Sports

USA Volleyball tabs 3-time Olympic medalist April Ross to head beach coach with LA Games looming

USA Volleyball has named three-time Olympic medalist April Ross as head of coaching for the beach national teams, turning to one of the country’s most successful beach volleyball players after the Americans had their first-ever medal shutout in Paris. The national governing body said the southern California native will work to improve the performance of […]

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1 month ago

April 29, 2025

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The national governing body said the southern California native will work to improve the performance of “our top American athletes on the international stage” as it looks ahead to hosting the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“I’m honored to join USA Volleyball in this new role and look forward to working with our coaches and athletes to continue the legacy of success on the international stage,” Ross said. “I’ve always believed in the power of collaboration, and I’m excited to be part of a team that shares that vision.”

Ross, 42, won a silver medal in London, a bronze in Rio de Janeiro and a gold medal in Tokyo — with three different partners; she also won back-to-back NCAA indoor volleyball titles at Southern California.

“April brings a unique combination of elite-level experience, deep technical knowledge, and a passion for mentoring,” said Sean Scott, director of beach national teams. “She’s competed at the highest levels and understands what it takes to succeed. I’m excited to work alongside her as we continue to build a world-class coaching culture that supports our athletes’ growth and prepares them to win at the highest level.”

The Americans dominated beach volleyball after the sport that was conceived on the coasts of Hawaii and California was added to the Olympic program in 1996, winning seven of the first 14 Olympic gold medals. But the haul has sputtered as the generation that included Ross and three-time gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings aged out.

The U.S. women failed to medal in Paris for the first time since 2000; the American men have not medaled at all since 2008.

April Ross, of the United States, celebrates a play during... — April Ross, of the United States, celebrates a play during a women’s beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Credit: AP/Felipe Dana

USA Volleyball said Ross will be based at the beach volleyball training center in Torrance, California, and work to improve the quality of coaching and training at all levels of the national team program.

“April’s leadership and dedication to the sport are unmatched, and we are thrilled to have her in this new role,” USA Volleyball President and CEO John Speraw said. “She is a true champion and a mentor who understands the value of collaboration and developing the next generation of elite athletes. We are confident that her expertise will continue to elevate U.S. Beach Volleyball on the global stage, especially as we look ahead to LA 2028.”

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Mavs Wrap Up Outdoor Season At NCAA West Regional

Story Links 2025 West Regional Women’s 800m Quarterfinals Final Results COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The 2025 outdoor season came to a close for the UT Arlington track and field team on the fourth and final day of the NCAA West Regional at E.B. Cushing Stadium […]

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5 seconds ago

June 1, 2025

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The 2025 outdoor season came to a close for the UT Arlington track and field team on the fourth and final day of the NCAA West Regional at E.B. Cushing Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M down in College Station.

Winnie Kipsang was the lone Maverick to compete on the day, looking to punch her ticket to TrackTown USA in the women’s 800m. The top three from each heat plus the next three fastest times move on to Eugene. Kipsang ran in heat two of three, finishing fifth overall with a time of 2:04.66. It was Kipsang’s fastest time of the outdoor season and just short of her personal record of 2:04.61.

Kipsang fell just short of moving on to Eugene, finishing 14th overall with the top 12 moving on.

– #BuckEm –

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For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the UTA track and field and cross country teams on X (formally known as Twitter) (@UTAMavsTFXC), Instagram (@UTAMavsTFXC) and Facebook (/UTAMavsTFXC).

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MHSAA Division 1 track and field state championship complete results

The MHSAA Division 1 track and field state championship meet occurred on Saturday, May 31, at East Kentwood High School. Belleville won the boys track and field championship for the first time in school history. Belleville finished with 57 points, followed by Northville (35 points) and Grand Haven (31 points). Oak Park finished as the […]

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10 minutes ago

June 1, 2025

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The MHSAA Division 1 track and field state championship meet occurred on Saturday, May 31, at East Kentwood High School.

Belleville won the boys track and field championship for the first time in school history. Belleville finished with 57 points, followed by Northville (35 points) and Grand Haven (31 points). Oak Park finished as the Division 1 girls champions for the third straight year with 86 points, followed by Detroit Renaissance (47 points) and Holland West Ottawa (46 points).

Here are the winners from each individual event from the boys and girls events at the track and field finals. Measurements provided by athletic.net.

100m

Boys: Samson Gash, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (10.41); Chance McNeill, Novi (10.42); Jeremy Dixon, Kalamazoo Central (10.45).

Girls: Kamryn Tatum, West Bloomfield (11.66); Jayla Dace, Detroit Renaissance (11.75); Willow Mason, Saginaw Heritage (11.87).

200m

Boys: Jeremy Dixon, Kalamazoo Central (21.11); Chance McNeill, Novi (21.12); Samson Gash, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (21.36).

