Doug Ingram, a visually impaired Veteran from Tallahassee, Fla., recently participated in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic held in Snowmass, Colo. This event brought together Veterans from all over the country, providing them with the opportunity to engage in various winter sports and activities, fostering camaraderie and resilience among participants. Ingram is a […]
Doug Ingram, a visually impaired Veteran from Tallahassee, Fla., recently participated in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic held in Snowmass, Colo.
This event brought together Veterans from all over the country, providing them with the opportunity to engage in various winter sports and activities, fostering camaraderie and resilience among participants.
Ingram is a Navy Veteran who proudly served from 1977 to 1981 and continued his commitment to the military as a member of the reserves until 1989, specializing as a radar operator.
At the age of 42, Ingram received a life-altering diagnosis: he was legally blind due to a form of macular degeneration. For many, such news could be overwhelming and debilitating. However, Ingram chose a different path. He said, “Instead of going sight-seeing I try to have experiences to make life more fulfilling. Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I try to focus on what I can do”
Ingram loves doing anything outside in nature. He was referred to the Adaptive Sports Program (ASP) and after experiencing some outings with the program he said, “I loved the other Veterans in the area and the competition, camaraderie, and the energy that everyone had.”
One sport that Ingram enjoys participating in is skiing. Remarkably, he took up this exhilarating sport at the age of 62, only three years ago. Despite facing challenges due to his disability, he has found ways to make skiing work for him. He is accompanied by skilled ski instructors who provide him with verbal cues, guiding him as he confidently navigates down the slopes.
When asked about his weekend in Snowmass Ingram shared, “It’s just a great self-esteem builder, I got out and skied and I improved my time on race day compared to last year”
Katie Blunk, Adaptive Sports Coordinator for the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System said “They call it miracles on the mountainside, because that’s what it truly is. The Veterans so often feel as though they cannot do a sport, and this clinic teaches them that we can adapt to literally any diagnosis to help them achieve their rehab goals. It’s an incredible week.”
Ingram has found that the ASP program has enhanced his life in many ways “The program has allowed me to be more outgoing and has improved my quality of life mentally and physically.”
Ingram’s perspective serves as a powerful reminder that even in the face of challenges, there is always the opportunity to redefine experiences and find joy in the possibilities that remain. Ingram’s story is an inspiration for everyone, encouraging individuals to embrace life’s journey with resilience and creativity, no matter what obstacles they may encounter.
Conference Championships Up Next For Track and Field
Story Links
WAVERLY, Iowa- The Wartburg College outdoor track and field teams will compete at the American Rivers Conference Championships this weekend. Simpson will serve as the host. The women’s team are the defending conference champions. Follow the Knights
Live video
Live results
Meet schedule Admission:
Simpson will charge admission to the […]
WAVERLY, Iowa- The Wartburg College outdoor track and field teams will compete at the American Rivers Conference Championships this weekend. Simpson will serve as the host. The women’s team are the defending conference champions.
Follow the Knights
Live video
Live results
Meet schedule
Admission:
Simpson will charge admission to the tournament. Ticket prices will be $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for students without a valid A-R-C ID and seniors (60 and older). Children 5 and under, and all current students with valid A-R-C ID shall be admitted free.
Returning champions
Women: JoJo Tyynismaa is a two-time defending champion in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles. Haley Meyer is a defending champion in the 800m. Emma True is a defending champion in the hammer throw.
Men: Deyton Love is a three-time defending champion in the 100m hurdles and a two-time defending champion in the 400m hurdles. Jacob Green is a defending champion in the 5000m.
