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Setting up a major track meet At Hayward Field

The following transcript was generated using automated transcription software for the accessibility and convenience of our audience. While we strive for accuracy, the automated process may introduce errors, omissions, or misinterpretations. This transcript is intended as a helpful companion to the original audio and should not be considered a verbatim record. For the most accurate […]

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The following transcript was generated using automated transcription software for the accessibility and convenience of our audience. While we strive for accuracy, the automated process may introduce errors, omissions, or misinterpretations. This transcript is intended as a helpful companion to the original audio and should not be considered a verbatim record. For the most accurate representation, please refer to the audio recording.

MICHAEL DUNNE: I’m Michael Dunne. Obviously, there’s a lot of movement at a track meet, running, jumping, throwing and lunging, but behind the scenes, there’s an almost incalculable amount of moving and moving parts to set up a major track meet like the Prefontaine classic at Hayward Field today on the show, we’ll bring you conversations with the folks at Track Town USA, in charge of all that pre, during, and post movement, from making sure the athletes are comfortable to ensuring all the technology is firing to taking every measurement possible so the hurdles, pads, cages, starting blocks and more are in the exact right place at the exact right time. It’s organized chaos on the track and in the field. In short, it’s a race to make sure all the other races come off without a hitch. What you just heard were the footfalls of a track athlete getting in some practice laps before running in Eugene’s signature track event, the Prefontaine classic. But before this and more than 300 other elite athletes take their marks another small army of staffers and volunteers for Track Town USA get to work making sure the PRI and every other track meet at world famous Hayward field goes off as planned. I met Jody Smith, Chief Operating Officer of TrackTown USA, at Section 115 overlooking Hayward Field, and asked her how she and her team work with the individual teams and athletes setting up for a track meet.

JODY SMITH: We really work with their athlete representatives, and we actually book all their travel and make all those arrangements for them. So, we are actually getting them here, and not only from where they live and throughout the entire world, but then once they come into either Portland or Eugene, we’re getting them from the airport to their hotels, and then while they’re here, all their meals, all their transport, all their services are provided by us.

MICHAEL DUNNE: I know you said you love the details, so let’s, let’s get into the details a little bit in terms of, okay, let’s say like we’re here today before the Meet happens. Kind of walk us through the logistics of setup in terms of, you know, a day like today, before the Meet begins. How many people are going to be here doing this setup? Kind of, what are their main responsibilities of getting this, this hallowed field, ready for competition?

JODY SMITH: We break this down into different groups. So, we have a venue team that is focused on building the infrastructure and the overlay to have the tents you see on the fields outside or on the Marshfield district that will have for all the folks coming in to buy, retail, enjoy food, etc. They’re worried. They’re worried about the permitting. They’re worried about whether they have all the tables and chairs, etc. We have a brand team, as you look out as a venue today, that makes it look that special for the Prefontaine to celebrate the 50th so all the signage and decor, not only in Hayward field, but throughout the city, we have a sports team that is focused on getting the field of play and the competition ready, so making sure we have all the equipment, the timing company, the supplies that we need to conduct the competition, organizing, the technical officials. On top of that, we have a team that’s on the services side that’s making sure that the athletes have the information and know what to expect when they arrive. And then there’s a whole group dedicated to the transport and the catering, etc. And last but not least, we have a marketing team and a communications team that’s really focusing on telling the stories of the event.

MICHAEL DUNNE: One thing that I always love about Hayward Field is, in addition to being this grand facility, but it exists in a community, in a neighborhood, and I’m wondering too, talk about the coordination with Eugene police and with all the other entities.

JODY SMITH: So, we’re really lucky to have tremendous community partners, and we couldn’t deliver this event without those partners. First and foremost is the venue owner, the University of Oregon, and their team in athletics and campus. They are crucial to all the work that we have to do here at Hayward field and supporting us through those processes, of course, the city of Eugene and the city of Springfield and traveling County, they’re really helpful in those services that come from the city, whether it’s parking police, etc. And then I’ll partner on this too and deliver the event as the Oregon Track Club. So, we really rely on those community partners in order to have those with the items go well.

MICHAEL DUNNE: How does it work? I guess, you know, people might be familiar with the term the load in. I mean, obviously a lot of it is loading in athletes. But, I mean, talk about that, you know, as, as you say, your kind of, you know, the road is closed in front of the facility. Talk about how you manage, 300 athletes coming in. And of course, that represents, I don’t know how many support staff. It’s a lot of folks coming to town. How do you manage that, that herd, if you will, of people?

JODY SMITH: Certainly. I’ll talk about two parts. So, the load into the people and the athletes. There’s, you know, 300 athletes, but there’s about 500 people. So, their support staff, their coaches, their physios, their publicist, etc. They’re all coming into town too. So that’s the load into the people. And we have a team of about at this point, blossomed around close to 30 to 40 that are probably focused on that between full time staff and key vendors and partners to deliver the services the load into the venue, which is more about trucks and big infrastructure. So we got a broadcast coming in. We have Swiss timing and omega coming from overseas, and they’ll come with a couple semis, you know, speaking about the load in, there’s a lot of large groups that come in. There’s a lot of tech that comes in, so from our broadcast to our timing to our display boards. So those are big movements of stuff. And then we have, we work with local tent vendors that we’ve worked with for 15 years almost now. They’re really familiar, but it is a process to get all those tents put up and the tables and chairs, and hopefully it all is seamless and easy. There’s always surprises, but we have another team of about 20 people dedicated to that.

MICHAEL DUNNE: I’m glad you brought that up. You know, the Prius kind of Center Stage for track throughout the world. Talk about it in terms of, you know, managing famous people, managing their publicists, but also sort of, you know, obviously making sure that everybody, every athlete, feels like, I don’t know, they’re kind of special.

JODY SMITH: So certainly, you know, as you talk about who’s coming, we have over 48 gold medalists from the Olympics, close to 100 Olympic medalists and 14 world record holders that are coming in. Each one is different and, and, and we want to make sure we rise to whatever level of service they expect. But that’s true of all 300 athletes for us. So, we try to make sure that we do it not just for the ones that are in the news, but the ones that are maybe just having their first professional event. So, we make sure that we create those services that are for all but also, of course, we’ll do some things tailored, because we do ask of them while they’re here to be a partner in telling their stories and promoting the event.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Talk about the moving parts for a track meet and what it takes to get everything ready, and especially because, you know, for many of us, you know, spectators, it’s like, okay, they just go out and, you know, set up the hurdles. But I imagine, because obviously everything has to be sort of ratcheted down to the millimeter, talk about those logistics of getting sure that everything not only is in place, but is in place to a standard of such a high degree.

