By Sara Beth Williams–
The Mesa Verde High School’s boys’ volleyball team made waves in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV this spring, earning recognition for a record-breaking season that’s putting the school on the athletic map.

Traditionally not known for athletic programs due to its Division IV status, Mesa Verde is changing that narrative with a powerful showing in both boys’ volleyball and baseball this year, according to boys’ volleyball coach Jennifer Shoffner.

The boys’ volleyball team has an 8-2 regular season league record, ranking them in second place in the Sierra Delta League behind undefeated Vacaville Christian high school. Mesa Verde also secured a first-place trophy from the Stockton Classic tournament.

The boys’ volleyball program was established nine years ago, and has been led by Shoffner for the last seven years.

“We’re building something special here,” said Shoffner, who is among several alumni coaches, giving back to their school community, including Athletic Director and tennis coach Travis Miller Anthony O’Neal, who coaches Mesa Verde boys’ basketball, and Leonard Casillas, Mesa Verde’s varsity football head coach.

The Mustangs volleyball players are no strangers to postseason play, having qualified for the playoffs in 2019, 2022, 2023, and now 2025, skipping only the pandemic years when playoffs were not held. In their playoff run this season, the Mesa Verde boys’ volleyball team defeated El Dorado high school in the first round three sets to one on April 30 but lost to Livingston high school 0-3 in the quarterfinals held on May 2.

Despite the loss, Shoffner said the team is proud of the way they finished.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Shoffner. “This is more than just a good season—it’s a statement about who we are and where Mesa Verde athletics is headed.”

Shoffner added that the season has been historic with 10 wins in a row for the first time, and a first round playoff win for the first time.

Team leadership is strong, Shoffner said, with senior captains Eddie Montepeque and Mathew Garcia anchoring the squad. Both have been varsity starters since their freshman year and are multi-sport athletes: Montepeque competes in football, soccer, and volleyball, while Garcia plays football, basketball, and volleyball.

Junior captain Ben Lee leads not only on the court, but in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA, a distinction shared by nearly half of the team, Shoffner said.

The boys’ volleyball team has an overall record of 19-9 in the Sac-Juaquin Section Division IV, according to Max Preps, putting them in second place in the division behind Encina high school in Sacramento and just ahead of Natomas High.

“They’re ending the season with their heads held high, and are optimistic about next year,” Shoffner said.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION 1

Pool A

#5 Beckman d. #8 San Clemente, 25-18, 25-19, 19-25, 25-17

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION 1

Pool A

#4 Corona del Mar at #1 Mira Costa, 6:30 p.m.

Pool B

#3 Loyola at #2 Huntington Beach, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 6 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION 1

Pool B

#7 Redondo Union at #6 Newport Harbor, 12 p.m.

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 2

Mater Dei at St. Francis, 4 p.m.

St. Margaret’s at Peninsula, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 3

North Torrance at Tesoro

Orange Lutheran at Warren

DIVISION 4

Santa Barbara at Corona Santiago, 4 p.m.

Crean Lutheran at Sage Hill

DIVISION 5

Newbury Park at Esperanza

Vista Murrieta at Kennedy

DIVISION 6

Village Christian at Quartz Hill

Laguna Blanca at El Toro

DIVISION 7

San Jacinto at Brea Olinda

Brentwood at San Gabriel Academy, Monday at 4 p.m.

DIVISION 8

Lancaster Desert Christian a Katella, 2 p.m.

Wildwood at Avalon

DIVISION 9

CAMS at San Jacinto Valley

Beverly Hills at Downey, Monday at 5 p.m.

Note: Division 1 Finals at 7 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Cerritos College; Finals in all other divisions May 16 or 17 (times and sites TBA).

The top Tauranga men’s water polo team are gunning to defend their national league title – which they’ve held for the last three years – in the two-month 2025 competition that began in early May.

Tauranga Water Polo Club chairman Mark Edgecombe said the Division 1 men’s team had snatched the Suzuki New Zealand National Water Polo Club League crown in 2022, 2023 and 2024 – so have started the competition this year as the team to beat.

“This year would be the first for any club to get four titles if we were to be fortunate enough to win,” said Edgecombe.

The National League runs from May 3-June 22 with six teams competing in Division 1 – Tauranga, Canterbury, Hutt, Marist, North Harbour and a new men’s side for 2025, Sea Wolf.

Edgecombe said the Division 1 men will be looking to set the tone early and remind everyone why they’ve been so dominant.

“We’ve only just started this year, so I guess it remains to be seen who the other strong teams are, but it has been teams like Marist or Hutt [that] have been pretty strong last year as well.”

Tauranga men’s water polo team coach Joe Kayes with the team before practice. Photo / Mark Edgecombe

Edgecombe said teams will play each other home and away in a double round-robin format. “Then it all wraps up with finals weekend in Tauranga on June 28 [to] 29, where every team will be in the mix.”

This Saturday, May 10, spectators can enjoy all the action as Tauranga take on the North Harbour Turtles, who will battle it out from 1pm at Baywave in Mount Maunganui.

“This league gives squad members a platform for up-and-coming players to test themselves at the highest domestic level,” said Edgecombe, who said his club also have a Division 2 men’s team and a women’s team competing in their respective categories in the competition.

“The women’s is a round robin that’s going to be played around the country over different weekends,” said Edgecombe.

