Sports

University and Charlottesville community members Run For Jim one last time – The Cavalier Daily

Published

5 months ago

June 29, 2025

Hundreds of University and Charlottesville community members joined University President Jim Ryan outside Madison House Saturday morning to participate in a final Run With Jim. The Fourth-Year Trustees planned the event on a whim just a few hours after the announcement of Ryan’s resignation Friday morning with volunteer support from the younger councils.

Attendees included students, alumni, faculty and community members, who completed a 2.8 mile run that took them down McCormick Road, around Scott Stadium and back to the Rotunda.

Run With Jim was a recurring event where Ryan invited students and community members to join him for a morning run around Grounds. Some students attended regularly, while others made it a bucket list item to check off before graduating, often during the traditional fourth-year Run With Jim that would take place at the end of each academic year.

For fourth-year Batten student Anna Bartlett — and many other students in attendance — the tradition was a beloved one that will be missed.

“Run With Jim is one of my very first memories from first year … a lot of my friends and I had been really looking forward to finishing out fourth year with the Run With Jim,” Bartlett said. “Being able to do that one more time and just say thank you means a lot.”

Rather than a Run With Jim, Saturday’s run was advertised by the class councils as a Run For Jim. Keoni Vega, Class of 2026 president and fourth-year College student, made a group chat with Trustee members present in Charlottesville who coordinated all logistics, from route planning to publicity. According to Vega, Ryan took no part in the planning of the run.

“This is simply a show of support and genuine adoration for him and the years of service he put into our University,” Vega said.

Ryan showed up to run in good spirits and thanked everyone in attendance for their support. He reiterated the sentiments expressed in his letter to the University community Friday afternoon, emphasizing his love for the University. His acknowledgements were met with loud cheers and applause from the crowd.

Runners left Madison Hall at approximately 8 a.m. and started to filter into the south side of the Rotunda after completing the run 25 minutes later. Among the first to finish was Hunter Lutz, Class of 2025 alumnus and graduate Engineering student.

Lutz got to know Ryan as a member of the club running team and, like many in attendance, wanted to join the run to demonstrate his respect and admiration for Ryan as a leader.

“The community coming together immediately to showcase their support is a really powerful showcase of the University as a whole, what we represent and what we care about,” Lutz said. “He’s a really inspiring guy, you know, he’s done a lot for this community and I’m really grateful to be part of it.”

A younger runner in attendance was Charlottesville High School senior Elaina Pierce, who is committed to run track and field at the University in 2026. Pierce emphasized the great running community she has found in Charlottesville and came out to support them, along with Ryan, as a Charlottesville native who has grown up around the University.

“This is my community … I just want to support it in any way I can,” Pierce said. “Jim has been a huge part of U.Va., and seeing everyone come out today and support him is awesome.

Members of the Trustees had expressed strong doubts about Ryan’s attendance, given the challenging circumstances following his resignation under pressure from the Department of Justice. Among these members was Boris Nakashyan, Trustees member and fourth-year College student, who led the event in person Saturday alongside members Bartlett and fourth-year College student Rob Martin.

“We truly did not expect him to be here. We did not reach out to him directly, we wanted to give him as much space as possible,” Nakashyan said. “But the joy everyone felt when they saw Jim should say a lot about how much people care about him in this community.”

Some participants travelled far and wide to attend the Run For Jim. Fourth-year Education student Meredith Collier is working in Washington, D.C. for the summer as a civics teaching fellow. Collier woke up at 5 a.m. to make it in time for the run in support of the University community and of Ryan, who she feels has inspired students to lead with integrity.

Collier, who had never participated in a Run With Jim before Saturday, said she wanted to inspire her own students and set an example for them to act when they see something they care about.

“I need to practice what I preach,” Collier said. “I care deeply about this community and the spirit of student self-governance that runs through every organization and every conversation we have on Grounds.”

Julie Caruccio, assistant vice president for strategic initiatives, was among the few faculty in attendance Saturday. Caruccio recently served as the interim Dean of Students and has held multiple positions in the Division of Student Affairs, working with the Honor Committee, Housing and Residence Life and Student Engagement and Inclusion.

According to Caruccio, Saturday’s run displayed the long-preserved tradition of student self-governance at the University and served as a reminder of its importance.

“This was a student-driven idea, student coordinated event, and it’s what makes me so proud to work here,” Caruccio said. “I was excited to support it, and I was excited to see [students’] response to him and their response to what happened. This is why this is a special place.”

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Sports

NCAA women’s volleyball regionals: Live updates, scores, schedule, highlights

Published

7 seconds ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ahead of regionals, Michella Chester re-ranked the 16 teams still standing. Here are her top five before regional action tips off on Thursday:

1. Nebraska (No. 1 seed)
This one seems obvious. The Cornhuskers are the team to beat as the only undefeated squad in DI.

