Two-time NCAA runner-up Shelby Frank on outlook with Texas Tech
Shelby Frank was the NCAA indoor championships runner-up in the weight throw in 2023 and 2024. She transferred from Minnesota to Texas Tech for 2025.
At NCAA regional track and field meets, the high jump ends when the field is narrowed to 12 athletes.
In Temitope Adeshina’s case, she needed to clear only 6 feet, 1/2 inch to make the 12 at the NCAA West regional in College Station. The Texas Tech sophomore has shown she can go higher at the NCAA championships, which is her next stop.
The Texas Tech women advanced eight athletes in individual events and their 1,600-meter relay through the competition that wrapped up Saturday, May 31, at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium. The NCAA championships are June 11-14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
“Overall, I felt like our meet was good,” Tech coach Wes Kittley said. “We always like to get more kids (qualified), but the ones that were supposed to make it (to the NCAA championships) did, and it was a pretty good day.”
Adeshina’s never failed to miss the national meet. As a freshman last year, she placed fourth at the NCAA indoor and third at the NCAA outdoor, clearing the Olympic standard of 6-5 1/2 in Eugene and then representing Nigeria at the Paris Olympics. This year, she won the NCAA indoor meet with a jump of 6-4 1/4.
More: Fanny Arendt’s fabulous 2025 Texas Tech track season includes a remarkable back story
More: Texas Tech men’s track & field to send 10 in individual events, relay to NCAA outdoor
At the East regional in Jacksonville, Florida, and the West regional in College Station, fields of 48 athletes were narrowed to 12 in each individual event and trimmed from 24 teams to 12 in relays.
For Adeshina, ranked No. 1 in Division I based on her season-best of 6-5 1/2, the regional meet is about not making a mistake.
Unlike during the indoor season, when NCAA-championship berths are assigned after conference meets based on season-best times and marks, the outdoor season requires do-or-die performance in the regional round. Seasons for the highest-ranked athletes can end on one bad day.
“We all say, as coaches, this meet’s worth nothing except for the good ones to have a chance to mess up,” Kittley said.
Thrower Shelby Frank, a first-team All-American three times each at NCAA indoor and outdoor meets, qualified for national in two events. On Thursday, May 29, she was third in the hammer throw at 217-1, and on Saturday, she was second in the discus with a throw of 200-10.
The Red Raiders will send two to Eugene in that event — Zoe Burleson threw the discus 182-0 — and two in the triple jump: Victoria Gorlova jumped a wind-legal personal best of 45-10 3/4 for second, and Tamiah Washington went a wind-assisted 44-5 1/4 for sixth.
Also making it out of regional were Fanny Arendt, who automatically qualified by winning her heat in 2 minutes, 2.63 seconds, and Destiny Smith and Tonie-Ann Forbes, who also auto-qualified with top-three finishes in their heats of the 100-meter hurdles. Smith ran 13.01 and Forbes 13.11, both wind-legal, and sixth and ninth fastest overall.
Naomi Krebs, ranked sixth in Division I in the 100 hurdles but compromised by a grade-2 hamstring strain, failed to advance.
Tech ended the meet on a high note running a season-best 3:32.66 in the 1,600-meter relay. The lineup of Arendt, Mekenze Kelley, Mercy Umoibang and Vanessa Balde auto-qualified by finishing third in their quarterfinal heat.
“They really wanted it,” Kittley said. “We just competed better than we have all year against a bunch better teams. We haven’t been running fabulous 4-by-4s, so I was real proud of that.”
Just outside the top 12 in the triple jump were Suzan Ogunleye (43-10 3/4) in 14th and Busola Akinduro (43-10) in 15th.
Wellsboro junior Madison Cruttenden was recently named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association’s, PVCA, Class 2A All-State team.
Cruttenden was one of three NTL and District IV volleyballers (Aryana Andrus and Alli Bailey from Troy) to make the team.
Cruttenden received 536 serves, made 37 assists and had 341 digs this season. She also scored 163 points to go along with 54 aces.
Over the course of her career she has made 1,197 receptions, 56 assists, 784 digs, 407 points (112 aces) and 6 kills.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Maddy,” head coach Darci Pollock said. “She has been a consistent back row player for us the past two seasons. She continues to work hard in the off season. I’m very proud of her work ethic and dedication to the team!”
Cruttenden is the ninth Wellsboro player to earn a spot on the PCVA All-State team. Cruttenden joins Carrie Gorda, Rachel Patt, Hannah Zuchowski, Kirsten Florio, Caitlyn Callahan, Megan Starkweather, Paige Logsdon and Lexi Urena.
All-RRV Volleyball 2025: A golden finish: Trinity Christian Academy’s Pyeatt walks off as state champion and All-RRV Volleyball Co-Offensive Player of the Year | Free
The 118th Millrose Games women’s 3000 meters on Feb. 1, 2026, at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory will feature a showdown between NCAA distance running’s top stars Doris Lemngole and Jane Hedengren, along with 2025 runner-up Josette Andrews.
