and track and field, qualifying for the state meet in two events in the latter sport. Tapak earned Academic All-State and Second Team-All District honors and also won a team sportsmanship award in track and field. She was a starter for her club team, Indy Premier United GA, which qualified for nationals.

Chafee enters MSU after spending two years with Omaha, where her Mavericks’ teams posted a 17-8-12 overall record. As a sophomore, she played in 16 games and recorded one assist and one shot. As a freshman, she saw action in 11 outings, starting once, and taking one shot. She led her Blair High School team in scoring as a freshman with 20 goals and 10 assists in just 13 games. For her efforts, she earned first-team all-conference and honorable mention all-state honors, as well as being named both the Team and the Offensive MVP. On the club level, she was a member of the Gretna Elite Academy ECNL. There, she earned first-team all-conference honors in the 2021-22 campaign. Her team qualified for the ECNL Nationals three years. She graduated high school after the fall semester and was an early enrollee at Omaha.

Rodriguez did not see the pitch in either of her two seasons at Western Carolina and consequently earned a redshirt. The Newport Central Catholic graduate played and started two seasons for the Thoroughbreds, earning team MVP honors both times. In 2020, she averaged 6.5 saves per game, while posting a 2.8 goals against average and five shutouts. In 2019, she notched 4.7 spg and a 2.0 GAA, while collecting three shutouts. She was recognized as first-team all-state as a sophomore and “Defensive Player of the Year” as a freshman. Rodriguez was named on the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2023-24. She spent three years with the Cincinnati United Premier club team, with the squad finishing third nationally in 2020-21.

Peper graduated a semester early from Mahtomedi High School after the Zephyrs won the Class 2A state title with a 17-2-1 record last fall. As a senior, she finished with six goals and five assists. She was named to the all-classes, all-state team by the Minnesota Star Tribune and 2A First-Team All-State by the state coaches’ association. Peper also earned All-Metro East honors. She was named the Zephyrs co-Best Defender of the Year after helping hold her opponents to just seven goals all season. Mahtomedi had a successful run while she was there, finishing with a 60-10-3 in her four years. Her club team was the Tonka-Fusion Elite.

Aston Villa FC’s Charlotte Lee (Nottingham, England) and Olivia Lowe (Nottingham, England), as well as freshman forward Joni Bandi (Bern, Switzerland) add international flavor to the roster. Lowe, a freshman defender, and Lee, a freshman midfielder, both have extensive experience with their U21 WSL Academy club, while Bandi, who is already 21, plays in the first tier Swiss Women’s Super League with the Thun Berner-Oberland club.

Lee has been a member of the U19 Welsh National Team for the past year. She also has been a regular starter for her Aston Villa side. In 2022-23, AVFC finished 14-6-2 (W-L-T), with Lee appearing in all but one contest and starting all but three. That season, she tallied two goals and six assists. In 2021-22, she played in four games, starting two. That team finished 15-2-3. She is a graduate of Sutton High School.

Lowe made her international debut as a 13-year-old in 2020-21. She has been training as a member of the Premier League Futures Program since June 2024. Prior to that, she played at Redhill Academy from 2017-23. In Aston Villa’s 2022-23 season, she played and started in one game, with the team finishing 14-6-2 (W-L-T). She graduated from Nottinghamshire High School.

Bandi most recently played for Thun Berner-Oberland in the top league in Switzerland. She saw action in 17 matches, starting nine, scoring twice and collecting four points in 2024-25. The team finished 2-14-2 (W-L-T). In the two previous years, she also played in the Swiss Women’s Super League. In 2023-24, she also was a member of Thun Berner-Oberland, where she again played in 17 matches, starting nine, and was on the pitch for 770 minutes. She also scored twice that year. As a 17-year-old, she spent her first season in the WSL on the Young Boys club, where she saw action in three games.

