By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
Not only had Nathaniel Ezekiel not been beaten in a 400-meter hurdles race since last summer’s Paris Olympics, the Baylor senior had rarely even been pushed during the NCAA outdoor track and field season.
 
“I feel like the whole season, I’ve actually been competing against myself,” he said.
 

In the semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ezekiel beat former Baylor teammate Johnny Brackins of USC by more than two seconds. And when he was finally pushed by Texas A&M senior Ja’Qualon Scott over the last 100 meters in Friday’s final, the Nigerian Olympian responded.
 
“That was pretty cool,” said Ezekiel, who pulled away from Scott down the stretch to win in a school-record time of 47.49 seconds that ranks as the third-fastest in NCAA history and the fourth-fastest time in the world this year.
 

“I think sometimes, when there’s a lot of pressure, that’s when you actually do your best. I felt the guy from A&M right behind me, and I was like, ‘No, bro, no way you’re getting first!’ The pressure was good, I love it. Feeling that kind of pressure from someone for the first time in the season, I was like, ‘Okay, this is good. I just have to kick it again.”’
 
Baylor head coach Michael Ford said Ezekiel “set it up really well” in the early stages of Friday’s final.
 
“I thought those first six hurdles, he set it up like he wanted to,” Ford said. “I think he had a small little issue on, I want to say, hurdle eight. I think he got a little too close to it. He was running really well through there, but then he cleaned up hurdle nine. And hurdle nine is usually the one that I’m always concerned about him.
 
“I always tell him to go have fun. Just execute like you’ve been doing all year. You’re the only one that has run under 48 this year. Just do what you’ve been doing.”
 
One of 10 male candidates on the latest update for the Bowerman Award that’s presented to the top collegiate track and field athletes of the year, Ezekiel capped off his phenomenal four-year career at Baylor with his first NCAA national championship.
 
 A nine-time All-American, Ezekiel was a two-time bronze medalist in the outdoor 400-meter hurdles and was the runner-up in the 400 meters at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championship, losing by one-hundredth of a second to Georgia’s Will Floyd.
 
“It’s amazing,” said Ezekiel, Baylor’s first national champion in the 400 hurdles since two-time winner Bayano Kamani (1999, 2001) and the Bears’ first outdoor national champion since Trayvon Bromell won the 100 meters in 2014. “I didn’t get it indoors, but I said to myself, ‘I’m going to do my best to bring it home in the outdoors.’ And I did. I should say God did. and I’m grateful.”
 
It was also Ford’s first NCAA outdoor national champion in four years as the head coach. Alexis Brown, who won the NCAA indoor championship in the long jump, was the bronze medalist outdoors.
 
“My first national champion as a (Baylor sprints) coach was here with Trayvon, so I told them, ‘Who’s going to be my first national champ as a head coach out here?”’ Ford said. “And Nate was the one who did it. it’s always going to be special to me, having our first national champion in Nate in the 400 hurdles.”
 
The Nigerian record-holder as well, Ezekiel is turning pro this summer and could be back in Eugene for a Diamond League meet on July 5. Ultimately, his goal would be to go against the best in the world at the World Championships Sept. 13-21 in Tokyo.
 
Ezekiel was actually ranked No. 2 in the world until Sunday, when reigning Olympic gold medalist Raj Benjamin (46.54) from the U.S. and Brazilian bronze medalist Alison dos Santos (46.68) were both clocked in under 47 seconds at a Diamond League meet in Stockholm, Sweden.
 
“It’s pretty amazing to run a fast time, 47.49, in my last race being a Baylor Bear,” Ezekiel said. “Obviously, I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve put that into practice. I consider myself a professional athlete, and I have the mindset to do something better.”
 
Ford will be back in Eugene even earlier, returning for the USA Track and Field U20 Championships that begin Thursday at historic Hayward Field, where the Bears will be represented by freshman sprinter Hannah Lowe and triple jumper Iyanna Webb.
 
