By Susannah Whyte

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were monumental for Aquatics GB as Kate Shortman and Izzy Thorpe secured the first ever British artistic swimming Olympic medal. Aquatics GB’s most successful sports, swimming and para-swimming won a whopping 37 medals. Diving snatched 5 medals, while the runt of the Aquatics GB litter, water polo, failed to produce a team in either the men’s or women’s competition. It has been a rocky 15 years for British water polo, reaching highs of automatic home Olympic qualification for London 2012 before having all funding cut in 2014. 2021 saw £375,000 in funding awarded and so the sport is back on the up, albeit failing to qualify for Paris 2024.

There is hope, however, for the LA 2028 Games. The GB Women’s water polo team finished 11^th in the 2024 World Aquatics Championship which was the Olympic Qualifier. They narrowly missed out on a ticket to Paris as only the top 10 women’s teams qualified. Women’s water polo has only been the Olympic agenda since 2000, despite the men’s game gaining Olympic status in 2000. In the Paris 2024 Games, 10 women’s teams competed yet 12 men’s teams competed. The differential in numbers meant that the GB women’s team did not qualify but would have been eligible for qualification if they had been the men’s team.

The quality and drama of the Paris Games did not disappoint. The USA’s women’s team failed to medal for the first time ever, after they were beaten in the semi-final by Australia on penalties (8,6-8,5) and the Netherlands in the bronze medal match after a last-minute winner from Sabrina van der Sloot (10-11). Spain triumphed over Australia in a tense women’s final (11-9) to become Olympic Champions. Australia’s coach Rebecca Rippon made history herself being the first female Head Coach to win an Olympic medal in the women’s competition. In the men’s competition, defending champions, Serbia, successfully claimed their third Olympic gold on the trot, after defeating Croatia 13-11. The USA’s men’s team made up for the disappointment on the women’s side by clinching their first medal in 16 years, winning against Hungary on penalties (8,3–8,0).

Despite attaining Olympic recognition 25 years ago, the LA Games will be the first to see true equality in the sport with 12 women’s teams. The World Aquatic President Husain Al Musallam described the decision as a “historic achievement for women’s water polo”. The @gbgrlswpolo Instagram account welcomed the move and noted that “current and aspiring GB athletes are one huge step closer to the chance of becoming Olympians”. One of these athletes is Durham alumnus Toula Falvey. She won the BUCS National Championship with Durham in 2023 and now plays professionally for Spanish side CN Catalunya. Falvey represented GB in the 2024 World Aquatics Championship and the 2024 European Championships and would have most likely been in an Olympic side.

The GB women’s team gender-based exclusion from the games has other implications for the sport’s growth in the UK. Since there was no GB side competing at the Paris Games, the BBC did not have any live coverage of the water polo competition. While keen fans forked out on Discovery+ to watch the action, potential future fans were denied the opportunity to turn on their TVs and be captivated by the game’s fast-paced physicality free-to-view. Water polo is a rather niche sport in the UK and the public’s perception of the game often is skewed by the infamous “Blood in the Water” match of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic between Hungary and the USSR, which was immortalised in the film, ‘Freedom’s Fury’; or as the sport of Prince William, who played at Eton and at St. Andrews University, where he was Captain and whom he represented on the Scottish Universities Team. The Paris 2024 Games could not change these opinions, but if the men’s and women’s competitions had been equal, it is very likely that the GB women’s water polo games would have been free-to-view and able to inspire future players.

The LA 2028 games are still three years away and the GB women’s team will have to grind to maintain their momentum. Nevertheless, they have automatically qualified for the 2026 European Championships and are heading to Singapore this July for the 2025 World Aquatic Championships. Nick Buller’s appointment as head coach of the GB’s women’s team in 2019 launched the GB women on their upward trajectory. The future really is bright for the squad, who are putting GB water polo back on the map. 

Image: Daieuxetdailleurs via Wikimedia Commons

COLLEGEVILLE — Max Lelwica is a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion.

The St. John’s University senior and 2021 Brainerd graduate showed out at the MIAC Championship May 1-2 and placed first in the decathlon with 6,905 points at Carleton’s Laird Stadium.

