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University Northern Iowa

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CARBONDALE, Ill. — The UNI track and field team on Saturday wrapped up a strong performance at this year’s Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Outdoor Championships at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex on Sunday, with both the men’s and women’s programs finishing third in their respective team races.

The top-three finishes mark the Panther men’s tenth top-three finish in the last 11 seasons, while the UNI women recorded their highest team finish since 2016 when they placed second. Indiana State captured the team titles for both men and women.

Individually, Northern Iowa swept both of the multi-event competitions as Joey Perry became UNI’s first MVC heptathlon champion since 2017, while Zack Butcher captured his third career conference decathlon crown, securing UNI’s fourth win in the event in the last six seasons. Thrower Katie Fare solidified her position as one of the league’s top throwers with a women’s shot put title, the Panthers’ first in the event since 2007, as Carlie Jo Fusco won her first MVC title in the 400-meter hurdles, UNI first winner in the event in nine years.

Following the meet, Fare, along with Brendan Safley, who won the men’s pole vaulting title on Saturday, were named the MVC Field Athletes of the Meet. Fare also received this honor during the MVC Indoor Championships this past March.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Perry, who led the heptathlon after a pair of event wins on Saturday, closed out the two-day, seven-event competition strong with wins in the long jump and 800 meters on Sunday to finish with 5,163 points, becoming UNI’s first heptathlon champion since Rachel Peth in 2015. Katy Hand meanwhile set a new career-best score of 4,635 points to take fifth.

After capturing three event wins in the decathlon on Saturday, Butcher finished the ten-event competition with a career-high 7,379 points, becoming the fifth athlete in conference history to win the event at least three times, having previously won the MVC decathlon in 2021 and 2023. Brody Lovell also set a new career-best score of 6,294 points with a seventh-place finish. UNI has notably won four of the last six MVC decathlon competitions.

Fare added to her decorated throwing career with a winning throw of 16.94 meters in the women’s shot put, securing the 2025 MVC indoor and outdoor shot put sweep. She is also the first Panther to win the outdoor shot put crown since Rachel Jensen in 2007. Jorie Hanenburg placed sixth in the women’s shot put with a career-best 14.73-meter toss. In addition to her shot put title, Fare also placed fifth in the women’s hammer throw with a career-best 56.39-meter toss.

On the track, Carlie Jo Fusco, in her first MVC Outdoor Championship meet, captured the women’s 400-meter hurdles title with a career-best and facility record time of 58.85 seconds, becoming Northern Iowa’s first champion in the event since Paige Knodel in 2016. Eden Moore followed Fusco in sixth place (1:01.94). Freshman Hogrefe took fourth in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a career-best 53.27 second time, as Bill Mukhtar took eighth (54.06).

In the jumping pits, Josie Moreland tied her own school record with a second-place showing in the women’s high jump (1.78m) with Rylie Todd following in third place (1.75m). Caden Ungs meanwhile finished fifth in the men’s high jump (1.99m), while Soren Maricle captured seventh in the women’s triple jump with a career-best 11.60-meter mark.

Spencer Kessel would lead the Panther men’s throwing core with a third-place showing in the shot put with a season-best 18.450-meter throw, with David Russel taking fifth with a career-best 18.19-meter toss, Sebastian Swistak taking sixth (17.82m) and Carson Lienau eighth (17.43m). Kessel also took fourth in the hammer throw with a career-best 57.74-meter performance as Nathan Wilde took fifth (57.41m).

Parker Kiewiet clocked a season-best 46.93 with a third-place finish in the men’s 400 meters with Zach Fall taking fifth (47.88), while Drake Hanson led the way for the Panthers with a third-place performance in the men’s 800-meter run, dropping two seconds from his preliminary time on Saturday (1:49.15). Chase Knoche followed Hanson in fourth (1:49.84) with Derek Woods taking sixth (1:52.49). Emma Hoins also took home eighth in the women’s 5,000 meters (17:10.26).

In the sprints, Paige Kisley took fourth in the women’s 100-meter hurdle finals (13.97), with Kiewiet (21.29) and Deonte Dean (21.31) placing sixth and seventh respectively in the mens’ 200-meter dash. Luke Meyers crossed the finish line seventh in the men’s 100-meter dash (10.71), as Jersey Jones captured eighth place in the women’s 400 meters (56.19).

In the relays, the 4×400-meter men’s relay team of Onal Mitchell, Hanson, Meyers and Fall clocked a 3:11.22, while the women’s team of Perry, Jones, Maya Williams and Fusco ran a 3:39.70, both finishing third. UNI finished fourth in the men’s 4×100-meter relay with the team of Meyers, Jerome Jessup, Drew Bartels and Dean (40.31), as Kisley, Olivia Kramer, Eva Van De Mortel and Jessica Kyle took sixth (46.03).