JODY SMITH: Well, this is something I’m really excited to talk about and very proud of. So, we are blessed to have the most beautiful Track and Field facility in the world as kind of our base, right? We start with the best, right? We also have the best crews in the world. In my humble opinion, the folks that deliver the Prefontaine are the ones that are delivering the events all season long. As you mentioned, regardless of the weather, they’re out there doing that role. So, they know exactly what they need to do and how to do it, and they’re very seasoned and very professional at it. So, we have that starter, the moving parts, that layer on top is really this, how we make it look. So, we add the look and feel. We add more elements. We’re bringing back these heritage athletes. We’re bringing back the alumni workforce, just like someone would plan out a minute-by-minute script. We actually do the same way for how athletes come from when they first check in to when they compete, we have a a movement and timing that is to the second and in coordination with our broadcast partner and our in stadium show to help make sure that all of that goes as planned and we have the best chance To celebrate the best moments on the field of play, because there is a lot going on, and we want to make sure we provide timings to showcase, hey, right now we’re going to bring you over the shot put to see, you know, an attempt at a world leading throw. So, with that said, when things don’t go as planned, you have to pivot in multiple ways to ensure we get back on track. So, the sporting area of track and field is complex because it is multiple events going on at the same time, and they all have to come together to form one event.

MICHAEL DUNNE: You brought up, something that I’m interested to kind of pursue is, when something goes wrong or something doesn’t go as planned. If you could reach back into your memory and at a meet was, is there, is there a particular of something that happened, where you’re like, wow, we really have to scramble now to try and accommodate this challenge.

JODY SMITH: Well, it’s always weather, okay? It’s often the weather. I think we can all remember those very hot days in 2021 after coming off of the COVID restriction, and we witnessed 114-degree days here in our city. And that was the last day of the Olympic trials, and we had to literally end the competition, go away and come back that night, due to the amount of movement of volunteers, contractors, athletes, etc. For that to happen, it took everybody to make that occur. But I will also say that night, when we all came back, was one of the most exciting nights of track and field here at Hayward field, with coal Hawker in the 1500 punching his ticket to the Olympics, with Sidney McLaughlin setting a world record, and we had the whole place lit up. Because nothing is more spectacular than Hayward at night. So often in the worst moments come the best times.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Especially someone like yourself that has to conduct so much. What does success look like when you know that everything has come off? What does it describe the feeling or just describe, sort of, you know, maybe there’s a post event meeting with your team, kind of, what does that look like and feel like to you?

JODY SMITH: Success is in the athletes faces, and is when they’ve had a chance to perform at their best. And that’s not just the person winning the races. It’s across the board, and it’s seeing them then connect with our spectators and our young fans and creating that energy between them. Because if they’re having fun and doing well, then we’re all having fun and doing well. So, to me, that is the mark of success. And within the team, it’s the same thing too. You know, we’re all going to come into this pretty exhausted, but then the first person jumps or throws or runs, and you see something spectacular, and you’re like, that’s why we do this. And you have to remember that, because there’s moments in the way you’re like, wow, it’s two o’clock in the morning, and I’m putting, you know, stickies on labels on an envelope, but it’s so we are all about making sure we’re doing the things. So, when the athletes get on the field to play, they just have to go out and compete.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Can you go to a track meet, another track meet, and be a fan? Or do you, do you kind of look at it and kind of critique what’s happening?

JODY SMITH: I think that’s true in every career I’ve been in, so to speak. But I can be a fan 100% and I can sometimes be a fan and shut off worrying about, hey, this could have been. This could have been. This could have been. It’s not but sometimes you do go, wow, if we had only done, you know, this kind of thing. But I’m going to go back to that answer so I can absolutely go to a track meet and be a fan. And you know, because athletes compete in all sorts of places, they’re just fun to watch, and what they do is really spectacular and beyond what most of us can think about doing with that. Said, when I go to an event, yeah, sometimes I have to shut off the event mind and just enjoy the competition and not think of what I would do if I had a chance to work on this competition.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Jody, my last question for you is this, we’ve talked about what a phenomenal place. This is Hayward field. Maybe, if you could share with us, maybe, some of your favorite comments you’ve ever got from either athletes or other colleagues of yours at other institutions. You know when they came here for the first time, is there a comment that you can remember that they said to you that filled you with pride, but also with an understanding of what a kind of almost like a, you know, a sacred honor it is to help manage this venue.

JODY SMITH: I hear that a lot. When they first arrive and kind of see it, or when you first walk out of the tunnel, I think it’s a really special moment, because it is unique in the sport to kind of have that welcome to the stadium, so to speak. But what to me is not just what we do as a hallmark of TrackTown USA and our events in Hayward Field. It’s about our spectators and our fans and how they get behind the athletes. So I think you’ll hear it time and time again, I heard them as I came around the corner, as I was preparing for my last attempt. I mean, they feel that power and energy behind them, and that lifts them, I think, to achieve better marks and better times. And that’s what’s fun, and that’s what I think is special about here, and that’s what I hear a lot.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Jody Smith, thank you so much for taking to us.

JODY SMITH Thank you.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Eli Rosen-Duran, Event Manager here at Hayward Field, you manage a lot of the tech. And I think that’s probably an area that fans don’t really see. Talk about how important technology is, both in terms of, you know, obviously the Meet logistics, but then also in sort of communication for the team.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: So I mean, tech is huge among both our internal and then all the fans and everything for our internal team. Of course, this meet is still a little day that we run a lot on paper, so people always have to be out printing things. And then, of course, the whole track and field, statistics and times and marks and distances and start lists, and that all comes via technology like all the timing, company, results, company services.

MICHAEL DUNNE: What are some of the biggest challenges with technology, making it all fit, making it all work. What are, you know, obviously, I imagine there’s, there’s so many requirements for WiFi and internet, talk about some of those biggest challenges that you have to overcome?

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: Honestly, yeah, because getting to WIFI we built a whole media section out in our back turf rec field, and there’s something out there the rest of the time. So, we got to go run all these internet services out there for all these photographers that got to upload gigabytes of files to the web, and all these reporters that got to get their news out published. So, we built a whole temporary infrastructure of Wi Fi and hardline internet for these guys.

MICHAEL DUNNE: I know a kind of a fairly recent piece of technology. I think it’s called the Wave light? Talk about that, because I think that’s fascinating, and I imagine that adds a whole other element for spectators.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: So the wave light has been something over the last few years, that it is a light system that goes around the track, and it’s 400 lamps that go under the inside track curb, and it’s programmed to run practically with the racers, so it stays at a steady pace, and the Meet directors and the coaches and the athletes kind of determine what that pace is going to pace is going to be. Say for a mile. If they’re trying to break some records, they go set at that record pace, and the athletes go off and chase it. And so it’s been huge, especially in record setting races where they’re chasing a record, and the athletes will pull up alongside this light, and then you can see them pull out in front of it. And the fans really engaged with that. Seeing the athletes beat the light sort of makes sense, because they’re beating the record, and you know, instantly, without having to wait for the results about what happened.

