Sports
Stylish if Schematic Summer-Camp Psychodrama
The idea of adolescence as a horror story is not new, but it’s given a splashy workout in Charlie Polinger‘s queasily stylish debut feature, in which the swimming pools, lockers rooms and bunk-bed dormitories of a boys’ water polo camp are a puberty petrie dish livid with sinister bacteria. Drawn from experience and benefiting from some standout performances among its well-selected young cast, “The Plague” has a familiar coming-of-age narrative, but stranger, subtler undercurrents of creeping dismay at the men these boys will become when, at this formative age, cruelty chlorinates the water they swim in.
Sensitive, 12-year-old Ben (Everett Blunck) comes to the Tom Lerner Water Polo Camp in the summer of 2003 as an outsider twice over. He’s not only joining after the second session has started, he’s also a new arrival to the area. And, as we understand from an early conversation with his affable but ineffectual coach (Joel Edgerton, who also produces) a reluctant one: there’s hurt in the studied neutrality of his tone when he describes how his mother uprooted their lives to be with her new lover. Perhaps the wrenching change-up of father figure fuels Ben’s anxiety to fit in, but also maybe that’s just the way he is. When one of the kids’ endless games of would-you-rather makes him choose between “not fucking a dog but having everyone think you did, or fucking a dog and no one knows,” Ben opts for, well, screwing the pooch.
In any wolf pack, the Alpha is obvious and even among these cubs, Jake (a superb Kayo Martin) is easily identifiable as the ringleader. Deceptively cherubic beneath a shock of tousled strawberry blonde hair, and wearing a surprisingly adult expression of skeptical watchfulness, Jake is initially friendly enough to the newcomer — at least once Ben begins answering to the nickname “Soppy,” devised after Jake picks up on his very minor speech impediment.
There’s an easier target for Jake’s lazy but keen-eyed ridicule. Eli (Kenny Rasmussen) was presumably already an oddball — into magic tricks and solo flailing dance moves and lurching non-sequitur conversation — even before he developed a disfiguring skin complaint. The angry-looking rash that covers his arms and torso is probably some sort of eczema or contact dermatitis, but the boys are still of an age to be fascinated by lepers and curses and so Jake declares it “the plague.” Eli is ostracized, to the point that all the kids dive for another cafeteria table if he so much as pulls up a chair.
Good-natured Ben, in the throes of a panicky uncertainty that from the outside is sweetly poignant, if only because it will be gone in a year or a month or a minute, feels for Eli’s predicament— possibly more than the quite contentedly peculiar Eli does for himself. But as he barely has enough social capital to guarantee his own acceptance into Jake’s circle, Ben befriends the outcast cautiously, away from prying eyes. It’s fine to make taboo transgressions if nobody knows about it.
DP Steven Breckon punctuates “The Plague” with interludes of woozy underwater photography, in which the boys’ bodies dagger into the pool and then tread water, resembling so many headless sea horses. Sometimes, while Johan Lenox’s excellent, ’70s horror-inflected, nightmare-choir score reaches a bombastic crescendo, the girls of the synchronized swimming class who share the pool and fire the boys’ crude erotic imaginings, are shown inverted, so they appear to be dancing floatily across the water’s underside surface. These subaquatic symphonies give a touch of the phantasmagoric to a milieu that’s otherwise cleverly recreated from the banal remembered details of an early noughties childhood: the Capri-Suns, the pop tunes, that brief phase where kids believe that smoking kitchen-cupboard nutmeg will get them high.
Perhaps too the subjective nature of Polinger’s memory of a time when the peer-group dynamic was so much more influential than any peripheral authority figure, accounts for why these kids are so often unconstrained by adult supervision. Jake naturally takes advantage of that freedom to continue his offhand reign of terror, one he can maintain without ever really lifting a finger. Almost all of the violence in “The Plague” is self-inflicted and therefore easily disavowed by this tweenaged tyrant – a character so vivid that it’s tempting to imagine a more provocative movie told from the bully’s perspective. But as “The Plague” ramps up to an impressively eerie, body-horror-styled finale, it takes a rather more expected turn toward a significant, if hardly triumphal moment of personal growth for unhappy camper Ben. Teetering on the brink of adult society with its own bewilderingly insidious notions about masculinity and conformity, you can dive in or you can be pushed, and it’s only then you can know if you’ll sink or swim.
Charlotte, NC (December 16, 2025) – Week Two of CIAA Indoor Track and Field continued to showcase high level performances as competition intensified across early season meets. The conference saw distance excellence and strong field event execution as athletes built momentum heading deeper into the indoor season. The CIAA recognizes two student athletes for their standout performances during the week.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Faith Kiplimo, Fayetteville State
Sophomore distance runner Faith Kiplimo delivered a breakthrough performance at the JDL Early Bird Meet, recording a personal best time of 4:51.07. Her effort earned a second place finish overall while setting a new Fayetteville State school record. The mark also met the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standard and currently ranks Kiplimo No. 1 in the Atlantic Region and No. 5 nationally in Division II. Her performance continues to establish Fayetteville State as a force in women’s distance events.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Sheree Wright, Fayetteville State
Senior high jumper Sheree Wright opened her season with a strong and composed showing at the JDL Early Bird Meet. Wright cleared 1.57 meters (5-01.75) to earn a fourth place finish in a competitive field. Her consistency and execution highlighted an encouraging start to her indoor campaign and provided a solid foundation as the season progresses.
