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Track & Field Concludes Outdoor Regular Season With Pair of In-State Competitions

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8 months ago

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TFFRS Rankings | USTFCCCA Rankings

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) 

– Entering the final week of outdoor regular-season competition, the Eastern Michigan University track & field programs are slated to compete at the Hillsdale College Last Chance, hosted by Hillsdale College, at the Outdoor Track at Hayden Park, Wednesday, May 7, and again Friday, May 9, at the Len Paddock Open, hosted by the University of Michigan, at the U-M Track & Field Stadium.
 
Both meets will start at 11 a.m. and conclude in the early evening hours.

Fans can access all live results and watch links on the EMU Track & Field Schedule Page. Those looking to attend the Hillsdale College Last Chance can access meet information, a schedule, and performance list here and do so for the Len Paddock Open here. Also, stay posted to EMUEagles.com for a post-meet recap with final results attached and follow EMU cross country/track & field social media on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @EMUXC_TF for more track & field content. 

 

SINGH TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK X2

Gabe Singh (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Northview/Oakland) was recently tabbed MAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after bettering his conference-best 400m hurdles time to 50.62 seconds, finishing first at the Jesse Owens Classic, hosted by Ohio State University, May 2-3.  His time ranks second in the Great Lakes Region, 17th on the East Qualifying List, 36th in the nation, and third in EMU program history. He cruised to a first-place finish by a wide margin as he finished .51 seconds ahead of the runner-up (51.13) for his first win in the event this season. Singh bested five other MAC sutdent-athletes in the race and finished ahead of two Power Four student-athletes. He posted the fastest time in the region, sixth-best time on the East Qualifying List, and 14th-fastest time in the nation over the weekend.

 

The honor marks the second of the season for Singh as he previously garnered the accolade after running what was then a conference-best 400m hurdles mark of 50.67 seconds, placing third at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M University, April 11–12.

The award is Eastern Michigan’s fourth of the outdoor season and brings the team’s total to seven on the 2024-25 campaign as Lachlan Cornelius (Brisbane, Australia/Anglican Church Grammar School) most recently earned the award, April 29, before Singh and Saraiah Walkes (Manatee County, Fla./The-Out-of-Door-Academy) each earned it, April 15, prior to Lucky Fiaku (Nimo, Nigeria/Busy International Secondary) (field) and Josephine Oloye (Iwaro-Oka, Nigeria/Geomi Secondary School/Tayelolu Memorial) (track) garnering the award in the indoor season, Dec. 10, and Carson McCoy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) (track) earning the recognition, Feb. 11.

 

SINGH’S HISTORIC RUN IN 400M HURDLES

Singh’s run in the 400m hurdles this season is approaching historic levels as he is just .72 seconds shy of tying for the MAC record (49.90) set by Central Michigan University’s Al Washington in 1988, .54 seconds away from tying for the EMU program record, held by Jeff Dils (1979), and .16 seconds from tying former Eagle and Olympian Eric Alejandro (Rio de Janeiro – 2016) for the second-best time in program history (50.51 – 2008).

 

SARAIAH WALKES: 1/1

Walkes leads the MAC in the 100m (11.61), 200m (23.30), and 400m (52.88). She is the only female sprinter out of all 33 NCAA Division I Track & Field Conferences to lead her respective conference in all three events.

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT JESSE OWENS CLASSIC, MAY 2-3

For the men, senior Brendan Hill (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) and Fiaku set the top high jump mark in the MAC with jumps of 2.12m (06-11.50), good for eighth in program history while marking the first edit to the event’s top-10 list since former Eagle Xavier Clais posted a 2.14m (07-01.25 – Program No. 4) jump in the 2009 season. Singh bettered his conference-best time in the 400m hurdles, placing first in 50.62.

 

On the women’s side, freshman Ashtan Winfrey (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric Early College) put on a show in the long jump in front of a hometown crowd, leaping 5.83m (19-01.50) for the best mark of the meet, a personal-best, and the eighth-best jump in the MAC this season. Also finishing in the top 10 for the long jump was Nene Garner (Powell, Ohio/Thomas Worthington), who jumped a personal-best 5.48m (17-11.75), as well as Shamoya Clemetson (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier), who finished with a 5.30m (17-04.75) mark.

 

Due to poor weather in Columbus, multiple events were not completed, including the 110m hurdles, 200m dash, 400m dash, discus throw, triple jump, and 4x100m relay.

 

LAST TIME OUT: AT DUKE TWILIGHT, MAY 4

For the men, junior Kian Wiles (Hull, England/St. Mary’s College) improved his MAC-leading time in the 1500m run by nearly three seconds, finishing 12th in 3:40.73,  jumping the distance runner to fourth in EMU laurels. Cornelius finished sixth in the 800m run with a 1:49.62.

 

On the women’s side, senior Chloie Musta (Mesick, Mich./Cadillac) had a strong showing in the 800m run, finishing 12th out of 38 runners in a career-best 2:08.08, placing her third in the MAC this season and sixth in EMU history.

 

Marta Moreno (Wassenaar, Netherlands/American School of The Hague) saw action in the 5000m, placing 27th in 16:51.44.

 

TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: MEN

The men currently hold 23 marks that rank inside the MAC top five and seven that slot first in the conference.

