Central College announces Katelin Valster, assistant professor of kinesiology, has been appointed as a Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for Central College.

Valster has been a valued member of the Central academic community since 2010, when she joined Central as a lecturer of exercise science and assistant women’s soccer coach. Since then, she has continuously inspired our students through her teaching, coaching and steadfast support of student-athletes. As an advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, she is a passionate advocate for academic excellence, mental health and the overall well-being of our student-athletes.

Valster joins Lori Witt, the Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professor of the Liberal Arts and associate professor of history, and Andrew Green, director of institutional research and professor of political science, in serving on Central’s FAR team. Per NCAA guidelines, faculty athletics representatives play a vital role in ensuring that academic integrity is upheld within our athletics program, that student-athlete welfare is prioritized and that our institution’s educational mission remains central to the student-athlete experience.

“The Central community is proud of its tradition of championing student-athlete success — both on the field and in the classroom,” says Mark Putnam, Central president. “It’s a legacy we’ve embraced since President Ken Weller first coined the phrase, and our faculty athletics representatives help ensure we continue to lead in promoting that national ideal.”

Putnam also recognized John Roslien, associate professor of kinesiology, for his decades of service as a faculty athletics representative. Roslien joined Central in 1987 as an athletic trainer and began teaching in 1999, dedicating more than 39 years to our community. He has been a force for good within our community and beyond.

Central student-athletes continue to excel academically with the support of faculty and the encouragement of FARs. At this spring’s Dutchies celebration, Central recognized 71 new inductees into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society for juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Wyoming Indian High School athlete Anessa White will continue her athletic journey in track and field at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas. White qualified for the 2A State Track Meet in both of the throwing events and took 7th in the shot put at 31 feet 10 inches and 10th in the discus at 95 feet 10 inches.

White also played volleyball for the Lady Chiefs and was an All-Conference selection this past season. She was also on the roster for the Wyoming Indian basketball team and appeared in 29 games during the 2024-25 season as the Chiefs placed second at the 2A State Tournament.

Haskell Indian Nations University is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and is an NAIA school competing in the Continental Athletic Conference.

Drew Simon has joined Genius Sports as director, content. In this role, he will lead the company’s content strategy across data-enhanced broadcasts, helping to drive immersive viewer experiences for global sports audiences.

With over a decade’s experience at CBS, Simon brings deep expertise in televised and streaming sports production, operations, technology, and workflow. This includes analysing the broadcast market and customer trends to propose new programming concepts for enhanced viewership numbers and experience. Notably, Simon was a key member of the CBS team that worked alongside Genius Sports to devise, build and launch RomoVision on NFL broadcasts, which won the 2022 George Wensel Technical Achievement Sports Emmy.

In his new role, Simon will spearhead the creation of innovative broadcast forms and help to develop new advertising inventory that enables brands to own key moments of the live sporting action and build deeper fan connections.

He said: “I’m thrilled to join Genius Sports at such an exciting time in the company’s history. Having watched Genius grow as a client at CBS Sports, I’m now eager to leverage its cutting-edge tools and expertise to drive new innovations that transform how fans experience sporting events.”

Matt Fleckenstein, chief product officer at Genius Sports, said: “We are delighted to welcome Drew Simon to this key leadership role. His extensive experience delivering cutting-edge broadcast content that entertains and engages millions of sports fans makes him the ideal person to take our content strategy to the next level. Drew will play a critical role in expanding how we deliver next-generation broadcast experiences across the world’s biggest leagues and unlock immersive advertising opportunities for our sports partners.”

The dynamic world of athletic apparel is marked by two titans vying for dominance: NIKE Inc. NKE, the undisputed global sportswear giant, and lululemon athletica inc. LULU, the sleek disruptor redefining performance and lifestyle wear. While NIKE commands a massive share of the global market with its broad-based portfolio spanning footwear, apparel and equipment, lululemon has carved out a powerful niche with its premium, direct-to-consumer model and cult-like brand following, particularly in women’s athleisure.

This face-off goes beyond brand popularity; it is a strategic battle between legacy and innovation, mass appeal and targeted lifestyle curation. As shifting consumer preferences, digital engagement, and global expansion reshape the activewear landscape, NIKE and lululemon are rewriting the rules of competition. 

Who has the edge in market share? Who is best-positioned to lead the next chapter in performance wear? Let us dive into the fundamentals of these bigwigs.

NIKE stands as a global powerhouse in athleticwear, commanding a dominant share of the consumer discretionary sector with its vast portfolio spanning NIKE, Jordan and Converse. The brand caters to a wide range of demographics, from elite athletes to Gen Z consumers, with deep penetration across key performance categories like running, basketball and sportswear. Despite macroeconomic pressures and internal challenges, NKE maintains unmatched visibility and influence across global retail and wholesale channels.

In fiscal 2025, NIKE launched its “Win Now” strategy, aimed at revitalizing growth by refocusing on sport-led innovation, streamlining leadership and rebalancing its product mix. Key franchises like the Air Force 1 and Dunk are being right-sized, while performance-driven launches such as the Vomero 18 and A’ja Wilson’s A-ONE have seen rapid sell-through.

The company is reorganizing teams by sport rather than gender to deepen athlete relationships and create more relevant, high-impact product assortments. This shift, along with partnerships with Amazon, JD Sports and Aritzia, is already showing signs of marketplace traction.

