EUGENE, Ore. – Mississippi State track and field will compete at the final meet of the season, the NCAA Outdoor Championships, this weekend.

The men’s squad will kick off competiton on Wednesday, with five athletes competing across three events.

Peyton Bair, the NCAA Indoor heptathlon champion, will compete in the decathlon this season. Bair enters the field seeded second and will compete in ten events across the first two days of the meet.

Rémi Rougetet and Tuomas Närhi will compete in the javelin this weekend. Rougetet enters the field as a two-time All-American, finishing fifth in the event at the 2024 championships. Narhi will compete in his first NCAA meet after finishing second in the javelin at the East First Round.

Abdullahi Hassan and Sam Navarro round out the men’s roster, competing in the 800m. Hassan is competing in his fourth outdoor championship and enters the field as the reigning NCAA Indoor Runner-up over the distance. Navarro will compete in his first NCAA Championship as a Bulldog, punching his ticket with a huge personal best at the East First Round.

The women will begin competition on Thursday alongside Bair, who will compete the decathlon that same evening.

The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+.

For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow “HailStateTF” on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

 

MILWAUKEE – Riley Whitesides joins the Marquette University women’s volleyball staff as an assistant coach, first-year head coach Tom Mendoza has announced.
  
“I’ve known Riley for a long time and we could not be adding a better person to the program and mentor for our student-athletes.” Mendoza said. “She’s successful because of the work she puts in and the relationships she builds. I am excited to work with her and the impact she will have on Marquette Volleyball.”

She joins associate head coach Ethan Pheister and fellow assistant coach Stef Jankiewicz on the MU staff.

 

Whitesides played five seasons for Mendoza at the University of South Carolina and was a First Team All-Southeastern Conference and AVCA All-Region selection as a graduate student in the fall of 2024. The native of Greenville, South Carolina averaged 4.47 kills per set as a grad student to rank among the top-20 nationally while hitting .241.

 

Whitesides ended her indoor career fifth in program history in kills (1,452), second in service aces (100), ninth in digs (920) and fourth in points scored (1,645.0).

 

She also excelled academically at South Carolina, twice earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition and SEC academic honors. Whitesides graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in May 2024 and earned a Master of Business Administration this spring.

 

Most recently, Whitesides completed her third season playing beach volleyball in Columbia with an 18-13 record this spring after a 20-15 mark during 2024. Overall, she boasts a career 38-27 record in dual action on the sand.

 

Earlier this spring the Golden Eagles announced their non-conference schedule for the fall of 2025, featuring a match against Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, Sept. 17 in addition to key matchups with WKU, Dayton, Florida and Minnesota at the Al McGuire Center. Marquette went 25-9 in the fall of 2024 and made its third NCAA Regional appearance before falling to the eventual NCAA Champion in the regional semifinals.

 

Keep up with the Marquette University women’s volleyball program through social media by following on X (@MarquetteVB) and Instagram (@MarquetteVB) and ‘liking’ on Facebook (/MarquetteVolleyball).

CARLISLE, Pa. – Thanks to the generosity of Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare P’22, P’25, Dickinson will unveil the Hare Family Sports Performance & Training Center this fall as well as several new professional-grade field surfaces enhancing Dickinson athletics for today’s and tomorrow’s student-athletes. The state-of-the-art training facility and new fields for men’s and women’s soccer add to the Hares’ transformational philanthropic impact for Dickinson athletics, which includes endowed funds supporting baseball, softball and soccer as well as many improvements to Dickinson Park.

“Dickinson is a great school, and the student-athletes here are some of the best,” says Tom, a former All-American Red Devil student-athlete himself. “I truly believe if we can help the college raise the level of its athletics facilities and resources to match its academics, there’s no limit to what Dickinson can accomplish.”

Professional-Grade Playing Surfaces

In addition to the training center, the Hares’ gifts have enabled Dickinson to resurface the soccer stadium field as well as two grass practice fields with what Head Women’s Soccer Coach Ted Zingman calls “pristine, professional-grade playing surfaces.” “Our game field will be Bermuda grass, the Cadillac of grass playing surfaces, making us the lone stadium in this region of Pennsylvania with this type of field,” he adds. “We now have one of the premier grass stadium and training facilities in the country.”

Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jorge Chapoy also sees the new fields having a transformational impact for the men’s team. One practice field, he notes, was already completed for this season, and being able to practice on the high-quality grass made a huge difference for the team. Now, with the new Bermuda grass surface recently installed at the stadium, the Hares’ gift will pay even larger dividends next season and beyond.

“This is just transformational for us,” he says. “Not many Division I programs in this region have a field of this quality, let alone Division III programs. We’re already seeing results because it’s making a huge impact as far as recruitment, but I can’t wait for us to start playing on it. And then with the brand new locker room and training facility, Tom and Judianne have been life-changing for the trajectory of this program.”

Permanent Support

Most powerfully, because of the permanently endowed funds the Hares have created to support future maintenance of the fields, their giving not only has an immediate impact, but it also will bolster Red Devils student-athletes well into the future.

“Tom and Judianne’s support will be a vital part of the men’s and women’s soccer programs’ future success and will greatly enhance the players’ experiences moving forward,” says Zingman. “The Hare Family Soccer Field Maintenance Fund will ensure that the fields are forever maintained so that future generations of Dickinson soccer players can excel on these beautiful surfaces.”

This long-lasting impact, however, didn’t just come from the Hares’ belief in the excellence of Dickinson athletics—it also came from their desire to push Dickinson athletics to the next level. They were already giving to Dickinson because of the positive experience their son, Cole ’22, had on the baseball team. But when their daughter, Charlotte ’25, suffered a season-ending soccer injury because of the uneven playing surface at the time, the Hares could have soured on supporting athletics at the college.

“That was a hard time,” recalls Judianne. “Just seeing her go through that injury and then not being able to play. We knew that the field just wasn’t good enough for the team, but we also knew Dickinson needed our support to fix that.”

So rather than turning away, the Hares leaned in. They made gifts to support field improvements as well as new locker rooms and facilities enhancements at Dickinson Park.

“Tom and Judianne are a great example of how powerful it can be when families partner with the college to enhance athletics,” says Director of Athletics Celine Cunningham. “Parents can see firsthand the power of their student-athlete’s experience, and they can also see firsthand the program’s needs. The Hares stepped up to push our programs to the next level, and we’re all truly grateful for their philanthropy.”

Vice President for College Advancement Carlo Robustelli agrees. “We’re so thankful for the Hares’ vision and their willingness to collaborate with Dickinson to truly push our athletics program forward,” he says. “These are exactly the kind of partnerships we seek with our donors, where we can match their vision with the college’s priorities.”

A Ripple Effect

The Hares’ giving has had a ripple effect, inspiring numerous other parents and alumni to join them over the last few years. More than a dozen donors were inspired by their leadership-level giving to also support the facilities at Dickinson Park, which provide dedicated locker rooms and training resources for the men’s soccer, women’s soccer, baseball and softball teams as well as a year-round space to house their equipment.

The facility has made a significant difference for the baseball team, enabling the players to train around the clock, which has helped the team make it to back-to-back Centennial Conference Championship games in 2023 and 2024.

“The support from the Hare family has been an absolute game changer for our baseball program,” says Head Baseball Coach Craig Hanson. “Through their generosity, we have built one of the best indoor training facilities in all of Division III baseball. Not only does the facility help with overall player development, but it also has been a deciding factor for many of our incoming recruits. Taking a potential recruit through the new locker room, training room and indoor facility sets our program apart and has allowed us to bring in a higher caliber of player. We are so fortunate to have the support of the Hare family, and I will forever be grateful for their support of our program.”

Head Softball Coach Matt Richwine agrees. “The Hare family’s support has greatly transformed our training and practice capabilities,” he says. “The training center gives us far more options to be productive in the preseason and during the season. The endowment is going to make a lasting change to the benefits of our current and future athletes.”