 

Event              Name                                                    Mark                Rank

400m               Bamidele Ajayi                                       46.85                1

400m               Olawole Olanrewaju                              47.18                 2

800m               Lachlan Cornelius                                  1:48.38             1

800m               Kian Wiles                                              1:48.77             2

800m               Carson McCoy                                       1:49.90             4

1500m             Kian Wiles                                              3:40.73             1

1500m             Lachlan Cornelius                                  3:49.22             2

1500m             Jimmy Geller                                         3:50.41              5

5000m             Ronan Codyre                                       14:24.03            5     

10000m           Joey Furlong                                          30:47.08           4

110mH            Michael Hawkins                                    14.40                3

400mH            Gabe Singh                                            50.62                1

400mH            Michael Hawkins                                    52.16                3

4x100m           Ajayi, King, Bass, Gage                         41.07                3

4x400m           Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, Singh         3:07.35             1

HJ                    Brendan Hill                                           2.12m               1

HJ                    Lucky Fiaku                                         2.12m              1

LJ                    Formula Thompson                               7.34m                3

TJ                    Eric Haddock Jr.                                    14.44m              4

HT                   Jake McEachern                                    61.57m              3

JT                    Samuel Jeffery                                    53.33m            5

DEC                Samuel Jeffery                                     6641 Pts             4

DEC                Cason Doolittle                                    5614 Pts             5

 

TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: WOMEN

The Eastern women hold 11 marks that rank inside the MAC top five and four that slot first in the conference.  

 

Event              Name                                                    Mark                Rank

100m               Saraiah Walkes                                     11.61                1

200m               Saraiah Walkes                                     23.30                1

400m               Saraiah Walkes                                     52.88                1

800m               Chloie Musta                                        2:08.08              3

5000m             Marta Moreno                                        16:12.80           5

10000m           Sofia Ivanko                                           35:13:83          5

100mH            Shamoya Clemetson                              13.78               3

4x100mH         Walkes, Arscott, Alowonle, Garraway    46.07              5

4x400m            Walkes, Arscott, Oloye, Henderson        3:39.06          1

TJ                    Kyra Buffen                                            12.60m            3

JT                    Erica King                                            41.17m            5

 

USTFCCCA RANKINGS

Both the men’s and women’s programs are ranked in the conference and regional standings by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association of America (USTFCCCA) in the sixth Track & Field Rating Index of the season, released May 6.

The women rank second in the MAC with a score of 650.09 and rank 12th in the region, posting a rating of 201.88, improving one spot in the conference rankings and two in the regional from the previous checkpoint (April 29). The Eastern men remain in the No. 3 spot in the MAC for a third consecutive week with a score of 1165.88 and stand as the 11th-best team in the Great Lakes Region with a score of 330.69, moving up two spots from the last checkpoint.

 

USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: MEN

The Eastern men check into the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings in 12 events and rank inside the top 25 in the 400m hurdles, led by Singh with a time of 50.62, a time that serves as a MAC-best and checks into both the East Qualifying and National Top-50 List. Just outside of the top-25 at No. 26 is the high jump squad, led by Hill and Fiaku’s 2.12m bounce, also ranking on East Qualifying and National Top-50 List.

 

USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: WOMEN

The Eastern women are also ranked in 12 events by the USTFCCCA, including a 16th ranked triple jump squad led by Kyra Buffen (Columbus, Ga./Buford/Benedict), with a distance of 12.60m (41-04.25).  

 

EAST QUALIFYING LIST

Eastern Michigan has a total of six student-athletes on the East Qualifying List. For the men, Singh holds the highest spot, standing 17th with a 50.62 400m hurdles time. Hill and Fiaku each slot 26th on the list in the high jump with a 2.12m (6-11.50) bounce. Wiles’ 3:40.73 1500m checks in at No. 40, and Samuel Jeffery (Fonthill, Ontario/E.L. Crossley Secondary) ranks 44th in the decathlon with a score of 6,641 points.

 

For the women, Walkes owns two times on the list, with her highest ranking coming in the 400m as she slots 36th with a time of 52.88. She also stands 41st on the list in the 200m (23.30). Buffen checks in at No. 43 on the leaderboards with a 12.60m (41-04.25) triple jump. 

 

PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: MEN

The men posted four top-10 marks at the Jesse Owens Classic and Duke Twilight, May 2-4. Singh had the highest mark on the top-10 leaderboards as he bettered his program No. 3 400m hurdles time to 50.62. At the Duke Twilight, Wiles topped his 1500m PR by nearly three seconds, finishing in 3:40.73 and moving up to fourth on the all-time list. While Hill and Fiaku’s 2.12m (06-11.50) high jumps tie for the eighth-best on the program ledgers and are the highest jump from an Eagle since 2009. Overall, the men have set 23 program top-10 marks in the outdoor campaign.

 

PROGRAM TOP-10 MARKS: WOMEN

The women grabbed three top-10 marks at the Jesse Owens Classic and Duke Twilight, May 2-4.  Musta led the way as she set a career-best in the 800m with a time of 2:08.08, moving her up to sixth in program annals. The hammer throw saw a pair of top-10 marks as Isabella Brent (Dearborn Heights, Mich./Divine Child) improved her program No.7 mark to 55.10m (180-09) and Aleah Johnson (Botkins, Ohio/Botkins) moved up to eighth with a 51.48m (168-10) PR. Overall, the women’s team has set 21 program top-10 marks in the outdoor season.  