MICHAEL DUNNE: What are some of the other technologies that help enhance both the in-stadium experience for the spectators, but also on TV.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: Oh, there’s definitely a couple. The timing company that comes out here, omega Swiss timing, they have a couple technologies. Major one for the track athletes is chip tracking. So, they have little chips on their bibs, strapped to their chest that down to the millisecond they know where they are on the track. So, it’s huge about knowing the current speed of how fast they’re going, all the projected times. And then you could watch it and say, if there’s a clump of people you know, who actually is in first, instead of thinking like, Hey, I think it’s number seven that’s out in the lead right now when everyone’s wire to wire. So, the chip tracking, I think, is really neat technology, and we use it in the stadium on our scoreboards, and it goes to the TV graphics as well. On throws, they have virtual markers out in the field, about, hey, who has the best throw right now? Who’s one, two and three? So when someone goes for a javelin toss or a shot put, then you know right where it lands, looking on TV about what their mark might be, instead of waiting for measurements to come in from the laser.

MICHAEL DUNNE: When do you kind of go in, make sure the technology is installed, testing. Kind of take us through, sort of your timeline, you know, pre, during and post meet.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: So pre meet, I’m in an office year round, and kind of start querying with our technology partners. So, we bring in a lot of technology partners, broadcast team led, board team, a timing company and network services out here at University of Oregon, about hey, these are the plans we’re looking at. This is how we’re looking to lay it out. And then we go back and forth, get some agreements going, get a timeline going about, all right, about two weeks or so ahead of time, we’re going to start being on site. We’re going to start loading in everyone’s gear together, start setting it up. And so, we go from an office time to a delay. Delivery and a build out, and then we get to set up and start testing all this technology. And that’s where we are right now. We’re about three days out from the event and all the technologies got delivered, and then it’s time to start setting it up and lighting up some boards, plugging in some cameras. And so, our TV trucks got parked here yesterday. We got them all powered up, and then they’re starting to plug all their wires in the stadium. So, over the next few days, we’ll start seeing some video feed shoot across and by Friday, the day before the meet, we’ll have a test rehearsal, just pretty much of making sure everyone’s gear on the timing front, the broadcast front, the video board, the wave light, that it’s all plugged in and working like it should. So, Saturday we have no issues.

MICHAEL DUNNE: To the best of your ability, give me some numbers. Like, I don’t know how many feet of cable are necessary to put, you know, a meet together. How many people are responsible for technology, just anything that kind of contextualizes folks who have always just been spectators, but I’ve never, sort of seen the, you know, kind of the inside baseball, if you will.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: I can absolutely tell you about that. So, as we speak, I know our TV crew is running about 3,000 feet of cable to get up to their commentary position. Luckily, this being a new stadium, there’s wires that got put in everywhere. So, I can’t even speak how many wires are within the stadium, but the broadcast team will have about 100 people on site managing the NBC broadcast show, along with World feed, all their commentators, cameramen. It was three semi-trucks of TV trucks that pulled in the timing equipment came on about three semi-trucks as well, and that got shipped all the way from Europe, where it was timing the last diamond league meets and so that crew, Omega comes in with about 30 people as well to go set up these three full trucks worth of gear.

MICHAEL DUNNE: Eli Rosen-Duran, Event Manager for Track Town, USA, really appreciate you spending some time and talking with us.

ELI ROSEN-DURAN: Yeah, you too. Enjoyed it. Thank you.

MICHAEL DUNNE: That’s the show for today, all episodes of Oregon on the record are available as a podcast at KLCC.org. Tomorrow on the show, we’ll talk with Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who, along with other state AGs, is in a pitched battle against some of the Trump administration’s legally questionable executive orders. I’m Michael Dunne, and this has been Oregon On The Record from KLCC. Thanks for listening.

 



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Champions League and Euro Cup water polo draws set for Monday

The Champions League men’s trophy on display in Malta in June. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi/European Aquatics Water polo fans are eagerly-awaiting the first draws of the 2025/26 European club competitions, which will take place on Monday, 28 July. The draws will be streamed live on the European Aquatics YouTube channel, with the men’s draw starting at […]

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The Champions League men’s trophy on display in Malta in June. Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi/European Aquatics

Water polo fans are eagerly-awaiting the first draws of the 2025/26 European club competitions, which will take place on Monday, 28 July. The draws will be streamed live on the European Aquatics YouTube channel, with the men’s draw starting at 10:30am CET, and the women’s draw at 12:30pm CET.

Participants for 2025/26

Champions League Men

Group Stage: FTC-Telekom (HUN), Pro Recco (ITA), Zodiac CNAB (ESP), Olympiacos SFP (GRE), CN Marseille (FRA), VK Jadran Split (CRO), SPD Radnicki (SRB), CSM Oradea (ROU), Waspo Hannover 98 (GER), Jadran m:tel Herceg Novi (MNE)

Qualification Round: VK Novi Beograd (SRB), AN Brescia (ITA), KEIO CN Sabadell (ESP), Vasas SC (HUN), Vouliagmeni NC (GRE), Steaua Bucharest (ROU), Spandau 04 (GER), HAVK Mladost (CRO), Primorac Kotor (MNE), Pays d’Aix Natation (FRA)

Euro Cup Men

Group Stage: RN Savona (ITA), Jug AO Dubrovnik (CRO), CN Barcelona (ESP), BVSC-Manna ABC (HUN), Sabac Elixir (SRB), Panathinaikos AC (GRE), Duisburg (GER), Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU), Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

Qualification Round: Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), Crvena Zvezda (SRB), Szolnoki Dozsa-Praktiker (HUN), Apollon Smyrnis (GRE), Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA), VK Solaris (CRO), ZV De Zaan (NED), CN Terrassa (ESP), Montpellier Water Polo (FRA), OSC Potsdam (GER), Rapid Bucuresti (ROU), A-Polo Sport Management (GEO)

Champions League Women

Group Stage: Astralpool Sabadell (ESP), Olympiacos SFP (GRE), CN Sant Andreu (ESP), Vouliagmeni NC (GRE), Ekipe Orrizonte (ITA), FTC-Telekom (HUN), UVSE (HUN), SIS Roma (ITA)

Qualification Round: CN Mataro (ESP), CN Terrassa (ESP), Alimos NAC Betsson (GRE), Dunaujvaros (HUN), ANC Glyfada (GRE), ZV De Zaan (NED), Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA), Lille UC (FRA), ONE-Eger (HUN), Spandau 04 (GER), Grand Nancy AC (FRA), Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)

Euro Cup Women

Group Stage: Ethnikos (GRE), Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA), BVSC-Manna ABC (HUN), EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP)

Qualification Round: Polar Bears (NED), Panionios GSS (GRE), III. Keruleti TVE (HUN), ZAVK Mladost (CRO), VK Vojvodina (SRB), Galatasaray (TUR), Hapoel Yokneam (ISR), Zodiac CNAB (ESP), ASD Bogliasco (ITA)

Click here for a link to the live draws

The national water polo teams have already landed at home after the conclusion of the thrilling World Championships in Singapore.