WPIAL clinched: Boys volleyball playoff qualifiers through May 6, 2025
WPIAL clinched: Boys volleyball playoff qualifiers through May 6, 2025 | Trib HSSN By: Don Rebel Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 11:14 PM Christopher Horner | TribLive Gateway’s Thomas Nikou (26) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Plum on Tuesday. The 2025 WPIAL boys volleyball regular season has a few days left before the district […]
Matty Awards Honor CSUN Student-Athletes in Year-End Celebration
Story Links
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – CSUN celebrated the best of Matador Athletics in 2024-25 on Monday night (May 5) as CSUN student-athletes and staff gathered at Pinstripes in Woodland Hills for the second annual Matty Awards and Senior Sash Ceremony. The Matty Awards, preceded by the annual Senior Sash Ceremony, opened with remarks from SAAC Co-Presidents Erica Adams and Jackie […]
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – CSUN celebrated the best of Matador Athletics in 2024-25 on Monday night (May 5) as CSUN student-athletes and staff gathered at Pinstripes in Woodland Hills for the second annual Matty Awards and Senior Sash Ceremony.
The Matty Awards, preceded by the annual Senior Sash Ceremony, opened with remarks from SAAC Co-Presidents Erica Adams and Jackie O’Neill. Acting Director of Athletics Mary Beth Walker then shared her thoughts before turning the podium over to CSUN President Erika D. Beck. Adams and O’Neill then returned to the stage and thanked members of the Athletics Department who have impacted their collective experience as CSUN student-athletes.
Each graduating student-athlete was then presented his/her CSUN Athletics sash for graduation by the Matador Achievement Center staff. The annual ceremony celebrated 80 senior and graduate student-athletes on Monday.
The evening then returned to the Matty Awards, an event that honors student-athletes in several informal categories, including Team Hype Man/Woman, Most Likely to be Late to the Team Bus, Team Comedian, Most Likely to Win the Squid Games, and Unsung Hero.
The awards were handed out by various Matador student-athlete emcees; Marin Byers (Water Polo), Kim Turgut (Women’s Golf), Lorenzo Bertozzi (Men’s Volleyball), Tasha Mae (Beach Volleyball), and Madison Shepperson (Tennis) as student-athletes in each sport were honored in five categories as voted upon by their fellow student-athletes.
Awards were also handed out by the CSUN Sports Performance Team (Iron Matador Award), CSUN Acting Director of Athletics Mary Beth Walker (Matador of the Year), and CSUN Deputy Director of Athletics Sonia Hahn (Champions Cup).
2025 MATTY AWARD WINNERS
Team Hype Man/Woman Award Winners
Baseball – Andrew Gauna
Softball – Gizella Vargas Sandoval
Beach Volleyball – Layla Cederlind
Men’s Volleyball – Braden Pool-Harris
Women’s Volleyball – Jan Marie Duhaylungsod
Men’s Soccer – Siddiq Lezzar
Women’s Soccer – Angelica Claiborne
Men’s Track & Field/XC – Ja’Patrick Smith
Women’s Track & Field/XC – Camryn Harris
Men’s Basketball – Festus Ndumanya
Women’s Basketball – Laini Dahlin
Men’s Golf – Bryson Barnes
Women’s Golf – Gracie Piar
Women’s Tennis – Jackie O’Neill
Water Polo – Marin Byars
Most Likely to be Late to the Team Bus Award Winners
Draw For 2025 Water Polo World Championship Groups Revealed
This evening at the World Aquatics interim office in Budapest, preliminary round groups for the water polo tournaments at the 2025 World Championships were drawn. Men’s Draw Serbia, the reigning Olympic Champions, will face off with Italy, the reigning World Championship silver medalists, in Group A. Romania and South Africa round out the first competition […]
This evening at the World Aquatics interim office in Budapest, preliminary round groups for the water polo tournaments at the 2025 World Championships were drawn.
Men’s Draw
Serbia, the reigning Olympic Champions, will face off with Italy, the reigning World Championship silver medalists, in Group A. Romania and South Africa round out the first competition group.
The Group B team with the hottest hand is Spain, who is fresh off a World Cup title in April. They will look to beat Hungary, the 2023 World Champions, as well as Japan and Australia to continue their win streak.
Singapore, the home team for this championship, will face the three western hemisphere giants (Canada, United States, and Brazil) in Group C. Of the four, the U.S. boasts the best recent track record, earning bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In Group D, Croatia will be the team to beat, as they were the 2024 Doha World Champions and the Olympic silver medalists. To advance on, it will have to take on regional rivals Greece and Montenegro as well as China.