 

UP NEXT

Eastern will enter post-season competition with the MAC Outdoor Championships, hosted by Ohio University, at Goldsberry Track, in Athens, Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17.

 

FOLLOW US

For updates on all things EMU cross country/track & field, continue to check EMUEagles.com or follow the team on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @EMUXC_TF.

 

Previously Noted

LACHLAN CORNELIUS NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK  

Cornelius was named Men’s MAC Track Athlete of the Week, April 29, for his performance at the GVSU Extra Weekend Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State. 

 

Cornelius placed first in 800m invitational in a MAC-best and personal standard 1:48.38, his time is the fastest by an Eastern student-athlete since Eastern Michigan legend and former United States Olympian (1996 – Atlanta) Paul McMullen ran the distance in 1:46.48 in 1995, the second-fastest time in program history while Cornelius’ mark stands eighth on the program leaderboards.

 

Cornelius’ time topped his previous conference-best mark (1:49.25) by nearly one full second as his time currently ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 43rd on the East Qualifying List.

 

AT HILLSDALE TUNE-UP, APRIL 26 

The 1500m was a strong race for the Eagles, led by AJ Hawkins‘ (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) first-place finish in a personal-best 4:06.2, all four Eagles set career-best marks in the race including Aaron Schwieterman‘s (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) 4:03.03 that earned him third place.

 

Erica King (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette Township) earned a win in the javelin throw for the second time in her collegiate career as she set a personal-best with a 41.17m (135-01) toss, a mark that stands fifth in the MAC, seventh in program history, and 12th in the Great Lakes Region. Clemetson earned a career-best in the event with a 30.21m (99-01) mark, just one of her three PRs on the day as she also set new standards in the 200m (seventh – 25.79) and the 100m hurdles (first – 13.78). Her 100m hurdles time stands third in the MAC and 14th in the region.  

 

AT GVSU EXTRA WEEKEND, APRIL 26

Wiles followed in second in the 800m in a career-best 1:48.77 that ranks him second in the conference behind Cornelius.

 

Cornelius’ time ranks sixth in the Great Lakes Region and 42nd on the East Qualifying List. For Wiles, his time stands ninth in the region. 

 

Anna Bathellier (Ile d’Yeu, France/College Les Sicardieres) and Cora Henderson (Courtice, Ontario/Courtice Secondary) each competed in the 800m invitational. Bathellier placed sixth in 2:14.43 while Henderson finished closely behind in seventh in an outdoor season-best 2:14.55.

AT WAKE FOREST INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18

Musta ran a MAC-best 800m, finishing seventh out of 63 competitors in a personal best 2:08.50. Her time ranks seventh in program history and improved her top-10 standing by three spots from 10th to seventh. Cornelius placed third out of 73 in the 800m in a MAC-best and personal-best 1:49.25, a time that also ranks ninth in the Great Lakes Region. 

 

AT GEORGIA TECH INVITATIONAL, APRIL 18-19

Walkes placed second out of 85 student-athletes in the 100m dash in a season-best 11.61. Her time stands as the fastest in the MAC this season and 11th in the Great Lakes Region. Ajah Arscott (Plantation, Fla./Taravella) turned in a strong showing in the same race with a 12th-place finish in 11.92. For the second straight week, the 4x400m relay team of Olanrewaju, Ajayi, Roberts, and Singh ran a MAC-best time as they bettered their previous conference-best (3:08.39) by 1.04 seconds, placing first out of 29 teams in 3:07.35. Their time stands third in the Great Lakes Region and 36th on the East Qualifying List.

 

Walkes continued to lead a 4x400m squad of herself, Arscott, Oloye, and Demetria Henderson (Tampa, Fla./Freedom), to a third-place outing out of 27 teams in a MAC-best 3:39.06, a time that also ranks as the ninth-fastest in program laurels and is the first edit to the program top-10 list since 2018. Furthermore, the time ranks fourth in the Great Lakes Region. 

 

AT  ELAINE LEIGH INVITATIONAL, APRIL 19

Liv Hatch (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) placed first out of 14 competitors in the 3000m steeplechase in a personal-best 11:44.23. Her time was over 12 seconds faster than the second-place finisher (11:56.65) at the Elaine Leigh Invite. 

 

AT 44 FARMS TEAM INVITATIONAL AND CHIPPEWA CHALLENGE: APRIL 11-13

Walkes and Singh both finished with Mid-American Conference-best times to highlight the Eastern Michigan University track and field teams action at the Texas A&M 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M University, at E.B. Cushing Stadium.

 

At the Chippewa Challenge, hosted by Central Michigan University, April 12, freshman Mia Biehl (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) set a personal best in the 400m dash with a 58.42 mark, placing fourth in the event. Senior Nyla Joseph-Guevara (Coral Springs, Fla./Fort Lauderdale) placed second in the long jump with a leap of 5.40m (17-08.75), and Brent finished second in the hammer throw with a 52.42m (172-0.0) mark.

 

SINGH AND WALKES NAMED MAC TRACK ATHLETES OF THE WEEK  

Track athletes Singh and Walkes were named Men’s and Women’s MAC Track Athlete of the Week, respectively, April 15, for their performances at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, Friday-Saturday, April 11-12.