Lemngole, competing for Alabama, holds the NCAA championship and record in the 3000m steeplechase. The Kenya native won the steeplechase at the Lausanne Diamond League and finished fourth at the World Championships before claiming her second straight NCAA cross country title — her fifth NCAA championship overall. The junior received the 2025 Bowerman Award last week, recognizing her as collegiate track and field’s top athlete.
“I am excited and looking forward to competing at the Millrose Games, especially given its prestige and historic significance,” said Lemngole in a release by the meeting this week.. “It is a great opportunity!”
Read More: Julien Alfred Among Sprinters Confirmed For 2025 Millrose Games
Hedengren broke every American high school distance record from 1500m through 5000m before enrolling at BYU. The freshman went unbeaten in cross country until finishing second to Lemngole at nationals, then shattered the NCAA 5000m record with a 14:44.79 clocking in her indoor debut.
Both runners will chase Katelyn Tuohy’s NCAA 3000m record of 8:35.20, established at the 2023 Millrose Games.
Andrews, from Tenafly, N.J., finished sixth in the 5000m at the 2025 World Championships and has top-five showings at World Indoor Championships and the Diamond League Final.
Several Other 118th Millrose Games Confirmations
The World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet will also feature Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, Elle St. Pierre, Jess Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Joe Kovacs, Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler, Cameron Myers, Julien Alfred, Devynne Charlton and Danielle Williams.
Tickets are available at millrosegames.org. More than 85 percent of seats have sold.
DAYTONA BEACH – The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats have officially released their 2026 softball schedule. The schedule includes four in-season tournaments prior to SWAC play along with two separate contests against non-conference foes.
The Wildcats’ season will begin at the USF-Rawlings Classic in Tampa from February 5-7. B-CU will open against Illinois State, followed by matchups with USF, Kansas, Michigan, and Florida.
The Cats’ first game at Sunnyland Park will take place on February 11th against North Dakota State at 5 p.m.
From February 13-15, the Wildcats will be in Leesburg, Florida for THE Spring Games, where they will take on mid-majors LIU, Southern Miss, Loyola Chicago, and St. John’s.
The following weekend, B-CU once again travels to Cathedral City, California for an appearance in the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 19-21), squaring off against Utah, Rutgers, Texas Tech, Oregon State, and Long Beach State.
For their fourth and final in-season tournament, the Wildcats head to Madiera Beach, Florida for the Make It Happen Games. The event takes place from February 27 to March 1 and features Bellarmine, UMass, UIC, Bowling Green, and Monmouth.
The Wildcats’ SWAC schedule begins on Friday, March 6th with a two-game road series against Alabama A&M. B-CU will then finish up their non-conference schedule following a road contest against UNF (March 11).
B-CU welcomes Alabama State for a three-game series on March 13th & 14th. The following weekend (March 20-21), they will travel to play Jackson State before heading back to Sunnyland. The Cats host rival Florida A&M for a three-game set on March 27th and 28th.
The Wildcats travel to Itta Bena, Mississippi to take on the Delta Devils on April 3rd & 4th. Their final three series include rematches of previous series against Jackson State, Alabama State, and Alabama A&M. B-CU will host the Tigers (April 10-11) and the Bulldogs (April 24-25), while traveling to face the Hornets (April 17-18).
The Southeastern Athletic Conference tournament will again compete in Gulfport, Mississippi, and takes place from May 5th to May 9th.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Softball on Twitter (@BCUSoftball) and Instagram (@BCUSoftball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.
Penn State landed its second commitment in the transfer portal of the day.
The Nittany Lions earned a commitment from outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein.
Lauenstein was previously at Texas and Nebraska before transferring to her third school, Penn State.
Lauenstein adds depth to the right side and outside, which is already pretty deep for the blue and white.
The Waverly, Nebraska, native had her best season in 2022 with the Cornhuskers, totaling 297 kills, with 2.78 kills per set and a .238 hitting percentage. She added 28 aces as a premier server, which could be a major part of her role with the Nittany Lions.
She’ll make her way to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility.
MORE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE
Penn State earned another commitment from the transfer portal.
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
Texas outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein announced her commitment to Penn State women’s volleyball out of the transfer portal on Wednesday. Lauenstein posted her decision to transfer to Happy Valley on her Instagram.
As a redshirt senior this past season, Lauenstein logged 33 kills, 11 digs, and 14 total blocks across 20 sets for the Longhorns.
Lauenstein began her NCAA journey with two seasons at Nebraska. As a sophomore, she led the Cornhuskers in total points, earning AVCA All-Region Team and Academic All-Big Ten honors.
After the 2022 season, the Waverly, Nebraska, native stepped away from the team to focus on her family. Lauenstein then transferred to Texas in December of 2023, where she spent the last two seasons.
Lauenstein now joins setter Alexis Stucky and middle blocker Ryla Jones as transfer players who have committed to the Nittany Lions this cycle.
Please choose an option below.
Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Cadyn is a third-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You’ll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214.
