Water polo might not be the most common answer to the ‘what-the-Olympian-did-next’ trope, but for Riordan, it was the right antidote to help her immediate post-swimming life. She went to her first water polo training session at the National Aquatic Centre in Abbotstown with her new club, St Vincent’s Water Polo Club, just a month after the Paris Olympics. Two weeks ago, she helped them win the Irish Senior Cup in Limerick.

“A bit humbling at the beginning going from the Olympics to being the very worst [player] on a team that has 14-year-old girls on it,” Riordan smiles. “At the moment, I’m in the mind space of ‘I want to enjoy’ sports, first and foremost, to be doing it because I want to be there. The Olympics were a heavy mental and emotional toll on me. I wanted a break from that.”

Co-existing with intense change has been part of Riordan’s story over the past year. After the Irish women’s 4x100m freestyle relay initially missed out on qualifying for Paris by one spot, Riordan retired from the sport at age 24. The twist came when Japan withdrew from the event in June, which meant Ireland got back in through the ranking system. Riordan had to unretire herself and had just a month to prepare for her first Olympics.

The breaking of an Olympic dream and the scramble to put it back together in such a short time left rough edges.

“The few months leading up to Paris were probably the most emotionally strained I’ve been in my life,” Riordan said. “I think I’d already grieved, grieved the loss. I had decided, ‘OK, it’s not happening for me, I’m not going to the Olympics’. And then, two weeks later, it was, ‘Get back to Dublin, you might be going’. It took a big toll on the mind more than the body.

“I think I kind of had a sour taste in my mouth from swimming after, even though I had this amazing experience and I’ll never forget that. I didn’t even want to do the swim sessions with the water polo team. I managed to force myself to do it.”

The intensity only escalated when she got to Paris. The relay team came 16th overall in their heats on the official opening day, but then she tested positive for Covid afterwards and had to leave the village immediately. The five-ringed experience didn’t hit the peak she imagined.

“You do build it up in your head a little bit and then you get there and you’re like, oh my goodness the food is not nice, the hotel is not nice. I got Covid when I was over there. I was not well when I raced. I tested negative before I raced and tested positive after, so I got sent home immediately.

“You walk out and you’re like, this is it, this is the moment. And then you’re also like, oh this is it. Two edges of a sword, I guess.”

Her new sport brings her into contact with her old home. The first time she walked into the National Aquatic Centre to go water polo training, she felt a shudder, “post-traumatic stress disorder from all the training” from her swimming days.

While there was an element of a team when she competed in the relays for Ireland, it’s not the same as competing in an actual team like water polo (a physical sport described as a combination of swimming, basketball and wrestling).

“In Paris, we were all really good friends, we were all doing the same event, but we were also all competing to get onto the relay. You’re there for each other, but you’re also, ‘I want to beat her’. It’s a hugely different dynamic. Whereas in water polo, it’s like everybody is taking a share of the pressure, it’s not one person’s fault, it’s the team. That’s something I’ve never experienced before and it’s been so refreshing to be a part of that.

​“I didn’t realise how physical the sport was. People are wrestling each other in the water, but it’s almost refreshing to see that in a women’s sport because that’s not how we’re meant to behave I guess, but it is very physical, very aggressive.

“It’s different, even learning tactics and stuff, I’ve never really done anything like that, just swim in a straight line and hope for the best.”

Post-Paris, Riordan has started working as a documentation specialist with a pharmaceutical company in Grange Castle, Dublin. She’s also training for the marathon in Lisbon in October.

“Something I always knew coming out of swimming is that I can’t just stop activity altogether. I think I get quite down if I do. So I picked up all these sports, I’m just trying everything out. Before I used to work my life around my sport, whereas now I’m working sport around my life. It’s a different dynamic for me.”

PUEBLO, Colo. – Augustana track and field collected two more All-America honors on day two of action at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships, this time at the hands of Bryn Greenwaldt and Andrew Martens.
 
In the women’s high jump, Greenwaldt cleared a height of 5-06.00 (1.68m) to finish 15^th overall in the tightly-contested field. Her placing gave her Second Team All-America honors to add to her storied career as a Viking.
 
Over in the men’s 110-meter hurdle prelims, Martens clocked a speedy time of 13.77 seconds in the first heat of the event. It was the fourth-fastest clocking in his heat and was eighth-fastest overall, but an automatic qualifying time in the final heat edged out Martens for the bid to the event finals. He finishes with Second Team All-America honors to cap off a record-breaking career at Augustana.
 
The final day of the national championships will conclude for Augustana in the form of Ryan Hartman, who will compete in the 5000-meter run at approximately 9:30 p.m. CT.
 

–GoAugie.com–

Men’s Outdoor Track and Field | 5/23/2025 5:27:24 PM

Senior Ann Brennan of SUNY Geneseo, freshman Alexa Belanger of Houghton University and Geneseo sophomore Pierce Young earned First Team All-American honors on day two of the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, May 23 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH.

