College Sports
Simone Biles gives university commencement address
Simone Biles stood on a gold podium, addressed a crowd of thousands and admitted she was a little nervous. Biles then gave a performance several minutes longer than any of her gymnastics routines. She spoke for 12 minutes at Washington University in St. Louis, giving the commencement address on a rainy Monday. She did so […]

Simone Biles stood on a gold podium, addressed a crowd of thousands and admitted she was a little nervous.
Biles then gave a performance several minutes longer than any of her gymnastics routines.
She spoke for 12 minutes at Washington University in St. Louis, giving the commencement address on a rainy Monday. She did so at Francis Olympic Field, which held competition in several sports during the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.
The whole speech is here, about one hour and 45 minutes into the ceremony.
“You might think I’m used to the spotlight, but I would probably feel more comfortable if they had allowed me to vault onto the stage or do a little floor routine,” she said with chuckles, drawing applause. “But really, today is your day. While I may be considered an elite athlete, I know that you are elite students.”
Biles was also bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
“I always dreamed of going to college, not just to be part of a collegiate gymnastics team, but to study medicine, to become a children’s nurse or a pediatrician, and to enjoy all the fun of a college campus,” said Biles, who committed to UCLA before turning professional at age 18 and forgoing college gymnastics. “But for me, that dream bumped up against others, and ultimately I chose a different path. But I do think my path and yours have a lot in common, although mine probably included a few more sequins and leotards.”
Biles last competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning three gold medals and one silver medal. She has repeated this spring that she doesn’t know if she will return to competition to bid for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
To close her address Monday, she said, “The world doesn’t need you to be perfect. It needs you to be bold. It needs you to care and to keep going even when things don’t go as planned.”
Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles all return to the Met Gala for the first time since 2021.
College Sports
MEN’S COLLEGE GOLF: Wranglers in fifth after first day at nationals
May 13—NEWTON, Kan. — The Odessa College men’s golf team sits in fifth place at the end of the first day of the NJCAA National Championships Tuesday at Sand Creek Station. The Wranglers finished the first of four rounds with a team score of 285. Advertisement Midland College is in first at 284 while Hutchinson […]

May 13—NEWTON, Kan. — The Odessa College men’s golf team sits in fifth place at the end of the first day of the NJCAA National Championships Tuesday at Sand Creek Station.
The Wranglers finished the first of four rounds with a team score of 285.
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Midland College is in first at 284 while Hutchinson Community College and McLennan Community College are tied for second at 285.
Indian Hills is fourth at 287.
Odessa College was led by Adam Bresnu, who is tied for third as an individual after finishing with 69.
North Idaho’s Eli McNelly is first with 66.
The Wranglers will be back on the course Wednesday for the second round.
College Sports
McCallum completes dazzling senior season at Utah | Local News
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College Sports
Conard Seniors Commit to College Sports – We-Ha
Students from West Hartford’s Conard High School made public their commitments to college athletics on May 14, 2025. With family, friends, teammates, and coaches in attendance, 14 members of Conard High School’s Class of 2025 participated in a College Commitment Day on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, officially indicating their plans to continue their sports at […]

Students from West Hartford’s Conard High School made public their commitments to college athletics on May 14, 2025.
With family, friends, teammates, and coaches in attendance, 14 members of Conard High School’s Class of 2025 participated in a College Commitment Day on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, officially indicating their plans to continue their sports at the collegiate level.
In October 2024, the NCAA eliminated the National Letter of Intent, which in the past students would sign at this time of year accepting scholarships as their commitment to Division I or Division II sports. Students now accept offers of athletic aid, which are a combination of scholarship and financial aid monies. Students at Division I, II, and III are now permitted to earn money from through the NIL (name, image, and likeness) program.
The following students attended Conard’s ceremony on May 14:
- Matthew Russo – Lacrosse – Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Alice Araya – Soccer – Concordia University Irvine
- Nina Ostafin – Softball – Dean College
- Avery Wolfe – Ice Hockey – Framingham State University
- Brayden Sohn – Football and Wrestling – New England College
- Nicholas Katsaros – Lacrosse – Roger Williams University
- Keyera Craig – Track and Field – University of New Haven
- Liam Walsh – Track and Field – Bates College
- JulesCapone – Lacrosse – Tufts University
- Nolan Wusterbarth – Baseball – Framingham State University
- Tess Sherry – Track and Field – Georgetown University
- Liv Sherry – Track and Field – Georgetown University
- Luke Shaffer – Lacrosse – Stevens Institute of Technology
- Brayden Mangini – Lacrosse – Western New England
The following eight seniors participated in College Commitment Day at Conard High School on Nov. 13, 2024:
- Maddie Dupont – Soccer – Springfield College
- Nathan Lowney – Swimming – Union College
- Sadira Forcucci – Softball – Fordham University
- Nicole Gorman – Lacrosse –Lindenwood University
- Gwen Arnold – Volleyball – Regis College
- Liv Sherry – XC & Track – Georgetown University
- Tess Sherry – XC & Track – Georgetown University
- Rachel Mathews – Swimming – Eastern Connecticut State University
College Commitment Day at Conard High School. Nov. 13, 2024. Courtesy photo (we-ha.com file photo)
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College Sports
Nick Saban Sends Blunt Response After Reports of Conversations With Donald Trump
Last week, reports exploded across the college football world that former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban would co-chair a presidential commission on college sports alongside Donald Trump. The proposed committee, reportedly focused on fixing the increasingly chaotic landscape of college football, most notably emphasizing NIL, the transfer portal, and the ongoing exploration of conference realignment. […]
Last week, reports exploded across the college football world that former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban would co-chair a presidential commission on college sports alongside Donald Trump. The proposed committee, reportedly focused on fixing the increasingly chaotic landscape of college football, most notably emphasizing NIL, the transfer portal, and the ongoing exploration of conference realignment.
However, on Wednesday, Saban himself poured cold water on the hype.
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“First of all, I don’t know much about the commission,” Saban said, per On3 via The Paul Finebaum Show. “Secondly, I’m not sure we really need a commission.”
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Those comments come just days after reports portrayed the seven-time national champion as a key architect of college football’s unprecedented commission to help steady college sports. Instead, Saban emphasized that the issues plaguing the sport are already well understood and all that remains is action.
“I think that a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them,” Saban added.
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The commission reportedly began to take shape during Trump’s visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this year, when the president delivered a commencement address at Alabama. Saban has long been viewed as one of the sport’s most respected voices and one of the most decorated coaches in American sports history.
Although Saban retired from coaching college football shortly after the dawn of NIL and is not for a “pay-for-play” model, he believes players should still be paid.
“I’m not opposed to players making money, I don’t want anybody to think that,” he said. “I just think the system that we [are using], the way it’s going right now, is not sustainable, and probably not in the best interest of the student-athletes across the board or the game itself.”
Saban’s comments add another wrinkle to the ongoing national debate over how to regulate college athletics in the NIL era. Loosened transfer portal rules have also sent college sports into a frenzy. Once reserved for only the most unique instances, players now have the option to transfer twice without penalty.
Related: Major Nick Saban Announcement is Turning Heads
College Sports
Boston College Men’s Hockey Lands Commitment From Goaltender Louka Cloutier
The Boston College Eagles men’s hockey team has landed a commitment from goalie Louka Cloutier. He made the announcement via an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon. “I am excited to announce my commitment to play Division 1 at @BC_MHockey,” said Cloutier. “Thanks to everyone, can’t wait to get started.” The 18-year-old has spent two seasons […]