A Bowerman Award candidate as well, Brown and junior sprinter Tiriah Kelley are scheduled to compete in the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships July 31-Aug. 3 in Eugene, vying for spots in the World Championships in Tokyo.
 
 
 

The Golden Bears will open their season at home against San Diego State.

VB6/16/2025 1:03 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Bears To Visit Nebraska, Open ACC Play At Virginia Tech

California volleyball has released its full schedule for the 2025 season, featuring seven matchups against teams who ended the 2024 season ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top 25 and four in the top five. The complete fall schedule can be seen here.
 
The Golden Bears will open their season at home, hosting the California Tournament on August 29-31 against San Diego State (Aug. 29) and San Francisco (Aug. 31) at Haas Pavilion.  Cal will also appear in the Ameritas Players Challenge in Lincoln, Nebraska, hosted by the powerhouse Cornhuskers, as well as the Cal Poly Tournament in San Luis Obispo.
 
The Vanderbilt Commodores, who just revived their volleyball program after a 45-year hiatus, will visit Berkeley Sept. 10 as part of ESPN Events’ “Showdown at the Net” showcase that features 16 matches between ACC and SEC schools.
 
“When building our nonconference schedule, the staff and I wanted competitive RPI matches that gave us opportunities to collect wins that would help our chances to make the NCAA Tournament,” Cal head coach Jen Malcom said. “We are particularly looking forward to playing at Nebraska in September – it’s an amazing place to play with a sellout crowd of over 10,000 volleyball fans who know and respect the game. Our team needs to start seeing and playing in environments like that before we are put into that situation in the future. Overall, we feel very confident that we will be tested before heading into ACC matches.”
 
Cal’s ACC schedule begins with visits to Virginia Tech (Sept. 27) and Virginia (Sept. 28) before the Bears return home to host 2024 NCAA runner-up Louisville (Oct. 3) and Notre Dame (Oct. 5).
 
The Bears and cross-bay rival Stanford will play in their annual Big Spike matchups in late November, first at Stanford on Nov. 19 and then in Berkeley on Nov. 23. Cal’s next home match will be its Senior Day, a clash against Boston College on Nov. 26, before closing out the regular season at Duke on Nov. 28.
 
“We feel ready as we head into year two of being in the ACC,” Malcom said. “The conference could look very different this year due to graduation and transfers. After finishing 12th in the standings last year, we know that being in the top half is doable for our group this season.”
 
In addition to Louisville and Stanford, the Bears will host two other teams that ended last year with a top-25 ranking (Pitt on Nov. 14 and SMU on Nov. 16), as well as NCAA Tournament teams Florida State (Oct. 18) and North Carolina (Nov. 9). In total, Cal will play seven of 2024’s top-25 teams and 10 tournament squads, as the Bears are also set to visit USC on Sept. 21, Georgia Tech on Oct. 24 and NC State on Nov. 2.
 
Cal expects to field a stout defense this season, led by specialist Sophia Johnson as well as top blockers Sawyer Thomsen and Mikayla Hayden. On offense, setter Natalie Lau returns for her senior season after posting the ACC’s fourth-highest assists and assists-per-set total as a first-year starter in 2024, while classmate Peyton DeJardin will provide a veteran presence on the left side. Looking for her chance to make an impact for the Bears this season is redshirt freshman Grace Agolli, the 2023-24 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year who sat out last year due to injury.
 
The team will feature seven newcomers this season. Cal’s five-women freshman class includes USA Volleyball (USAV) Nationals All-American defensive specialist Francesca Popescu, who joined the Bears in the spring, as well as USAV National Champion opposite Annemarie O’Gara, Texas Girls Coaches Association (TCGA) All-State outside hitter Arissa Carbonara, Romanian National Team setter Maria Știrbu and Triple Crown NIT Open Division Champion Elise Lau, a defensive specialist. The Bears’ transfer class is composed of outside hitter Dominique Phills (Iowa) and middle blocker Ashleigh Woodruff (Stony Brook).
 
 
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For complete coverage of Cal volleyball, please follow the Bears on X/Twitter (@CalVolleyball), Instagram (@calvolleyball), Facebook (Cal Volleyball), and TikTok (@calbearsvb).
 

