Sports
USOPC/NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project Continues at 2025 Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oregon
Story Links The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the NCAA office of inclusion will partner for a second consecutive year as part of the Para-College Inclusion Project and Paralympians Made Here initiatives at the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships taking placeWednesday through Saturday […]

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the NCAA office of inclusion will partner for a second consecutive year as part of the Para-College Inclusion Project and Paralympians Made Here initiatives at the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships taking placeWednesday through Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.
As part of the Para-College Inclusion Project, two national collegiate wheelchair 100-meter races will be held during the track championships to provide collegiate adaptive student-athletes with more visibility and support. The men’s 100-meter wheelchair finals will be held at 4:50 p.m. Pacific time Friday, while the women’s 100-meter wheelchair finals will be held at 5:50 p.m. Pacific time Saturday.

Though the NCAA does not sponsor Paralympic sports, the Para-College Inclusion Project was created in 2021 to engage schools that offer adaptive sports to collectively increase Paralympic sport understanding, awareness and connection across the collegiate landscape. In addition to para track and field, the project has featured wheelchair sport exhibitions, demonstrations and national collegiate finals at the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships and the National Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Fencing Championships.
The NCAA and USOPC have also collaborated on the Paralympians Made Here campaign, which was created to support Paralympic sports and build national awareness for opportunities within the college sports landscape. Like the Olympic movement in the United States, the Paralympic movement has strong collegiate ties across the nation. More than 70 U.S. Paralympians competed in an NCAA championship sport before taking the world stage at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. A total of 11 collegiate athletes representing NCAA schools won 18 medals at the Paris Games in para athletics (track and field) — eight gold, six silver and four bronze. U.S. collegiate Paralympians also tallied robust numbers in other dashboard categories in Paris.
The next Paralympic Games will be held this winter, March 6-15 in Milan, while the next summer Paralympic Games will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles.
Sports
Head Coach Women’s Cross Country & Track & Field in DECATUR, GA for Agnes Scott College
Details Posted: 03-Jul-25 Location: DECATUR, Georgia Type: Full-time Categories: Coaching Coaching – Cross Country Coaching – Track & Field Sector: Collegiate Sports Required Education: 4 Year Degree Agnes Scott College invites applications for the position of Head Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Coach. This is a full-time position within the Department of Athletics, reporting to […]

Details
Posted: 03-Jul-25
Location: DECATUR, Georgia
Type: Full-time
Categories:
Coaching
Coaching – Cross Country
Coaching – Track & Field
Sector:
Collegiate Sports
Required Education:
4 Year Degree
Agnes Scott College invites applications for the position of Head Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Coach. This is a full-time position within the Department of Athletics, reporting to the Director of Athletics. The successful candidate will lead an established NCAA Division III Cross-Country program while building the college’s first-ever track and field program from the ground up.
The coach will also have the unique opportunity to oversee the renovation of the college’s track facility, working in collaboration with the Director of Athletics, Office of Advancement, and outside donors to manage logistics and contribute to the project’s planning and execution.
Responsibilities: Build and develop a competitive Track & Field program in alignment with the college’s mission and NCAA Division III philosophy.
Sustain and grow the existing Cross Country program.
Recruit and retain academically qualified student-athletes.
Organize and manage all aspects of both programs, including training, practices, competition schedules, team travel, and equipment.
Oversee the track renovation process and assist with related logistics and communications.
Monitor the academic performance and well-being of student-athletes.
Ensure compliance with NCAA, Collegiate Conference of the South, and institutional policies.
Collaborate with admissions and other campus departments to support student-athlete success.
Engage in fundraising efforts and community outreach as needed.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Collegiate coaching experience in Cross Country and/or Track & Field
Demonstrated success in recruiting student-athletes
Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills
Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, including project collaboration and student-athlete development
About Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private women’s liberal arts college located in Decatur, Georgia, near Atlanta. It’s known for its innovative SUMMIT program, a four-year experience focused on global learning, leadership development, and professional skills. The college emphasizes student-centered learning and has been recognized as a “Colleges That Change Lives” institution.