Girls: Kamryn Tatum, West Bloomfield (23.55); Willow Mason, Saginaw Heritage (23.93); Mauriel Seeberger (23.96).

400m

Boys: Brody Leyendecker, Byron Center (47.96); Rodney Endsley, Walled Lake Western (48.22); Kiniey Poole, Ann Arbor Huron (48.51).

Girls: Neveah Burns, Oak Park (54.34); Janae Coleman, Oak Park (55.04); Mauriel Seeberger, Portage Northern (55.16).

800m

Boys: Wendell Childs, Clarkston (1:50.71); Greg Myers, Ypsilanti Lincoln (1:51.36); Caden Karcher, Rockford (1:54.79).

Girls: Collette Wierks, Holland West Ottawa (2:11.65); Valerie Beeck, Grand Haven (2:11.94); Meredith Cook, Zeeland East (2:13.00)

1600m

Boys: Luka Hammond, Grand Haven (4:09.69); Caden Livermore, Grandville (4:10.17); Jackson Lam, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (4:14.24).

Girls: Victoria Garces, Midland Dow (4:48.74); Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa (4:51.56); Valerie Beeck (4:54.79).

3200m

Boys: Beckett Crooks, Ann Arbor Pioneer (9:00.80); Kyle O’Rourke, Highland-Milford (9:06.54); Kamari Ronfeldt, Ann Arbor Pioneer (9:08.99).

Girls: Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa (10:16.56); Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer (10:21.68); Victoria Garces, Midland Dow (10:23.13).

110m hurdles (boys)

Will Jaiden Smith, Belleville (11.35); Schmar Gamble, Belleville (11.36); Michael Wilkerson, Rochester Adams (13.78).

100m hurdles (girls)

Carrie VanNoy, Oak Park (13.70); Laila Hawkins, Detroit Cass Tech (13.98); Mia Barnett, Chippewa Valley (14.10).

300m hurdles

Boys: Will Jaiden Smith, Belleville (37.79); Caleb Washington, Novi Detroit Catholic Central (37.91); Phillip Burney, Oak Park (38.48).

Girls: Carrie VanNoy, Oak Park (42.59); Jada Wilson, Belleville (42.80); Lauren Bickerdt, Detroit Renaissance (43.61).

4×100 relay

Boys: Belleville (41.85), Grand Haven (41.88), Hudsonville (42.14).

Girls: Oak Park (47.19); East Kentwood (47.48); West Bloomfield (47.56).

4×200 relay

Boys: Belleville (1:26.50), Grand Haven (1:26.85), Brighton (1:27.03).

Girls: Oak Park (1:37.80), Saginaw Heritage (1:39.67), West Bloomfield (1:39.97).

4×400 relay

Boys: Oak Park (3:15.52), Bryon Center (3:16.19), Ann Arbor Huron (3:16.85).

Girls: Oak Park (3:53.52), Detroit Renaissance (3:51.59), Holland West Ottawa (3:54.91).

4×800 relay

Boys: Northville (7:41.24), Clarkston (7:42.90), Brighton (7:49.08).

Girls: Holland West Ottawa (9:01.69), Zeeland East (9:10.06), Oak Park (9:11.77).

Shot put

Boys: Garrod Alexander, Walled Lake Central (64′ 1.25″); Maxwell Stoecker, Midland (58′ 10.25″); Dominic Weatherly, L’Anse Creuse (58′ 9″)

Girls: Lorelai Zielinski, Traverse City Central (46′ 11.75″); Leigha Stoepker, Jenison (43′ 11.25″); Izzy Krause, Plymouth (43′ 0.75″).

Discus

Boys: Ray Glory Ejoyokah, Birmingham Groves (179′ 3″); Maxwell Stoecker, Midland (179′ 3″); Conrad Squitieri, Grosse Pointe South (172′ 0″).

Girls: Lorelai Zielinski, Traverse City Central (155′ 1″); Ellie Mendoza, Rochester (141′ 9″); Leigha Stoepker, Jenison (138′ 0″).

Pole vault

Boys: Reece Emeott, East Kentwood (16′ 0″); Grady Myers, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (15′ 3″); Sean Cinzori, Plymouth (15′ 3″).

Girls: Isabel German, Lowell (13′ 0″); Izzy Robbins, Grand Haven (12′ 9″); Raiden Kipfmiller, Dexter (12′ 9″); Aubree Bowers, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (12′ 9″); Katie Blue, Grand Ledge (12′ 9″).

High jump

Boys: Giovanni Charles, Walled Lake Central (6′ 8″); Zechariah Jones, Grand Ledge (6′ 6″); Drelen Lillard, Novi (6′ 6″); Deon Robertson, Woodhaven Brownstown (6′ 6″); Blake Jones, Saginaw United (6′ 6″).

