PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Just two months ago, Sarah Livingstone was promoted from assistant coach to the head coach of the Bay volleyball program.

And so far things to be going smoothly for the coach. She and her staff and players just wrapping up a four day youth volleyball clinic at Cobb Gym with well over a hundred kids taking part.

As for her taking over the reigns, the coach tells us that’s going well with her players receptive to the change.

“This is my second month as the head coach. I was the assistant coach the past two years. So my transition is pretty smooth. I know a lot of the girls. All my girls are returning. It’s been pretty smooth, I’ve been really enjoying my time. It’s great, we’ve been in the gym, open gym, conditioning and practice. And the girls are taking the transition really well.” Livingstone said.

Most of the players helping out with the camp and the coach says that turned into a good team bonding experience. The first day of fall practice is the 28th with the season openers set for August 18th, so just over a month away.

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Dr. Jack Welch, who contributes weekly columns to the Herald-Banner, has been named as the new president of Fort Scott Community College in Kansas.

Welch, who writes the From the Bleachers column that is featured each week in the Herald-Banner sports section,  previously served as the head football coach/athletic director at Fort Scott from 1987-1992.

“Dr. Welch brings to our college a distinguished background in higher education leadership and experience with FSCC and the community of Fort Scott,” as written in a release by the university. “With his deep understanding of student success, community engagement and academic excellence, he is exceptionally well-suited to lead our institution into its next chapter.

“In this role, Dr. Welch will oversee all aspects of the college’s operations and strategic direction, working closely with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to ensure that our mission of accessible, high-quality education continues to thrive.”

Welch coached from 2019 -2024 as an assistant football coach at East Texas A&M.  He was the special teams coordinator and chief of staff. He coached all-American kick returner Dominque Ramsey and all-conference punter Mitch McGarry, among others.

He was also a head football coach in high school at Santo in 1981 and then from 1994-2017 at Copperas Cove. He coached future Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III at Copperas Cove and led the Bulldawgs to 18 playoff appearances and two trips to the state finals. His career record as a head coach in high school was 194-91-1.

RGIII won the Heisman as a quarterback at Baylor and played in the NFL for Washington, Cleveland and Baltimore.

Another of his former players, Charles “Peanut” Tillman, played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.

Welch was also a head football coach at Kansas Wesleyan from 1985-1986 and was an assistant coach in college at Louisiana Tech in 1993, at West Texas State from 1982-1984 and was a graduate assistant at West Texas State in 1980.

Welch also coached the special teams of the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League this past spring.

He lettered in football, baseball and track and field at Taylor University in Indiana and earned all-state honors in baseball at Bridgeport High School. He also played one season of high school football at Osawatomie, Kan., where his teammate was Derrick Jensen, who later played at UT-Arlington in college and in the NFL  with the Raiders.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree at Taylor University, his master’s at  West Texas and his doctorate at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The 11 ambassadors include representatives from all five continents and all six aquatic sports. Together, they have won a combined 78 World Aquatics Championships medals and 36 Olympic medals.

Ambassadors will be on site throughout the World Aquatics Championships, and will help to enhance athlete and fan experience through a range of planned activations including workshops, clinics and meet and greets.

Giorgio Minisini (Italy) served as a trailblazer for male inclusion in artistic swimming throughout his glittering career, and won 10 medals at the World Aquatics Championships dating back to 2015. He bowed out with gold in the Men’s Solo Free and silver in the Men’s Solo Technical at Doha 2024, and will help to inspire the next generation of artistic swimmers while in Singapore.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Singapore 2025 as an ambassador. Artistic swimming is growing around the world and I am sure we will see amazing competitions across all the events,” Minisini said.

One of the greatest water polo players of all time in Filip Filipović (Serbia) will share his experiences and help to amplify interest in the water polo tournaments, as he successfully did as an ambassador for Doha 2024. He helped his country to win two World Aquatics Championships titles and two Olympic Games golds, in addition to a raft of individual honours.