Connections working at Agnes Scott College
https://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/jobs/21467718/head-coach-women-s-cross-country-track-field
Sports
Grant Hill returns to Canada’s U21 volleyball team for second straight year
Story Links Mount Royal University Cougars setter Grant Hill has been selected once again to join Canada’s U21 men’s national volleyball team, marking his second straight call-up after a stellar sophomore season with MRU. During the 2024–25 season, Hill quickly made his presence felt in Canada West play. In 20 matches […]

Mount Royal University Cougars setter Grant Hill has been selected once again to join Canada’s U21 men’s national volleyball team, marking his second straight call-up after a stellar sophomore season with MRU.
During the 2024–25 season, Hill quickly made his presence felt in Canada West play. In 20 matches (72 sets), he recorded 582 assists, placing him seventh in the conference.
Hill has already represented Canada at the international level with the U21 World Continental qualifiers and the TeamUp Cup in Paraguay (May 1–12, 2025). In Paraguay, he joined teammate Ryan John and players from across U SPORTS, blending high-level competition with cultural and community service. The experience, which included construction projects, youth clinics, and volunteer opportunities in rural Chaco, was transformative. Hill described it as “life-changing,” citing a broadened perspective on sport, service, and cross-cultural connection.
As a second-year student-athlete, Hill’s elevated play and leadership set a tone of growth and promise for MRU’s young roster. His national team involvement brings added confidence, experience, and credibility to a program undergoing transition. Earning a spot as a U21 repeat, Hill is setting a standard of excellence and ambition on and off the court.
Hill and the Canadian U21 squad are expected to participate in upcoming international tournaments, taking place in Alberta and China. His return to the program is a strong indicator of continued personal development, national-level confidence, and MRU’s upward trajectory in Canada West volleyball.
Hill and the Canadian U21 squad are preparing for a competitive summer of high-level volleyball. Their upcoming slate includes:
U21 NORCECA Pan Am Cup – August 5 to 10 at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex, near Calgary, Alberta.
U21 World Championships – August 19 to September 1 in Jiangmen, China.
Sports
The Big West Recognizes 756 Student-Athletes as Spring Academic All-Conference Honorees
Story Links 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference A total of 756 student-athletes who compete in the spring sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field, men’s volleyball, and women’s water polo across The Big West were honored for their […]

2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference
A total of 756 student-athletes who compete in the spring sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track & field, men’s volleyball, and women’s water polo across The Big West were honored for their work in the classroom and in athletic competition as members of the 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team. The 756 student-athletes honored is down from 771 last year, but up from 751 in 2023 and 739 of three years ago.
In order to qualify for the Academic All-Conference honor, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.00 cumulative institutional grade point average (GPA), must have completed one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received, and must have competed in at least 50 percent of the institution’s contests in the student-athlete’s respective sport, with the exception of track & field student-athletes. In the sport of track & field, a student-athlete must have competed in either 50 percent of the institution’s events or participated in the Conference Championship.
13 of the 756 student-athletes honored have a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA in Cal Poly’s Corban Payne (men’s track & field), Cal State Bakersfield’s Jared Bujanda (baseball) and Michael Pollard (baseball), CSUN’s Sakura Divecchio (women’s track & field), Hawai’i’s Carys Murakami (softball), Nikola Homolkova (women’s tennis) and Bernadette Doyle (women’s water polo), Long Beach State’s Kyle Jankans (men’s track & field), Marikay Schwab (women’s track & field), Connor Bloom (men’s volleyball), Dane Hillis (men’s volleyball) and Jamie Oberman (women’s water polo) and UC San Diego’s Jeremy Frank (men’s track & field).
By sport, women’s track & field had by far the most honorees with 162 student-athletes named to the team. Men’s track & field had 120, followed by softball (90), baseball (89), women’s water polo (80), beach volleyball (48), women’s tennis (43), men’s golf (36), men’s volleyball (31), women’s golf (29) and men’s tennis (27).