Building Momentum

The momentum created by the Hares’ giving has also reached well beyond Dickinson Park. Donors this year have given more than $2.6 million to the McAndrews Fund for Athletics, supporting all 25 varsity teams as well as a new state-of-the-art video scoreboard at Biddle Field.

Seeing the ripple effect of their giving makes the Hares feel even better about their decision to lean in to supporting Dickinson athletics. They were recently back on campus to cheer on Charlotte as she graduated, after returning to the field this year for a successful conclusion to her soccer career at Dickinson. And the family will be returning this fall to celebrate the official naming of their training center in October.

“It’s been so gratifying to see this community come together,” says Tom. “It really shows that when the college, the coaches, the student-athletes and families work together, we can truly accomplish great things.”

FRISCO, Texas—McNeese sophomore Rylee Lansing has been named to the Southland Conference Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
 
The sophomore from Friendswood, Texas is the first Cowgirl to be named to the all-academic team in the programs two-year existence.
 
Lansing, a Political Science major produced a perfect 4.0 GPA and was part of the Cowgirls No. 2 pair that tied for the second most wins on the team this season with 17. 
 
During the season, she was part of a pair that put together a seven-match winning streak.
 
 
2025 Southland Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team
Student-Athlete of the Year – Allyson Alden, Boise State
Allyson Alden, Boise State*
Avery Allen, Boise State*
Emilia Guerra-Acuña, Boise State*
Sharli O’Neil, Boise State*
Abbie Wolf, Boise State*
Elli Wolthius, Boise State*
Kristin Gilmour, HCU
Rachel Heilbrun, HCU
Rylee Lansing, McNeese
Katie Hansen, SFA

Madison Morrow, A&M-Corpus Christi*

Bryce Ranney, A&M-Corpus Christi*
 
*Automatic selections from first-team all-conference
 

EUGENE, ORE. – 11 members of the Kansas Track & Field team will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track National Championships at Haywood Field in Eugene, Ore., from June 11th- 14th, 2025. 

The event will get underway on Wednesday at 2:00 PM CT, with coverage beginning at 6:00 PM CT on ESPN. 

Kansas has two decathletes competing this week in Alex Jung and Tayton Klein, who both qualified for NCAA Nationals the past two seasons. Jung has qualified for Nationals all four years as a Jayhawk. Jung is the school record holder with 7,738 points scored, which he accomplished this season at the Jim Click Shootout. Klein finished in sixth place at the Big 12 Championships to punch his ticket to Eugene. The decathletes will embark on a two-day, ten-event competition that starts on Wednesday with the 100m starting at 2:00 PM CT.

Kansas, for the eighth straight NCAA Nationals, has a pole vaulter in the competition. This year’s competition will feature two Jayhawks in the Men’s event, and one in the Women’s competition. Ashton & Bryce Barkdull have both qualified for Nationals, getting over the 5.42-meter bar last week at the NCAA West Prelims in College Station, Texas. Erica Ellis made it to Eugene, clearing 4.42 meters at the NCAA West Prelims. Men’s Pole Vault will begin on Wednesday, starting at 6:35 PM CT, with the women competing on Thursday at 6:35 PM CT.

For the third year in a row, Dimitrios Pavlidis has qualified for NCAA Nationals in the Men’s Discus. Last season, Pavlidis placed 3rd at the National meet. In the Women’s discus event, Junior Sonya Sluchaninova qualified for Eugene on her third & final throw at the NCAA West Prelims with a mark of 58.22m. Sluchaninova threw a personal record of 60.21 meters this season at the Rock Chalk Classic. 

Kansas is sending two more throwers to the National meet in the Men’s Shot Put event. Jacob Cookinham and Bryce Foster have qualified in the Men’s Shot Put, as Bryce Foster threw a personal record in College Station at the NCAA West Prelims with a throw of 19.20 meters. Cookinham threw a distance of 18.93 meters to punch his ticket to the National Meet. 

In the running events, Ebba Cronholm is set to compete in the Women’s 3000-meter steeplechase, after running a time of 10:01.90 to qualify for the national meet. Aaliyah Moore qualified for Eugene by running a time of 2:02.87 in the Women’s 800-meter event. 