Texas A&M men’s track and field took home an NCAA title for the fifth time in program history.

The Aggies tied with Southern California, each finishing with 41 points and capturing a share of the national championship. This is the first time there have been co-champions since 2013 (Texas A&M was also part of that honor, tying with Florida).

The victory marks the Aggies men’s fifth outdoor title and head coach Pat Henry’s 10th national title —including men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor — with A&M. A&M had a pair of individual national champions and two runner-up finishes to highlight the weekend in Eugene, Ore.

The meet came down to the 4×400 meter relay, with USC in the lead with 40 points. Entering the race, only the Trojans, Aggies and Razorbacks were in striking distance for the title. USC scored one point while A&M scored eight to secure the shared victory. 

Entering the final relay, A&M sat in fourth place in the team standings. Title hopes rested on the performance of men’s 4x400m quartet of Hossam Eddine Hatib, Cutler Zamzow, Kimar Farquharson and Auhmad Robinson. Hatib set the pace for the Aggies before handing the baton to Zamzow, who led at the break. Another strong leg had Farquharson right in the mix at the three-quarters mark, with Robinson left to run. Robinson battled down the stretch and secured a second-place finish in the event with a season-best time of 3 minutes, 0.73 seconds, capturing the eight points needed to deliver the title.

Sam Whitmarsh drove the Aggies up the team standings when he won the men’s 800m crown with a 1:45.86 finish. On the opening day of the meet, Aleksandr Solovev contributed 10 points to the men’s total with title in the pole vault. The duo of Ja’Qualon Scott and Bryce McCray added 11 points to the team tally following a pair of personal-best performances in the 400m hurdles. Scott broke the school record in the event to claim a runner-up finish with a time of 48.29 and McCray came in sixth (49.52).

USC was the first team to sweep the indoor and outdoor titles since 2015.

A&M women’s track and field captures top 3 finish

The Texas A&M women’s track & field team secured a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships Saturday evening at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Junior Winny Bii captured A&M’s first national title in the women’s triple jump. After leaping 13.96 meters on her first attempt to capture the lead, she landed at the top of the podium for the win. The women’s 4x100m relay quartet of Jasmine Harmon, Camryn Dickson, Bria Bullard and Jasmine Montgomery took third in the event with a season-best time of 42.89 seconds. Junior Jaiya Covington finished second (12.93) in the 400m hurdles, capturing eight points for the Aggies.

The final meet capped off the 2024-2025 track and field season. Cross country will resume in the fall, and track and field will return in January 2026.

Reach Texas A&M Beat Reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@hearst.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Head volleyball coach Cheri Lindsay has announced her first signing class at the helm of Memphis volleyball. The class includes six transfers and seven incoming first-year players.

“I could not be more excited to kick off this upcoming season at Memphis,” said Lindsay. “We have an incredible mix of talent, leadership and grit coming together, and the energy in the gym is going to be electric. This group is hungry, unified and ready to compete, and I cannot wait to see what we build together this season.”

The Tigers roster also features three returners in liberos Courtney Nix and Abigail Schlueter, along with Jasmyn Tate, who has been granted a year of eligibility due to the NCAA junior college ruling.

Madelyn Bach | Freshman | Setter | Parkway West High School | St. Louis, Mo.

Bach finds her way to Bluff City after a highly decorated career at Parkway West and with the Rockwood Thunder. She helped lead Parkway West to MSHSAA Class 4 and District 2 Championships as a junior. Bach is a three-time MHSVCA First Team All-District selection while also being named to the MSHSAA All-Conference First Team twice.

Her senior season culminated in setting the Parkway West program record in assists with 2,939, leading to her being selected to the AVCA All-Region team, AVCA All-American honorable mention list, and MHSVCA Class 5 All-State team. She also earned an invitation to the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program Accelerator.

Mandy Lawson | Freshman | Libero | St. Dominic High School | O’Fallon, Mo.