By school UC San Diego had the most student-athletes honored with 93, followed by Long Beach State and UC Davis with 80. Hawai’i had 79, and the trio of CSUN, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara each had 71 honorees.
The Big West recognizes individuals academically per season – fall, winter, and spring – for all conference-sponsored sports. The Fall Academic All-Conference Team honored student-athletes from men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball and the Winter Academic All-Conference Team consisted of men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes.
2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team | |
School | Honorees |
Cal Poly | 61 |
Cal State Bakersfield | 30 |
Cal State Fullerton | 65 |
CSUN | 71 |
Hawai’i | 79 |
Idaho (men’s golf only) | 4 |
Long Beach State | 80 |
Sacramento State (beach volleyball and men’s golf only) | 13 |
UC Davis | 80 |
UC Irvine | 71 |
UC Riverside | 39 |
UC San Diego | 93 |
UC Santa Barbara | 71 |
Sports
Angela Hapner Musk – Assistant Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field – Men’s Cross Country Coaches
Angela Hapner Musk, a three-time All-American at Bellarmine University, returned to her alma mater to become the head women’s cross country coach in 2016 and is currently an assistant coach with the cross country and track and field program. Musk was head coach of the women’s cross country team for eight seasons until 2023 and head […]

Musk was head coach of the women’s cross country team for eight seasons until 2023 and head coach of the women’s track and field team for five seasons until 2024. The program transitioned to a director model ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and Musk remained on staff under her former coach, director of cross country/track and field Jim Vargo.
The 2022 cross country season saw Bellarmine deliver nine of the program’s all-time top-50 performances in the 5k and three in the 6k. Five of the top 13 on the program’s 5k performance list came from times recorded in 2022. The 2022-23 track and field squad garnered three ASUN All-Conference accolades.
In 2021-22, Bellarmine set one indoor freshman record while Anna Wells garnered ASUN Outdoor Academic All-Conference plaudits. The Knights had three cross country runners earn spots on both the program’s 5k and 6k top-20 performance lists, and two apiece land top-40 placements in the list of all-time 5k and 6k times.
The 2020-21 season marked Bellarmine’s first in Division I and the ASUN Conference. The Knights set a combined four new program records in the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. They delivered three All-Conference performances in relays over the two ASUN Championships and added another in the discus. Katrina Kamarute earned a spot on the ASUN Indoor Academic All-Conference team.
Under Musk’s tutelage, Karly Gawarecki in 2018 became the women’s cross country program’s fourth Division II All-American after she finished 18th at the NCAA Championships. That performance came after Gawarecki placed third at the NCAA Midwest Regional, tying the program’s third-best finish in the regional meet. In the ensuing track and field season, Yashira Rhymer-Stuart became the program’s first national champion after placing first in the high jump at the NCAA II Indoor Championships while adding a second All-America accolade after landing runner-up honors at the outdoor meet.
In 2017, Musk pushed Bellarmine to a second-place finish at the GLVC Cross Country Championships and within two points of heavy favorite Southern Indiana. For her efforts, Musk was named GLVC Coach of the Year. The Knights set a program record with five All-GLVC plaudits, which are reserved for the top 15 finishers at the conference meet. In the track and field season, Musk helped lead the Knights to a GLVC Championships indoor title. Three distance runners in both the indoor and outdoor seasons competed at the NCAA Championships.
In Musk’s first cross country season, she guided Bellarmine to a runner-up finish at the GLVC Championships. During the regular season, the Knights won the title at the Fast Cats Invitational. Musk oversaw three Knights collect All-GLVC notice, and Erin Crone earned a berth in the NCAA Championships.
In her highly distinguished career at Bellarmine, Musk earned two of her All-America accolades in track and field and another in cross country. Her track and field acknowledgements came in 2012 (distance medley relay, indoor season) and 2013 (1500 meters, outdoor season). Her cross country honor came in 2012 after she placed 12th at the NCAA Championships.
In addition, Musk was named the GLVC Runner of the Year for cross country in 2012 after racing to first place at the GLVC Championships. She had placed second the year before and ninth as a sophomore to total three All-GLVC campaigns. Musk secured All-Region plaudits in 2011 and 2012, garnering runner-up honors in the latter season. Also in 2012, Musk was named the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country.