While the players and coaches look for some well-deserved rest, European Aquatics is gearing up to stage the first draws for the upcoming club water polo season in the four top competitions – the Champions League and the Euro Cup, for both men and women.

For the upcoming season, the entry system has been reshaped. In the men’s Champions League, the respective champions of the top 10 nations have been offered a place in the Group Stage, and 10 more teams are eligible to play in the Qualification tournament.

While nations are only eligible to enter two clubs from this season, the number of qualifying spots for the Group Stage has been increased from four to six.

In the Qualification tournament, there will be one round with two groups of three and one group of four.

The top two ranked sides from each group will advance to the Group Stage, while the remaining four will join the Euro Cup qualifications.

The Euro Cup Men also has a new entry system. The third-ranked clubs from the top nations will have guaranteed berths in the Group Stage (nine teams), while the other 12 eligible teams will play in the Qualification tournament alongside the four teams that drop from the Champions League qualifiers.

As for the Champions League Women, the best two teams of the top four nations – Spain, Greece, Hungary and Italy – shall start their respective campaigns in the Group Stage.

Eight more sides will join them from the Qualification tournament where four groups of three shall battle for a place in the main event.

The four teams not making the cut will directly qualify for the Euro Cup Group Stage.

In this competition, clubs from the top four nations will also have a guaranteed spot, and four more berths are available as the Group Stage will run in four groups of three.

For the Euro Cup Women Qualification tournament, three groups of three will be drawn and the respective winners and the best runners-up will progress.

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics



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Bliss resets Bucknell school javelin record at FISU World University Games | Olympics

The Daily Item RHINE-RUHR, GERMANY — With mid-morning fully engaged in the scenic Rhine landscape Friday, Evelyn Bliss, clad in her Team USA jersey, began her run for her first throw of the 2025 FISU World University Games Qualifying Round Group A. The Team USA thrower took a deep breath, revved her engine, installed the […]

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The Daily Item

RHINE-RUHR, GERMANY — With mid-morning fully engaged in the scenic Rhine landscape Friday, Evelyn Bliss, clad in her Team USA jersey, began her run for her first throw of the 2025 FISU World University Games Qualifying Round Group A.

The Team USA thrower took a deep breath, revved her engine, installed the javelin in its locked-and-loaded position, set a determined face, galloped down the runway, and heaved it across the sky. She stopped inches short of the fault line and watched the trajectory. As she backtracked to the bench, the spotters arrived for the measurement, while Bliss carried a cautiously optimistic smile. The result arrived: 199 feet, 5 inches.

Bliss let loose a triumphant “LET’S GO!,” knowing she advanced to Saturday’s final by easily surpassing the qualification benchmark. After that throw, she declined to take her remaining two.

The mark reset her school record that the rising junior established at this year’s NCAA East First Round, nabbed her first place in the qualifying round, and slotted into tenth in USA women’s javelin history. The distance held up after Qualifying Round Group B as the supreme mark of the morning.

“Going into qualifying rounds I had a good feeling, practices all week felt very strong,” said Bliss. “(Bucknell throws coach Ryan) Protzman and I worked on being consistently in the 50m for practice. I was excited to compete today. Having the chance to compete internationally against these very competitive women is always a blessing. Looking towards tomorrow I want to replicate what I did today and I think that will put me in a very nice place.”

Protzman, Bliss’ mentor, was unable to make the expedition. He and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their firstborn child — a baby boy, but he was up at 3:35 a.m. to watch his protege.

“60 meters is such a massive benchmark in women’s javelin,” said Protzman. “I’m so happy for her. The challenges I’ve presented her with the last couple of years haven’t been all technical. Recently, we have just been pushing training throws a little more. Never has she focused on how far she threw a javelin in training with me until after NCAAs a month and a half ago. Today was special, and I think there is much more to go chase tomorrow in the final.”

Bliss was the only thrower to hit 60 meters in the qualifying round. Lianna Davidson (Australia) placed second, throwing 57.83, and Turkey’s Esra Turkmen finished third at 57.48. The best thrower in Group B, Australia’s Mia Gordon, hit 56.39.

Twelve throwers advanced in all to the finals. Group A was more top heavy but Group B sent seven to the final round.

Bliss has carved a name for herself in the javelin community, despite recently turning 20 years-old. Appropriately, the USA thrower shares her birthday with the United States Army on June 14 — which is also Flag Day. She has reached the part of the hike where her heroes have become rivals and realistic goals to surpass. American legend Kara Winger represents that mark in Bliss’ journey.

Winger holds the American record for women’s javelin when she threw 68.11m (223-5) at the 2022 Diamond League and has won the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships eight times. She and Bliss shared the stage at the 2024 United States Olympic Trials where Winger finished second and Bliss, threw, at the time, a personal best of 55.82m (183-2), placing sixth.

Winger, like all great athletes, understands and cultivates the importance of building the sport for the next generation. She sees those same qualities in Bliss and offered her thoughts on the rising star’s best traits:

“The thing that stands out to me about Evie is her focus, joy, and community building in her javelin career,” said Winger. “Whenever I’ve seen her, she’s sharing enthusiasm about the sport and event with someone in her camp, growing her love for the process alongside someone she cares about. Today, watching her celebrate with those people means to me that she’s here to stay: She’s building a foundation, and I look forward to watching her continue to thrive! I’ll always be glad I got to share the runway with her once.”

The finals begin tomorrow at 2:20 p.m. and will be streamed on FISU TV.

© 2025 The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pa.). Visit www.dailyitem.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.



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Beth Alford-Sullivan – Penn State

After 13 years and 106 NCAA All-Americans on the women[apos]s side, as well as six years and 32 All-America honorees with the men[apos]s squad, Beth Alford-Sullivan enters her 14th year at the helm of the Nittany Lion women[apos]s program and her seventh campaign as the Director and Head Coach of Track and Field/Cross Country, overseeing […]

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After 13 years and 106 NCAA All-Americans on the women[apos]s side, as well as six years and 32 All-America honorees with the men[apos]s squad, Beth Alford-Sullivan enters her 14th year at the helm of the Nittany Lion women[apos]s program and her seventh campaign as the Director and Head Coach of Track and Field/Cross Country, overseeing both the men[apos]s and women[apos]s programs.

Sullivan[apos]s decorated resume is undoubtedly among the most impressive in the country, as it includes two NCAA [quote]Trophy[quote] Team finishes, six Big Ten team titles, one Big Ten [quote]Triple Crown,[quote] as well as three individual NCAA Champions, and one NCAA Champion relay.