Lawson comes to Memphis after securing three straight All-District and All-Conference nods during her prep career at St. Dominic. The Missouri native finished her time at St. Dominic as the school’s leader in career digs, totaling 1,512 in her four years.

She was also a member of the Rockwood Thunder Volleyball Club, where she played with fellow incoming freshman, Madelyn Bach.

Riley McCloskey | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Notre Dame Academy | Newport, Ky.

McCloskey becomes a Tigers after a successful career at the prep and club levels. As a sophomore, she helped Notre Dame Academy secure a 2022 Kentucky Volleyball State Championship. She also helped them to finishes within the top three in 2023 and 2024. McCloskey was named to the Region 9 All-Tournament Team in 2021 and 2023.

 

McCloskey also was a member of the USA Volleyball High Performance Training Team in 2019 and 2020, also securing an invite to the 2022 USA National Team Development Program Fall Training Series.

Camryn McCollum | Freshman | Middle Blocker | Avon High School | Avon, Ind.

McCollum joins the Tigers after a successful prep career at Avon High School. Prior to sitting out due to injury in 2024, McCollum ranked fourth in the state of Indiana in total blocks and fifth in hitting percentage as a junior. She also was named an Academic All-State selection in 2024, also earning an Indy Star Preseason All-USA Super Team nod.

Brianna Washington | Freshman | Middle Blocker | Woodbridge High School | Triangle, Va.

After being named an All-District and All-Region selection in her senior season, Washington finds her way to Memphis after also competing for Triangle Volleyball Club.  

Taylor Hampton | Freshman | Libero | Cypress Springs High School | Cypress, Texas

Hampton comes to Memphis after a successful prep career at Cypress Springs High School. She became a libero as a senior in high school and totaled 713 digs, leading to being selected to the District 16-6A All-District First Team and earning District Defensive Player of the Year.

As a member of Texas Tornados Volleyball Club, Hampton helped her club team win the Lone Star Classic at the 16U and 18U levels, along with the Ohio Valley Region 18 Championship.

Zaniah Hoskins | Freshman | Outside Hitter | Moe & Gene Johnson High School | Austin, Texas

Hoskins finds her way to Memphis after being a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and track and field at Moe & Gene Johnson High School. Hoskins was a three-time All-District selection, having been named to the first team in each of the last two seasons.

In her senior season, Hoskins was named an AVCA All-American, District MVP, Austin Sports Journal Hitter of the Year and was named to the TGCA 6A All-State team. She finished her prep career with 1,731 kills, including 762 in a season.

Amanda Hardt | Junior | Outside Hitter | University of Nebraska Omaha | Glendale, Ariz.

Hardt joins the Tigers after appearing in 46 matches at Omaha over two seasons. In 209 sets played, Hardt amassed 498 kills with 24 double-digit kill performances, including a career-high of 18 against North Dakota State.

Additionally, Hardt was named to the Summit League All-Freshman Team in 2023 and was a one-time Summit League Offensive Player of the Week.

Arianna Mongare | Graduate | Middle Blocker | University of Tulsa | Mansfield, Texas

After spending three seasons at Tulsa where she logged 334 sets played, Mongare joins the Tigers. As a middle blocker, Mongare tallied 472 kills and 237 total blocks. Her career point total stands at 661 and she led the Golden Hurricane in blocks in two of her three seasons on the team.

Génesis Rodríguez | Junior | Right-Side Hitter | Trinity Valley Community College | Cartagena, Colombia

The Colombia native finds her way to Memphis after spending two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College. In two seasons as a Cardinal, Rodríguez racked up 659 kills with a .242 attacking percentage. She ended her career as a Cardinal with 824.5 points and was named a Volleyball Mag NJCAA DI All-American in 2023, along with being selected to the Region XIV All-Freshman team and All-Conference first team.

Sydney Marshall | Sophomore | Setter | UNC Wilmington | Lake Mary, Fla.

Marshall joins the Tigers after completing her freshman season at UNCW. The Lake Mary, Fla. native tallied 374 assists in 84 sets in her lone season with the Seahawks, including reaching a career-high of 21 assists in each of four matches against Queens, Delaware, Hampton and North Carolina A&T.