Musk was named the GLVC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2013 after placing first in the 800 meters, mile and distance medley relay at the GLVC Championships. She racked up eight All-GLVC notices over her track and field career, seven of which were first-team selections. She received the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for track and field in 2013.
Musk helped lead the cross country team to the 2010 GLVC Championships title and the track and field team to the 2012 and 2013 GLVC Indoor Championships crowns.
Musk left the Knights cross country team with the top 5K and 6K times in program history. Her name remains a large presence among the all-time best 5K and 6K performances.
Sports
93 Tritons Named to Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team
Story Links IRVINE, Calif. — UC San Diego had 93 scholar-athletes recognized Thursday on the 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team, the most of any Big West institution. The spring team features the sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s […]

IRVINE, Calif. — UC San Diego had 93 scholar-athletes recognized Thursday on the 2025 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team, the most of any Big West institution.
The spring team features the sports of baseball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo. UC San Diego sponsors all but beach volleyball and women’s golf.
To be eligible, scholar-athletes must carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, be at least a sophomore academically with one full year at the institution prior to this season and compete in 50 percent of their team’s contests.
Triton track and field’s Jeremy Frank was one of 13 Big West scholar-athletes with a perfect 4.00 GPA.
A total of 756 scholar-athletes who participate in spring sports across The Big West were honored for their work in the classroom and athletic competition. The Big West recognizes individuals academically per season—fall, winter and spring—for all conference-sponsored sports. The fall team announcement is available here, and the winter team announcement is available here.
UC SAN DIEGO HONOREES
Baseball (11)
Michael Crossland – Sophomore, Human Biology
Matthew Dalquist – Senior, Data Science
Zack Ernisse – Senior, Business Economics
Patrick Hackworth – Senior, Business Economics
Sam Hasegawa – Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Devon King – Sophomore, Real Estate and Dev.
Landon Marchetti – Sophomore, Data Science
Steele Murdock – Sophomore, Communication
Anthony Potestio – Sophomore, Real Estate and Dev.
Spencer Seid – Junior, Business Economics
Cooper Thacker – Senior, Communication
Men’s Golf (5)
Francis Catalano – Junior, Management Science
Kyle Dougherty – Senior, Business Economics
Akira Isayama – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
Davis McDowell – Senior, Management Science
Nathan Tseng – Junior, Business Psychology
Softball (5)
Claire Adams – Junior, International Studies – Economics
Alexa DeMarse – Senior, Political Science/American Politics
Morgan Eng – Senior, Human Developmental Sciences
Marissa Hassis – Senior, Human Biology
Lily Hermosillo – Junior, Business Psychology
Men’s Tennis (5)
Carson Lee – Sophomore, Global Health
Zach Pellouchoud – Junior, Cognitive Science
Charles Qian – Senior, Business Analytics
Pelayo Rodriguez – Senior, Structural Engineering
Diogo Tinoco – Senior, International Studies
Women’s Tennis (5)
Grace Gamal – Junior, Neurobiology
Kelly Leung – Senior, Business Economics
Naomi Nguyen – Senior, Global Health
Adriana Tabares – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
Katelyn Vu – Senior, Cognitive Science: Machine Learning & Neural Computation
Men’s Track & Field (19)
Blake Armstrong – Sophomore, Human Biology
Shane Badcock – Sophomore, Business Economics
Miles Bennett – Senior, Structural Engineering
Bryan Chang – Junior, Molecular and Cell Biology
Jett Collins – Sophomore, Public Health
Kai Dettman – Senior, Structural Engineering
Charlie Frank – Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Jeremy Frank – Sophomore, Computer Science (4.00)
Thomas Fry – Junior, Human Biology
Ian Gammal – Sophomore, Business Economics