Girls: Greta Caprathe, Rockford (5′ 6″); Tori Lator, Mason (5′ 5″); Layla Visser, Rockford (5′ 4″); Elyse Sanders, Grand Ledge (5′ 4″); Kaydence Hoolsma (5′ 4″).

Long jump

Boys: Quincy Isaac, Canton (24′ 11.5″); Nick Henson, Woodhaven Brownstown (22′ 8.75″); Jhavon Alexander, East Kentwood (22′ 8.5″).

Girls: Maya Justice, Woodhaven Brownstown (19′ 5.25″); Celeste Davis, Detroit Renaissance (18′ 10.25″); Raquel Walker, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (18′ 7.75″).

Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.

Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.

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Sun Devil Track and Field Qualifies Two Individuals, One Relay to NCAA Championships

Story Links COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Sun Devil Track & Field qualified two individuals and one relay to the 2025 NCAA Championships while competing at the NCAA West Regionals at the University of Texas A&M E.B. Cushing Stadium from May 28-31. The Sun Devils are set to compete in three separate events […]

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26 minutes ago

June 1, 2025

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Sun Devil Track & Field qualified two individuals and one relay to the 2025 NCAA Championships while competing at the NCAA West Regionals at the University of Texas A&M E.B. Cushing Stadium from May 28-31.

The Sun Devils are set to compete in three separate events at the NCAA Championships, held June 11-14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Full Results | More on the NCAA Championships

Sophomore Jayden Davis punched his ticket to the national championships twice this weekend, qualifying in both the 400m (45.35) and 4×400 relay (3:02.87). Davis finished first in his heat in the 400m and ranked second overall in the final results.

Veteran Ines Lopez also punched her ticket to the national championships on Saturday, qualifying within the top-12 in discus (54.39m).

The men’s 4×400 is the lone Sun Devil relay heading to Eugene, as Nicholas Ramey–Trevin Moyer–Malik Franklin–Jayden Davis clinched a spot on Friday evening with their time of 3:02.87, the sixth-best time posted. The reigning Big 12 Champion relay will now contend for an outdoor national title in a few weeks.

SUN DEVILS ADVANCING TO EUGENE (TWO INDIVIDUALS, ONE RELAY TEAM)

Jayden Davis, 400m, 4×400 relay

Malik Franklin, 4×400 relay

Ines Lopez, discus

Trevin Moyer, 4×400 relay

Nicholas Ramey, 4×400 relay

DAY-BY-DAY RECAP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 (JAYDEN DAVIS QUALIFIES FOR QUARTERFINALS)

Men’s Shot Put

Brandon Lloyd threw for 18.82m (15th) and did not qualify within the top-12 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Men’s 400m

Jayden Davis ran a 45.97 (10th) in the first round, placing first in his heat and qualifying for Friday’s 400m quarterfinals.

Malik Franklin (46.82) and Mateo Medina (48.74) did not qualify within the top-24 to reach Friday’s quarterfinals.

THURSDAY, MAY 29 (TAYLOR BROWN QUALIFIES FOR QUARTERFINALS)

Women’s Long Jump

Alexandria Johnson jumped for 6.33m (15th) and did not qualify within the top-12 to advance to the NCAA Championships.

Women’s Shot Put

Danielle Sloley (15.35m) and Ines Lopez (15.09m) did not place within the top-12 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Women’s 400m

Taiwa Kudoro ran for 1:01.26 (46th) and did not place within the top-24 to reach Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Women’s 800m

Taylor Brown ran a 2:05.91 (20th) in the first round, qualifying for Saturday’s 800m quarterfinals.

Evaline Chepkoech ran a 2:08.28 (33rd) and did not qualify within the top-24 to reach Saturday’s quarterfinals.

FRIDAY, MAY 24 (DAVIS QUALIFIES FOR NCAAs, 4×400 QUALIFY FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS)

Men’s discus

Brandon Lloyd threw 57.56m (16th) and did not qualify within the top-12 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Men’s 4×100 relay

Trevin Moyer–Malik Franklin–Mateo Medina–James Bauman teamed up for a 40.30 (21st) in the quarterfinals and did not qualify within the top-12 to reach the NCAA Championships.

Men’s 400m

Jayden Davis ran a 45.35 (2nd) in the quarterfinals and punched his ticket for the NCAA Championships.

Men’s 4×400 relay

Nicholas Ramey–Malik Franklin–Trevin Moyer–Jayden Davis teamed up to go 3:02.87 (6th) in the quarterfinals to qualify within the top-12 and reach the NCAA Championships.

SATURDAY, MAY 25 (LOPEZ QUALIFIES FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS)

Women’s discus

Ines Lopez threw 54.39m (11th) in the first round to qualify within the top-12 and reach the NCAA Championships.