 

Singh placed third in the 400m hurdles out of 32 competitors in 50.67. His time stands as the best in the MAC and the Great Lakes Region, while standing eighth on the East Qualifying List, and 15th in the country. Furthermore, Singh’s time stands as the best in the MAC by 2.56 seconds, the fastest in the region by 1.1 seconds, and third in program laurels. Additionally, he was the highest finisher from a group of five schools in the event.

 

Singh went on to anchor a 4x400m relay team that finished sixth out of 16 teams in a MAC-best 3:08.39, a time that stands over two seconds faster than the second-fastest time in the conference. The mark also stands as the second fastest in the region, and 33rd on the East Qualifying List.

 

Walkes ran two MAC-best times, personal bests, and program/Great Lakes Region top-three marks. She placed seventh out of 66 in the 200m dash in 23.30, and fifth out of 39 in the 400m in 52.88 at the 44 Farms Team Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M, April 11–12. Walkes’ 400m time stands as the fastest in the Great Lakes Region while her 200m mark ranks third. Both times rank inside the top 25 on the East Qualifying List as well, with her 400m mark standing 19th, and her 200m time ranking 25th. Nationally, Walkes ranks 31st in the 400m and 49th in the 200m. Moreover, she was the highest finisher from a group of five school in each of her races.  

 

AT SPARTAN INVITATIONAL: APRIL 4

The Eastern Michigan track and field teams turned in a total of 21 personal bests and 17 top-three finishes while in action at the nearby Spartan Invitational, hosted by Michigan State, at Ralph Young Field Friday, April 4. 13 Eagles on the women’s side turned in career highs in their respective events, with Lena Korte (Clinton, Mich./Clinton/Concordia) throwing a personal best 47.76m (156-08) in the hammer throw while Cara Weber (Union, Ky./Larry A. Ryle) placed first in the unseeded 1500m run with a personal best time of 4:56.63. Overall, the women earned eight top-three finishes. On the men’s side, 11 Eagles set personal bests to go with nine top-three showings, Joey Furlong (Deer Park, Ill./Barrington) ran the MAC’s second-best 5000m time in 14:51.98. 

 

AT TEXAS RELAYS, BOBCAT INVITATIONAL, AND RALEIGH RELAYS: MARCH 27-29

The Eastern women posted two top-three finishes while the two programs combined for 12 personal-best marks, with the men posting eight and the women grabbing four, and five program top-10 marks as the women earned three and the men secured two.

 

RETURNING MAC CHAMPS – OUTDOOR SEASON

The Eagles return Buffen and Formula Thompson (St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College/Nebraska) who both won the triple jump at the 2024 MAC Outdoor Championships. Buffen won the event with a 12.64m (05.75) bound, a mark that stands as the fourth-best in program history. She also became the first Eastern woman to win the event at the outdoor championships since 1999.

 

Thompson became the first EMU male jumper to win the triple jump at the outdoor championships since United States Olympian Donald Scott did so in the 2015 campaign, as Thompson claimed gold with a 15.57m (51-01.00) jump, a mark that sits sixth in the program top-10 leaderboards.

 

ALL-MAC RETURNERS – OUTDOOR SEASON

The Eagles return seven All-MAC athletes from the outdoor season.

 

Women’s All-MAC Returners

Kyra Buffen – First Team

Paige Marchant – Second Team

Saraiah Walkes – Second Team

Josephine Oloye – Second Team

 

Men’s All-MAC Returners

Formula Thompson  – First Team

Gabe Singh – Second Team

Jake McEachern – Second Team

 

NCAA EAST PRELIMS RETURNERS

The men’s squad returns three student-athletes who qualified for the 2024 NCAA East Prelims in Thompson, who punched his ticket in the triple jump, Mabin, who earned his entry in the 110m hurdles, and Jake McEachern (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) who qualified in the hammer throw.

 

The women return Buffen, who saw action in the triple jump after winning an individual MAC title in the event and Anita Zaro (Timirsoara, Romania/Faculty of Physical Education and Sport) who ran in the 3000m steeplechase.

 

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

McEachern won the hammer throw (67.32m – 220-10), shot put (15.93m – 52-03.16), and discus (49.22m – 161-05) events at the Canadian U20 Track & Field Championships. Joining him in competing nationally was Thompson, who saw action at the Jamaican Olympic Trials in the long and triple jump. Mabin also earned himself a spot at the USA U20 Track & Field Championships in the 110m hurdles.

 

2024 MAC OUTDOORS FINISH

The Eastern women placed second with 126.5 points while the men slotted third with 121 points. The women’s second-place finish at the meet marked its 11th straight season doing so while the men’s marked the 12th consecutive year it has finished inside the top-three. Kent State claimed the women’s title with 137.5 points and Akron won the men’s, scoring 189.

 

NEW COACHES

The Eagles have adjusted their coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Chris Best and Sterling Roberts have been promoted to Directors of Cross Country/Track & Field. Best will take on the head coaching duties for the women’s team while Roberts will do so for the men’s. Sue Parks opted to return to hands-on coaching duties and will serve as an Associate Head Coach while still acting as the Head Women’s Cross Country Coach. Eastern added two newcomers to the coaching staff in Austin Whitelaw (distance) and Nia Henderson (throws). Whitelaw comes to Ypsilanti after most recently serving as an assistant track & field/cross country coach as well as recruiting coordinator for the University of Connecticut (2022-24). Henderson brings five years of NAIA coaching experience with her as she oversaw nine NAIA All-Americans at nearby Madonna University. She was also named Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023.