Lelwica finished just 27 points off the St. John’s record set by Maguire Peterson at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships.

Lelwica will get one last chance to break that mark at the NCAA Division III Championships May 22-24 in Geneva, Ohio.

Lelwica is the fifth Johnnie to win the decathlon at the MIAC championship. It’s also his first MIAC title in any event.

“It was a pretty gloomy day, but that’s almost nice because then the sun doesn’t beat you down over the course of the two days,” Lelwica said. “My buddy and I had been training all throughout the fall and preparing the whole year just for this big meet. It was fun to go out with my teammates and compete. It’s a long two days, but it’s a lot of fun. I was just trying to score points for the team because it’s always close between us and Bethel.”

Lelwica posted personal bests in four events and won six of the 10. On the second day, Lelwica won the 110-meter hurdles, discus and pole vault, while placing second in the 1500 run to clinch the title.

Saint John’s University Athletics

“Right before the last event, the 1500, I asked my coach who I needed to stick with just to score points,” Lelwica said. “Thankfully, by then, it didn’t matter quite what I ran in terms of winning the MIAC. However, I was trying to get our school record.

“It feels good to get a payoff for the hard work you put in and I’m just very thankful it came together. It’s easy during the decathlon for stuff to go wrong just because there’s so much going on.”

He ran a 15.17 in the 110 hurdles and threw a personal best 39.29 meters in the discus. He tied for first in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 4.2 meters. He threw 46.48 meters in the javelin to place fourth — his worst finish.

During the first day of competition, Lelwica ran a personal best 11.39 in the 100 dash for third. He followed it with a personal best 6.48 meters in the long jump to win. He won the high jump at 1.89 meters and the 400 dash with a personal best time of 50.31.

Michael Abdella / SJU

He collected third in the shot put with a throw of 11.83 meters.

“I had a really solid Day One, which is usually my weaker point,” Lelwica said. “I was in the lead after Day One and felt like if I came out and took care of business on Day Two, I should be able to get it done because I’m a better Day Two performer. I tried not to think about it too much and just stayed focused on the task at hand.”

His favorite event in the decathlon is the hurdles.

“I get that question a lot and I usually answer with just whatever is going well because it’s kind of hit or miss,” Lelwica said.

Lelwica said it was Mike Degen who recommended he try the decathlon in college. Degen’s son, Mitch, graduated from Brainerd in 2022 and is currently a thrower for St. John’s. Degen won the javelin with a first-place 58.46 toss.

“He thought I would do very well at it,” Lelwica said. “When I toured here and talked to the coaches, they told me they’ll take anyone interested in it. They’ll never force us to do anything, but for the decathlon, you have to want to put the work in to do it because it’s so many events. I’ve never been a top-end athlete and just been decent at a bunch of things and I went into college right away thinking I was going to try this out.”

Paul Middlestaedt, (320) 293-5566

The biggest learning curve for Lelwica we43 the hurdles, high jump and pole vault.

“The vault has been tough, but learning the events wasn’t as tough for me as just getting faster,” Lelwica said. “I was pretty slow coming out of high school and didn’t have a ton of athleticism. I was just a jumper and learned a lot on how to get faster and more powerful.”

Lelwica was fifth in the heptathlon in the MIAC Indoor Championships Feb. 27-March 1. He placed ninth at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships March 14-15.

Before the Indoor Championships, Lelwica won the Wartburg Invite with 5,063 points in the heptathlon.

Lelwica will graduate with a degree in biochemistry and plans to go to medical school after taking a gap year. He was a three-sport athlete at Brainerd High School competing in soccer, basketball and track and field

“I’ve had really good coaches here at St. John’s and they’re willing to work with me,” Lelwica said. “I’ve learned a lot from them. My teammates and coaches have given me the right regimen and kind of helped me figure out things, so I can apply them.”

CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.

Year: Senior
School: St. John’s University
Sport: Track and field
Major: Biochemistry
High School: Brainerd class of 2021
Highlights: He won the MIAC Decathlon with 6,905 points and collected personal bests in four events.

