CHARLOTTE, N.C. (SMU) — SMU’s Track and Field program had nine student-athletes named to the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Academic Team, announced by the league office. 

The Mustang awardees include Kirin Chacchia, a sophomore student-athlete studying Psychology; Kaitlyn Gearin, a graduate student- athlete studying Management; Macey Hilton, a junior student-athlete studying Sport Management; Emily Little, a graduate student-athlete studying Sport Management; Leoni Mierswa, a graduate student-athlete studying Management; Hali Murphy, a junior student-athlete studying Creative Coding; Raelyn Roberson, a graduate student-athlete studying Management; Ariana Sutton, a sophomore student-athlete studying Creative Coding; and Emily Waller, a senior student-athlete studying Accounting with a Real Estate Specialization.  

To be named a member of the All-ACC Academic Team, the student-athletes must excel both on the track and in the classroom. Student-athletes must maintain both a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater throughout their career as well as a 3.00 or greater GPA during the previous semester to be considered. To be selected, the student-athlete must have also participated in either the ACC Championship and/or the NCAA Championship. On the women’s side, a total of 268 student-athletes earned All-ACC Academic Team honors. 

SEATTLE – Already proven as elite in their events, four Husky women’s track & field athletes were honored today as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans, one of the most prestigious honors for student-athletes who excel both athletically and in the classroom. The four honorees are the most UW has ever had in one year, and are tied with Oregon for the most in the NCAA this year.
 
NCAA Champions in the pole vault indoors and outdoors, Hana and Amanda Moll were both named First Team Academic All-Americans for the first time. Both sophomores are majoring in Business Administration, with Amanda currently owning a 3.91 cumulative GPA and Hana carrying a 3.86 GPA. The two were each among the ten semifinalists for the Bowerman Award, the top honor in college track & field. They went to 1-2 in NCAA history both indoors and outdoors, with Hana winning National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year outdoors and Amanda winning National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year indoors.
 
On the Second Team is senior Amina Maatoug, who earned four All-America honors in her one season at Washington in 2024-25. Maatoug made the NCAA podium this year in the mile and the 3k indoors, and the 5k outdoors, and won the Big Ten Indoor 3k title and was runner-up at the Big Ten Outdoor meet in the 5k. She earned a 3.62 GPA in postbaccalaureate study after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at Duke.
 
Chloe Foerster was named a Third Team Academic All-American, her first such honor. She has a 3.66 cumulative GPA majoring in Biology. Foerster reached her first NCAA finals this year, indoors and out, placing sixth in the mile final and eighth in the 1,500m final, while running big PRs at every distance. Foerster also won the Big Ten Indoor 800-meters title and helped the Dawgs to a 13th-place NCAA finish in cross country back in the fall.
 

To the victor goes the spoils.

After a victorious season on the volleyball court this past spring, four standout Manheim Central players were spoiled with all-state honors.

Imposing middle hitter Landon Mattiace, jumping-jack pin-hitter specialist Reagan Miller, setter du jour Dylan Musser and defensive wizard Colin Rohrer have picked up Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association All-State nods after that fearsome foursome helped the Barons capture District 3 and PIAA Class 2A state championships this past season.

Central finished 24-1 overall, beating York Suburban for district gold before topping Meadville for the Barons’ first state championship. 

Under longtime coach Craig Dietrich, Central also successfully defended its Section 2 championship, and the Barons went back to the Lancaster-Lebanon League title match for the third year in a row. Mattiace, Miller, Musser and Rohrer are all recent Central graduates. 

Mattiace, Miller and Musser were all repeat PVCA picks; Miller and Musser each earned three all-state nods during their time with the Barons. Miller and Musser also shared Section 2 MVP honors this past season, and Musser is the reigning District 3 MVP. 

Mattiace is an Eastern University recruit. 

In Class 3A, Cedar Crest hard-hitter Jack Wolgemuth and Warwick hitting machine Thomas Mejia made the PVCA All-State list. They were both repeat picks; Wolgemuth, a recent Cedar Crest grad who earned Section 1 MVP honors for the Falcons this past spring, was named for the third time.