“The water polo tournaments at the Olympic Games in Paris were hugely competitive, and this made our sport one of the most intriguing on the Olympic programme,” Filipović said.

History-making open water swimmers Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) and Alice Dearing (Great Britain) have joined the ambassadors programme for Singapore 2025.

At last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, van Rouwendaal became the first-ever athlete to win two Olympic gold medals in the Women’s 10km, following a memorable double in the Women’s 5km and 10km at Doha 2024.

“After an incredible year in 2024, I am thrilled to have the chance to be in Singapore as an ambassador for the World Aquatics Championships,” van Rouwendaal said.

Former world junior champion Dearing became the first black woman to represent Great Britain in swimming at an Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020. She is a passionate advocate for raising awareness of water-safety and drowning prevention, and encouraging aquatics participation in African, Caribbean and Asian communities in the UK.

“It is very exciting to be going to Singapore to serve as an ambassador for the World Aquatics Championships,” Dearing said.

Melissa Wu (Australia) is among a select group of divers to have competed at five Olympic Games, while Doha 2024 was her eighth appearance at a World Aquatics Championships. With three World Aquatics Championships and two Olympic medals to her name, she will serve as a renowned representative of diving on the ambassador programme for Singapore 2025.

“This can truly inspire the next generation of divers, and I am confident Singapore 2025 will again serve as a showcase of rising standards in our sport around the world,” Wu said.

In high diving, Alain Kohl (Luxembourg) will lead on the masterclasses and sessions planned for athletes during Singapore 2025. During his career, he competed at World Aquatics events spanning nearly 20 years from 2004 to 2023.

Five swimmers round off the list of ambassadors for Singapore 2025 to further boost the excitement for the swimming events at the World Aquatics Championships Arena.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands) won a remarkable 17 medals at the World Aquatics Championships throughout her career, which also featured highlights such as the Women’s 50m and 100m Freestyle double at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“Having the world’s best swimmers competing here is going to help inspire the next generation around the world. The global standard of swimming is incredible, and I am sure we will see more stars emerge in Singapore,” Kromowidjojo said.

Cate Campbell (Australia) and Kosuke Kitajima (Japan) both won 12 medals at the World Aquatics Championships, in addition to eight and seven Olympic medals respectively.

Chad Le Clos (South Africa) is his country’s most successful male Olympian with four medals and also won seven World Aquatics Championships medals, while the career of Anthony Ervin (United States of America) was marked for its incredible longevity as he won three World Aquatics Championships 12 years apart at Fukuoka 2001 and Barcelona 2013, and three Olympic golds 16 years apart at Sydney 2000 and Rio 2016.

“The World Aquatics Championships is always a special event for any athlete, and I am delighted to be part of Singapore 2025 as an ambassador,” Le Clos said.

To view all athlete-related activities taking place at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, please download the World Aquatics Events Insider App using the link below:

Event Category: Athletes and Development Activities
Password: WCH25SGPACT

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For the Journal Review

Recent Wabash College graduate Justin Santiago ’25 and rising seniors Sean Bledsoe ’26 and Xavier Tyler ’26 were named 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine.

All three were first-team selections, boosting the total to 13 Wabash student-athletes to be named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar since 2018.

Santiago, a native of Westfield, is a four-year letterwinner for the Wabash cross country and track and field teams. In his time with the programs, he helped the Little Giants win six conference championships (1 CC/5 TR). His collegiate best times include a 25:39.0 8,000-meter cross country effort at the 2023 NCAA DIII Great Lakes Region Championships to go with a 33:45.86 outdoor 10,000-meter run as a junior.

The financial economics major was active in the campus community as part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as a production volunteer at his church. A Dean’s List honoree, Santiago was a summa cum laude graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He served as an innovation consultant for Wabash College’s Center for Innovation, Business and Entrepreneurship and has a project management certification from the University of Adelaide.

Bledsoe, a native of Columbia City, is a three-year letterwinner for the Wabash golf team, posting a 75.44 scoring average in 66 career rounds played. He was the runner-up at the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships, earning all-conference honors. He has seven rounds at par or better with a low of 69.

