Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

This Day in X-Country/Track & Field History, November 22: Steve Prefontaine wins his second NCAA XC title (1971), written by Walt Murphy

Published

1 month ago

on


Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service  ([email protected])

 

This Day in X-Country/T&F -November 22

 

1948–After serving as the host school since the meet’s inception in 1938, Michigan State College (as it was known at the time), finally won the NCAA Div.I title on its home course, beating Wisconsin, 41-69.

Rhode Island junior Robert Black won the first of his two individual titles, covering the 4-mile layout in 19:52.6. Black, the winner of the NCAA 10,000 earlier in the year, went on to win his 2nd U.S. title the following week in Detroit(he also won in 1946). As impressive as Black’s credentials were, they pale in comparison to those of the two men who followed him across the finish line, both of whom were finalists in their respective events at the London Olympics just a few months earlier.

2nd was Wisconsin’s Don Gehrmann (20:02.6), who was 7th in the 1500-meters in London,  and 3rd was Villanova’s Browning Ross (20:06.4), 7th in the steeplechase.

Gehrmann, who would again finish 2nd to Black at the 1949 NCAA XC Championships, won three NCAA Outdoor titles in the 1500 (1948) and Mile (1949,1950), won 4 Wanamaker Miles at the Millrose Games, and was a World Indoor Record holder at 1000-yards.

Ross would win the 1950 U.S. X-Country title and would make his 2nd Olympic team in 1952, but he’s better known for his accomplishments off the track. He was a co-founder of the Road Runners Club of America (and its first President) and single-handedly produced the Long Distance Log, the successor to Austin Scott’s Distance Running Journal and the primary source of information for the long distance running community from 1956-1975. (It was Distance Running News that evolved into Runner’s World.

(Another notable finisher in the NCAA race was Penn State’s Horace Ashenfelter (35th), who would win the gold medal in the steeplechase at the 1952 Olympics.)

Results

1948 NCAA Cross Country Championships

MileSplit

Ross: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_Ross

Gehrmann: http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Gehrmann.aspx

 

1965-After spending its first 26 years at Michigan State, the NCAA moved its X-Country Championship to Lawrence, Kansas, and increased the race distance from 4-miles to 6-miles. Western Michigan won the team title for the 2nd year in a row, while Kansas senior John Lawson  made the hometown fans happy by winning the individual title in 29:24. Montana senior Doug Brown, the reigning NCAA 3-mile and 6-mile champion, had battled Lawson through the first four miles before fading and eventually dropping out.

Finishing 23rd was Georgetown’s Ricardo Urbina, who would serve for many years as a judge in Washington, D.C.

Other notable finishers: 17.Dave Patrick (Villanova)…44.Barry Brown (Providence), 69.Howie Ryan (Houston), 72.Sam Bair (Kent State), 73.Tom Von Ruden (Oklahoma State)…in what some thought was a questionable decision, six runners, including Villanova’s Charlie Messenger, who had crossed the line in 12th place, and Miami/Ohio’s Jack Bacheler (55th) were disqualified for cutting the course!

Results

1965 NCAA Cross Country Championships

MileSplit

Urbina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_M._Urbina

 

1971–Steve Prefontaine (29:14) beat Minnesota’s Gary Bjorklund (29:21) in Knoxville to win his 2nd straight NCAA        X-Country title and led Oregon to its first team Championship. Also scoring for the Ducks were Randall James (19th), Pat Tyson (31st), Michael Long (35th), and Richard Ritchie (48th). Tyson, Pre’s roommate at Oregon, is currently the head coach at Gonzaga University.

Other notables: Kansas State’s Jerome Howe (10th), Bowling Green’s Dave Wottle (12th), Penn’s Dave Merrick (18th), Penn State’s Greg Fredericks (20th), Villanova’s Marty Liquori (30th), Manhattan’s Mike Keogh (34th), Penn’s Julio Piazza (46th-former coach at Lafayette), Stanford’s Duncan MacDonald (55th), Penn State’s Charlie Maguire (62nd), Michigan State’s Ken Popejoy (70th), Penn’s Denis Fikes (75th), Tennessee’s Doug Brown (89th).

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qId-mlFsHCw&feature=youtu.be

Results

1971 NCAA Cross Country Championships

MileSplit

 

1976–Washington State’s Henry Rono (28:06.6) beat teammate Samson Kimobwa (28:16.8) to win the first of his three NCAA titles. Some big names trailed the two Kenyans.