Wolgemuth, a St. Francis University recruit, helped Cedar Crest top Central in the L-L championship match for the Falcons’ first league crown — on the heels of Cedar Crest’s first section title.

Mejia, a key cog in Warwick’s push to league and district playoff appearances — one year after the Warriors went all the way to the state semifinals — is set to return for his senior season next spring. 

PVCA CLASS 3A ALL-STATE

Jack Wolgemuth, senior OH, Cedar Crest

Brodie Heshler, junior MH, Central Dauphin

John He, senior OH, Central York

Lance Shaffer, senior S, Central York 

Avery Reynolds, senior MH, Cumberland Valley

Isaiah Sibbitt, senior S, Cumberland Valley 

Aidan Dunwoody, senior OH, Cumberland Valley

Hayden Ackley, junior L, Cumberland Valley

Will Robertson, junior OH, North Allegheny

Josh Nation, senior OH, Parkland

Jordan Hoover, senior MH, Seneca Valley

Bryson Walsh, senior OH, Cumberland Valley

Colin Holden, senior MH, Emmaus

Carter Weyant, senior OH, Governor Mifflin

Angel Bermudez, senior S, Governor Mifflin

Matthew LaMay, senior OH, North Allegheny

Bryce Ammon, senior OH, Pennridge

Lucas Ricciardi, senior OH, Pennsbury

Doolin Stober, junior OH, Pine-Richland 

Tyler Good, senior OH, Red Lion

Abheek Nelikil, senior S, Seneca Valley

Thomas Mejia, junior OH, Warwick

Lucas Mondin, senior OH, Emmaus

Ashton Wilson, senior OH, Exeter

Joe Braun, senior S, Bethlehem Freedom

Eric Bisignani, senior S, Greater Latrobe 

Owen Ward, senior OH, Greater Latrobe 

Ike Patton, senior OH, Erie McDowell

Peter Bratich, junior MH, North Allegheny

Hugh Rogers, senior OH, Northeastern York

Johnny Moran, senior S, Palmyra 

Owen Gisi, senior MH, Penn Trafford 

Logan Jalosinski, junior OH, Pennridge 

Kieran Shaw, senior S, Pennsbury 

Matteo Rotelli, senior S, Pine-Richland 

Carter Weight, senior MH, State College 

Derrick Campbell, junior S, State College 

Brandon Bird, senior L, Whitehall

PVCA CLASS 2A ALL-STATE

Karson Merlina, senior OH, Ambridge

Joshua Rocha, senior OH, Holy Redeemer

Reagan Miller, senior OH, Manheim Central 

Dylan Musser, senior S, Manheim Central 

Landon Mattiace, senior MH, Manheim Central 

Derek Piatek, senior OH, Mars 

Kyler Robinson, senior S, Mars

Luc Soerensen, junior OH, Meadville

Tymir Phillips, junior MH, Meadville 

Parker Gosnell, junior OH, Meadville 

Austin Armbruster, junior S, Brandywine Heights 

Brady Rynd, junior OH, Cochranton 

Aaron Hildebrand, junior OH, Eastern York 

Colin Rohrer, senior L, Manheim Central 

Drew Palmer, senior OH, Pittsburgh North Catholic 

Jackson Scott, sophomore S, Saegertown 

Aiden Smith, senior S, Shaler

Travis Potteiger, senior OH, South Fayette 

Trent Weinstein, junior OH, York Suburban 

Truett Miller, sophomore OH, York Suburban 

Billy Doyle, junior MH, York Suburban 

Daniel Sledz, senior OH, Bethlehem Catholic 

Gavin Geiger, junior OH, Brandywine Heights 

Stellan Derstine, senior L, Dock Mennonite Academy 

Jack Wasiakowski, junior S, Holy Redeemer 

Max Decker, sophomore S, Meadville 

Hakeim McKenzie, sophomore S, Seton LaSalle 

Adam Hoffman, junior OH, Shaler 

Nate Bukta, junior OH, Southern Lehigh 

X: @JeffReinhart77

MORE L-L LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE

Though they fell to nationally top-ranked Byron Nelson, the run redefined expectations for the Spartans—and Cook’s impact was undeniable.