However, there are certain near-term headwinds. Fiscal 2025 revenues declined 10% year over year, with fourth-quarter EPS at 14 cents, reflecting the financial impacts of repositioning efforts and elevated promotional activities. NIKE faces ongoing softness in China, continued pressure from new U.S. tariffs (estimated at $1 billion), and a pullback in digital traffic as the brand transitions to a full-price model. Elevated inventory levels and reduced demand in classic franchises like Dunk also weigh on the performance, with management expecting these pressures to persist through the first half of fiscal 2026.

Despite these challenges, NIKE’s holiday order book is improving, and the repositioning of NIKE Digital is expected to lift margins. As it heads into fiscal 2026 with an energized brand, cleaner inventory and a powerful sports-led product pipeline, NKE is well-positioned for long-term, sustainable growth.

LULU continues to outperform in the premium activewear segment, commanding a growing market share in men’s and women’s categories. In first-quarter fiscal 2025, revenues rose 7% year over year to $2.4 billion, with the gross margin expanding 60 basis points (bps) to 58.3% and EPS of $2.60. The brand’s distinct positioning, blending performance, comfort and style, resonates with its target demographic of high-income, wellness-focused consumers.

With 770 stores worldwide and 41% of sales from its digital channel, lululemon is building a powerful omnichannel engine. Growth remains well-balanced, led by a 22% constant-currency increase in China and 17% in the Rest of World segment, while store productivity and digital engagement stay strong.

Strategically, lululemon is leaning into innovation and global expansion. Its product pipeline is gaining traction with launches like the Daydrift trouser, No Line Align leggings and the Glow Up performance line, all aimed at establishing new core franchises. lululemon’s marketing engine, rooted in grassroots activations and social storytelling, continues to elevate brand equity and deepen customer loyalty.

The company remains focused on its “Power of Three X2” strategy, growing product categories, expanding internationally and doubling digital revenues, while maintaining premium price positioning and high full-price sell-throughs.

However, near-term headwinds loom. U.S. traffic trends remain soft, leading to cautious markdown assumptions for the second half of fiscal 2025. Elevated tariffs are also expected to pressure the gross margin, with a projected 110-bps decline for the year. Despite these challenges, lululemon’s strong balance sheet ($1.3 billion in cash, no debt), disciplined cost management and resilient brand positioning support its long-term growth outlook.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NIKE’s fiscal 2026 sales and EPS implies year-over-year declines of 1.5% and 21.8%, respectively. The EPS estimate has moved down by a penny in the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for lululemon’s fiscal 2025 sales suggests year-over-year growth of 5.7%, while that for EPS indicates a decline of 1%. The EPS estimate has edged down 2.1% in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

This clearly illustrates that both NIKE and lululemon have witnessed downward estimate revision trends in the past 30 days. Moreover, estimates for both NKE and LULU indicate year-over-year declines in earnings for the current year.

Shares of both NIKE and lululemon have shown soft year-to-date trends due to the ongoing troubles in their businesses and the rising tariff imposition-related concerns. Year to date, NIKE shares have inched up 1.2%, while lululemon stock has lost 37.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

NIKE is trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 42.85X, above its median of 30.77X in the last five years. lululemon’s forward P/E multiple sits at 15.83X, below its median of 30.78X in the last five years.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

lululemon’s stock looks cheap from a valuation perspective. Moreover, investments in product innovation, guest experience and market expansion, as part of the Power of Three X2 growth plan, highlight its growth prospects.

NIKE does seem pricey. However, its valuations reflect its focus on repositioning itself to be more competitive and drive sustainable, profitable long-term growth. If the company sustains its execution, the premium can be warranted.

As the activewear industry transforms, both NIKE and lululemon present compelling, yet contrasting, investment narratives. NKE, despite recent challenges, is showing signs of a rebound. The stock has regained ground year to date, underpinned by improving wholesale momentum, a more disciplined digital strategy and an invigorated focus on performance products. While earnings estimates have been revised downward, the adjustment has been relatively modest, suggesting investor confidence in NIKE’s execution of its “Win Now” strategy and its ability to navigate headwinds without losing long-term footing.

lululemon remains a growth-driven disruptor, but near-term sentiment is cautious. The stock has corrected meaningfully as concerns around U.S. consumer softness, elevated tariffs and markdown pressures weigh on forecasts. However, LULU’s long-term strategy, anchored in product innovation, brand intimacy and international expansion, remains intact. Investors may need to weather short-term volatility, but the brand’s lean operating model and global runway position it for future outperformance.

NIKE offers defensive stability with potential upside as it sharpens execution, while lululemon presents a high-quality growth opportunity at a more attractive valuation. Investors must weigh near-term volatility against long-term brand strength; both companies remain central players in the future of activewear.

NIKE and lululemon currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

NIKE, Inc. (NKE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research

Athlete of the Year

John Morrison, Woodberry Forest

First team

Garrett Jordan, Fluvanna County

Anders Felts, Western Albemarle

Quinn Eliason, St. Anne’s-Belfield

Samson Palmer, Charlottesville

David Norman, Orange County

Eli Phillips, Albemarle

Tyson Boyd, St. Anne’s-Belfield

Pedro Daviu, Blue Ridge

Valdin Sone, Blue Ridge

Toby Warmack, Woodberry Forest

Jon Nathan Lawrence, Covenant

Jordan Hairston, Miller

Micheal Roman, Blue Ridge

Nick Logan, Woodberry Forest

Brandon Testa, Orange County

Kenan Andrews, Woodberry Forest

Evan Roberts, Madison County

Abraham Warui, Woodberry Forest

Connor Rittenhouse, Western Albemarle

Charlie Strobach, Western Albemarle

Nathan Peterson, Western Albemarle

JT Hillis, Albemarle

Second team

Coach of the Year

Raymond Gee, Woodberry Forest