3.Craig Virgin (Illinois) 28:26.5–defending champion, 2-time World XC Champion…inducted into the U.S. Hall of

Fame in 2011.

4.Herb Lindsay (Michigan State) 28:30.7–became America’s best road racer in 1981-1982

5.John Treacy (Providence/Ireland) 28:34.8–1984 Olympic silver medalist in the Marathon

6.Wilson Waigwa (UTEP) 28:39.0–1977 NCAA Indoor (Mile) and Outdoor (1500) Champion

Other notables in the race:Oregon’s Rudy Chapa (9th), UTEP’s James Munyala (10th), , Arizona’s Thom Hunt (13th), Northeastern’s Bruce Bickford (14th), Michigan’s Greg Meyer (19th), Penn State’s George Malley (20th), BYU’s Henry Marsh (24th), Villanova’s Carey Pinkowski (41st), who is currently the director of the Chicago Marathon, Oregon’s Matt Centrowitz (51st)

Kimobwa would set a World Record for 10,000-meters the following June, only to see it broken by Rono in 1978!  Results

1976 NCAA Cross Country Championships

MileSplit

 

1982–The individual winner at the 2nd NCAA DIv.I Championships for women was Lesley Welch, who led Virginia to its 2nd straight Women’s team title.  Men’s winners were Wisconsin and  Colorado’s Mark Scrutton (30:12.6).

While this was the 2d year that the NCAA sponsored a women’s xc championship, it was the first all-inclusive NCAA women’s championship, as the AIAW and NCAA both conducted championships in ‘81, and many schools had stayed with the AIAW. Since the NCAA paid expenses for competing schools, that was the end of the AIAW. The ‘81-‘82 school year was the lone year of both organizations sponsoring championships in both TF and XC.

Other notable finishers

Men:2.Zak Barie (UTEP) 30:14.8, 4.Tim Hacker (Wisconsin), 8.Ed Eyestone (BYU—coach at his alma mater), 10.Gidamis Shahanga (UTEP), 18.Brian Diemer(Michigan—coach at Calvin), 33.Jeff Drenth (Central Michigan), 38.Jim Sapienza (Dartmouth), 40.Jim Spivey (Indiana), 42.Keith Brantly (Florida), 71.Sos Bitok (Richmond), 96.Matt McGuirk (Oregon-coach at Willamette), 123.Jama Aden (FDU)

Women:3.Ceci Hopp (Stanford), 10.Nan Doak (Iowa), 19.Sabrina Dornhoefer (Missouri), 20.Cathy Branta (Wisconsin), 27.Regina Jacobs (Stanford), 29.Martha White (Virginia), 37.Joan Nesbit (North Carolina), 45.PattiSue Plumer (Stanford), 49.Lynn Jennings (Princeton), 54.Polly Plumer (UCLA), 55.Lynne Strauss (Penn State), 59.Tina Krebs (Clemson), 101.Claudette Groenendaal (Oregon), 118.Joetta Clark (Tennessee)

Results

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1982-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Women:

1982 NCAA Cross Country Championships – Women

MileSplit

 

1993–Getting top-10 finishes from Jason Bunston (2-29:40.2), Niall Bruton (3-29:43.6) and Teddy Mitchell (8-29:51.6), Arkansas won its 4th straight men’s Div.I title, scoring a low 31 points on Lehigh’s course in Bethlehem, PA. The individual winner was Washington State’s Josephat Kapkory (29:32.4).

Villanova also had three top-10 finishers as it won the 5th of its 6 consecutive Women’s Div.I titles. With just a 5-point edge over Arkansas (66-71), it would be their smallest margin of victory during the streak.

The Wildcats looked like an easy winner after getting a 1-2 finish from Carole Zajac (16:40.3), who won her 2nd straight title, and Jen Rhines (16:44.4), with Becky Spies (16:54.6) placing 7th. However, Arkansas countered with 4 finishers in the top-15, led by future great Deena Drossin-Kastor (16:54.0) in 6th-place. The two teams were tied at 31 through 4 runners, with Emer Molloy (17:32.0) completing Villanova’s scoring in 48th place, less than 3 seconds ahead of Arkansas’ 5-6 runners!