Women’s triple jump

Myla Tate jumped for 12.08m (44th) and did not qualify within the top-12 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Women’s 800m

Taylor Brown ran a 2:08.22 (21st) and did not qualify within the top-12 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Remaining schedule

Outdoor (2)

NCAA Outdoor Championships – June 11-14 (Eugene, Ore.)

USATF Championships – July 31-Aug. 3 (Eugene, Ore.)

Follow along

Keep up with the Sun Devils throughout their 2025 Outdoor season via the team’s social media, @SunDevilTFXC, which will be updated regularly with news, results, stories and more.

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Track & Field Concludes NCAA East Region Meet

Story Links JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior Jennifer Mui completed her standout career with a 37th-place finish in the women’s 3,000 Steeplechase (SC) at the NCAA East Region Track & Field Meet on Saturday evening at the Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Running in the third of three 16-runner heats, Mui […]

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1 hour ago

June 1, 2025

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Senior Jennifer Mui completed her standout career with a 37th-place finish in the women’s 3,000 Steeplechase (SC) at the NCAA East Region Track & Field Meet on Saturday evening at the Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.

Running in the third of three 16-runner heats, Mui was 14th with a time of 10:35.79. She was making her first career appearance at the NCAA East Region Meet and entered the weekend seeded No. 40 out of 48 qualifiers.

Earlier in the month, Mui won her second straight America East 3,000 SC crown. She concludes her Binghamton career as a three-time outdoor track & field all-conference honoree.

Mui was the last of Binghamton’s three entries to compete at the NCAA East Region Meet this weekend. Redshirt sophomore Brian Luciano was 14th in the men’s hammer on Wednesday while on Friday evening, graduate student Marcus Johnson was seventh overall in the 400 hurdle finals and punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships.

The NCAA Championships will be held June 11-14 at the University of Oregon.

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TCU baseball drops first game of Corvallis Regional to USC

TCU had no answer for USC as they lost their first game of the regional 13-1. This is a start that Tommy LaPour wanted to forget. He went three innings while allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He also hit two batters. USC got on the board first in […]

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1 hour ago

June 1, 2025

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TCU had no answer for USC as they lost their first game of the regional 13-1.

This is a start that Tommy LaPour wanted to forget. He went three innings while allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts. He also hit two batters.

USC got on the board first in the second inning with an RBI single from catcher Richard Tejeda, who brought second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias in. This made the score 1-0.

The Trojans would add on in the fourth inning, making the score 3-0. Right fielder Jack Basseer hit a RBI single, bringing Covarrubias home. Which was followed up by a fielder’s choice from third baseman Ethan Hedges.

TCU would finally get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run from designated hitter Sawyer Strosnider. He pulled the call and deposited it into right field. This made the TCU’s deficit 4-1, the closest TCU would get.

USC would pile on in the sixth inning. Shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek would single with the bases loaded and bring Tejeda in. First baseman Adrian Lopez would continue the scoring as he would single and bring center fielder Brayden Dowd in.

Covarrubias would cap off the inning with a sacrifice fly to bring in Hedges and give USC a 6-1 lead.

The game would not improve for TCU as USC tacked on a pair of three-run innings in the seventh and ninth innings. The Horned Frogs pitchers shot themselves in the foot in those innings as they walked five batters, hit two and had a throwing error.

The Frogs must improve to extend its run in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament. TCU will be in the loser’s bracket of the regional, so TCU will have to win out to win the regional. TCU will play Oregon State Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

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Klebe's NCAA Run Concludes In Saturday Quarterfinals

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1 hour ago

June 1, 2025

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Klebe's NCAA Run Concludes In Saturday Quarterfinals

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Abby Klebe’s outstanding junior season came to an end Saturday evening in the quarterfinal round of the 800 meters at the NCAA East First Round at Hodges Stadium. Klebe once again broke her own school record in Thursday’s first round, securing the final spot among the 24 runners that advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Klebe ran 2:03.96 in heat 2 of 6 Thursday afternoon, finishing fourth in her heat by .28 seconds. The top three runners in each of six heats plus the next six fastest times overall advanced to the quarterfinals. She had to sweat out the results of the remaining six heats, ultimately finishing 21st overall and securing the last qualifying spot.

On Saturday, Klebe ran in the third of three heats, battling against a fast pace that saw the top two finishers in the heat break the two-minute mark. Ultimately, Klebe’s time of 2:07.79 ranked seventh in her heat and 23rd overall.

The NCAA First Round performance caps an outdoor season where Klebe won her third consecutive Patriot League outdoor title in the 800m. She lowered her own school record on four occasions: the Bison Outdoor Classic in April, the Patriot League Championships, the Princeton Elite Invitational and Thursday in Jacksonville. Klebe also won the indoor 800m Patriot League title and is a two-time champion and school record holder on the indoor track.