Media Contact
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Single game tickets for the 2026 UC San Diego men’s volleyball season are on sale now!
This season’s home slate features 14 matches – including six Big West contests – inside LionTree Arena.
Single match tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting UCSDTritons.com or by calling the Triton Box Office at (858) 534-1430.
Season tickets are also currently available and are $50 for adults and $40 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. You can purchase season tickets on the same page at UCSDTritons.com.
For additional information, contact the box office via email at triton-tix@ucsd.edu.
UC San Diego is looking to continue to rise among the Big West and the national rankings. The 2025 Tritons went 18-12 overall, the program’s most wins under head coach Brad Rostratter, who heads into his fourth season at the helm. UC San Diego was ranked as high as No. 10 in the country.
| 2026 HOME SCHEDULE | ||
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Jan. 6 | Jessup | 7pm |
| Jan. 9 | Daemen | 7pm |
| Jan. 11 | Rockhurst | 7pm |
| Jan. 23 | UCLA | 7pm |
| Feb. 11 | CUI | 7pm |
| Feb. 16 | UC Merced | 2pm |
| Feb. 27 | Vanguard | 7pm |
| March 3 | CSUN (Big West) | 7pm |
| March 9 | Princeton | 7pm |
| March 28 | UC Irvine (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 3 | Long Beach State (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 10 | Hawai’i (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 11 | Hawai’i (Big West) | 7pm |
| April 18 | UC Santa Barbara (Big West) | 7pm |
* Schedule subject to change
A complete 2026 Triton men’s volleyball schedule is available by clicking here.
——
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Four members of the Virginia volleyball team have been named to the 2025 Academic All-District team as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) it was announced by the organization with the release of the annual team on Tuesday (Dec. 16).
The Virginia selections include Zoey Dood, Teagan Hogan, Kate Johnson and Hannah Scott.
Johnson makes her second appearance on the all-district team while Dood, Hogan and Scott are honored for the first time.
Individuals selected to all-district teams advance to the CSC Academic All-America Ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in January. For more information about CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-America Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
“Congratulations to all of our student-athletes who will receive their degrees this week,” Director of Athletics Trev Alberts said. “The hard work and dedication required to compete at the highest levels both athletically and in the classroom cannot be understated. I am impressed daily with how much our student-athletes prioritize their education. It is our goal as a department to see these young men and women achieve everything they desire from their collegiate experience, and at Texas A&M they have the opportunity to do that.”
Texas A&M saw student-athletes from 12 different sports receive degrees at fall commencement. Of the 57 graduates, 17 earned master’s degrees and football led the way with 17 individuals walking the stage.
“In a time of constant change in college athletics, it can sometimes feel as though education and earning a degree are no longer the priority,” Executive Associate Athletics Director of Academics and Student-Athlete Engagement Dr. Dan Childs said. “At Texas A&M, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the holistic development of our student-athletes. Our coaches, administrators and support staff work tirelessly to ensure success both on the field and in the classroom. We are proud to celebrate our Fall 2025 graduates and look forward to the incredible impact they will make in the next chapter of their lives.”
For more information on commencement ceremonies, visit aggieonestop.tamu.edu.
Texas A&M Athletics Fall Graduates
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Three members of the Bridgewater State University volleyball program have been selected to the 2025 Academic All-District® One Division III Women’s Volleyball Team by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
Earning the honor from Bridgewater State are senior outside hitter Kim Gowell (Durham, N.H.) and junior outside hitters Ava Crane (Dartmouth, Mass.) and Lily Welch (Hanson, Mass.
Gowell and Welch are both two-time recipients of the CSC Academic All-District® award while Crane is a first time honoree.
The three Bears are among 14 members of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) to garner the accolade. They are joined by MCLA’s Elizabeth Brown, Addison Decaro, Audrey Melson and MaKayla Schuerer; Westfield State’s Allie Hill, Erica Majka, Hanna Nihill and Emily Washkalavitch; and Katie Cueva, Alexia Mitchell and Paige Thomason of Worcester State.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
To be eligible for all-academic honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or a key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at her current institution and be nominated by her sports information director. A student-athlete must have also played in at least 90% of her team’s matches for the 2025 season or started in 66% of the matches.
Gowell is a psychology major with a minor in philosophy as well as studio art minor. She currently checks in with an outstanding 3.827 grade point average. The Durham, New Hampshire native appeared in 72 matches over four seasons in a BSU uniform and notched 498 kills, 18 assists, 41 aces, 188 digs and 59 blocks (nine solo).
A native of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Crane is a health science major with a 3.709 career GPA. The 2025 All-MASCAC honoreee has amassed 313 kills, 53 assists, 108 aces, 568 digs and 38 blocks (nine solo) in 45 matches over her first two seasons with the Bears.
Welch, who calls Hanson, Massachusetts home, has produced an impressive 3.80 GPA while majoring in marketing. A two-time All-MASCAC selection and two-time MASCAC Tournament MVP, Welch has played in 62 matches for the Bears over her first three seasons and checks in with 563 career kills to go along with 39 assists, 60 aces, 573 digs, and 122 blocks (26 solo).
Gowell, Crane and Welch helped the BSU volleyball team post a 17-5 record in 2025 including a perfect 8-0 conference mark. The Bears captured the MASCAC Tournament title with a 3-1 championship match win over Framingham State University and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season and 11th time in program history.
2025 CSC Academic All-District® Division III Volleyball Teams (PDF)
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