Other notable finishers

Men-4.Kevin Sullivan(Michigan—Head Men’s coach at his alma mater), 11.Andy Keith (Providence), 14.Louie Quintana (Villanova-coach at Oregon State), 21.Jason Stewart (Army), 22.Jason Pyrah (BYU), 23.Corey Ihmels (Iowa State—coach at Boise State), 27.Andy Downin (Georgetown), 31.Alan Culpepper (Colorado), 33.Richie Boulet (Cal), 58.Bob Hamer (Penn State-coach at Rider), 84.Dan Browne (Army), 139.Erik Nedeau (Northeastern), 119.Robert Gary (Ohio State/coach at Furman)

Women-5.Amy Rudolph (Providence), 8.Megan Flowers (Arkansas), 9.Shelley Taylor (Arkansas), 14.Sarah Schwald (Arkansas), 31.Tosha Woodward (Villanova), 53,Amy McKInley (Arkansas), 54.Michelle Byrne (Arkansas), 71.Melody Fairchild (Oregon), 105.Karen Harvey (Michigan)

Results

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1993-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Women:

1993 NCAA Cross Country Championships – Women

MileSplit

 

1999–South Alabama’s David Kimani (30:06.6), a 6’-2” freshman from Kenya, won the Men’s individual title at the NCAA Div.I X-Country Championships in Bloomington, Indiana. The likeable Kimani, who transferred to Alabama after his freshman year, won a total of 5 NCAA titles on the track (3000&5000 indoors in 2000 and 2001, 5000 outdoors in 2002). Sadly, he collapsed and died in April, 2003, while having lunch at the Alabama dining facility. The official cause of death was “undetermined natural disease”.

The Arkansas Razorbacks won their 10th team title (4th in a row) easily, beating runnerup Wisconsin by 127 points (58-185).

Winners on the Women’s side were Brigham Young and Wisconsin’s Erica Palmer (16:39.5).

Other notable finishers

Men-4.Matt Downin (Wisconsin), 9.Keith Kelly (Providence), 12.Ryan Shay (Notre Dame), 13.Tim Broe (Alabama), 20.Jonathon Riley (Stanford), 33.Brian Berryhill (Colorado State—head T&F coach at Wyoming), 47.Jorge Torres (Colorado), 103.Bolota Asmerom (California), 123.Gabe Jennings (Stanford), 173.Anthony Famiglietti (Tennessee).

Women-2.Amy Yoder (Arkansas), 5.Lauren Fleshman (Stanford), 6.Leigh Daniel (Texas Tech), 9.Kara Wheeler-Goucher (Colorado), 12.Amy Mortimer (Kansas State) , 14.Julia Stamps (Stanford), 24.Carmen Douma (Villanova), 32.Mary Jane Harrelson (Appalachian State), 45.Sally Glynn (Stanford), 50.Lisa Aguilera (Arizona State), 104.Christin Wurth (Arkansas)

Complete Results

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1999-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Women: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/352

MileSplit

 

2010–Junior Sheila Reid (20:06.9) won the first of her two individual Div.I titles and led Villanova to the team crown on a windy day at the NCAA Div.I X-Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.

“The tradition at Villanova can be daunting,” Reid said. “You hear names like Sonia O’Sullivan, Vicki Huber and Carrie Tollefson and they seem so distant and beyond us. It is incredible to maybe be amongst those names now. It is hard to believe that we are in the same shoes as these women who have done such amazing things”.

There were repeat winners on the men’s side, with Liberty’s Sam Chelanga (29:22.2) taking his 2nd individual title and Oklahoma State their 2nd team title.

Other notable finishers:

Men-2.Stephen Sambu (Arizona-29:26.5), 3.Luke Puskedra (Oregon), 8.German Fernandez (Oklahoma State), 10.Matthew Centrowitz (Oregon), 11.Dorian Ulrey (Arkansas), 15.Miles Batty (BYU), 34.Donn Cabral (Princeton)

Women-2.Emily Infeld (Georgetown-20:09.2), 3.Jordan Hasay (Oregon-20:13.0)

Results

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/2010-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Women:

2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships – Women

https://www.milesplit.com/meets/74135-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2010/results#.X7kXBi9h1QI

Reports

https://www.letsrun.com/2010/ncaaxcmen-1122.php

https://www.milesplit.com/meets/74135-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2010/coverage#.X7kW1C9h1QI

https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/chelanga-and-reid-prevail-at-ncaa-cross-count

 

2014—Winners of the Men’s titles at the NCAA Div.I Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, were Colorado and Oregon sophomore Edward Cheserek (2nd in a row for both). 2nd to Cheserek was Duck teammate Eric Jenkins. Also in the field were 3 future champions-18.Patrick Tiernan (Villanova/2016), 75.Morgan McDonald (Wisconsin/2018), 143.Justyn Knight (Syracuse/2017).