Janyah Henderson | Junior | Middle Blocker | Prairie View A&M | Chicago, Ill.

Henderson reunites with her former coach in Memphis after two successful seasons as a Panther, culminating in an invitation to the WNT Open program, an initiative by USA Volleyball to scout and develop players for national competitions, this past February.

In her two seasons at Prairie View A&M, Henderson earned All-SWAC Freshman of the Year honors and was a two-time all-conference selection, being named to the first team in 2023 and second team in 2024.

Za’Niya Boyles | Junior | Outside Hitter | UIC | Columbia, S.C.

Boyles becomes a Tiger after appearing in 47 matches over two seasons with the UIC Flames. She tallied 142 kills in 93 sets for an average of 1.53 kills per set. In her time with the Flames, she had five double-digit performances in kills, recording a career high of 12 twice during her freshman campaign.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: 

For complete information on Memphis Tigers Volleyball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State cross country invites runners of all ages to participate in a summer camp around the university campus and city of Manhattan.
 
Two four-hour dates are available with campers set to expect training runs, educational lectures on nutrition, recovery, sports psychology and training as well as fun and games.
 
Dates of sessions:
Friday, July 11, 1-5 p.m.
Saturday, July 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
 
All ages are welcome with a $250 fee while coaches receive free access with their athlete. Housing and meals will not be provided. Campers will receive a free K-State cross country t-shirt as well as other prizes awarded during games and lectures.
 
For more information, contact assistant coach Trey Brokaw at tbrokaw@kstatesports.com or (309) 335-3895.
 
 

— k-statesports.com —

 
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

MORAGA, Calif. — Coming off of a program record tying 20 win season in 2025, the Gaels are hard at work adding to their 2025-26 roster, and have gone to the portal for their most recent signing, as Alisia Silverthorn will join the Gaels, heading to Moraga from Houston Christian University. Silverthorn will come to Saint Mary’s as a senior after three years of competition with the Huskies. 

Originally hailing from Auburn, Washington, Silverthorn prepped at Auburn Riverside High School, where she was teammate with Hannah Couch. There, the dynamic duo led the Ravens to four straight district titles. At the prep level, Silverthorn was three times named All-Conference, seeing time as both a setter and outside hitter, demonstrating the versatility that she would go onto use throughout her beach career. Her outstanding indoor high school career was culminated by being named the 2021 3A/4A North Puget Sound Cascade District MVP.

Silverthorn chose Houston Christian to be her home for her collegiate career. After appearing in six matches in her first two collegiate seasons for the Huskies, split between the four and five spots, she made her way into the everyday lineup this last season, appearing in 30 of 33 matches at the twos. She went 9-21 for the campaign, including her first collegiate win against Central Arkansas (Feb. 23), and her first two match clinching wins against Cal State Bakersfield (Feb. 28) and New Orleans (Apr. 11). At the culmination of her junior year, Silverthorn entered the portal, where she was found by Coach Harrer and her staff. 

About Alisia, Coach Harrer noted, “Given her background as a beach volleyball player and her academic pursuits, we are pleased to welcome Alisia to the Gael family!  Saint Mary’s College aligns with her athletic and educational goals.” She went on to say, “Silverthorn has made significant strides in her volleyball career. Transitioning to beach volleyball, she found her groove in the sand. Beach Volleyball showcases her adaptability and passion for the sport!”

About her choice to commit to Saint Mary’s, Alisia stated, “My dream is to play volleyball at the highest level I can for as long as I can while still prioritizing my education.”

This statement reflects her commitment to balancing athletic excellence with academic achievement.

The first transfer to be added to the 2025-26 Saint Mary’s Beach Volleyball, the Gaels have had good success with transfer players in recent years, including Hawley Harrer (UCLA), Paola Peralta (MiraCosta College), Sedona Sherman (Pacific), Sadie Shipman (Stephen F. Austin) and Chloe Swanson (Irvine Valley College)

#GaelsRise