 

FINAL WOMEN’S TEAM STANDINGS

  • 1st – Indiana State (140.5)

  • 2nd – Illinois State (119)

  • 3rd – UNI (110)

  • 4th – Missouri State (90)

  • 5th – Bradley (76)

  • 6th – Southern Illinois (75)

  • 7th – Belmont (73)

  • 8th – Murray State (64.5)

  • 9th – Drake (63)

  • 10th – UIC (8)

  • T11th – Evansville (0)

  • T11th – Valparaiso (0)

 

FINAL MEN’S TEAM STANDINGS

  • 1st – Indiana State (210)

  • 2nd – Illinois State (149)

  • 3rd – UNI (124)

  • 4th – Drake (85)

  • 5th – Southern Illinois (79)

  • 6th – Belmont (64)

  • 7th – Bradley (54)

  • 8th – Evansville (26)

  • 9th – Valparaiso (17)

  • 10th – UIC (10)

 

SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS

  • Women’s Most Valuable Athlete – Leah Thames (Southern Illinois)

  • Men’s Most Valuable Athlete – Casey Hood Jr. (Indiana State)

  • Women’s Freshman of the Year – Justice Boston (Indiana State) & Emma Yoder (Indiana State)

  • Men’s Freshman of the Year – Andre Jackson II (Southern Illinois)

  • Women’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete – Rachel Mehringer (Indiana State)

  • Men’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete – Casey Hood Jr. (Indiana State)

  • Women’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete – Katie Fare (UNI)

  • Men’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete – Brendan Safley (UNI)

  • Women’s Elite 18 Award – Brooke Garter (Belmont)

  • Men’s Elite 18 Award – Will Staggs (Indiana State)

 

UP NEXT

Qualified athletes will head south to College Station, Texas for the NCAA West Regional Prelim Meet, scheduled for May 28-31 at E.B. Cushing Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University. The list of qualified athletes is expected to be announced this week.

 

UNI track and field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.



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Texas Outside Hitter Whitney Lauenstein Transfers To Penn State Women’s Volleyball

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December 25, 2025

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Texas outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein announced her commitment to Penn State women’s volleyball out of the transfer portal on Wednesday. Lauenstein posted her decision to transfer to Happy Valley on her Instagram.

As a redshirt senior this past season, Lauenstein logged 33 kills, 11 digs, and 14 total blocks across 20 sets for the Longhorns.

Lauenstein began her NCAA journey with two seasons at Nebraska. As a sophomore, she led the Cornhuskers in total points, earning AVCA All-Region Team and Academic All-Big Ten honors.

After the 2022 season, the Waverly, Nebraska, native stepped away from the team to focus on her family. Lauenstein then transferred to Texas in December of 2023, where she spent the last two seasons.

Lauenstein now joins setter Alexis Stucky and middle blocker Ryla Jones as transfer players who have committed to the Nittany Lions this cycle.

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Cadyn is a third-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You’ll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214.



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Marquette volleyball All-American Natalie Ring transfers to Texas A&M

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December 25, 2025

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Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 10:22 a.m. CT





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Izzy Starck transfers to Pitt volleyball from Penn State

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December 25, 2025

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Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 12:56 p.m. ET





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Texas A&M volleyball’s sweep of Kentucky attracts record viewership

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December 25, 2025

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Dec. 24, 2025, 10:30 a.m. CT

Texas A&M’s first-ever NCAA Championship win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday was one of the most-watched title games in college volleyball history.

The 2025 campaign has featured many first-time achievements for Jamie Morrison’s squad in just his third year as head coach in Bryan-College Station, Texas, including a victory in the No. 2-most-watched NCAA title game ever. Texas A&M’s match against Kentucky attracted a peak of 1.7 million viewers, as part of the most-consumed NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament in the history of the sport.

The Aggies have much to be proud of following their historic run on the court this season. Still, the Maroon and White faithful have also played their own crucial roles in supporting the program as it ventured to some of the most hostile road environments in volleyball. One of those rowdy atmospheres occurred in the Lincoln Regional, where Morrison’s squad dethroned No. 1 seed Nebraska in an instant classic that advanced the Aggies to their first-ever appearance in the Final Four.

Texas A&M’s outstanding season, capped off by a sweep of the Wildcats in the NCAA Championship, played a massive role in etching their name into the viewership history books.





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K-State Hires Jeremiah Johnson to Serve as Defensive Backs Coach

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December 25, 2025

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – A 24-year coaching veteran who has 13 years of coordinator experience, Jeremiah Johnson has been hired as a defensive backs coach at Kansas State, head coach Collin Klein announced Wednesday.
 
Johnson comes to Manhattan after serving one season as the defensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina in addition to being the Chanticleers’ interim head coach for the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech, which will be played next Tuesday.
 
“When Coach Klein called about joining his staff, it was a no brainer,” said Johnson, who worked with Klein during the 2016 season at Northern Iowa. “Having the opportunity to help him execute his vision for this program is exciting, and I am humbled and honored to work alongside one of the best coaches, leaders and humans in this business. It’s an added bonus that I am able to return to my home state. Nicki, Lane, Drew and I are so grateful to Collin and Shalin for bringing us on their journey and making us a part of their Wildcat Family. Team Johnson is fired up to get to Manhattan and get to work. Go Cats!”
 
Johnson has also served as a defensive coordinator at Northern Iowa (2014-2021, 2023), Kent State (2022) and Louisiana Tech (2024).
 