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Sports

Torrey Pines’ Finley Krystkowiak highlights All-CIF girls volleyball team

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20 minutes ago

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December 27, 2025

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2025 All-CIF Girls Volleyball Teams

Player of the Year: Finley Krystkowiak, Torrey Pines

A senior outside hitter, Krystkowiak finished the season with 328 kills, including 20 against Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the Falcons’ CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship win. She also had 251 digs, 30 blocks and 56 service aces. Torrey Pinse finished the season 38-5, ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 9 in the nation, losing to Santa Ana Mater Dei in the Southern California Regionals. The 6-foot-3 Krystowiak has signed to play at Penn State.

Libero of the Year: Lilia Green Torrey Pines

Coach of the Year: Roni Greenwood-Harper, Scripps Ranch

First team

Name, School, Year

Finley Krystowiak, Torrey Pines, Sr.

Jaycee Mack, Torrey Pines, Jr.

Ashlynn Proctor, Coronado, So.

Madyson McCarthy, Cathedral Catholic, Sr.

Alison Dzieciuch, Cathedral Catholic, Sr.

Bryce Leatherwood, Scripps Ranch, Sr.

Cam Holcomb, San Marcos, Sr.

Alice Burgett, La Jolla Country Day, Jr.

Myah Koster, Bishop’s, Jr.

Second team

Name, School, Year

Emery Gonzales, Torrey Pines, Sr.

Danica Nordlicht, Torrey Pines, Sr.

Jojo Wilson, Cathedral Catholic, Jr.

Nariah Johnson, Santa Fe Christian, Fr.

Avalon Haro, Coronado, Sr.

Max Pheasant, Christian, Sr.

Vivian Roberts, Westview, Sr.

Caitlin Prior, Our Lady of Peace, Sr.

Tatum Epstein, La Jolla Country Day, So.

Havani Embry, Carlsbad, Sr.

Note: Teams selected by Coaches Advisory Committee.



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Aggies Wrap Up Nonconference Slate Sunday Against Southwest

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December 27, 2025

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What: Game Eleven 

Who: NM State (7-3, 1-0 CUSA) vs University of the Southwest (4-9, 1-6 RRAC) 

When: Sunday, Dec. 28, 2:00 p.m. MT 

Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Pan American Center (12,200) 

THE OPENING TIP  

• Coming off an impressive home victory last Sunday to open Conference USA play against Sam Houston, NM State turns its attention to its final non-conference matchup of the season as it welcomes the University of the Southwest to the Pan American Center on Sunday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. 

• Sunday’s contest marks just the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Aggies holding a 2–0 series advantage. The teams last met a year ago on the same date in Las Cruces, where NM State pulled away for an 85–52 victory. 

PERIMETER LOCKDOWN 

• NM State is one of just five Division I programs to hold opponents under 30.0 percent shooting from three-point range last season and has continued that defensive standard into the current campaign. The Aggies join Tennessee, Montana, Dartmouth and Appalachian State as the only teams in the nation to accomplish the feat in both seasons. NM State currently ranks 50th nationally in three-point percentage defense, limiting opponents to 29.8% from beyond the arc. 

  

BOOST FROM THE BENCH 

• NM State’s depth once again proved to be a difference-maker, as Elijah Elliott and Jayland Randall delivered impactful performances off the bench to help lift the Aggies in their Conference USA opener against Sam Houston. 

• Elliott matched his season high with 18 points to lead NM State in scoring, marking the second time this season he has finished as the Aggies’ top scorer while coming off the bench. Randall wasn’t far behind, pouring in 16 points for his second-highest total of the season as the duo combined to provide a major spark for the Crimson & White. 

• This marked the second time this season that Elliott and Randall have finished as NM State’s top two scorers while coming off the bench, highlighting the Aggies’ ability to lean on their reserve unit. 

• NM State’s bench overwhelmed Sam Houston, outscoring the Bearkats 46–17. The 46 bench points marked the Aggies’ second-highest reserve output of the season, trailing only their 49-point bench performance against South Alabama. 

PUNCH FROM THE POST 

• Julius Mims delivered strong performances in the last outing against Sam Houston. Mims has been a steady presence all season, averaging 9.3 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game which is also ranked eighth in CUSA. Against the Sam Houston, he flirted with double-double finishing the night with nine points while also leading NM State with nine rebounds. Mims has now led the Aggies in rebounding in six of ten games this season. 

  

IN THE PAN AM 

• NM State has thrived in front of its home crowd this season, posting a perfect 5-0 record inside the Pan American Center. 

• In home games, the Aggies own a +10.6 scoring margin, shooting 47.5% from the field while holding opponents to just 38.8% shooting. 

• A few Aggies have elevated their play at home, led by Jones, who is averaging 16.6 points per game in the Pan Am. Julius Mims is averaging 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting an impressive 67% from the field, and Anthony Wrzeszcz is contributing 10.8 points per game while knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a 48% clip. 

  

HISTORIC START  

• The Aggies’ 6-0 opening this season marked their best start in more than 50 years. The last NM State team to begin a season this fast was the 1969–70 Final Four team, linking this year’s group to one of the most storied runs in program history. 

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS 

• University of the Southwest enters Sunday’s matchup with a 4–9 record and arrives in Las Cruces following a 90–66 road loss to Texas A&M–Texarkana. 