“This is probably our best team ever,” Colorado head coach Mark Wetmore said. “Again, I had the team that came here with Jorge [Torres] who won and the team that followed it and great other individuals who were followed by good teams but not winners. Certainly, this is the best third, fourth and fifth we’ve ever had and certainly I think it’s the best team score that we’ve ever had. So, they are real good and they belong in the pantheon.”

“I’m really proud of those guys,” Wetmore went on to say. “It’s is hard to be the favorites, it’s so hard to have the attention. It’s so hard for nine or ten 21-year-old men to keep their egos in check and they really did it. They were talking each other up the whole time. I think any one of them would have sacrificed his day to have a bad day if it would have meant six good days for his teammates. So, that’s the biggest feeling I have. Pride, not for me, but pride for them.”

Michigan State won its first women’s title, and Iona’s Kate Avery, 3rd in 2013, was the individual winner. Avery, a junior from England, took the lead early and won by more than 8 seconds.

“I can’t say enough about the kids. I couldn’t be more proud of them,” stated MSU head coach Walt Drenth. “The way they’ve handled themselves all year and the way they are a team. The way they trust each other and Coach [Lisa] Senakiewich and I. That’s been as gratifying as anything. To win a national championship, it’s a really proud moment. I’d really like to thank Spartan nation, that was amazing to hear that ‘Go Green, Go White.’ I couldn’t be more proud to be a Spartan right now.”

Other Notable Finishers

MEN:6.Stanley Kebenei (Arkansas), 57.Sam McEntee (Villanova), 58.Jordy Williamsz (Villanova), ,

WOMEN:2.Sarah Disanza (Wisconsin), 3.Emma Bates (Boise State), 5.Rachel Johnson (Baylor), 6.Dominique Scott (Arkansas), 9.Shelby Houlihan (Arizona State), 12.Elise Cranny (Stanford), 13.Courtney Frerichs (Missouri-Kansas City), 19.Molly Seidel (Notre Dame), 23.Colleen Quigley (Florida State), 82.Annie Leblanc (Oregon), 155.Karissa Schweizer (Missouri/2016 Champion)

Results:

MEN: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/2014-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

WOMEN:

2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships – Women

https://www.milesplit.com/meets/177497-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2014/results#.X7kX6C9h1QI

Race Videos:

Men:  https://www.ncaa.com/video/cross-country-men/2014-11-22/di-mens-cross-country-championship-full-replay

Women: www.ncaa.com/video/cross-country-women/2014-11-22/di-womens-cross-country-championship-full-replay

NCAA Report

Men: http://tinyurl.com/NCAA14XCReport; Women: http://tinyurl.com/NCAAXC14ReportW

https://www.letsrun.com/events/2014-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

https://www.milesplit.com/meets/177497-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2014/articles#.X7kYEC9h1QI

FloTrack Coverage(lots of videos): http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/251721

 

Historical Links

Div.I  Women  Men   T&F News Archives   USTFCCA

 

Also

 

1986–It might not have been on this exact date, but it was just before the Thanksgiving break when freshman Meredith Rainey, who had just turned 18, walked into Harvard coach Frank Haggerty’s office and told him she wanted to join the track team. Rainey had been an age-group star in Brooklyn while competing for Fred Thompson’s Atoms Track Club, but had concentrated on other activities during her 4 years at St.Ann’s H.S. in Brooklyn,NY.

A skeptical Haggerty allowed her to come out for the team and the rest, as they say, is history. Rainey-Valmon (she’s married to Maryland head coach Andrew Valmon), went on to win two NCAA 800m titles and was a member of the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic teams

http://ivy50.com/story.aspx?sid=9/19/2006.