Graduate student midfielder Karissa Vela (Chino Hills, Calif.) is joining her third collegiate program after spending the last two years at West Virginia State and her first two campaigns at junior college powerhouse Mt. San Antonio. She earned all-conference honors at both schools.

In 2024, Vela helped lead WVSU to the conference tournament title and its first-ever Division II national tournament, where it won its opening game before falling in the second round. The team finished 16-4-3. She started all 22 games as a senior, tallying four goals, four assists and 12 points on 37 shots (18 shots on goal). She also had two game winners and was named second-team all-conference. As a junior, she started 18 games, was a reserve in another, and recorded two goals, one assist and five points on 21 shots. As a sophomore, Mt. SAC posted a 20-2-1 record, won its conference tournament and advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs. She again was named second-team all-conference after registering 16 goals, seven assists and five game-winning goals for a total of 39 points. She did all that in just 26 shots. That season, she started 22 of the 23 games and had a hat trick versus Citrus College and three assists against Compton College. As a freshman, Vela helped the squad to a 16-3-6 mark and the semifinals of the California Community College Athletic Association, after winning another conference tournament crown. That year, she had eight goals, three assists and 19 points, while playing in 22 games, starting 10. She also had three game-winning goals and took 17 shots. At one point in the middle of the season, she scored in five consecutive games that she played. Vela graduated from Chino Hills High School, where she was first-team all-league and named the Most Improved Player. She played club soccer for Legends FC.

Six additional freshmen enter MSU with a bevy of impressive credentials. Included among that group are midfielder Hailey Hernandez-Repreza (Huntington Park, Calif./Warren HS), midfielder Natalie Lentine (Fraser, Mich./Regina HS), midfielder Alyssa Brians (Saint Leon, Ind./East Central HS), forward Lily Burt (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional HS), midfielder Addison Petry (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) and goalkeeper Hannah Sullivan (Louisville, Ky./Eastern HS).

Hernandez-Repreza has spent time with El Salvador’s national team playing in the CONCACAF Women’s U17 Championship. She topped the squad during that tournament with three goals. She also trains at the country’s U20 National Team Camp. As a senior at Warren High School, Hernandez-Repreza helped the squad post a 21-4-3 record and was the Division 3 state runner-up for Southern California. In her four seasons at Warren, the team boasted a 46-32-16 mark. She also played for FRAM SC.

Lentine’s Regina High School soccer team was the state runner-up this spring. She also ran track and cross country, and was a member of the basketball team. Over the last two years, her RHS soccer squad posted a 15-11-8 record. She is a member of the state ODP team and also coaches soccer at the Lake St. Clair Sports Club. On the club level, she plays for the Nationals 07 Girls Academy Gray Team. Academically, Lentine boasts a GPA of over 4.0. She twice attended the State Leadership Conference and was a presenter there in 2023.

Brians was a standout for the state semifinalist East Central High School soccer team, which notched an 18-3-1 record this past season. She tallied eight goals and added six assists for the Trojans. Her squad surrendered just six goals in her senior campaign, finishing the year with 17 shutouts. As a junior, ECHS posted a 17-2 record, with Brians tallying three goals and five assists in 16 games. In her four years with the team, it boasted a 66-12-4 record and advanced to the state playoffs each season. She finished her career with 12 goals, 13 assists in 71 games. The Trojans went 27-1 in conference play during her tenure, and she earned the Top Team Player Award from the state coaches’ association. She also is a member of the volleyball team. She notched a 4.0 GPA in high school and was recognized for her academics. She plays for the Ohio Elite club side.

Burt’s Eastern Regional High School was the state runner-up in her senior season. She collected 19 points on eight goals and three assists for the Vikings, which posted an 18-7-2 record. As a junior, ERHS was 19-2-3, with Burt accounting for 29 points on eight goals and 13 assists. As a sophomore, the squad went 23-2-2, with her scoring twice and adding eight assists. She also ran track for the school. She is a member of the PDA South club team.