“We’re thrilled to finally be able to announce our non-conference schedule,” said head coach Keegan Cook. “It’s been a tremendous amount of work and I want to give special thanks to assistant coach Pedro Mendes for the work he did to bring it together.”

Year three of the Keegan Cook era in Minneapolis officially kicks off with the AVCA First Serve event against Texas A&M on Monday, Aug. 25. The match will be played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. 

“Our non-conference schedule priorities were both numerous and specific for fall 2025,” said Cook. “First and foremost we want a schedule that allows us to develop our team and prepare them for Big Ten play. 11 matches over five weeks gives us that opportunity. We will be a better team after these five weeks of competition.”

The Gophers will then head home to take on Cal Poly, Ball State and St. Thomas in a three-day tournament at Maturi Pavilion. Each team in the event will play a match each day from Friday, Aug. 29-Sunday, Aug. 31. B1G+ will stream the event.

Minnesota will play two matches in Nashville, Tenn., the next weekend, playing at Vanderbilt on Friday, Sept. 6 and at Lipscomb on Saturday, Sept. 7. The 2025 season will be Vanderbilt’s first season competing in Division I volleyball. Both match times are to be determined.

The Diet Coke Classic will take place from Friday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 14 at Maturi Pavilion. The Gophers will host South Florida, Dayton and South Dakota State in another three-day event. Each opponent will get the chance to play one another and B1G+ will stream.

“This schedule needs to position our program to earn a seed and host the NCAA tournament in the Pav again. Our 2025 non-conference opponents cumulative win percentage was over .700 in 2024, with many of the teams returning their core contributors. We sought to schedule programs with winning traditions and cultures, and we achieved that,” said Cook.

Minnesota’s preseason slate closes with a pair of regional road games against 2024 NCAA Tournament teams in Loyola Chicago and Marquette. The match with Loyola Chicago will be on Friday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. while the match against the Golden Eagles in Milwaukee will be at 1 p.m. CT.

Of the Gophers 2025 opponents, Dayton, Marquette and Texas A&M made the Sweet 16 in 2024. Loyola Chicago and South Dakota State each made the NCAA Tournament as well, with the Ramblers upsetting No. 5-seeded BYU in a first round sweep.

Six of Minnesota’s 11 matches will be at home, giving the Gophers 16 total home matches, including Big Ten play.

“We knew we wanted more non-conference home matches in the Pav,” said Cook. “The support from our community and season ticket holders has been incredible these past seasons, and getting the team in front of them six times was a priority.”

Television networks are still to be determined and information on tickets will be available at a later date.

“We want to give our athletes unique, challenging and memorable road matches. The matches against Texas A&M, Lipscomb, Vanderbilt, Loyola Chicago, and Marquette are exactly that,” said Cook. 

In 2024, the team finished with a 21-11 (13-7 Big Ten) record, a four-win improvement from the year prior. Minnesota made its 10th straight NCAA Tournament and fell in the Round of 32 to Kentucky. The ‘U’ earned top-10 wins over then No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Wisconsin, both in five sets. It was the first time Minnesota defeated a No. 1 ranked team since 2019 and the program’s second straight home win over Wisconsin.

2025 Non-Conference Schedule:

Mon. Aug, 25.: No. 18 Minnesota vs. No. 16 Texas A&M in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Sanford Pentagon) – TBA

Friday, Aug. 29: St. Thomas vs. Ball State – 3 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 29: No. 18 Minnesota vs. Cal Poly – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30: Cal Poly vs. St. Thomas – 2 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30: No. 18 Minnesota vs. Ball State – 5 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 31: Cal Poly vs. Ball St – 11 a.m.

Sunday, Aug. 31: No. 18 Minnesota vs. St. Thomas – 2 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 5: No. 18 Minnesota at Vanderbilt – TBA

Saturday, Sept. 6: No. 18 Minnesota at Lipscomb – TBA

Friday, Sept. 12: South Dakota State vs. Dayton – 3 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 12: No. 18 Minnesota vs. South Florida – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 13: South Florida vs. South Dakota State – 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 13: No. 18 Minnesota vs. No. 17 Dayton – 5 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 14: No. 17 Dayton vs. South Florida – 11 a.m.