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77942

 

 

Born On This Day*

 

Geoffrey Kamworor-Kenya 33 (1992) 5-time World Champion: ½-marathon (2014, 2016, 2018), X-Country (2015, 2017)

Silver medalist in the 10,000-meters at the 2015 World Championships (2017-6th); 11th at the 2016 Olympics

Winner of the 2017 & 2019 NY City Marathon (2nd-2015, 3rd-2018, 5th-2024)

Berlin Marathon-2012 (3rd), 2013 (3rd), 2014 (4th)

2nd at the 2023 London Marathon—ran a personal best of 2:04:23

Bronze medalist at the 2019 World X-Country Championships, 4th in 2023

5th in the Marathon at the 2022 World Championships (2:07:14)

PBs:12:59.98 (2016), 26:52.65 (2015), 58:01 (2019), 2:04:23 (2023); 2025 SB: 58:44, 2:04:33

https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/geoffrey-kipsang-kamworor-14423680

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a24472645/is-geoffrey-kamworor-the-next-kipchoge/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Kipsang_Kamworor

2019 NYC

https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/geoffrey-kamworor-kenya-distance-runner-cross-half-marathon

Hillary Bor—Kenya/U.S.  36 (1989)  2016 Olympic finalist—Steeplechase (7th)

Winner at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials—didn’t make the final at the Tokyo Olympics

2022 U.S. Champion–8th at the 2022 World Championships

3rd at the 2017 U.S. Championships—eliminated in the 1st round at the World Championships in London

2nd at the 2018 U.S. Championships

All-American at Iowa State: NCAA-2008(4th), 2009(2nd), 2010(3rd)

Became a U.S. citizen after joining the Army…member of the Army’s WCAP program (World Class

Athlete Program). Bor was one of four ex-Kenyans representing the U.S. in Rio

PBs: 7:48.73i(2020), 8:08.41(2019/#4 All-Time U.S.), 13:14.96i(2019), 59:55 (2025), 2:10:47 (2025-debut/NY)

 

…



Link

5
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Floyd Simmons Inducted Into N.C. High School TF/XC Hall Of Fame

Published

9 minutes ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Two-time Olympic decathlon bronze medalist Floyd “Chunk” Simmons was inducted into the North Carolina High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame on Tuesday, January 6. 

He is the seventh University of North Carolina track star to be elected to the Hall of Fame after Jim Beatty (2020), Joan Nesbitt (2020), Karen Godlock (2020), DeAnne Davis (2020), Tony Waldrop (2022), and Earl V. Patterson (2023).

The Central High School graduate originally came to Carolina to play football as a tailback, but he switched to fullback as Tar Heel legend, Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice held down the tailback position. 

Simmons won  the bronze medal in the decathlon as the United States claimed the gold and bronze in the 1948 London Olympics. Simmons followed up his Bronze with another bronze medalist performance during the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, as the US swept the competition for the “World’s Greatest Athlete.”

Simmons was also a World War II veteran and received both the Purple Heart and Battle Stars while serving in the 10th Mountain Division.

Simmons had a seven-year career in film and stunt work (1956-63), first with Universal and then with MGM. He played Commander Harbison, USN, in the 1958 musical “South Pacific,” which prompted him to move to Tahiti for a brief stint. He moved back to Charlotte, where he was a professional artist and photographer.

Simmons passed away in April of 2008 in Charlotte.

The induction ceremony will be Jan. 31 in Winston-Salem during the Mondo Elite High School Invitational at the JDL Fast Track. Each elected class has been honored at the meet.

 



Link

1
Continue Reading

Sports

Mount Carmel hires Ashley Miller to coach volleyball | Prep Sports

Published

27 minutes ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


For Ashley Miller, this was a dream come true.

The state champion volleyball player for Mount Carmel knew before she graduated in 2011 that she wanted to someday come back to her alma mater and coach her favorite sport.

Her chance has arrived, as Mount Carmel on Wednesday announced Miller as the new volleyball coach after she coached the past seven seasons at Haynes Academy, where she guided the Yellow Jackets to their first state title in 2024.

“I’m really happy at Haynes,” Miller said. “Haynes is a great school. It’s tough to leave Haynes and the work family, and the players here and everything we have built here. But it always has been a dream of mine to come back to my alma mater and build a program there.”

At Mount Carmel, Miller will coach at the school where she starred as a setter and six-rotation standout, ultimately earning the LHSAA outstanding player award following a four-set victory over Dominican in the 2010 state final.

Miller, who will continue at Haynes as a P.E. teacher for the remainder of the school year, is replacing former coach Taylor Ricaud, who left after three seasons and is now the head coach at Pope John Paul II.

Mount Carmel has won 14 volleyball state championships, including six in a row from 2014 to 2019. The Cubs, who last reached the state finals in 2023, lost in the quarterfinals last season against Chapelle.