Group A
Serbia
Italy
Romania
South Africa
Group B
Spain
Hungary
Japan
Australia
Group C
United States
Brazil
Canada
Singapore
Group D
Croatia
Greece
China
Montenegro
Women’s Draw
In Group A, Olympic silver medalist team Australia will look to fend off regional foes New Zealand and Singapore as well as Italy.
For the American Women, who claimed the 2024 World Championships gold, the fight to defend their title will start in Group B. They’ll have to face The Netherlands, the 2023 World Champions, as well as Argentina and China.
After going head-to-head in the World Cup Final in April (with Greece coming out on top), Greece and Hungary will get a re-match in Group C. Japan and Croatia will join the pair in the first round play-off.
Finally, in Group D, all eyes will be on Spain. The Spanish women boast the most recent Olympic gold medal, and even though they suffered two upset losses at the World Cup last month, they’re still heavy favorites to advance. Western European rivals France and Great Britain were also drawn into Group D, as was South Africa.
Group A
Australia
New Zealand
Italy
Singapore
Group B
United States
Netherlands
China
Argentina
Group C
Hungary
Greece
Croatia
Japan
Group D
Spain
Great Britain
South Africa
France
The draw ceremony was hosted by World Aquatics President Captain Husain Al-Musallam and Singapore 2025 Co-Chair Mark Chay. Athletes Laura Ester Ramos of Spain and Filip Filipovic of Serbia hosted alongside Al-Musallam and Chay.
Women’s competition in Singapore will begin on July 11, while men’s will start the following day. Over the first week, group competition will occur round-robin style before some crossover matches. The competition will advance to quarterfinals and then semifinals. The women’s and men’s tournament will conclude on July 23 and 24, respectively, with gold medal matches.
Hope College hires Jordan Bartolazzi as track & field coach
Hope College has hired Jordan Bartolazzi, a four-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Track and Field Coach of the Year, as its next head coach. Bartolazzi will take over for Kevin Cole, who is stepping down as Hope’s men’s and women’s track and field coach following the 2025 outdoor season. “I am honored to […]
Hope College has hired Jordan Bartolazzi, a four-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Track and Field Coach of the Year, as its next head coach.
Bartolazzi will take over for Kevin Cole, who is stepping down as Hope’s men’s and women’s track and field coach following the 2025 outdoor season.
“I am honored to be joining the Hope College community and can’t wait to get started. Coaching provides an outstanding opportunity to impact the lives of student-athletes, something I feel very passionate about,” Bartolazzi said in a press release. “Hope’s mission to provide transformational experiences for students in a Christian context appeals deeply to me and will be a great fit for me and my family. I look forward to building on the success that Hope has seen under Coach Cole’s guidance. We intend to build a program with sustained success at the conference and national level, all while prioritizing the growth and personal development of our student-athletes.”
More: Hope runners Schmermerhorn, Markham race to All-American finishes at NCAA Championships
Bartolazzi has served at Elmhurst University (Illinois) as the director of track and field and cross country since 2017 and will finish the outdoor season with the Blue Jays just as Cole will finish this season at Hope
. He guided the Elmhurst women to their first CCIW indoor and outdoor titles in 2025, earning CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year accolades in both seasons.
Director of Athletics Tim Schoonveld said Bartolazzi fits the Hope Athletics mission of academic success, competitive excellence and transformational experiences.
“We are thrilled to have Jordan, his wife, Steph, and their family — Amelia, Mabel, Arlo, and Lester — joining our team. They are amazing people who will only make our team stronger and more impactful,” Schoonveld said. “Jordan has demonstrated competitive excellence as he has built his team from small numbers into league champions. His love for building transformational relationships and caring for his student athletes was evident throughout the search process. We cannot wait for him to join our team and to enhance all that we do at Hope College and in the athletic department.”