“Jeremiah is one of the best teachers of the game of football I have been around,” said Klein. “He is a relentless recruiter and a program builder. I am very excited to have him on our staff.”
 
This season, Johnson has helped Coastal advance to its sixth-straight bowl game as the Chanticleers rank 16th nationally and second in the Sun Belt in fourth down defense (40.0%) and 31st in fumble recoveries (8). He has helped Xamarion Gordon to a No. 2 national ranking in fumble recoveries (3) and a No. 5 ranking in the conference in interceptions (3). Myles Woods also had three interceptions on the year, while Johnson has coached Ezekiel Durham-Campbell to a No. 7 ranking in the conference in sacks (0.46 per game).
 
The Johnson-led Louisiana Tech defense in 2024 ranked 12th nationally in total defense, surrendering only 308.4 yards per game. It was a 98-spot improvement over where the Bulldogs finished in 2023, while his unit also produced a 91-place improvement in scoring defense (21.0 points per game) as they finished at No. 26. Additionally, Johnson led La Tech to an 88-place bump in rushing defense (135.5 yards per game) to rank 44th.
 
Outside of a one-year hiatus in which he served the 2022 season as Kent State’s defensive coordinator, Johnson coached for 16 seasons at Northern Iowa, spending the 2007 through 2021 seasons – in addition to the 2023 campaign – in Cedar Falls. While at UNI, Johnson coached Panther defenders to a combined 32 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) First Team honors, five MVFC Defensive Players of the Year, one Buck Buchanan Award winner, 15 Associated Press FCS All-America honors and seven American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American accolades.
 
In 11 seasons as the UNI defensive coordinator, Johnson’s defenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in statistical categories 29 times, which included turnovers gained on six occasions (highest ranking of No. 2 in 2019 with 34), defensive touchdowns four times (highest ranking of No. 5 in 2016 and 2019 with 4) and scoring defense three times (best ranking of No. 6 at 15.3 points per game in the Spring of 2021). During his first run as defensive coordinator from 2014 through 2021, UNI ranked sixth in the FCS by allowing 19.9 points per game over a 99-game span. He was also named a finalist for the 2019 FootballScoop FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year award.
 
The Panthers won four conference championships during Johnson’s time at UNI. Additionally, they made 10 FCS Playoff appearances and advanced past the first round in eight of 10 seasons, which included a semifinal showing in 2008 and quarterfinal appearances in 2015 and 2019.
 
Before being promoted to coordinator, Johnson coached the Northern Iowa defensive backs and served as the recruiting coordinator from 2009 through 2012. In 2007 and 2008, he was the video coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach.
 
Johnson went to UNI after working the 2003 through 2006 seasons at Loras College, serving on the same staff as former K-State head coach Chris Klieman. Johnson worked with the Duhawk defensive backs in 2003, 2004 and 2006, while he coached the wide receivers in 2005. Prior to his time at Loras, he was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Wyoming in 2002.
 
A native of Scandia, Kansas, Johnson obtained his undergraduate degree in sports science from Kansas in 2000, while he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Loras in 2005.
 
Johnson and his five, Nicki, have a son, Lane, and a daughter, Drew.
 
THE JEREMIAH JOHNSON FILE
Hometown: Scandia, Kansas
College: Kansas – Bachelor’s degree in sports science (2000); Loras College – Master’s degree in athletic administration (2005)
Family: Wife: Nicki; Children: Lane, Drew
 
JEREMIAH JOHNSON’S COACHING CAREER
2002, Wyoming (Graduate Assistant/Video Coordinator)
2003-04, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2005, Loras College (Wide Receivers)
2006, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2007-08, Northern Iowa (Video Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Backs Coach)
2009-12, Northern Iowa (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2013-16, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2017-21, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2022, Kent State (Defensive Coordinator)
2023, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator)
2024, Louisiana Tech (Defensive Coordinator)
2025, Coastal Carolina (Defensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach)
2026, K-State (Defensive Backs)

 



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Texas A&M Volleyball adds another productive player from the portal

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4 hours ago

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December 25, 2025

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Dec. 24, 2025, 5:40 p.m. CT

Winning championships is always the top goal for any athletic program. However, when you go deep into the postseason, especially in volleyball, it can interfere with the staff’s ability to recruit. That’s a good problem to have when you’re bringing home hardware, and Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison is already getting work done in the NCAA transfer portal.

Needing to reload a roster that’s losing nine seniors, including four All-Americans and two future professional players, Coach Morrison received some major news on Tuesday. It was announced that former Boise State middle blocker Eliza Sharp has committed to Texas A&M. This gives A&M another young talent to develop and brings some elite production.

Originally, Coach Morrison had a five-year plan to reach a national title, which meant he understood that the roster he had now would be a crucial part of turning the Aggie volleyball program into a national powerhouse. With him now ahead of schedule by two years, it gives him a significant advantage in recruiting and positions Texas A&M for a quick turnaround to make another championship run in the near future.

Below is key information on the third commit joining the 2026 Texas A&M volleyball team.

Eliza Sharp – Middle Blocker





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