Mount Carmel athletic director April Hagadone coached eight championship teams at the school.

Miller said she “fell in love with volleyball” when she was a freshman, and she was a junior or senior when she told Hagadone at practice one day that she would like to come back to the school and replace her as coach.

“I knew I wanted to be a P.E. teacher and coach because both of my parents were P.E. teachers and coaches in multiple sports,” said Miller, who remembered thinking, “Man, this would be awesome, to come back here and run a program at a school that I love and be surrounded by an amazing community.”

At Haynes, Miller replaced her mother, Dollie Lala, as the head coach and lifted it to unprecedented heights, reaching the state semifinals for the first time in 2022, two years before the five-set triumph over Hannan in the Division III state final.

Miller comes from a family of coaches and teachers. Her father, Larry Lala, coached football at Bonnabel in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and later coached baseball and football while at Grace King.

Haynes has played the last three seasons at the former Grace King campus, following the closure of that school in 2023.

“We’ve never lost a game in this gym yet,” Miller said, adding that the teachers and students at Haynes “are very understanding, and everyone has been really kind to me about the move. They are happy for me, which helps a lot.”



Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Greeny Announces Addition to 2026 Spring Roster

Published

42 minutes ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University volleyball coach Jen Greeny has announced the addition of Lucie Šmardová, a libero from Brno, Czech Republic, to the 2026 spring roster.
 
“Lucie is a libero who will immediately give us solidity in the back row both in reception and defensively,” Greeny said. “She has played against high level competition in Europe, with experiences with the National Team, Champions league, not to mention the Czech league. We know from experience that Czech volleyball is quality and rising in the world of volleyball on the international stage. 
 
Lucie is athletic, moves well, and is a great person, which is something we always look for. She chose us over one Top 25 team, two NCAA Tournament teams, and three B1G Ten teams. We are so excited Lucie believed in us and will be joining us this January.”
 
Šmardová competes for VK Královo Pole under coach Erik Nezhoda. The 5-foot-9 libero has represented the Czech Republic on the international stage as a member of the U21 National Team, competing in the CEV European Championships.
 
At the club level, Šmardová helped lead Královo Pole to a Czech Women’s Extraliga Championship, while also earning multiple podium finishes in the U18 and U20 Czech Extraliga, including a U20 national title. She has competed in both the CEV Champions League and the CEV Cup, gaining experience against some of the strongest professional teams in Europe.
 
Šmardová’s accomplishments include a Czech Women’s Cup championship and runner-up finishes in both league and cup play.
 
The daughter of Petr and Hana, Šmardová plans to major in sport management at West Virginia, with aspirations of pursuing a career in the business side of the sports industry, focusing on marketing and organizational development.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 



Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Chris Poole Stepping Down as Head Volleyball Coach

Published

58 minutes ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


TALLAHASSEE – Florida State volleyball head coach Chris Poole is stepping down from his position, he announced Wednesday. Poole, who led FSU to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 18 seasons, chose not to seek an extension of his contract following the 2025 season.
 
Poole leaves the sideline following a distinguished career marked by competitive success, program growth, and a lasting impact on student-athletes both on and off the court. In 18 seasons with the Seminoles, Poole tallied 405 wins and led the Garnet and Gold to four ACC championships. Poole led FSU to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament five times and became the first ACC team to reach the National Semifinal in 2011. The four-time ACC Coach of the Year led the Seminoles to 12 20-win seasons and 36 victories over ranked opponents. Poole is the seventh-winningest coach in Division I history with his 955 career wins in 39 seasons as a head coach.
 
“This university, this department, and this program have meant everything to me,” Poole said. “After thoughtful consideration, I believe this is the right time for me to step aside. I am excited to pursue my next goal in life of working in athletics administration. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built in Tallahassee and am fully confident in the future of Florida State volleyball.
 
Florida State Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford praised Poole’s legacy and accomplishments.
 
“Chris Poole is one of the most respected coaches in Florida State’s entire athletics history,” Alford said. “His decision to step down allows the volleyball program to take its next step forward, but his legacy of consistent competitiveness will always be remembered. We are grateful for his leadership, his integrity, and the foundation he has built.”
 
Florida State will conduct a national search for its next head coach.

 



Link

3
Continue Reading

Sports

NIU Athletics 2025 Year in Review

Published

1 hour ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


DEKALB, Ill. – A transformative year for Northern Illinois University Athletics, 2025 will be remembered as a year when Huskie Athletics charted a new path for the future, while achieving numerous on-field accomplishments and raising the bar in fundraising as NIU continues to adapt to the changing landscape of college athletics.