The English major is well connected on campus, serving as an advocate for ‘shOUT, the gay/straight alliance, working as a manager for the basketball team, and handling color commentator duties for the basketball livestreams. A Dean’s List honoree, Bledsoe also was named to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll.

Tyler, a native of Evansville, is a three-year letterwinner and a second-team all-NCAC honoree for the football team after leading the Little Giants with more than 1,000 yards rushing in 2024. His accomplishments included a career-best 199 yards on Nov. 9, 2024, at Wittenberg, as well as a long rush of 81 yards, tied for the eighth-longest in school history, set Oct. 21, 2023 at Kenyon.

The philosophy major has held multiple positions of leadership within his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta. He is the community service committee chairman for the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies, has worked at a group home for people with severe mental and physical disabilities, and speaks regularly at inner-city middle schools to kids about attending college and how to positively carry themselves. Tyler is a Dean’s List honoree and has earned all-NCAC Academic Honor Roll accolades.

The trio joined Mawuli Nevis ’25 as Ashe honorees, as he was named the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Wrestling Sports Scholar of the Year. A biology major from Cincinnati, he was a semifinalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award. Nevis is the second Wabash student-athlete to earn national distinction from the publication in the last three years.

Since 1992, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars have demonstrated stellar athletic ability and academic performance (3.5 cumulative GPA or higher), in addition to a commitment to community service and student leadership. The award is inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.’s dedication to education as well as his love for the game of tennis.

ARLINGTON – Life in the Volleyball Nations League continues to be long on lessons and short on victories for the Canadian women’s team.

China, which entered Friday’s best-of-five match in seventh place, edged the 16th-place Canadians 25-22, 25-15, 22-25 and 25-23 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Outside hitter Abagayle Guezen and opposite spiker Anna Smrek were Canada’s top scorers with 14 points each, while Yushan Zhuan led China with 21.

China led in attacks (59-51), ace serves (7-3), sets (130-126) and digs (97-96).

Canada made four fewer unforced errors (27-23) and had more blocks (8-4).

Canada will play the host United States on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Published July 12, 2025

Alumni and Friends,

This week has made my start as the University’s 16th President feel even more official as Elizabeth and I moved into the Benjamin Prince House. In my attempt to learn more about our new home’s namesake, I came across the following on our website:

“For 68 years, Prince, who graduated with honors from Wittenberg’s Preparatory Department in 1865, devoted his life to Wittenberg, both as a student and in a variety of offices ranging from professor to collector of tuition to vice president. He knew every graduate of the university during his time on campus, and he founded the college’s first alumni association. He also played an instrumental role in the creation of the college’s annual alumni fund, and he knew and worked with every president of the college except the first one, Ezra Keller.”

Reading about Benjamin Prince’s legacy reminds me of the difference each of us can make when we connect passion to purpose — the very bridge we seek to create through our classes and extra-curricular engagements on our beautiful campus. Wittenberg is a place where we should — and do — know our students’ names, and in that spirit, I intend to follow in Prince’s footsteps as I get to know our students, along with our faculty, staff, families, alumni, and friends.

I am eagerly awaiting the fall semester to see the story that will unfold as students return. I also look ahead with joy and anticipation for how the Wittenberg Way will be blessed in the year ahead.

Fondly,
Mike and Sharon Frandsen

New Leader in Enrollment Management

Following a national search, Wittenberg is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael “Mike” Brown as its new vice president for enrollment management, effective June 23, 2025. A proven leader in strategic enrollment operations and multidimensional recruitment planning, Brown comes to Wittenberg from Ursuline College, where he has served as vice president for enrollment management since 2021.

Join us for some of the area’s most delicious local ice cream in celebration of a great Tiger Summer. Mingle with fellow alumni, meet members of the Admission staff and Wittenberg community, and tell future Tigers what you loved about your Wittenberg experience. Help us spread the word about Wittenberg by inviting a prospective student to join you!