Belanger began the day by finishing tied for eighth in the high jump. She was successful on her first two attempts of the day, clearing both 1.60 and 1.65 meters before missing her attempts at 1.68 meters.

Young, who qualified for 3,000-meter steeplechase championship after finishing sixth in the prelims yesterday, was in the top-five for nearly the entire race, climbing to as high as third at the 1,400 meter mark. Young would finish the race in fifth place, crossing the finish line in a time of 8:56.03.

Brennan, who recorded the second best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase prelims on Thursday, raced just outside the lead pack for the second half of the final, hitting the finish line sixth overall in a time of 10:33.24 which shattered her own Empire 8 record by 17 one-hundredths of a second.

Jillian Ambler of Geneseo earned NCAA Second Team All-American honors in the 100-meter hurdles after placing 10th in the prelims Friday in a time of 14.13 seconds. Her teammate Janelle Eckl was 13th in the prelims of the 800-meters to garner Second Team All-American honors in the event.

On the men’s side, Matthew Sheehan placed 11th in the prelims of the 800-meters and Jacob Miller was 12th in the 400-meter prelims to both garner Second Team All-American honors.

Yesterday, Geneseo senior Penelope Greene rolled to the win in the 10,000-meter championship race in a time of 33:46.70 to become the sixth different Empire 8 student-athlete to win a women’s outdoor track and field national title. She will look to earn the double in the 5,000-meters on Saturday afternoon.

Also on Thursday, Geneseo graduate student Charlie Wilson crossed the finish line third in the 10,000-meter run in an Empire 8 all-time record time of 29:21.43 but was moved up to second and national runner-up honors due to a disqualification.

Below is a complete list of the Empire 8 student-athletes who competed in the NCAA Championships on Friday and those who are set to compete on Saturday. Action begins from SPIRE with Zoe Connor of Geneseo competing in the hammer throw, starting at 11 a.m.

 

WOMEN’S FRIDAY RESULTS

3,000-Meter Steeplechase

Ann Brennan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – second in prelims, sixth in finals – 10:33.24

First Team All-American; All-Time Empire 8 Record

High Jump

Alexa Belanger, Fr., Houghton – tied for eighth – 1.65 meters (5′ 5″)

First Team All-American

100-Meter Hurdles

Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – tenth in prelims – :14.13

Second Team All-American

Cierra Franz, Sr., St. John Fisher – 17th in prelims – :14.48

800-Meter Run

Janelle Eckl, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 13th in prelims – 2:12.52

Second Team All-American

Sierra Doody, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 17th in prelims – 2:15.79

400-Meter Dash

Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – 17th in prelims – :56.20

MEN’S FRIDAY RESULTS

3,000-Meter Steeplechase Prelims

Pierce Young, So., SUNY Geneseo – eighth in prelims, fifth in finals – 8:56.03

First Team All-American

400-Meter Dash

Jacob Miller, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 12th in prelims – :48.37

Second Team All-American

800-Meter Run

Matthew Sheehan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 11th in prelims – 1:52.38

Second Team All-American

UPCOMING WOMEN’S EVENTS

Hammer Throw (Prelims and Finals, Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m.)

21. Zoe Connor, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 52.51 meters

5,000-Meter Run (Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4:25 p.m.)

1. Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 16:12.88 !

UPCOMING MEN’S EVENTS

1,500-Meter Run Finals, Saturday, May 24, 1:25 p.m.)

Ryan Hagan, So., SUNY Geneseo – seventh in prelims – 3:52.68

Jonathan Zavala, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 10h in prelims – 3:53.38

Hammer Throw (Prelims and Finals, Saturday, May 24, 1:45 p.m.)

9. Brandon Kaplan, Jr., St. John Fisher – 60.87 meters

5,000-Meter Run (Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4 p.m.)

6. Ryan Hagan, So., SUNY Geneseo – 14:04.11

12. Charlie Wilson, Gr., SUNY Geneseo – 14:08.50

4 x 400-Meter Relay Finals, Saturday, May 24, 4:50 p.m.)

Arjun Ohja, Fr, Sam Belmont, So., Giancarlo Di Fava, So., Jacob Miller, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – third in prelims – 3:11.45

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

 

The Sage Hill boys’ volleyball team swept visiting Woodland Hills Taft 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 on Thursday to advance to the CIF State Southern California Division III regional final.

Top-seeded Sage Hill (21-11) will play host to No. 3 seed San Diego Clairemont (28-10) in the regional championship game on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Long Beach State-bound outside hitter Jackson Cryst had 23 kills, six digs, five blocks and two service aces to lead the Lightning, currently riding a season-best 11-game winning streak that has already seen Sage Hill earn the Southern Section Division 4 title with a five-set victory at Santa Barbara on Saturday, May 17.

It marked back-to-back CIF championships for the program, which also won the Division 5 title last season.