Sunday, Sept. 14: No. 18 Minnesota vs. South Dakota State – 2 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 19: No. 18 Minnesota at Loyola Chicago – 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 21: No. 18 Minnesota at No. 21 Marquette – 1 p.m.

*2024 AVCA Final Ranking

Non-Conference Schedule Notes:

-Matches against teams that finished in the AVCA Top-25: 3

-Road/Neutral matches against teams that finished in the AVCA Top-25: 2

-Home matches against teams that finished in the AVCA Top-25: 1

-Matches against 2024 NCAA Tournament Teams: 5

-Matches against 2024 Sweet 16 Teams: 3

-Team records: .730 combined win percentage of Minnesota’s opponents in 2024

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese track and field’s “Baton Brothers” aka, the 4×100-meter relay team, has recorded the most productive and memorable outdoor season in school history and will head into this week’s Southland Conference Championships looking to make more history.
 
Built with twin brothers Kalen Beavers and Keon Beavers, along with Amari Godette and Jaden Powell, the 4×100 team broke the school record three separate meets this season, and a fourth time was disqualified due to an official error.
 
All four sprinters are from Louisiana which makes this group closer and more connected.
 
“This relay team is so special to me because we’re a bunch of guys from Louisiana with different backgrounds and able to showcase Louisiana-born talent,” said Kalen, a native of Carencro and who also holds the team’s fastest time in the 200-meters.
 
His twin, Koen, feels the same.
 
“What makes this team so special is the diversity in all of our backgrounds. Me and Kalen are the young bucks and just our second year out of high school while Jaden and Amari are the seasoned vets coming from different universities.”
 
Godette is a junior from Lake Charles and prepped at Barbe High School before starting his college career at Nicholls. Powell is a senior from Monroe and attended Garden City Community College before coming to McNeese.
 
The team first broke the then 25-year-old school record at the ULL Louisiana Classics on March 22 with a time of 40.05, beating the school record by .04 seconds. Three weeks later, the team clocked a 40.00 time at the NSU Leon Johnson Invitational on April 12. Then two weeks following that on April 26, the quartet became the first McNeese relay team to clock a sub-40 second time with a 39.98 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.
 
The team initially broke 40 seconds at the Florida Relays on April 4, but controversial judgement by an exchange official ruled the exchange between Powell and Godette was out of the zone and the team was disqualified after clocking a 39.95.
 
But that setback only seemed to strengthen the squad as they went on to break the school record three different times and will head into the conference championships ranked fifth in the league but well within competition range for a gold medal, something a McNeese unit has done only once before and not since 2004.
 
A main part of relays is the exchanging of the baton.
 
“Exchanges might be the most critical part of the relays,” said Kalen. “Of course you need speed, but one simple mistake during an exchange can jeopardize the whole race. A fast team with bad exchanges can lose to a mediocre speed-based team who completes good hand-offs. Plus, if you drop the stick during the race, it’s over for you.”
 
Being prepared both mentally and physically for race days start early.
 
“I get up early and start my day with reading my Bible,” said Koen. “Sometimes I don’t eat breakfast. It just depends on how early I get my runs in.”
 
“I eat a good breakfast and make sure I hydrate,” said Kalen. “I put my Air Pods in and listen to some music to get me ready and locked into my race. I always make time to thank the Lord for the opportunities and blessings he has given me.”
 
The 4×100 relays will take place on Saturday evening at 5:10, the final day of the league championships which will be held at Holloway Field and Ley Track at Rice University in Houston.
 
When asked if the group has been given a nickname, the answer was no.
 
So for now, we’ll just call them “The Baton Brothers.”
 
 

Two new teams appear in the latest 2025 USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association boys volleyball Super 25. Inside the top 10, Roncalli High School made the most significant move of the week, with the Indianapolis squad landing just behind SoCal power Loyola High School. At the top of the pack, Mira Costa held firm at No. 1, with the Mustangs’ streak now hitting eight weeks in a row atop the boys volleyball hierarchy.