Since taking the reigns of both the men[apos]s and women[apos]s programs in 2006, Sullivan has remained steadfast to the vision of having two programs in the top tier of the conference and the NCAA, with both the men[apos]s and women[apos]s squads making outstanding statements during the 2011-12 campaign, highlighted by the Nittany Lions[apos] haul of 12 USTFCCCA First Team All-America finishes on the year.

Sullivan continued to coach the Nittany Lions to countless milestones in 2011-12, including a head-turning performance of 3:01.52 by the men[apos]s 4×400-meter relay at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The relay rewrote the record books on numerous occasions in 2012, setting the indoor school record at 3:05.22 at the Alex Wilson Last Chance, and following up with a second-place standing at the NCAA Indoor Championships – the highest-ever finish by a Nittany Lion relay at NCAA Indoors. The Lions clipped off the own record little by little over the outdoor season, beginning the year at 3:07.19 – all the way down to 3:01.52, with the foursome of Aaron Nadolsky, Brandon Bennett-Green, Casimir Loxsom, and Brady Gehret on both All-America squads.

Sullivan would also oversee an outstanding effort from the Nittany Lion throws contingent at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with underclassman duo Laura Loht, and Lauren Kenney providing a three-four finish in the women[apos]s javelin, to go along with a fourth-place showing from Joe Kovacs in the men[apos]s shot put.

Through the course of the 2011-12 campaign, Sullivan also coached a grand total of eight individual Big Ten Champions, and two conference champion relays. Kicking off the conference accolades was then-senior Caitlin Lane, who captured top individual honors at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, and parlayed the effort into the 16th-place and All-America standing at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Lane[apos]s finish – which was the second highest in Sullivan[apos]s Penn State tenure – paced the Lions to a 13th-place finish in the team standings – the best finish from the PSU program in nearly two decades.


Penn State Track and Field/Cross Country
Under Beth Alford-Sullivan …


* 138 NCAA All-Americans
* 78 Big Ten Individual Champions
* 16 Big Ten Champion Relays
* 24 Coach of the Year Awards
* 27 USTFCCCA Regional Athletes of the Year
* 8 Big Ten Championship Records
* 4 NCAA Champions
* 5 Big Ten Athletes of the Year
* 6 Big Ten Team Titles
* 7 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
* 3 Olympians
* 2 World Championship Qualifiers
* 2 IAAF World Junior Medalists
* 2 NCAA Trophy Teams
* 4 Penn Relays Wheels
* 1 Big Ten Triple Crown

Program Success …

Under Sullivan, the Nittany Lion women[apos]s team has become a national mainstay, scoring at the national meet in last 11 NCAA Outdoor Championships, and 10 of the last 11 NCAA Indoor Championships. The women[apos]s squad has also recorded top four [quote]trophy team[quote] finishes in two of the last four years, placing fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2008 and 2010.

Since taking over the women[apos]s program in the fall of 1999, Sullivan has guided the Nittany Lions to a grand total of 13 top 25 finishes at the NCAA level, including top 10 efforts from the women[apos]s team in 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The men[apos]s program has followed suit, earning top 25 standings in the last six NCAA track and field competitions, including an 11th-place standing at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships – the second-highest indoor finish in men[apos]s program history.

The Nittany Lions success under Sullivan does not end on the track, however, as the Nittany Lion women[apos]s track and field and cross country teams have earned United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches[apos] Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors in each of her 13 seasons at the helm of the program. Both the Nittany Lion men[apos]s and women[apos]s cross country squads earned the academic standing, via grade point averages of 3.0 or better for the 2011 fall semester, while the women[apos]s program once again achieved the feat in the spring of 2012. In fact, the 2009-10 version of the women[apos]s squad was named USTFCCCA [quote]Scholar Team of the Year[quote] for the outdoor season, which is awarded to the team with the highest NCAA finish with a 3.0 GPA.

The Nittany Lions also been consistently recognized as one of the most successful programs in the NCAA, with the men[apos]s team earning 11th place in the 2010-11 [quote]John McDonnell Program of the Year[quote] standings. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution[apos]s finish at the NCAA Division I Championships. Sullivan[apos]s women[apos]s squad has also been heavily recognized nationally, placing 17th in the [quote]Terry Crawford Program of the Year[quote] rankings for the 2010-11 seasons.

In 2010, the Nittany Lion women placed third in the Program of the Year standings, following only perennial stalwarts Oregon and Florida. The men have also been consistently mentioned in the rankings, as Sullivan[apos]s men[apos]s squad was recognized for the honor in 2009, finishing 14th.

A Record-Breaking 2012 …

Led by the 4×400[apos]s sizzling NCAA performance, the Nittany Lions once again laid claim to numerous Penn State records. In fact, Sullivan-coached athletes now hold all but six school records on the women[apos]s side, with then-sophomore Bekka Simko taking down the Nittany Lions[apos] long-standing record in the women[apos]s 800-meters this past spring, running 2:03.09. The women[apos]s squad would also reset several additional school bests during the 2012 campaign, with Lane running 2:44.24 to better her own indoor 1000 record, and the women[apos]s DMR of Lane, Ije Iheoma, Simko, and Kara Millhouse going 11:05.16.

Sullivan and the Nittany Lions continued to excel outdoors, thanks to Simko[apos]s effort, as well as a school-record 32:57.33 from Millhouse in the 10,000. Simko and Millhouse were also the bookends on the record-setting DMR during the outdoor season, along with teammates Iheoma, and Marta Klebe. The squad ran 11:08.41 on their way to the top of the charts.

The records continued to roll in on the men[apos]s side in 2012, with Creese leading the charge indoors with his Collegiate, American Junior, and Penn State record 2:19.53 for the 1,000-meters. Casimir Loxsom also took hold of the men[apos]s 600-meter school standard at 1:16.66. The men[apos]s 4×400 (Nadolsky, Bennett-Green, Loxsom, and Gehret) would end the season at 3:05.22 – also an all-time Penn State best.

Kovacs, who tore through the competition during the 2012 outdoor campaign, launched a lifetime-best 69-2 (21.08) at the most opportune time, finishing fourth in the shot put at the US Olympic Trials – finishing as the top collegiate in the field, and just inches shy of a spot on the US Olympic Team.

A Banner 2010 …

In 2010 Sullivan[apos]s men[apos]s and women[apos]s squads experienced unparalleled success, highlighted by a fourth-place finish from the women[apos]s team at the NCAA Outdoor Championships – the squad[apos]s second [quote]Trophy Team[quote] finish in the last four years. The NCAA effort also included a national-title victory from then-senior Bridget Franek in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The Nittany Lion women were just as successful on the Big Ten stage, capturing team titles in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field to earn the coveted conference [quote]Triple Crown.[quote] The cross country victory was the first in program history, led by an individual victory from Franek. Meanwhile, the women[apos]s outdoor victory not only completed the 2009-10 [quote]Triple Crown,[quote] but was the program[apos]s third-straight outdoor conference victory.