Junior outside hitter Ryan Manesh contributed 12 kills for Sage Hill, and junior opposite Dylan Han provided six kills. Junior setter Connor Gapp added nine digs on defense, and freshman libero Ethan McNutt also had eight digs.

Huntington Beach 3, Corona del Mar 1: Junior opposite Ben Arguello had 18 kills to pace the host Oilers in a 23-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21 win on Thursday in a Division I regional semifinal.

Sophomore outside hitter Logan Hutnick had 15 kills, 13 digs and three block assists for Huntington Beach (36-4), which advances to a CIF finals rematch at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (35-2) on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The top-seeded Mustangs, ranked No. 1 in the nation, edged the second-ranked Oilers in five sets in the CIF Division 1 title game at Cerritos College on Friday, May 16.

Harvard-bound setter Kai Gan dished out 53 assists for Huntington Beach against CdM (25-7), which placed second in the Sunset League. Junior outside hitter Colin Choi contributed 15 kills and eight digs, and senior libero Aiden Atencio provided 13 digs.

Senior middle blocker Nick Ganier Jr. had seven kills and 2½ blocks. Senior middle blocker Justin Bulsombut chipped in with four kills and four block assists.

Hempstead, NY – Abraham Longosiwa will represent the Hofstra men’s outdoor track & field team at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field East First Round this week in Jacksonville, Florida. Longosiwa will be competing in the men’s 10,000m race on the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. The men’s 10,000m semifinal race will get underway at 9:10 p.m. on May 28.

The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field East First Round runs May 28-31 at the University of North Florida. All events will be available to stream live on ESPN+ and live results will also be available. Links to watch on ESPN+ and follow the live results can be found on this page and on the men’s cross country/track schedule page on GoHofstra.com.

Longosiwa punched his ticket to the national championship event with his personal best time of 28:44.13 at the 2025 Raleigh Relays. It will be his third year competing in the men’s 10,000m race at the NCAA East First Round and the program’s 11th NCAA qualification since 2019.

The qualifiers from the East and West First Rounds will compete at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, for the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 11-14.

It’s been a big week for Newport Harbor High junior Connor Ohl.

The sharp-shooting boys’ water polo player committed to Stanford earlier this week. He then turned 18 on Thursday, the same day the Sailors hosted the third annual “Battle in the Bay” showcase against rival Corona del Mar in the water next to Marina Park on the Balboa Peninsula.

Ohl gave himself a birthday gift.

Corona del Mar’s Cooper Kelly (3) finds a gap in the defense as he scores a goal on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

He was named the KAP7 Player of the Game for the boys’ match, earning a stand-up paddleboard for his efforts.

Newport Harbor swept the two games, winning the girls’ game 17-5 before earning a 15-8 win in the boys’ game.

“We really came together and our crash defense was just amazing,” said Ohl, who led the Sailors with four goals in the boys’ game. “When you play good defense, the offense will come, and that’s what happened today. Our defense complemented our offense.”

Newport Harbor’s Kai Kaneko (8) fires in a penalty shot against CdM on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The Battle in the Bay has become an annual event that the Newport Beach water polo community circles on its calendar. Newport Harbor looked the part of a team that was a CIF Southern Section Open Division champion in the boys’ season last fall, and an Open Division finalist in the girls’ season in the winter.

“It’s such a unique spot,” Sailors coach Ross Sinclair said. “It’s unique to play in the Battle of the Bay, and I think this is another added element of celebrating the community and being able to play in the bay. It’s a novelty.”

Members of the Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar girls water polo teams shake hands after the game on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Kai Kaneko added three goals for the Sailors boys, while Dash D’Ambrosia, Hudson Parks and Mason Netzer scored twice each. Koosha Mirrafati led CdM with three goals.

“It’s a cool thing for our community to come together and do something that no other programs in the country get to do,” CdM coach Lucas Reynolds said, adding that he was a bit jealous the event wasn’t around when he was a CdM student. “Being able to play in the bay, play so close to home in a really cool environment, I think it’s an awesome opportunity for our kids.”

Newport Harbor senior goalkeeper Lydia Soderberg was the Player of the Game for the girls’ match. Some of her Sailors teammates blew up her inflatable paddleboard and watched the boys’ game while perched on it.

Newport Harbor’s Audrey Metcalf (5) fires a shot to the goal against Corona del Mar on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Caitlin Stayt and Gabby Alexson led the Sailors with three goals each, while Josie Alaluf had two goals for CdM.

Newport Harbor also benefited from strong play from freshmen, including Lily Tomalas, Vivian Muir, Olivia Bryant and goalkeeper Sutton Lohman. They stepped up, as four Sailors — Madison Mack, Kennedy Fahey, Addison Ting and Caroline Daniels — are currently playing for the U.S. Cadet National Team at the PanAm Aquatics Water Polo Championships in Colombia.

“This is just a really unique experience,” Stayt said. “We love coming out here and being with the community, being with each other.”

CdM’s Camyrn Spruill (12) shoots in a goal against Newport Harbor between the boat docks in Marina Park on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)