• The Mustangs are led by first-year head coach Steven Barker and feature a pair of key contributors in EJ Scroggins and Donovan Holcombe. 

• Scroggins leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while Holcombe provides additional production at 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest. 

For complete coverage of the 2025-26 season NM State Men’s Basketball, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateMBB), Instagram (@NMStateMBB), and like us on Facebook (NMStateMBB).  

  

++NM State++ 



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A record-breaking season for UTRGV volleyball

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December 27, 2025

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EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s 2025 volleyball season was filled with record-setting moments and unforgettable performances on the court.

The Vaqueros’ 22-8 regular season and 15-1 Southland Conference record secured a tie of the regular season title, topped with three individuals earning all-conference awards.

Looking back at this season, Head Coach Todd Lowery said, “Nine new faces in the program and just how quickly they came together and how quickly they cared for each other was really fun to be a part of. Of course, all the success on top of that, I think it was really the environment they had and that we had this past season was what was special about this group.”

October 2 marked the turning point of the season. Following a loss to Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, UTRGV went on to win a program-record 16 straight matches. To put the team’s dominance into perspective, only two times UTRGV was pushed to five sets.

“We had the mindset that we were going toward the same direction, and that just made everything easier,” Junior setter Isabella Costantini said. “I feel like after our preseason tournaments, we kind of made that click, that instant switch, of building that chemistry and connection and that made us play the way we did this past season.”

Freshman outside hitter Dimitra Nanou added, “We realized that did not want to be in last place in the conference. We can give some more. We have super talented players on our team, and I was so excited to work more and more every day.”

In the midst of the win-streak, Lowery also reached a milestone: win number 600.

On Nov. 6, UTRGV defeated the University of Incarnate Word, three sets to one, at UTRGV Fieldhouse to clinch to historic win in Lowery’s career.

“Anytime you get to reach a milestone, it’s awesome,” Lowery said. “To reach it with a special group kind of made it more special for me just because even that night, they got the win and everything, but the girls on the team made that night about me, and it should never be about me.”

While Lowery did not want the spotlight on him following the win, his team made sure to give him his flowers.

Sophomore outside hitter Martina Franco said, “Coach literally changed my life when he recruited me to come here, so I’m so happy that he accomplished that with me and the team, you know, just be a part of one of his memories, this important season and his big accomplishment.”

Lowery was also named the Katrinka Jo Crawford SLC Coach of the Year in 2025.

As for outstanding performances, Costantini, Franco and Nanou all shined on the floor, earning Southland Conference awards.

Costantini was named Southland Conference Setter of the Year for the second consecutive time.

She said, “I feel like after my sophomore season where I was recognized as the setter of the year, it was good to get that back, you know, that feeling of all my hard work paid off.”

Franco was named Newcomer of the year.

Franco said, “I was not expecting that at all, but I think when I watch it, I was happy to have something to remember because it was a good season for me and I had a lot of fun and I loved it, so I don’t know. It was a blast to enjoy the season that I have.”

As for Nanou, she was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year.

“I’m more excited about what we got out of the tournament instead of my award,” Nanou said. “I’m really grateful that I can help my team and receive that award because it’s like a gift from God.”

Despite the historic season for the volleyball program, the team’s final loss to the Ladyjacks in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship Game left a bad taste in the program’s mouth.

The loss fueled them to exceed their performance on the court this season heading into 2026.

Lowery said, “That loss in the conference championship game will drive this team forward. I think just the sentiment. At first, they were sad and then by a week or two later and at this point, they’re angry.”

“The last game we played with the final of the tournament motivates us to push more,” Nanou said. “We can give more. We saw that we can give more, and personally I think everyone is going to put more work in this year.”

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Knights volleyball puts five in college

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December 27, 2025

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By Randy Lefko randy@claytodayonline.com

OAKLEAF – Oakleaf High had one of the largest early signing classes last week with nine signees and it was volleyball that stole the show with five athletes putting signatures to paper for one of the largest signing classes for the sport.