Along with the women[apos]s fourth-place effort at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Sullivan[apos]s men[apos]s squad also made a splash nationally, claiming a pair of top 25 standings, including a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships – the program[apos]s highest finish in nearly two decades. The men would go on to tie for 23rd outdoors, which was also the first top 25 finish since 1993. Individually, the Nittany Lion men earned a trio of bronze-medal finishes at the NCAA Championships, with Ryan Foster (800-meters) and Joe Kovacs (shot put) each earning third-place standings indoors, and Blake Eaton taking third in the shot put at the outdoor championships. The women were also consistent members of the nation[apos]s upper echelon a year ago, placing 14th in cross country, and 13th indoors.

International Acclaim …

Internationally speaking, Sullivan added a pair of IAAF World medalists to her coaching resume in 2010 as Casimir Loxsom earned silver-medal honors while representing the United States at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada. Loxsom[apos]s second-place standing was the highest-ever finish by a U.S. athlete in the distance event since the meet[apos]s inception. Meanwhile, rising sophomore Evonne Britton claimed second-place status in the 400-meter hurdles.

More recently, Loxsom and teammate Gehret represented the United States in international competition, competing at the NACAC Under-23 Championships. Both Loxsom and Gehret qualified for the final in their respective events, with Loxsom leading the way with a fourth-place finish in the 800.

Current junior Kirsten Nieuwendam also represented the Nittany Lions as well as her home country of Suriname this summer, competing in the 200-meters at the Olympic Games in London.

Sullivan also boasts a tremendous amount of international experience in her own right. Most notably in 2004, Sullivan was named a member of the Olympic coaching staff for the Athens Games, where she helped the United States squad to nearly 25 medals in the sport of track and field. More recently, Sullivan served as the Head Coach for the United States women[apos]s team at the 2011 Pan Am Junior Championships.

She was also selected to represent the United States as an assistant coach at the 2003 World Championships in Paris where she guided the middle distance runners for the world[apos]s top ranked track and field team. She also has served as an assistant on the 2001 U.S. World Championships Team, guiding middle-distance and distance team members throughout the trials and the championships held in Edmonton, Canada. Prior to that appointment, Sullivan guided the U.S. Junior Team to the 1997 World Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy. She was also the coach for the 1994 U.S. team that competed in the Beijing International Ekiden and was an assistant coach for the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival staff in Colorado Springs.

NCAA Accolades …

Throughout her tenure in Happy Valley, Sullivan has overseen the successes of four of the most-prolific NCAA careers in program history in Connie Moore, Shana Cox, Aleesha Barber, and Bridget Franek. All sensational sprinters, Moore, Cox, and Barber each totaled 11 All-America finishes throughout their Nittany Lion careers, with Cox claiming the 2008 NCAA Outdoor title at 400-meters – the first victory by a Nittany Lion woman in the track event in the NCAA era – and Cox and Barber, running as members of the 2008 NCAA Champion 4×400-meter relay. Sullivan coached Franek, who totaled 10 All-America finishes over her career, to top honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships – marking the fourth NCAA victory by a Nittany Lion under Sullivan[apos]s watch. Franek also achieved a rarely matched feat over her Penn State tenure, qualifying for every NCAA opportunity in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field over her career – a perfect 12-for-12 appearances.

Sullivan[apos]s first NCAA title at Penn State came in 2003, when Deshaya Williams claimed national gold in the discus. The Lions have had quite a presence in both the 4×400 and the steeplechase on the NCAA stage under Sullivan[apos]s watch, with a Penn State mile relay making the NCAA field during both the indoor and outdoor seasons over the past five years, and earning All-America standing on six of those occasions. Sullivan has also coached at least one NCAA qualifier in the steeplechase in seven NCAA meets since the event was added to the women[apos]s program in 2001.

In her six years with the men[apos]s program, Sullivan has coached at least one entrant in the NCAA track and field meet on the men[apos]s side in 11 of 12 opportunities, including graduate Ryan Fritz, who earned a grand total of four All-America certificates during his Penn State career. Sullivan also coached Tyler McCandless to an All-America finish in the 10,000-meters in 2010, becoming the first Nittany Lion to earn the honor in the event since 1994. The Nittany Lion men have also achieved six bronze-medal finishes under Sullivan, including two from Kovacs in the shot put in 2010 and 2011, and third-place efforts from Foster in the 800 in 2010, and the mile in 2011. The 4×400 added to the haul this past academic year, placing second indoors and fourth during the outdoor season.

Sullivan has also overseen multiple recipients of USTFCCCA regional awards on a yearly basis. Most recently, freshman sensation Robby Creese was named Mid-Atlantic Men[apos]s Track Athlete of the Year during the 2012 indoor season, while Joe Kovacs garnered the [quote]Field Athlete of the Year[quote] nod and former sprints, hurdles and relays coach Chris Johnson earned Men[apos]s [quote]Assistant Coach of the Year[quote] nomination during the outdoor campaign. Sullivan has been recognized by USTFCCCA on numerous occasions, and was named Mid-Atlantic Men[apos]s Coach of the Year in 2009, becoming the first woman to win the award at the helm of a men[apos]s program.

Big Ten Success …

The Nittany Lions have also been highly successful in Big Ten competition under Sullivan[apos]s guidance, with the Penn State women totaling 50 individual victories, as well as 13 relay wins over the past 11 years. Conversely, the Nittany Lion men have earned 21 individual titles, and two relay wins in Sullivan[apos]s tenure. Under Sullivan, the Nittany Lion women have been at the top of the heap at the conference level for nearly a decade, having finishing no worse than fourth at any Big Ten track and field championship since 2003.

Cox, a 2008 graduate, remains at the top of the charts, with an outstanding total of 15 victories, while 2011 graduate Shavon Greaves stands with 14 total titles, including sweeps of the short sprints during both the indoor and outdoor championships in 2009 and 2010. Sullivan has also overseen a pair of wins in the men[apos]s javelin throw, including a Big Ten record 239-9 (73.09) effort by Allen Pettner in 2007. 2012 graduate Kara Millhouse also rose to prominence in the Big Ten record books under Sullivan, capturing two-straight conference victories in the 10,000.

The Lion have been recognized throughout the years for their conference success, including a pair of Big Ten [quote]Freshman of the Year[quote] citations for Creese in 2012. Also earning conference accolades last year was Lane, who won Big Ten [quote]Athlete of the Year[quote] honors on the heels of her victory at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships. Kovacs rounded out the year with a conference [quote]Field Athlete of the Year[quote] nod during the outdoor season.