The Boston College Eagles men’s hockey team has landed a commitment from goalie Louka Cloutier.
He made the announcement via an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon.
“I am excited to announce my commitment to play Division 1 at @BC_MHockey,” said Cloutier. “Thanks to everyone, can’t wait to get started.”
The 18-year-old has spent two seasons with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel. During that time frame, he has appeared in 67 games. This season, he has boasted a 4.05 goals against average, a .882 save percentage, and an 8-18-2 overall record in 31 games played.
The Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, native was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche with the No. 132 overall pick (fifth round) of the 2024 NHL Draft.
He was previously committed to Northeastern.
Other stints Cloutier has made during his hockey career include Triolet Harfangs Bantam AAA and AAA R teams (2019-21), Magog Cantonniers (2021-23), and Canada Black U17 (2022-23).
He has earned a couple of accolades during his young career so far, QM18AAA Champion and Telus Cup Silver Medal winner, both for the 2021-22 season as well as was named to the USHL All-Rookie First Team in 2023-24.
He joins a Boston College team that went 27-8-2 overall last season which included an 18-4-2 mark in Hockey East play, made an appearance in the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinals, an NCAA Tournament appearance where it fell to Denver 3-1 in the Manchester Regional Final, and finished No. 4 in the nation in the final USCHO poll.
College Sports
Taylor ’25, Boynton ’27 garner first all-NESCAC baseball team selections
Story Links 2025 NESCAC Baseball Awards Hamilton College infielder Chester Boynton ’27 (Concord, Mass./Middlesex School) and pitcher Eddie Taylor ’25 (San Francisco, Calif./Lick-Wilmerding HS) were selected for the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Baseball All-Conference Team on Wednesday, May 14 when […]

Hamilton College infielder Chester Boynton ’27 (Concord, Mass./Middlesex School) and pitcher Eddie Taylor ’25 (San Francisco, Calif./Lick-Wilmerding HS) were selected for the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Baseball All-Conference Team on Wednesday, May 14 when the conference announced its end-of-season awards.
Boynton and Taylor were two of 17 athletes voted to the second team. The all-NESCAC honor was the first for both players.
Boynton, who played in all 31 games, was third in the conference with a .402 batting average with 41 hits in 102 at-bats. He was fifth in on-base percentage (.511), 19th in slugging percentage (.520) and 11th in OPS (1.031). Boynton tied for 10th with 24 walks. He also scored 29 runs, drove in 18 and stole nine bases. Boynton was named the NESCAC Player of the Week on March 24.
Taylor (1-3) pitched 31.1 innings over 15 appearances including three starts. He was sixth in the NESCAC with a 3.45 earned run average and tied for sixth with three saves. Taylor was 12th in opposing batting average (.258) and tied for 19th with 32 strikeouts. He ended up tied for fifth on the program’s all-time list with four career saves. Taylor pitched in 40 games and 79.1 innings in his Hamilton career. He posted a 6-4 record with a 3.52 ERA and 63 strikeouts with just 19 walks.
The Continentals started the season with an 8-5 record during spring break in Florida and ended up 14-17 overall. Hamilton recorded wins against University of Rochester, Middlebury College and Wesleyan University. Middlebury went on to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III championship and is playing in the Union, N.J. Regional.
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