Columbus: Graeter’s Ice Cream
2136 Bethel Rd.
Monday, July 14
5 – 6:30 p.m.

Cincinnati: Graeter’s Ice Cream
8533 Beechmont Ave.
Tuesday, July 15
5 – 6:30 p.m.

Cleveland: Mitchell’s Ice Cream
1867 W. 25th St.
Wednesday, July 16
5 – 7 p.m.

Springfield/Dayton: Young’s Jersey Dairy
6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd.
Yellow Springs
Thursday, July 17
5 – 7 p.m.

Please RSVP at least one week in advance of the event you plan to attend.

Outdoor Immersion

Combining nature with teaching is something that Charity Perry ’25 experienced firsthand through her recent FIRE Week experience at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont (GSMIT) near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A biology major pursuing a minor in education from Garfield Heights, Ohio, Perry is one of three recipients of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

Grateful Parent

Stephanie Morgan-White ’92 passed her love for Wittenberg on to her daughters, Morgan White ’23 and Shelby White ’27. Passionate about Wittenberg, Morgan-White continues to make an impact on Wittenberg by volunteering at college fairs, writing postcards to accepted students, promoting the University as a Commit to Witt ambassador, serving on the Alumni Association Board, and supporting Wittenberg with financial gifts. Learn more about her experience as a student and now a parent.

Interning at the 2025 Super Bowl

Four students had the experience of a lifetime working at Super Bowl LIX, Feb. 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Leveraging their business and sport management courses, connections, and leadership skills, the students brought their A game to every facet of their time at the Super Bowl. Click on the image to hear what each found rewarding about their internship.

Oral History Project: Amb. Robert Perry ’67

We’re thrilled to share a few of the stories from our Oral History Project. Amb. Robert Perry ’67 credits Professors Robert Hartje, Melvin Laatsch, and Jeffrey Mao with sparking his interest in political science. Mao encouraged him to apply for a Ford Foundation fellowship, which included a State Department internship and an M.A. from American University. That introduced Perry to a 34-year career in the Foreign Service, beginning in Vietnam and including several posts in Latin America and Africa. We’re grateful for alumni like Amb. Perry, who have supported Wittenberg throughout the years with a gift to the University. To join him in supporting Wittenberg, make a gift now.

Spring Athletics Highlights

Wittenberg’s spring sports season concluded over Memorial Day weekend at the 2025 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships as Jack Kittle ’28 earned second-team All-America in the 200-meter dash and first-team All-America in the 400-meter dash. A day earlier, the Tiger men’s golf team finished 16th at the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships, led by Mitch Bolte ’28, who earned a spot on the national All-Freshman Team after placing 27th individually. As a department, Wittenberg finished third in the final 2024-25 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) All-Sports standings, in part thanks to outstanding spring performances from men’s golf (first), women’s track and field (second), baseball (second), men’s track and field (third), women’s golf (third), and softball (fourth).

There’s Still Time to Give Before Fiscal Year-End!

Since 1845, Wittenberg has provided students with an education that has challenged them to lead personal, professional, and civic lives of creativity, service, compassion, and integrity. We’re grateful to all who have supported Wittenberg with a gift this fiscal year. We thank them for their support of our mission. If you have not already made a gift, there’s still time. When you make a gift before June 30, you’ll impact the future of our students! Pass your light by making a gift today!

Wittenberg Bids Farewell to the Frandsens

Members of the Springfield community, the University’s Board of Directors, students, faculty, staff, and friends participated in a series of events last month to honor and thank President Mike Frandsen and Sharon Frandsen for their eight years of dedicated service to Wittenberg. President Frandsen will conclude his tenure as the University’s 15th President on June 30, 2025. Enjoy a special video from the Wittenberg community, which was shared at the final event, May 8, hosted by the Board of Directors. Additionally, President Frandsen reflected on his time at Wittenberg in a recent interview with the Springfield News-Sun that can be found here.