Horizon League Press ConferenceA new era for Huskie Football was announced in January as NIU accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference for football beginning in the fall of 2026. A month later, it was announced that 14 of NIU’s athletic programs will join the Horizon League beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

With those two moves, NIU secured a future for competing at the highest level, both nationally and regionally, to ensure that Huskies Athletics continues to thrive.

NIU completed its conference alignment for 2026-27 in October as the Huskie gymnastics team accepted an invitation into the Mountain West while the NIU wrestling team became a member of the Pac-12. 

As the landscape of college athletics continued to evolve with NCAA House settlement requirements, transfer portal and revenue share in 2025, the need for financial support became even more important and Huskie alumni, fans and friends continued to do their part in contributing generously to that effort. NIU Athletics move to this new national model continues to be innovative in its efforts to reduce expenses while increasing revenues.

The amount of unrestricted dollars raised by the Huskie Athletic Fund (HAF) rose by 285 percent in 2025, with unrestricted donors increasing by 38 percent. The overall number of donors to the HAF increased by 64 percent while the total dollars raised grew by 18 percent during the calendar year. 

Sean Frazier NACDA GavelHuskies Invest, NIU Athletics’ annual week of giving, continued to set records in 2025, generating $1.2 million from over 1,000 gifts as the all-time contribution to Huskies Invest eclipsed $5.5 million.

In June, NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier began his one-year term as President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in this role he is involved in shaping the future of college athletics.  He sat down with Tai M. Brown for the One Question Leadership podcast to explain how the new financial models can help sustain athletics while highlighting your institution. 

On the field of play, the NIU men’s soccer team captured a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, its second conference crown in five years and also scored a memorable victory over Notre Dame in the first-ever visit to DeKalb by an ACC school in men’s soccer.

Women’s tennis capped a remarkable season with its first-ever postseason appearance as the Huskies competed in the UTR Sports NIT Championship. The women’s tennis team set a new school record with 22 dual match victories and reached the final of the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time in program history.December 25 Graduation Year in Review

Blake West of the NIU wrestling team captured a MAC Championship at 125 pounds and, along with Landen Johnson, extended NIU’s streak of sending wrestlers to the NCAA Championships to 54 consecutive years. This fall, West made more history as he became just the sixth wrestler in program history to reach the 100-career win mark.  

Kamiya Dendy also captured a MAC Championship for the NIU track and field team during the outdoor season, becoming NIU’s first-ever high jump champion at the MAC outdoor meet. Kiera O’Shea of the NIU gymnastics teams qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the second consecutive year in 2025 while, this fall, Nikola Puntaric from the Huskie men’s tennis team earned a bid to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Masters Championship after claiming the top flight singles title at the MAC Indoor Championship.

Along with their successes on the fields of play, Huskie student-athletes had a banner year in the classroom in 2025, culminating in a fall semester that saw all 16 programs achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, with a department GPA of 3.274, which included 303 student-athletes at 3.0 or above and 50 student-athletes achieve a 4.0 GPA.

As the winds of change continue to blow in collegiate athletics, NIU’s achievements in 2025 have Huskie Athletics well-positioned for more success in 2026 and beyond.

2024/25 Athletics Snapshot



Link

3
Continue Reading

Sports

Pepperdine Extends Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Jonathan Winder

Published

1 hour ago

on

January 7, 2026

By


MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine University and head men’s volleyball coach Jonathan Winder have agreed to a contract extension through 2030, announced today.

The reigning MPSF Coach of the Year, Winder led the Waves to their seventh MPSF Championship in 2025, eventually reaching the NCAA semifinals after defeating Loyola Chicago in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

“Jonathan has delivered championship results while leading our program with the values that embody Pepperdine,” said Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner. “His impact extends beyond the court with our athletes and the broader Pepperdine community, and we are excited about the future of the program with the culture and success that he’s instilled.”

The 2025 season also saw the Waves earn 12 ranked victories with a 21-10 overall record in Winder’s third season at the helm of the program, defeating No. 2 UCLA and No. 5 USC in the MPSF Tournament to claim the title at home in Malibu.