In 2024, Petry played in all 27 games for Sacred Heart, one of the nation’s top girls’ soccer sides. The Valkyries finished the campaign with a state title and a 24-1-2 record. The club allowed just 10 goals all season. Multiple organizations ranked Sacred Heart among the top 20 teams in the country. In 2023, the Valkyries finished 20-3-3 and were the state runners-up. In that campaign, she played in 24 contests, finishing with a goal and an assist. As a sophomore, she recorded two goals and three assists for the 20-4-0 district champs. In her three years on the varsity, SHA posted a 64-8-5 mark and allowed just 48 goals. She is a member of Racing Louisville FC.

Sullivan was a teammate of Petry on Racing Louisville’s U19 Purple side. At Eastern High School, she was a four-year starter in the net. In 16 games in 2024, she averaged 10 spg, had five shutouts and a 2.8 GAA. The previous season, she posted a 2.3 GAA, with three shutouts and 12.6 spg. In 2022, she finished with a 3.2 GAA and 10.6 spg. As a freshman, she registered a 3.0 GAA with 12.3 spg and two shutouts.

Three All-OVC honorees return from a squad that was among the league’s best defenses. However, the club will have to replace 16 players, including three graduates.

Morehead State begins preseason camp on Monday, July 28. The team’s first exhibition game is on Thursday, Aug. 7 at home against Brescia (Ky.), before opening its regular season on Thursday, Aug. 14 at home against Marshall.



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AJ Middleton – Stanford Cardinal

AJ Middleton is in his first season as a football sports performance coach in 2021. He came to The Farm following five seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the BYU football program. At BYU, Middleton worked with the linebackers, tight ends and fullbacks. He also integrated freshmen and return missionaries into the team training […]

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AJ Middleton is in his first season as a football sports performance coach in 2021. He came to The Farm following five seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the BYU football program. At BYU, Middleton worked with the linebackers, tight ends and fullbacks. He also integrated freshmen and return missionaries into the team training structure. Middleton played a key role in the development of the 2020 team that finished the season ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25. 

Before joining the Cougars in Provo, Middleton worked one season at UNLV after stints at USC and the University of Redlands strength and conditioning programs the two years prior. He was also an assistant track and field coach at the University of Puget Sound in 2013.

Middleton played football and competed in track and field at Puget Sound and was a first-team All-Northwest Conference honoree at nose tackle in 2008. He was also a two-time NWC champion in the shot put in 2006 and 2007.

He is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), NSCA Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) and a Level 1 USAW Performance Coach.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology at Puget Sound in 2009 and then earned a master’s degree in management from Redlands in 2015. He is married to his college sweetheart, Jessica Scarsella, and the couple has one son, Maximillian.



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T.J. Crater – Penn State

Coaching Awards and Honors:* 2007 USTFCCCA Division II Men[apos]s Assistant Coach of the Year* 2007 USTFCCCA West Region Men[apos]s Assistant Coach of the Year Outstanding Athletes Coached: Blake Eaton* 2010 NCAA Outdoor Bronze Medalist (Shot Put)* Two-Time NCAA All-American* Two-Time Big Ten Outdoor Champion (Shot Put)* USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year Joe Kovacs* […]

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Coaching Awards and Honors:
* 2007 USTFCCCA Division II Men[apos]s Assistant Coach of the Year
* 2007 USTFCCCA West Region Men[apos]s Assistant Coach of the Year

Outstanding Athletes Coached:

Blake Eaton
* 2010 NCAA Outdoor Bronze Medalist (Shot Put)
* Two-Time NCAA All-American
* Two-Time Big Ten Outdoor Champion (Shot Put)
* USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year

Joe Kovacs
* Two-Time NCAA Indoor Bronze Medalist (Shot Put)
* 2011 Big Ten Indoor Champion (Shot Put)
* Two-Time USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Indoor Field Athlete of the Year