“I think the whole experience was so surreal,” said Cook, now a senior. “Of course, it’s not something that many people expected us to do, even ourselves at some points.”

Stratford didn’t need outside validation. Internal belief and team-first culture became their fuel.

“We tend to be against the odds, and I feel like that was a big part of what motivated us,” Cook said. “The team was fired up every round because of the doubts we faced. More so than that, we felt like we were doing it for each other, since that’s the culture which has been built upon each season.”

  The stars of 2025-26 Stratford VolleyballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE 2025 VYPE HOUSTON VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

For Cook, the journey went beyond the scoreboard. It was the small, in-between moments that made the experience unforgettable.

“The trips we took are something that’s going to be ingrained in my memory forever,” she said with a laugh. “The stops at Buc-ee’s, making pallets on the bus when we were trying to sleep. It all sort of combines to make the journey that much more special.”

Cook was named Co-District 17-6A MVP in 2024, sharing the honor with Koss. But heading into her final season, the challenge looks different. Stratford is no longer the underdog—they’re the team to beat.

“For the first time in a while, the target is on us,” Cook acknowledged. “It’s pretty clear that we have to adapt, especially now that a newer group of girls is being brought up into the program. We compete in a super competitive region, so regrouping and understanding that this is a new season will be critical.”

  Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)

With graduation on the horizon, Cook is embracing an introspective and emotional chapter.

“For me, it’s a really sad experience,” she said. “This has been like family and like home to me for so long. Coach Jenny (Adcock) has been like a mom to me—go to her any day, she’s there for you. That’s something I’m definitely going to cherish, and I’m sure that I’ll continue to stay in contact with her once I graduate.”

Still, her volleyball story is far from over. Cook has committed to Grand Canyon University, where she’ll play at the Division I level—fulfilling a longtime dream.

“I’m so blessed that I get to play beyond high school,” Cook said. “It relates to the welcoming environment I’ve grown used to feeling at Stratford. I’m going to be spending plenty of time with the coaches and players, so it was imperative that I felt something a little more profound when I went to the campus—which is exactly how it played out.”

From locker room laughs to state finals, Audrey Cook’s journey has been anything but ordinary. As she looks ahead, she’s sure to leave behind a footprint rooted in belief, tenacity, and the team that became her second home.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE 2025 VYPE HOUSTON VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM THE 2025 CITYWIDE PHOTOSHOOT

The Portland Fire are being reborn.

The WNBA expansion franchise, which will enter the league in 2026, announced Tuesday it will reuse the name of the city’s original entry into the league. The original Portland Fire were league members from 2000-02 with a 37-59 record.

The team dissolved following the 2002 season having never made the playoffs.

“As a city that has long championed women’s sports, Portland is ready to reclaim its place in the WNBA and reignite its connection to the game on the world stage,” said Clare Hamill, the franchise’s interim president. “We are thrilled to complete the journey of bringing professional women’s basketball back to the Rose City, while honoring the legacy of the original franchise to blaze a new, bold path forward.”

The team’s logo pays tribute to symbols of the city: Mount Hood, the highest point in Oregon; the city’s flower, the rose; the roofline of the team’s home arena, the Moda Center; and the 12 bridges that connect the city from east to west.

Portland enters the WNBA in 2026 along with Toronto. Teams in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) will give the WNBA 18 teams when they join the league.

Excitement is building in Portland, where the franchise will be owned by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage of RAJ Sports. The group also acquired the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2024.

“With nearly 11,000 season ticket deposits to-date, this community has made it clear they’re ready to embrace the return of women’s professional basketball,” Lisa Bhathal Merage said. “We’re proud to reignite the Portland Fire and can’t wait to welcome new and longtime fans to the Moda Center in 2026.”

–Field Level Media