“The men’s Division 2 is something similar, they move between different pools and different clubs during the season and at the end of June there’s a playoff series here at Baywave, which will consist of semifinals and finals.”

The National League includes competitions for age groups – Under-12s, U16s, U18s and US21s, before the senior categories.

Tauranga rep Anton Sunde (No 8) marking the centre forward at training this week. Photo / Mark Edgecombe

Bay Venues’ head of aquatics Matthew Strange said his staff were really looking forward to hosting the upcoming National League games at Baywave. “Tauranga Water Polo has been performing strongly on the national stage, and we are proud to be their home pool.

“We love the energy these events bring to our aquatic centre and the positive flow-on effects they have for the city.”

Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Championships
Sat. May 10th and Sun. May 11th | New Haven, Conn. 
Live Results | ESPN+ | Schedule
 
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Princeton men’s track and field team will compete for its 12th all-time Triple Crown at the Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Championships this weekend in New Haven, Conn. 
 
After winning both the 2024 cross country and 2025 indoor Ivy championship titles, Princeton will seek another outdoor title which would complete the program’s second-consecutive Triple Crown.
 
Outdoor Season in Review
The Tigers have had a strong outdoor season so far, setting new program records in four events, including the 1500, the 10000, the 4×400 relay and the discus. 
 
Most recently, the Tigers hosted the Larry Ellis Invitational at home in Weaver Stadium last weekend. Karl Dietz, Kavon Miller, Joey Gant and Xavier Donaldson ran the record-breaking 4×400 relay, clocking in at 3:04.85 to clear the previous school record of 3:05.86 set in 2011. 
 
For their efforts, the group was named Ivy Athlete of the Week. 
 
Harrison Witt also had a standout weekend at home, setting a new Princeton record in the 1500 with a time of 3:37.22 to break the previous record of 3:37.60 set by Sam Ellis in 2022. 
 
After the regular season, Princeton leads the Ivy League in seven events. Jadon Spain ranks first in the 100 (10.22), Joey Gant leads the 200 (20.88), Myles Hogan leads in the 5000 (13:37.56) and Jackson Shorten leads in the steeplechase (8:40.45).

In the field events, Greg Foster leads the league in the long jump (8.11m/26′ 7.25″), while Casey Helm leads in the discus (63.37m/207-11″) and Joe Licata leads in the shot put (19.24m/63-1.5″).

 

National Notice

Several Tigers currently rank high up on the NCAA Qualifying list. 

 

Foster holds onto third in the long jump, while Helm ranks sixth in the discus. Licata ranks 20th in the shot put.

 

Witt ranks 17th nationally in the 1500.

The Tiger 4×400 squad from Larry Ellis comes in at 30th on the list.

 

Last Time Around

At last year’s Outdoor Heps, the Tigers achieved their 10th all-time Triple Crown at home in Weaver Stadium, winning Ivy Outdoor Heps for the 22nd time after compiling 204.5 points. The Triple Crown was also the first under Head Coach Jason Vigilante. 

 

In the fall, Princeton won its fourth-consecutive cross country Ivy League championship on its home course at Meadows campus. In the Winter, the Tigers followed up their success by winning their 11th-consecutive indoor Ivy League title. 

 

Now, Princeton will look to complete the Triple Crown in New Haven on Saturday and Sunday. 

 

 

 

The Wodonga Dolphins Waterpolo Club is among the recipients of Victorian Government grants as part of The Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program, benefitting more than 11,500 individuals.

The Wodonga Dolphins Waterpolo Club will deliver the Funfit Ladies Water Polo Program, a 10-week program with modified rules catering to beginners with all levels of fitness.

The Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program delivers grants of up to $10,000 to community sport and recreation clubs to help inspire women and girls to take part – including new women’s programs, opportunities for club leadership roles and other on and off field options.

Since 2018, The Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program has provided more than 700 grants totalling more than $3.7 million for community sport and active recreation clubs and organisations across the state.

Another recipient, Broadmeadows Basketball Association, will provide 60 multicultural women from three junior clubs access to a nine-week program featuring closed basketball sessions and the opportunity for formal coaching accreditation.

Community leaders are also backed through the program – among them Warrnambool Wolves Football Club’s U14 Girls Coach Melissa Francis, who will undertake the Football Australia/AFC C-Diploma to further her coaching journey and support the club’s junior teams.

Through the Fair Access Policy Roadmap, launched in August 2022, and the Community Activation Grants Program, the State Government is helping community sporting organisations achieve more equitable access and increase the number of women and girls actively taking part in their club.

Victorian Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation Sarah Styles noted “Community sport is a powerful vehicle to create positive change. We are dedicated to breaking down barriers and fostering a level playing field for women and girls in community sport.”

Warrnambool Wolves Club President Jeff Morland-Hunt added “as part of our strategic plan, one of our key goals is to invest in opportunities for both new and experienced coaches, with a strong focus on supporting junior and girls’ coaching pathways. This grant brings us one step closer to achieving that vision.”

For more information about Change Our Game programs, visit changeourgame.vic.gov.au.

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5th February 2024 – Applications open for 2024 Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program

25th October 2022 – Hockey Victoria’s Suzanne Henderson among 96 Change our Game scholarship recipients

25th May 2021 – Victorian Government continues to support Change Our Game program

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