Karlee McQuillen
* 2010 NCAA Bronze Medalist (Javelin)
* 2011 Big Ten Champion (Javelin)
* 2009 and 2010 Big Ten Silver Medalist (Javelin)
* 2011 USATF Finalist

Kim Hanslovan
* 2009 NCAA Qualifier (Javelin)
* Penn State Javelin Record Holder (178-4/54.35m)

Laura Loht
* 2011 Big Ten Bronze Medalist (Javelin)
* 2011 NCAA Qualifier/Second Team NCAA All-American

Kim Hanslovan
* 2009 NCAA Qualifier (Javelin)
* Penn State Javelin Record Holder (178-4/54.35m)

Emma Schmelzer
* 2009 Big Ten Co-Field Athlete of the Championships
* Three-Time Big Ten Silver Medalist
(Indoor; Weight, Outdoor; Hammer, Discus)
* NCAA Regional Qualifier (Shot Put, Hammer, Discus)

Tanner Evak
* 2009 Big Ten Javelin Champion
* 2009 Penn Relays Javelin Champion
* USATF Qualifier

Inger Appanaitis (Nevada)
* 2008 NCAA Qualifier (Javelin)
* 2008 US Olympic Trials Qualifier (Javelin)
* 2008 WAC Champion (Javelin)
* 2008 NCAA Regional Qualifier
(Shot Put, Discus, Hammer, Javelin)

Cameron Neel (Central Washington)
* Five-Time NCAA All-American (Division II)
* Eight-time GNAC Champion
* Four-time GNAC conference record holder

Former NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year T.J. Crater is in his fourth year on the Nittany Lion coaching staff. Crater came to Happy Valley following coaching stints at Nevada and Central Washington and coaches the Nittany Lion throwing events.

Over his first three years in Happy Valley, Crater has led the Nittany Lion throws contingent to outstanding success, overseeing a trio of NCAA bronze-medal finishes, six NCAA All-America efforts, and five Big Ten victories.

Crater, who guided nine athletes to the NCAA First Round competition in 2011, also coaches world-class shot putter and Nittany Lion volunteer assistant, Ryan Whiting. Whiting qualified for the final at the IAAF World Championships last summer, and is one of the top five-ranked athletes in the world in the event.

Crater[apos]s throwers were sensational at the conference level in 2011, with senior Joe Kovacs taking the Big Ten indoor title in the shot put, thanks to an NCAA automatic-qualifying effort of 65-1.25 (19.84) – which also stands as the second-best throw in the Nittany Lion record books.

Outside, Crater tutored senior Blake Eaton to his second-straight Big Ten outdoor title in the shot, with Kovacs following in second to complete the Nittany Lion sweep. Senior Karlee McQuillen would also add a Big Ten victory, taking top honors in the javelin. Crater[apos]s women[apos]s javelin contingent put on a clinic at the conference meet, with freshman Laura Loht placing third, and classmates Megan Boyer and Kaitchen Dearborn finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, to build on McQuillen[apos]s victory.

Nationally speaking, Crater guided Kovacs and Eaton to NCAA berths during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Kovacs would place third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, adding his second NCAA bronze medal to the Nittany Lion trophy case, after finishing third in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2010.

On the women[apos]s side, Crater led McQuillen to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the third-straight year, along with Loht, who made her first-career NCAA appearance in 2011. Both athletes would earn Second Team All-America status.
Crater also oversaw notable improvements from a trio of Nittany Lion newcomers in 2011, with junior Jane Swenson posting an effort of 52-6 (16.00) – the fourth-best toss in school history – in the shot put. Also showing outstanding promise was freshman Taylor McNally, who recorded a season-best toss of 157-6 (48.02) in the discus, and would go on to qualify for the USATF Junior Championships in the event. On the men[apos]s side, redshirt-freshman Will Barr also proved to be one-to-watch in the over the next three years, ending the 2011 season with a top toss of 179-0 (54.55) in the discus.