Nathan Garderes – Senior, Mathematics/Economics
Nathaniel Grant – Senior, Cognitive Science
Jordan Haney – Senior, Aerospace Engineering
Evan Hild – Junior, Human Biology
Frank McGowan – Sophomore, Global Health
Tate Meaux – Sophomore, Communication
Brandon Orlow – Sophomore, Biology
Cesar Salazar – Sophomore, Sociology
Liam Urich – Junior, Human Biology
Women’s Track & Field (25)
Allyson Abandonato – Junior, Public Health
Chidiebere Agunanne – Sophomore, Data Science
Chinanu Agunanne – Sophomore, Pharmacological Chemistry
Tamara Aimufia – Sophomore, Cognitive Science
Meilani Castillo – Sophomore, Speculative Design
Julia Di Silvestri – Senior, Neurobiology
Roxanne Ehrig – Sophomore, Structural Engineering
Alexandra Farfaras – Sophomore, Human Developmental Sciences
Idara Ibekwe – Senior, Human Biology
Amari Jenkins – Grad, Public Health
Destinee Jones – Sophomore, Public Law
Leila Kepler – Junior, Cognitive Science
Camille Lindsay – Sophomore, Business Psychology
Gabriella Lopez – Sophomore, Political Science/Data Analytics
Lauren McBride – Junior, Global Health
Sophia Menchine – Sophomore, Psychology
Sylvana Northrop – Senior, Cognitive Science
Kate O’Malley – Sophomore, Political Science
Lauren Pritchard – Senior, Environmental Systems
Jenna Satovsky – Junior, Biology
Lauren Schiele – Junior, Global Health
Logan Shojgreen – Sophomore, Communication
Jordyn Thomas – Sophomore, Cognitive Science
Kimberly Willard – Sophomore, Mathematics-Computer Science
Kelsie Yamano – Senior, Bioengineering
Men’s Volleyball (7)
Anthony Cherfan – Senior, Communication
Keegan Cook – Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
Jim Garrison – Senior, Computer Science
Leo Pravednikov – Junior, Business Economics
Nick Rigo – Senior, Public Health: Medicine Science
Josh Schellinger – Junior, Business Economics
Peter Selcho – Senior, International Studies: International Business
Women’s Water Polo (11)
Allie Bartholomew – Junior, Psychology
Caroline Christl – Senior, International Studies: International Business
Lucia Doak – Senior, Sociology: Economy and Society
Kenzie Larson – Senior, Human Biology
Abby Moll – Senior, Business Economics
Sofia Munatones – Junior, Cognitive Science: Design & Interaction
Sydney Munatones – Junior, Public Health: Medicine Science
Olivia Obando – Sophomore, Communication
Courtney Okumura – Senior, Human Biology
Lexi Stahl – Senior, Psychology
Kendall Thomas – Senior, Visual Arts: Art History
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 93 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
Sports
Why Barbara Kendall backs women’s Olympic water polo campaign
In 2015, Barbara Kendall received the Sport NZ Leadership Award at the Halberg Awards. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2015 www.photosport.co.nz Five-time Olympian Barbara Kendall has thrown her weight behind the New Zealand women’s water polo team in their bid to qualify for the next Games. The ‘White Caps’ believe they have a golden opportunity to qualify […]

In 2015, Barbara Kendall received the Sport NZ Leadership Award at the Halberg Awards.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2015 www.photosport.co.nz
Five-time Olympian Barbara Kendall has thrown her weight behind the New Zealand women’s water polo team in their bid to qualify for the next Games.
The ‘White Caps’ believe they have a golden opportunity to qualify for Los Angeles 2028, with the Olympic quota for women’s water polo increasing from 10 teams to 12.
The team narrowly missed out on Paris 2024, falling just two goals short of Olympic qualification.
Women’s water polo was only added to the Olympics in 2000, with men’s water polo on the programme since 1900. No New Zealand team have ever qualified for the Olympics in the sport.
Kendall competed at five Olympic Games, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in windsurfing. She is now the White Caps performance coach and was introduced to water polo through her two daughters.
“They started playing at school and just loved it,” she said. “There was no-one at the school really managing it, so I just stepped in and ended up managing water polo for Whangaparāoa College, right up until both of them finished.