“This is largest graduation class for volleyball athletes that are signing for college scholarships for Oakleaf,” said Oakleaf coach Jamie Reed. “Softball has been a big part of the signing athletes in the past here at Oakleaf and the sports has grown to also be one of the all year sports at the school. I try to give them the tools to get here.”
For Reed, who finished at 12-13 for the 2025 season with a hard fought (3-2) district semifinal loss to Tocoi Creek ending the season. “They did all the hard work.”
Joining Reed’s troops on the stage for the early signing day were football standouts Trace Burney and Jordin Price, softball’s Aubrie Jordan and track state medalist Rayna Lawson. Also signed but not present was soccer standout Cole Perez.
Reed’s five signees were April Townsend and Jiyanna Rivera; both to NCAA Div. II Middle Georgia State University; Morgan Ansley, NCAA Div. II Fort Valley State University (25-5 last year); Kelsey Joshua, NCAA Div. II Benedict College (SC) (18-10) and Gabrielle Humbles, NCAA Div. II St. Francis Marion University (SC) (21-10 last year).
“We have all six seniors; one more, that is working on a signing for February,” said Reed, who gave credit to her recruiting coordinator at JJVA (Jacksonville Junior Volleyball Association). “This is my biggest class in 10 years of coaching; five as head coach.”
Reed noted that Joshua got herself signed with little help.
“She did all the work to self recruit,” said Reed. “Kelsey would ask about emails, how to talk to coaches and got herself completely signed on her own.”
Stats wise, Humbles was top scorer with 222 kills and a team leading 49 service aces with Ansley second with 165. Rivera was top record setting assist player with 523 assists for the year and 1570 for her career. Joshua was top dig defender with 215 leading the team.
For football, with the Knights getting to the region quarterfinals and finished at 8-3, Burney was a game breaking wide receiver with 40 catches and six touchdowns and heading to James Madison University while Price was a lock down defensive back; 32 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass defenses and wide receiver on offense with 18 catches with four touchdowns heading to University of Alabama-Birmingham.
For Burney, who spent his first three years at Fleming Island, the transition to the Oakleaf game was not a far stretch as he opened his senior season with six catches and two scores in game two win over Fleming Island, then eight catches in game three win over eventual three time Rural state champion Hawthorne.
James Madison (12-1) just won the Sun Belt title with a win over Troy, 31-14, to earn a spot in the spot in the College Football Playoffs. James Madison, ranked 12th is reported to be playing No. 5 Oregon on December 19.
Price was a mainstay on both sides of the ball with equal success as a wide receiver and as a defensive back with Price always matching up with opposing team’s best pass catcher.
On the UAB football website, Price’s description is as a three-star defensive back by 247Sports, 121 tackles in four seasons at Oakleaf, six interceptions with a picksix, with 1243 receiving yards and 15 pass touchdowns. UAB finished at 4-8 this year.
Lawson, a track ace for her entire four year career, exploded in her senior season with a third place thrilling finish in a near dead tie with an 11.96 split that had to go to the hundredths of a second to determine second and third. The gold medal was won in 11.75 in one of the closest finishes at the Clas 4A track and field championships.
In the 200 final, Lawson finished ninth at 24.59.
Lawson signed to continue her track at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. UNLV had nine NCAA region qualifiers and one NCAA championship athlete in the field events.
“UNLV has been with me for a long time,” said Lawson. “Head coach Carmelita Jennings, the Olympic champion (2012 London Games USA Gold 4 x 100 relay, silver in 100, bronze in
200) kept in touch through her senior season. They might put me in the 400, too.”
Oakleaf’s lone softball athlete, Jordan, headed to Florida State College-Jacksonville, had a handful of championship rings with her from club ball action in her career.
Perez, a lead scorer for the Knights soccer team, is headed to University of Akron. Akron lost in the NCAA tournament last year with a 3-2 game against Saint Louis The Zips are currently 13-5-1.





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Emmaus coach Jessica Olang is the Lehigh Valley volleyball coach of year

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December 27, 2025

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Jessica Olang and her sister, Lindsay, fondly remember growing up with the Emmaus girls volleyball program when their mother, Susan Arndt, was the Green Hornets head coach for nine seasons from 1991-99.

“Back then, we were at Eyer Middle School a lot of the time, and I remember my mom yelling at me to get off the court,” Lindsay Olang said. “I would get hit in the head with a lot of volleyballs. But you know what, it was a lot of fun. I wouldn’t exchange my childhood for anything. I love this community and being around this environment. For us to be back here has been amazing … it has come full circle.”

And that circle now includes a league championship.

Thirty years after Arndt’s 1995 Emmaus team won the program’s first and only District 11 championship, Arndt and her two daughters were on the coaching staff that led the Green Hornets to their first and only league championship.

With a thrilling 23-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 15-13 come-from-behind win over Bethlehem Catholic on Oct. 16 at Liberty, Emmaus became Eastern Pennsylvania Conference champs for the first time.

The team followed it up by reaching the District 11 6A championship match, where it lost to Parkland in four sets, but the Green Hornets rebounded to beat District 2 champ Delaware Valley in the first round of the state tournament.

While the Hornets fell to Spring-Ford in the PIAA quarterfinals, their memorable 21-5 season made Jessica Olang The Morning Call’s girls volleyball coach of the year; an honor she happily shares with her coaching staff, which includes her mother, her sister, and close friends Emily Elek and Kelsey Nilsen.

Olang and the staff, affectionately called the Fab 5 by Elek, took Emmaus to great heights in just their second season together.

Making their league title all the more unexpected was that the team lost two of its best players — Maleya Hinds and Andraya Flowers — to season-ending injuries before the playoffs began.

But Olang and the assistants preached a “next girl up” philosophy, made some lineup adjustments, and kept the team motivated through a 14-2 EPC regular season.

“Going back to our open gyms last winter, we talked about our outcomes coming from the work we’re putting in now,” Jessica Olang, a 2003 Catasauqua High graduate, said. “If you want good outcomes, you’ve got to put the work in now. We don’t want to be three, four, or five months from now wishing we had done more. So we kept instilling in them that the process is important. Every touch on the ball matters; everything we do in the gym matters. The outcomes will come from what we do in the gym, and we never talked about becoming league or district champs. We just talked about what we need to do in the gym today to get ourselves prepared to be the best we can be, and the results will come. In that insane moment when we became a league champ, and to see the culmination of everything we’ve worked for over two years was just amazing. There may never be another moment like that again.”

Olang said even before the championship match against an undefeated Bethlehem Catholic team, the focus wasn’t on becoming a champion.