Across his first three seasons, Winder has compiled a 54-35 overall record with the Waves. His teams have produced seven AVCA All-Americans, an MPSF Player of the Year (Jaylen Jasper, 2023), MPSF Freshman of the Year in back-to-back seasons (Ethan Watson in 2024 and Cole Hartke in 2025), and nine All-MPSF selections.

His first season saw the Waves boast a 16-14 record in 2023 including an 11-3 record at home, before going 17-11 in 2024 which featured five ranked victories.

“It is the greatest privilege and honor to be the men’s volleyball head coach here at Pepperdine,” said Winder.  “I’m extremely grateful for President Gash, Vice President Tim Perrin, Athletic Director Tanner Gardner and Senior Associate AD Amanda Kurtz for the opportunity to continue to lead this program. My family and I love being a part of this community, so it is a great joy to be able to continue our work here. We have made quite a few strides in the past few years as a program on and off the court with more to come this year.”

The extension comes ahead of the Mountain at Mullin Park opening later this year, a new 3,600 seat arena and enhanced facility for the program, which is set to begin as the new home of Pepperdine men’s volleyball in 2027.

“With the opening of The Mountain next year, we are thrilled to be able to steward this program into the ever changing landscape of college athletics,” noted Winder “Having the alignment with the University, the Pepperdine Men’s Volleyball program is as motivated as ever to pursue excellence on the court while developing the lives of our athletes for purpose, service, and leadership.” 

A Pepperdine all-time great, Winder graduated in 2008 as a four-time AVCA All-American, the 2007 AVCA National Player of the Year and a member of the 2005 NCAA championship team. He still holds the program’s career assists record (5,118) and ranks sixth in digs (656). 

Winder was also a member of the U.S. National Team from 2007-12. He helped the U.S. finish first at the 2007 Pan American Cup and second in 2009, as well as sixth at the 2010 FIVB World Championships. Winder was an alternate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic squad.

Winder first returned to Pepperdine in 2013 as an academic coordinator before shifting over to the men’s volleyball program. The 2014 Waves went 19-7, won a share of the MPSF regular-season title and finished fourth in the national rankings.

As an assistant coach with the Washington indoor women’s volleyball team, the Huskies went 105-21 with back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016 with Winder on staff. Moving over as head coach of the beach program at Washington, the Huskies took third place at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships, which is still the best showing in program history. 

Winder then served as head coach of the Fresno State women’s indoor volleyball program from 2018-21, going 56-47 while producing 11 All-Mountain West honorees, before returning to Pepperdine.

The Waves will look to defend their MPSF crown in 2026, with the season kicking off Friday at Firestone Fieldhouse, taking on St. Thomas Aquinas at 6 p.m.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Pepperdine men’s volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.

 

TICKETS

For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here. 

FOLLOW

To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men’s volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineMVB.



Link

2
Continue Reading
Motorsports4 weeks ago

SoundGear Named Entitlement Sponsor of Spears CARS Tour Southwest Opener
Motorsports4 weeks ago

Donny Schatz finds new home for 2026, inks full-time deal with CJB Motorsports – InForum
NIL4 weeks ago

DeSantis Talks College Football, Calls for Reforms to NIL and Transfer Portal · The Floridian
Sports4 weeks ago

#11 Volleyball Practices, Then Meets Media Prior to #2 Kentucky Match
Motorsports4 weeks ago

Rick Ware Racing switching to Chevrolet for 2026
Sports4 weeks ago

Maine wraps up Fall Semester with a win in Black Bear Invitational
Motorsports4 weeks ago

Nascar legal saga ends as 23XI, Front Row secure settlement
Rec Sports3 weeks ago

Stempien to seek opening for Branch County Circuit Court Judge | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM
Motorsports3 weeks ago

Ross Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
Rec Sports3 weeks ago

Princeton Area Community Foundation awards more than $1.3 million to 40 local nonprofits ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %
Motorsports4 weeks ago

Sunoco to sponsor No. 8 Ganassi Honda IndyCar in multi-year deal
NIL3 weeks ago

Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaiʻi gives $300K to Boost the ’Bows NIL fund
Motorsports4 weeks ago

North Florida Motorsports Park led by Indy 500 Champion and motorsports legend Bobby Rahal Nassau County, FL
Rec Sports4 weeks ago

WNBA’s Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in NC, making debut for national team at USA camp at Duke
Motorsports4 weeks ago

NASCAR, 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports announce settlement of US monopoly suit | MLex

Most Viewed Posts

Trending