Under Crater[apos]s watch, the current crop of Nittany Lion throwers have rapidly made their into the Penn State record books, with Eaton (64-2.50/19.57) and Kovacs (62-10 /19.15) ranked second, and fourth, respectively, in the all-time Nittany Lion outdoor shot put standings, and Crater coached athletes claiming three of the top six spots on the the discus top 10 list.

Prior to 2011, Crater coached a Big Ten winning effort from Tanner Evak in the javelin in 2009. The same year, Crater saw Emma Schmelzer earn Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championship honors, thanks to 21-point total indvidiual via second-place finishes in the discus and hammer, and a fourth-place standing in the shot.
In just one year at Nevada, Crater led senior Inger Appanaitis to a WAC title in the javelin, as well as appearances at the NCAA Championships and U.S. Olympic Trials. Appanaitis was also an NCAA regional qualifier in all four throwing events. Crater also saw Wolfpack sophomore Constance McAlman also recorded regional qualifying marks in the hammer and discus.

At Central Washington University, Crater was named the 2007 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)-Division II West Region Men[apos]s Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year and the 2007 USTFCCCA-Division II National Men[apos]s Assistant Track and Field Coach of the Year. At CWU, Crater coached 30 national qualifying performances from 10 national qualifiers. He also coached nine All-Americans at the Division II level and 12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) individual champions. Crater[apos]s throwers recorded 104 of Central Washington University[apos]s 238 points to help lead the men[apos]s track and field team to a 2007 GNAC Title.

One of Crater[apos]s top athletes at Central Washington was Cameron Neel, who finished his career as a five-time NCAA All-American, eight-time GNAC Champion, and was named the NCAA West Region Athlete of the Year in 2007. Crater also made quite an impact on the GNAC conference as Crater-coached athletes hold eight conference records. He lettered four years in track and field at the University of Idaho, from 1998-2002. While competing for the Vandals, Crater was an NCAA Championships qualifier in 2002 (35lb weight) and was a five-time All-Big West Conference Performer, three times in the hammer throw and two times in the shot put.



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Eleven Football Players Combine for 13 Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy Honors

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eleven members of the Brown football team combined for 13 Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy honors, the organization has announced. Two Bears landed on the first and second teams, while eight honorees landed on the third team.   Reigning Ivy League and Phil Steele Ivy League Rookie of the Year Matt Childs helps […]

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eleven members of the Brown football team combined for 13 Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy honors, the organization has announced. Two Bears landed on the first and second teams, while eight honorees landed on the third team.
 
Reigning Ivy League and Phil Steele Ivy League Rookie of the Year Matt Childs helps headline the first team at running back, along with linebacker John Perdue. Perdue had previously earned a spot on the Phil Steele Second Team in 2024.
 
A pair of seniors in receiver Solomon Miller and defensive back Elias Archie landed on the preseason second team. Archie was a member of Phil Steele’s Third Team last season and earned Second Team All-Ivy honors, as selected by the league’s head coaches.
 
Eight players combined for nine third team honors with Qwentin Brown (RB), Chason Barber (WR), Ty Pezza (WR), Beau Smith (OL), Sam Smith (LB), Ryan Haley (LB), Nick Hudson (DB) and Solomon Miller (AP/PR). Last season, Hudson was named to Phil Steel’s Fourth Team, while Beau Smith and Childs each landed on the publication’s Freshman All-America Team.
 
The Bears are set to open the season on Saturday, September 20 at home against Georgetown. Season tickets are on sale now for all five home games in the 100th anniversary season of Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium.
 


BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION

The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the backbone of our athletics program, playing a crucial role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. This is possible through philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, fans, and friends. Your gift through the Sports Foundation can immediately impact today’s Brown Bears, helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and, most importantly, in the community. Please click 
here to learn more about how you can support the Bears.

 

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