“It wasn’t on my radar,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking ‘tonight, we’re bringing home the first EPC championship in school history.’ We emphasized to the girls that they get to go play volleyball today. That’s a great day. Go out and work hard and have fun, and stay together. Bring everything you can and let the chips fall where they may.”

The chips weren’t falling Emmaus’ way early as the Green Hornets got behind two sets to none.

Emmaus girls volleyball coach Jessica Orlang and her assistant coaches -- Sue Arndt, her mother; Lindsay Orlang, her sister; Emily Elek; and Kelsey Nilsen -- stand Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in the Emmaus High School gym. Jessica Orlang is The Morning Call's girls volleyball coach of the year. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Emmaus girls volleyball coach Jessica Olang and her assistant coaches — Sue Arndt, her mother; Lindsay Olang, her sister; Emily Elek; and Kelsey Nilsen — stand in the Emmaus High School gym. Jessica Olang is The Morning Call’s girls volleyball coach of the year. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)

“The third set was really close, and there were like 19 ties, and you got the sense it could go either way,” Olang said. “It was at the end of the third set that Claudia Walls and Rosie Landino had incredible three-stuffed blocks in a row, and that shifted the tide. That’s what’s so fun, it’s a momentum sport. You get a couple of great plays like that, and everything can shift.”

Olang was a talented player in her own high school days.

At Catasauqua, where her mother began the program, she was a four-year varsity setter and a three-year captain. She was named first-team all-District 11 three times and was a two-time all-state honorable mention selection.

She then went on to play for Roberts Wesleyan College near Rochester, New York, where she was a four-year starting setter and an all-conference player. After college, she coached at Dieruff, where she eventually became head coach before marrying and moving to upstate New York, where she and her husband began a family and a business.

But she came back to the Lehigh Valley and settled in Emmaus, where she has four children, ranging in ages from 13 to 6.

“Even when we lived in upstate New York, I was still coaching volleyball with my mom, assisting at Velocity, and Crosscourt, just trying to keep my toes in the water as much as I could,” Olang said. “But when you’re raising a family, you have to step back from leading. When we came back to the area, it was just like the right timing for me to get more involved in coaching again. This position opened, and it was the perfect storm of being ready for it. I am so appreciative of this opportunity, and to have the coaching staff I have is unbelievable. You can have a vision, but if people aren’t there to share that vision, it’s very hard to move that vision along.”

Olang said that the staff is remarkably united.

“We’re of one mind, one focus, one vision, one mentality,” she said. “We’re determined to take this program where we want it to go.”

Arndt, who has had success wherever she has been over the last 35 years in volleyball, is proud of her daughter and says, “She makes sure to keep me in line.”

She was a member of Parkland’s football staff for a few years, working directly as an interpreter with player Alex Ocasio, who was deaf.

“Coach [Tim] Moncman runs a well-oiled ship, just as we pride ourselves on being here,” Arndt said. “He made me realize that while there are a lot of moving parts, it all comes together as a whole. There are a lot of coaches on a football staff, but it comes down to where we all fit in, where do the puzzle pieces connect. I won a coach of the year award as a boys coach at Northampton, but I am so much happier for Jess. You never want the spotlight to shine on yourself. That’s how she is. You want to give back to others … the other coaches and the kids. This puts a stamp on who she is and what she has created, and what the kids have created.”

Elek, who graduated from Emmaus in 2009 and played Division I college volleyball at Canisius, said, “Being an Emmaus alum, it was an especially awesome season. The girls were super great. It was also so exciting. The past two years we’ve been here, we’ve done a lot with the girls, and we let them know that it’s OK to make mistakes. You just have to learn from them. As a coaching staff, we all do different things, but it all comes together as a well-oiled machine.”

Emmaus will graduate two first-team all-EPC selections in Amanda Rivera and Alyssa Heffner, but has several outstanding players returning.

“Our seniors were phenomenal this year, but I look ahead to what will still be here and what’s coming up, and we’re as excited as we’ve ever been,” Olang said. “We’ve got Fiona Answini back as an outside hitter and Emma Nesfeder back who ended up playing middle for us this year when she’s actually a setter. We’ve got great seniors coming up. The talent pool remains strong and we’re excited to see what they can accomplish.”

 



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A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos‑Okpalla signs with Valor Sports Agency

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2 hours ago

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December 27, 2025

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Dec. 26, 2025, 2:07 p.m. CT

It’s finally starting to sink in for several Texas A&M volleyball players that they have actually won a national title and made history.

For the nine seniors on the team, it was a storybook ending to their college careers, and for many of them, it marked the conclusion of their playing journeys. However, in an interview, coach Jamie Morrison alluded to a few of the girls receiving calls about opportunities to play professionally.

While he didn’t mention specific names, the two most obvious candidates would be standout outside hitter Logan Lednicky and dominant middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla. We got a notable nugget on social media when a fan posted that Cos-Okpalla has signed with former NBA veteran Jermaine O’Neal’s sports agency, Valor Sports Agency (VSA). The official VSA Instagram account appeared to confirm the news with an announcement on their page, which you can see below:

Cos-Okpalla was a crucial contributor throughout the NCAA Tournament run, whether it was delivering blocks, putting down kills, or firing ace serves. It was only fitting that she recorded the final kill of the NCAA championship match to secure the first-ever NCAA title for the Texas A&M volleyball program.





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