Bartolazzi oversaw tremendous growth in Elmhurst track and field during his tenure, with participation increasing from fewer than 15 student-athletes in 2017 to 90 this season. He coached 11 Elmhurst student-athletes to United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All America honors in 20 events, including 15 since 2023. He was chosen as CCIW Track and Field Coach of the Year during the 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons, and once in both 2023 and 2022.
In March, Bartolazzi guided the Elmhurst women’s track and field team to a Top 10 finish at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. He was chosen as the USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year for the Midwest Region.
In 2021, Bartolazzi led Elmhurst women’s cross country to the program’s first CCIW crown in 18 years. He was named the CCIW Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year that season.
As a student-athlete, Bartolazzi competed on both the men’s cross country and men’s track and field teams at Elmhurst before graduating in 2015 with degrees in theological studies and Christian ministry, and organizational communication.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
Is this the year for top-ranked BHS boys volleyball team?
It’s been more than three decades since Brookline High School’s boys’ volleyball team last captured a state championship in 1992. Currently ranked #1 in the state with a 12-1 record, the Warriors are eyeing another one, after a transformation in culture and with a strong sense of team chemistry. First-year head coach Lexi De La […]
It’s been more than three decades since Brookline High School’s boys’ volleyball team last captured a state championship in 1992.
Currently ranked #1 in the state with a 12-1 record, the Warriors are eyeing another one, after a transformation in culture and with a strong sense of team chemistry. First-year head coach Lexi De La Cruz brings over a decade of volleyball experience,from playing and coaching at the collegiate level in Puerto Rico to leading top-tier programs at Lasell University and SMASH Volleyball’s nationally ranked U18 team.
His vision was clear from day one: to win a state championship. But for De La Cruz, the journey is as important as the outcome. “My vision and goal since day one is to win the state championships. The boys understood the mission”, said De La Cruz.
Assistant coaches Justin Soohoo and Julian Vesneske, both veterans of the Brookline volleyball community, have witnessed the sport’s evolution in town firsthand. Soohoo, now in his 14th year of coaching, emphasizes consistency and challenge in practice, ensuring players are always pushed to grow while maintaining familiar routines that build confidence. Vesneske, reflecting on the program’s trajectory, notes that “the culture of volleyball in Brookline is massive now.”
Get the latest Brookline news free in your inbox.
All fields required. You may unsubscribe at any time.
“If you want to make JV at Brookline, you have to be a varsity caliber player at another town,” said Soohoo. Nearly every player on the roster has club experience, and the result is a roster filled with athletes recognized among the very best in New England.
Captain Kristaps Vaivars (left) and Amir Tomer (right) get ready to receive a serve. Photo by Jovina Yu
For the players, this season feels fundamentally different. Junior captain and outside hitter Amir Tomer describes how the team’s high expectations have fueled their performance. “We knew that everyone was looking at us to be a strong team. So, we hold ourselves to high expectations, and it makes us play better.”
Tomer credits De La Cruz’s coaching for encouraging players to use skills from outside volleyball and implement them into their game, “instead of thinking inside the box, which is kind of how we used to do things.”
Sophomore Kais Al-Fakhuri, who shifted from middle to right side this year, highlights the effectiveness of the coaching staff’s time management and in-game adjustments. He notes that Coach De La Cruz’s timeouts are not just routine breaks, but pivotal turning points. “We just instantly went on a run after a timeout,” Al-Fakhuri says, underscoring how tactical adjustments and focused regrouping have helped the Warriors regain control and surge ahead in crucial moments.
Team chemistry and mutual support are also key factors to the team’s resilience, the players say.
Tomer said the season has been a dream so far for both players and alumni, and the team is not just hoping for success, they’re preparing for it.
“I think this is our year,” said Al-Fakhuri.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the year of the last BHS boys volleyball state championship. The correct date is 1992.
This story was produced in collaboration with the Reinventing Journalism course at Brandeis University, taught by Professor Neil Swidey, with mentoring for student journalists by Brookline.News editorial adviser Ellen Clegg and editor Sam Mintz. Read more about the collaboration here.
Captain Kristaps Vaivars (left) and Amir Tomer (right) get ready to receive a serve. Photo by Jovina Yu