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Updates throughout the meet will be available on the Kansas Track and Field Instagram and X accounts. Fans who wish to watch the event will be able to stream the broadcast on ESPN.

 

COMMERCE – The East Texas A&M University volleyball program has announced three additions to the 2025 roster on Tuesday.
 
Third year coach Joe Morales has added two transfers and an incoming freshman to the squad in 2025. The transfers are Courtney Green from Oregon Tech and Zoe Ruskofsky from Coalinga College. Katelyn Pritchard joins the Lions as a freshman from McAllen.
 
“I am excited about these three players to come in and contribute right away on the court and with our culture. The addition of them gets us closer to winning,” said Morales.
 
More information on the Lion newcomers can be found below.
 
COURTNEY GREEN
OH/RS • 6-0
West Jordan, Utah • Copper Hills High School • Oregon Tech
Joins the Lion Volleyball program with one year of eligibility remaining … Appeared in 18 matches and 46 sets for Oregon Tech in 2024 … Totaled 88 kills, 26 blocks, and 20 digs … Named to the President’s List … Letter winner at Copper Hills High School … Named to Academic All-State team … Three-time runner up in the 6A State Championships … Played for Club V volleyball club … Also played at Central Wyoming Community College for two years
 
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Daughter of Bret and Jessica Green … Majoring in marketing
 
WHY EAST TEXAS A&M? “I chose East Texas A&M because of my interactions with the coaching staff, and I loved the environment of the campus during my visit.”
 
COACH MORALES’ THOUGHTS: “We are really excited about adding Courtney. She brings a mature level of experience, being able to play both right-side and outside as well as being able to be a six-rotation player. Her length and arm will give us opportunities to score. She will fit right in our program with some leadership.”

KATELYN PRITCHARD

S • 5-10

McAllen, Texas • McAllen High School

Two-year letter winner at McAllen High School … Named to second team all-district and earned Tournament MVP honors as well … Played for the Texas Fierce Elite volleyball club for nine years

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Daughter of Brenda and Casey Pritchard … Majoring in kinesiology

 

WHY EAST TEXAS A&M? “Out of all the other campuses I have visited, East Texas A&M really felt like home. Everyone welcomed me in with open arms and was very supportive including the athletic department, science department, and the school president.”

 

COACH MORALES’ THOUGHTS: “KK as she is known by, is a setter that plays at a high level and has a high IQ level. Her ability to move the ball and be offensive is something we will use to our advantage. KK is a setter that can run a 5-1 and be very effective with her fast hands. She is a player that can make plays. She will grow and excel at a fast rate during her career here at East Texas A&M.”

 

ZOE RUSKOFSKY

OH• 5-10

Clovis, California • Clovis High School • Coalinga College

Joins the Lion Volleyball program with two years of eligibility remaining … Two-time first team all-Central Valley Conference at Coalinga College … Advanced to the second round of the C32A State Playoffs twice … Holds program records for most career kills (786) and most total points (793) … Four-time Student-Athlete of the Week … Three-year letter winner at Clovis High School … Finished second in Northern California in DII playoffs during senior season … Played club volleyball for Valley Volleyball Academy, NW Power Volleyball Club, Central Cal Volleyball Club, Tsunami Volleyball Club, and Triumph Volleyball Club

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Daughter of Debi and Kyle Ruskofsky • Majoring in psychology

 

WHY EAST TEXAS A&M? “I chose East Texas A&M, because from the very beginning of my recruitment process, I felt genuinely supported and welcomed. The coaching staff has been incredible, they make me feel like more than just an athlete, and I could tell they truly care. I connected with the team, and I wanted to be part of that kind of family. The campus is beautiful, and the atmosphere just feels positive, energetic, and like a place I can grow both on and off the court. Everything about East Texas A&M feels like home.”

 

COACH MORALES THOUGHTS: “We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Zoe. She is a fiery explosive outside that has a very fast arm. Her ability to play six-rotations will give us depth in defense to offense. Can’t wait to get her on the court.”

 

-ETAMU-