The conference honors rolled in in 2009-12, with Franek earning Athlete of the Year honors in cross country, along with a Freshman of the Year citation for Nicole Lord. Sullivan would also be voted Big Ten Coach of the Year, thanks to the Lions[apos] cross country success. Sullivan would earn another conference Coach of the Year award indoors, while Franek was named Athlete of the Meet, and then-junior Shavon Greaves took Athlete of the Year status. Outside, Fawn Dorr was declared Athlete of the Meet, while Sullivan earned yet another Coach of the Year citation. On the men[apos]s side, Loxsom would earn Freshman of the Year status outdoors.

On the Big Ten stage, Sullivan[apos]s Nittany Lions claimed a combined total of 14 individual victories, to go along with three relay wins. Franek got the ball rolling in cross country, taking top honors at the conference meet – becoming the first Nittany Lion to win the conference cross country title since Kim McGreevy in 1994.

The Nittany Lions had a banner afternoon at the conference meet in 2009, highlighted by an individual victory from then-senior Franek. The Nittany Lions would put all five scoring finishers in the top 25 for a winning total of 71 points, with Franek in first, Lord in ninth – good for second-team all-conference honors – freshman Brooklyne Ridder in 16th, sophomore Caitlin Lane in 22nd, and sophomore Kara Millhouse in 23rd.


On the Cross Country Course …

Penn State squads have enjoyed outstanding success in cross country under Sullivan[apos]s watch. Last season was no different, highlighted by a 13th-place standing by the women[apos]s team at the NCAA Championships – the highest finish in nearly two decades. Caitlin Lane paved the way, finishing 16th overall to earn her first-career All-America citation. Lane[apos]s hot streak started at the Big Ten Championships, where she took top honors, becoming the second Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten crown in the last three years.

Also running well at the conference meet was then-senior Kara Millhouse,

Regionally, speaking Sullivan[apos]s Nittany Lions more than held their own in a field of national-caliber teams at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, with the women[apos]s team scoring a third-place standing, to go along with the men[apos]s fourth-place effort. Individually, the Nittany Lions garnered a grand total of seven all-region citations, led by a two-three finish from then-juniors Kyle Dawson and Vince McNally on the men[apos]s side. Then-junior Caitlin Lane was tops for the women in 12th place, followed by a quartet of Nittany Lions in the top 25, including Kara Millhouse, Natalie Bower, Maura Ryan, and Brooklyne Ridder.

Sullivan[apos]s charges were just as successful on the conference level, as the Nittany Lions turned in fourth-place finishes in both the men[apos]s and women[apos]s races. Dawson, who Sullivan coached to Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2008, was the top finisher, earning all-conference second team honors via an eighth-place effort individually. McNally was on his heals in 13th, earning his second-career all-conference citation. Another duo of Nittany Lions mounted all-conference efforts in the women[apos]s race, led by then-sophomores Ridder, and Bower, who placed ninth and 14th, respectively.

A year prior, Sullivan coached the women[apos]s cross country team to a 14th-place effort at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships, to go along with the program[apos]s Big Ten victory. The Nittany Lions would also receive representation on the men[apos]s side at the national level, with sophomore Vince McNally making his second-straight appearance at the NCAA meet.

Sullivan[apos]s Lions shined in the NCAA field, paced by Franek[apos]s 26th-place finish, which was also good for her second-career All-America effort in cross country. Ranked as high as 11th during the season, the Lions[apos] 14th-place effort was the highest since the 1996 campaign. Penn State advanced to the Championships via an at-large bid, thanks to in-season wins over outstanding programs such as Florida State, Illinois, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Providence, and SMU, earning more than enough qualifying points to make the field.

A year prior, Sullivan coached Franek to a 23rd-place effort and All-America honors at the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Sullivan also led the men[apos]s squad to its first appearance at the NCAA meet since 1994, thanks to a second-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Nittany Lion men notched a 25th-place standing at the NCAA Championships.

The Nittany Lion men engineered an outstanding 2008 campaign, thanks to a group of seasoned veterans, two talented freshmen, and homegrown Pennsylvania work ethic, as six of the eight Nittany Lion men that traveled to the NCAA Championships are former Pennsylvania high school standouts.

The Nittany Lions continued to impress at the Big Ten Championships, posting a fourth-place effort in the team standings – the highest conference finish in nearly a decade. Dawson was also voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year following his effort at the conference championships, becoming the first athlete in Nittany Lion history to earn the honor in cross country.

The Nittany Lion cross country squads have been a strong factor at both the conference, regional, and national levels since Sullivan[apos]s arrival in 1999, as the Penn State women have made NCAA appearances in 2002, and 2003, 2009, and 2010 while earning top five finishes in the Mid-Atlantic region on eight occasions. In 2000, Sullivan led Suzanne Heyer to a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships – the highest-ever finish by a Nittany Lion woman in the NCAA era.

Before Penn State …

Prior to her tenure at Penn State, Sullivan was the Women[apos]s Coordinator for the Stanford track and field and cross country teams from 1995-99. During those four years, Sullivan coached over 30 NCAA All-America athletes including one NCAA individual champion (Monal Chokshi in the 3,000 meters), led numerous Pac-10 team and individual championship performers and led the team into national prominence. Under her coaching, Stanford placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships all four years of her tenure including winning the NCAA championship in 1996. The Cardinal also took home runner-up honors in 1997 and a strong third place finish in 1998. In return, Sullivan was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year three times, NCAA Regional Coach of the Year twice and NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1996. Before her years at Stanford, Sullivan served as the head coach at Mankato State University from 1993-95 and as the assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State University from 1991-93. She earned conference-coaching honors and produced over 20 conference champions for these schools.

In 2007, Sullivan was inducted into the Minnesota Classic Lake Conference and the Hopkins High School Hall of Fame, both in Minnetonka, Minn. As a high school athlete at Hopkins High, Sullivan competed in track and field and cross country and was a member of the state championship cross country team in 1983, and the fourth-place 4×800-meter relay at the state level.

Sullivan earned a bachelor[apos]s degree in Social Work in 1989 from the University of Minnesota. As a Golden Gopher, she ran cross-country and track and field and captained her cross-country team her sophomore through senior years. She later completed a Master of Science degree in Sports Administration at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1993. While at SIU, she began her college coaching career serving as assistant coach from 1989-91. During her time at SIU, she met and married her husband, Jim Sullivan. Jim is a full-time instructor with the Department of Kinesiology at Penn State and continues to be an important resource in developing training methodology. Dr. Sullivan volunteers his time as the Penn State pole vault coach. The couple lives in Boalsburg, Pa.