2. Kentucky (No. 1 seed)
With just two losses all season, it’d be hard to move the Wildcats any lower even though they were the only No. 1 seed to drop a set in the first two rounds.

3. Texas (No. 1 seed)
The Longhorns had one of the toughest second round matchups with No. 8 Penn State, but they posted an impressive sweep, holding the Nittany Lions to just nine points in the second set.

4. Pitt (No. 1 seed)
The Panthers swept Michigan in the second round, but maybe not as easily as they would’ve liked. Sets one and two were each just two-point wins, but with the reigning AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock on their side, it’s hard to count out Pitt.

5. SMU (No. 2 seed)
The Mustangs are the first 2-seed to crack the re-rankings after setting an NCAA tournament record with a .618 hitting percentage in the first round. This team is hot right now heading into regionals.

👉 Click or tap here to find all 16 teams re-ranked

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Philippart, Williams Win RMAC Honors For Debuts

Published

15 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By: Tim Flynn

COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado School of Mines freshmen long jumpers Alejandro Philippart and Violet Williams have earned the RMAC’s Field Athlete of the Week awards to open the indoor track & field season.

The duo had debuts to remember on Dec. 5 at the Mines Alumni Classic as each won their respective long jump competitions. Philippart turned in Mines’ best long jump mark in a decade – 7.38m (24-2.5) – to take the early RMAC lead and tie for third on the NCAA Division II national performance list. Meanwhile, Williams smashed the Mines record with her mark of 6.21m (20-4.5), the best in the RMAC since 2021 and second on the national list after the opening weekend. Williams also ran an impressive 7.70-second 60m dash on Saturday, becoming the #3 performer all-time at Mines in the sprint event.

The Orediggers return to action this weekend at the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite at UCCS.

RMAC Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week, Dec. 10
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Kidus Begashaw, Adams State
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Alejandro Philippart, Colorado School of Mines
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: Helen Braybrook, CSU Pueblo
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: Violet Williams, Colorado School of Mines

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Cal Poly Volleyball Enters NCAA Regional Semifinals Versus One-Seed Kentucky

Published

16 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Mustangs Riding High

Cal Poly boasts one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, ranking 18th in hitting percentage (.278) after 13 consecutive weeks in the top 25. A key contributor is AVCA All-Pacific Region Honorable Mention Chloe Leluge, who ranks second in the Big West and 36th nationally with a .383 hitting percentage.

Leluge’s .372 career hitting percentage would lead the program’s Division I era by 17 points, and her current season rate places her in the top 10 in program history. A true two-way middle blocker, she co-leads the team and the conference with 130 total blocks. After committing just one error on 57 attacks in the Big West Championship, she was named tournament MVP and later to Michella Chester’s NCAA Rotation of the Week.

Other essential contributors include Emme Bullis, Kendall Beshear, Emma Fredrick, Annabelle Thalken, Charlotte Kelly, and Elif Hurriyet.

The redshirt senior captain Bullis set a Big West Championship single-match record with 51 assists against Long Beach State. She recently moved to #2 on Cal Poly’s career assists list (over 4,000) and set a new personal single-season high against BYU. Her 1,184 assists this season rank 17th nationally.

The lethal hitter trio of Fredrick, Beshear, and Thalken has helped propel the Mustangs to 23rd nationally in team kills. Fredrick leads the team in total kills (411) and digs (339). Beshear follows in kills (369) and digs (281) and possesses one of the nation’s most formidable jump serves, tallying 49 aces (32nd in Division I). Thalken has quietly been the team’s most efficient on the outside, leading the trio for hitting percentage (.296)

True freshman middle Kelly stepped up after a preseason injury to 2024 All-Big West First Team selection Breklyn Pulling. Thriving alongside Leluge, Kelly co-leads the team and conference in blocks (130).

An athletic and intelligent defender at libero, Hurriyet leads the team in digs per set (3.35) and has expanded her role this season, providing 91 assists as a second-touch attacker.

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Hall, McFadden Garner WAC Track Athlete of the Week Accolades

Published

31 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ARLINGTON, Texas – Abilene Christian swept the first Western Athletic Conference weekly track honors of the indoor season, the conference announced on Wednesday. Miguel Hall was named the University Credit Union Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, while Madelyn McFadden earned Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Women’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades.

It’s the first conference recognition of both student-athletes’ careers after they competed at Texas A&M’s McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational last week. The Wildcats got their season started with two victories and eight top-three placements at the Fasken Indoor Track & Field in College Station, Texas.

Hall began his junior campaign with a third-place performance in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, clocking in with a time of 8.03 seconds, only a few fractions off his personal best. He completed the event just five hundredths of a second off of first place. Hall’s performance ranked 37th in the nation through the first week of action.