Sullivan[apos]s Coaching Awards and Honors

* 2010 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2010 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2010 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 2010 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 2009 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country
* 2009 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2009 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2009 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Men[apos]s Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 2008 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2008 Penn State Achieving Woman Award || Pennsylvania State University
* 2008 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach for the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 2007 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2004 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach for the Year || Outdoor Track and Field
* 2004 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women[apos]s Coach for the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 2004 Big Ten Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field
* 1998 Pac-10 Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1997 Pac-10 Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1997 USTFCCCA West RegionWomen[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1996 NCAA Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1996 Pac-10 Women[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1996 USTFCCCA West RegionWomen[apos]s Coach of the Year || Cross Country (Stanford)
* 1995 North Central Conference Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field (Mankato State)
* 1995 Regional Coach of the Year || Indoor Track and Field (Mankato State)
* 1992 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year || Cross Country (SE Missouri State)
* 1992 Missouri T&F/CC Coaches[apos] Association Coach of the Year || SE Missouri State



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Ntekpere honored as Second Team Academic All-American | APG State News

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Training sessions at World Aquatics Masters Championships cancelled due to Sentosa’s water quality issues

SINGAPORE – The water quality issue that affected the World Aquatics Championships open water swimming events at Sentosa earlier in July has also struck the World Aquatics Masters Championships, with the morning and afternoon open water training sessions cancelled on July 25. World Aquatics sent a message to participants and explained that the decision was […]

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SINGAPORE – The water quality issue that affected the World Aquatics Championships open water swimming events at Sentosa earlier in July has also struck the World Aquatics Masters Championships, with the morning and afternoon open water training sessions cancelled on July 25.

World Aquatics sent a message to participants and explained that the decision was made because of “water quality levels exceeding acceptable thresholds”.

The world governing body added that a technical meeting is planned for 4.45pm and that it will “continue monitoring water quality” and provide more information, before the competition starts on July 26 with the women’s 3km race in the waters off Palawan Beach. The men’s 3km event is scheduled for a day later.

The July 26-Aug 22 World Aquatics Masters Championships is expected to feature about 6,000 athletes from around 100 countries and territories aged 25 and above, competing in swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming.

The Straits Times has contacted the local organising committee for comment.

At the World Aquatics Championships, the men and women’s 10km open water swimming events were postponed due to “unacceptable water quality results”.

The women’s 10km initially scheduled for July 15 was moved to July 16, 10.15am, about three hours after the men’s 10km, because water samples drawn at the race site two days earlier showed “exceeding levels” of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

However, results from a July 15 sample showed that the levels were still above acceptable thresholds, causing the men and women’s flag-offs to be further delayed to 1pm and 4pm respectively on July 16. The competition proceeded as scheduled from then on.

E. coli is a bacteria commonly found in the intestines of people and animals. While most strains are harmless, some can cause serious illness such as diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and sepsis.

According to World Aquatics regulations, E. coli levels in ocean and transitional (tidal) waters must not exceed 250 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres.

ST understands that World Aquatics adopts stricter water quality standards compared to guidelines set for recreational swimming, given the prolonged exposure faced by athletes during competition.

Earlier, World Aquatics executive director Brent Nowicki had noted that water quality disruptions were not unprecedented, with the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s triathlon postponed hours before the scheduled start due to pollution levels in the River Seine.

ST also reported that while the National Environment Agency does not usually assess marine water quality based on E. coli levels, it has started monitoring the bacteria levels at Sentosa’s beaches following the recent incidents.



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Here are all the winners from the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards

Saturday marked another moment of recognition and pride across Black College athletics with the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards presentation. Hosted by HBCU Sports Founding Publisher and Editor Kenn Rashad alongside Jarrett Hoffman and Chris Stevens, the annual virtual event spotlighted the very best in HBCU sports. It honored athletes in 23 categories, coaches in 12, […]

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Saturday marked another moment of recognition and pride across Black College athletics with the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards presentation.

Hosted by HBCU Sports Founding Publisher and Editor Kenn Rashad alongside Jarrett Hoffman and Chris Stevens, the annual virtual event spotlighted the very best in HBCU sports. It honored athletes in 23 categories, coaches in 12, and administrators in 10 from institutions across the Division I, Division II, and NAIA landscape.

In addition to celebrating competitive excellence, the show also recognized extraordinary service by presenting this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards to two iconic contributors, Patricia Cage-Bibbs and Rob Brodway.

Below is the complete list of winners from the 2025 HBCU Sports Awards:

2025 HBCU Sports Awards Winners

Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Spirit Morgan, North Carolina A&T

Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Joseph Briscoe, Virginia State

Women’s Track & Field Runner of the Year
Shaneal Clarke-Giddings, Lincoln (Mo.)

Men’s Track & Field Runner of the Year
Brian Kemei, Morehouse

Women’s Track & Field Sprinter of the Year
Kevell Byrd, Dillard

Men’s Track & Field Sprinter of the Year
Jamarion Stubbs, Alabama State

Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year
Kiersten Eggleton, West Virginia State

Women’s Tennis Player of the Year
Sofya Chursina, South Carolina State

Men’s Tennis Player of the Year
David Jeanne-Grandinot, Alabama State

Softball Player of the Year
Taylor Ames-Alexander, South Carolina St.

Baseball Player of the Year
Cardell Thibodeaux, Southern

Women’s Golfer of the Year
Paris Fieldings, Howard

Men’s Golfer of the Year
Jose Berenguel, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Bowler of the Year
Maya Avilez, North Carolina A&T

Women’s Soccer Player of the Year
Olivia Ankrom, Shaw

Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year
Shamia Jones, Alabama State

Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year
Brian Kemei, Morehouse

Women’s Basketball Player of the Year
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State

Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
Blake Harper, Howard

Defensive Football Player of the Year
Elijah Williams, Morgan State

Offensive Football Player of the Year
Jada Byers, Virginia Union

Lifetime Achievement Award: Female
Patricia Cage-Bibbs

Lifetime Achievement Award: Male
Rod Broadway

Baseball Coach of the Year
Jonathan Hernandez, Bethune-Cookman

Bowling Coach of the Year
Tiffany Clark, Prairie View A&M

Cross Country Coach of the Year
Clyde Duncan Sr., Texas Southern

Football Coach of the Year
Chennis Berry, South Carolina State

Golf Coach of the Year
Sam Puryear, Howard

Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Larry Vickers, Norfolk State

Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Tony Madlock, Alabama State

Soccer Coach of the Year
Brent Leiba, Howard

Softball Coach of the Year
Vernon Bland, Prairie View A&M

Tennis Coach of the Year
Anuk Christiansz, Alabama State

Track & Field Coach of the Year
Allen Johnson, North Carolina A&T

Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year
David Brooks, Delaware State

Best Social Media Presence
Grambling State

Broadcaster of the Year
Charles Edmond, Alcorn State

Band of the Year
Jackson State

Sports Information Director of the Year
Derek Bryant, Howard

Conference Media Relations Director of the Year
Andrew Roberts, SWAC

Conference Commissioner of the Year
Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA

Athletic Conference of the Year
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Kesmat El Tawil, Alabama State

Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Christopher Flippin, Maryland-Eastern Shore

 

Athletic Director of the Year
Ashley Robinson, Jackson State

Athletic Program of the Year
Alabama State



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