McFadden, a freshman competing in her first collegiate meet, landed in the top three in both events she participated in. The Franklin, Texas product finished in second place amongst 12 student-athletes in the women’s 600-meter, recording a time of one minute and 35.12 seconds. McFadden was one of two Wildcats in the top three, as Jalyn Childers came in at 1:36.23.

McFadden later capped ACU’s 4×400 relay that placed second in 3:50.94. She completed her split in 58.24 while teaming up with Anna Vyn, Emma Santoro and Gracee Whiteaker. The relay’s time is the 40th-best in the country.

The Wildcats return to action in 2026 at the Corky Classic, hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas on Jan. 16-17, 2026.

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John Cook Arena renderings reveal game-changing amenities for Nebraska volleyball fans

Published

32 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Husker Athletic Fund released renderings and additional details Wednesday ahead of the planned expansion of the John Cook Arena in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The arena will undergo its first-ever full reseating and parking process in Nebraska Volleyball program history in 2026. It is timed to coincide with a renovation of the arena to increase overall capacity to 10,000.

According to the athletic fund, the renovation will enhance Nebraska’s home-court advantage, modernize amenities and provide new premium and general seating options. This includes adding:

New and improved seats with cupholders in each seat.
A new centralized student section.
New and improved courtside seating with both end court and side court locations available. The Courtside Lounge offers access pre-game and during intermission and includes private restrooms, televisions, and all-inclusive gourmet food, beverage and alcohol.
New Loge Box seating with hospitality lounge with access pre-game and during intermission, including access to private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and beverage with a cash bar.
Libero Club seating replaces the VIP seats. Located in the back row of the 100 level, seats include access to the Libero Club Lounge pre-game and during intermission complete with televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and soft drinks with a cash bar.
Additional ADA seating with new vantage points and easier access from around the concourse.

Reseating and parking process

The Husker Athletic Fund announced the first-ever reseating and parking process in October.

The selection position will be determined through donation and Nebraska Athletics’ five levels of giving.

2025 Nebraska volleyball season ticket holders, including those who are Husker Athletic Fund members, can upgrade their membership level up until the March 18, 2026, lock date.

Fans will be notified in April of their 2026 volleyball reseat selection date and time. During the selection process, fans will have a five-minute window to view a 3D map and choose their seats.

Nebraska Athletics noted some changes for certain membership levels, such as limiting the ticket maximum for the Nebraska Leadership Society to six tickets.

Nebraska Athletics believes the new process will bring an estimated $8 million in revenue, compared to a projected $4.5 million for the 2025 season.

For more information about the reseating process, click here.

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Rowan Women’s Indoor Track and Field opens season in New York – The Whit

Published

48 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Rowan Profs traveled to New York on Friday to make their season debut at the Armory Collegiate Distance Carnival in New York City and the Fasttrack Season Opener in Staten Island. There was no team scoring at either meets, but the events allowed to get some competition in early.

The team’s season opener welcomed two first-place finishes and two second-place finishes, but head coach Shedrick Elliott III says this first meet was just to get the team warmed up.

“Overall, it was a good opportunity for them to get their feet wet through the indoor oval,” Elliott III said. “It was an opportunity for them to… hopefully give them motivation through winter break, because this is the most difficult point.”

The team had a handful of standout performances at the Fasttrack Meet. Freshman Naa’ilah Munson from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, made her collegiate debut this past week. The walk-on hit a new PR of 11.16 meters in the triple jump, landing her in fourth place. The Prof was later named the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s (NJAC) Rookie of the Week.

“Talking her out of high school, that young lady has really worked really hard just for this opportunity … she’s taking advantage of the opportunity. So I was extremely impressed, and hopefully it builds her confidence,” Elliot III said.

Nyla Jones, the sophomore, took home a first-place finish in the 300-meter dash, defeating the 32 athletes competing against her. The Prof finished the race with a time of 40.69. Jones went on to take the second-place spot with a time of 8.93 in the 60-meter hurdles.

Jones’ success doesn’t surprise Elliot III.

“I’m not surprised. Nyla is gonna be one of the best in probably ever, in Division three,” Elliott III said.

Another standout was junior Ava Rizzo. Rizzo got a first-place finish with her 1:38.68 time in the 600-meter race, followed by Lisa O’Sullivan with a time of 1:39.57.

With winter break on the horizon, the team isn’t expected to compete until mid January. The break may be filled with holiday cheer and time with family, but Elliott III hopes his team will continue to focus on running and progressing over their month-long break.

“Hopefully this year, they all decide to really work out, but I’m definitely nervous,” Elliott III said. “Because it’s outside my control. There’s nothing I can do other than give them what to do, and then they got to go do it.”

After winter break, the team will travel back to New York to compete in the Gotham Cup on Friday, Jan. 16.

For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]

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