“I didn’t really know much about it, but I knew how to put a team together.”
Eldest daughter Samantha later joined the Atlantis City club in Auckland, where Kendall met White Caps head coach Angie Winstanley-Smith.
“What she was trying to achieve was a big dream with very little resource to try and get a team to the Olympic Games in Paris,” Kendall said. “There was no money, so it was pretty much a voluntary role, just building a plan and it’s taken a long time.
“She was, like, ‘Barbara, we’d love to have you on the team just supporting’ and I went, ‘Yep’.”
NZ women’s water polo team – the White Caps.
Photo: Catharyn Hayne Photography
NZ Water Polo chief executive Jan Shearer competed at three Olympics in sailing, winning a silver medal with Leslie Egnot at Barcelona 1992.
Olympian Polly Powrie joined the White Caps a couple of years ago as team manager. Powrie is a two-time Olympic medallist, winning gold at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, alongside teammate Jo Aleh in the women’s 470 sailing class.
England-born Winstanley-Smith represented Great Britain for 11 years, including the 2012 London Olympics, before retiring in 2014 and moving to New Zealand.
“Angie is an outstanding individual,” Kendall said. “Most people wouldn’t dedicate their life to it, it’s a real life calling.
“Then, when Jan became CEO, it was, like, ‘Right, I’m in’, because Jan’s an amazing operator, and then Polly joining as well. When you have really good operators in behind a good coach, who knows what can happen, so that was why I joined.”
Kendall knows what it’s like to prepare for Olympic qualification, but that’s brand new territory for the White Caps squad members. Some have spent time playing in the American college system on scholarships, some are coming from club level.
“Taking them from that level to actually what’s required when you step up into high performance systems is quite a big jump and some people don’t make it, because it’s relentless, it’s 24/7.
“It’s meticulous and so many boxes need to be ticked to ensure that you are operating under a high performance energy stream. It’s tiring and it’s really hard.”
Kendall enjoys working within a team sport.
“What a privilege to work with a group of female athletes striving to be their very best,” she said. “The dynamics are quite different, because you can have one person off and it can affect the whole team.
“They learn to understand their teammates, and what stresses them or what motivates them. They have to be able to adapt and have empathy.
“All those things you learn from a team sport, which you probably don’t learn from an individual sport, because it’s all about you, but in a team sport, you’ve got to look outside yourself a lot more.”
The NZ women’s water polo team at a training base in Auckland.
Photo: Supplied
Kendall said she had a “million stories” she could share about the realities of high performance sport, “based on everything I learnt in 25 years of travelling overseas, sleeping in cars, little support”.
“When you get to the end of it, you may not qualify for the Olympic Games,” she said. “You may not win a medal, but what you have learnt that has made you you, that’s priceless …and that’s where I come in.”
Kendall’s philosophy is to grow the person, then the athlete will flourish.
“In high performance sport, you go into pressure cooker situations and all your fears surface, so it’s how you embrace them and learn through them. It can be a really tough journey, so understanding that is actually when the most growth occurs, and you are much stronger and resilient from those times.”
The White Caps are currently on the road, gaining valuable experience in Europe against the world’s top teams, before heading to the world aquatics championships in Singapore.
Kendall will rejoin the team there, after a quick detour to watch daughter Aimee Bright compete at the 2025 iQFOiL world championships in Denmark. Bright is one of New Zealand’s top young windfoilers, a newer evolution of windsurfing.
Stacked with Olympic experience
New Zealand sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (right) at the Olympics.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Winstanley-Smith, who started coaching the team in 2017, appreciates that she has now got a management team stacked with Olympic experience.
One of her assistant coaches is Eelco Uri, a former Dutch player, who competed at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics with the Netherlands men’s team.
Winstanley-Smith said of Kendall: “Anyone who meets Barbara, it’s impossible not to feel energised.
“She’s been to five Olympics, she works with the IOC. Ultimately, what she brings is, ‘Yes, this is high performance, but it’s fun, we choose to be here’,” she said.
“She challenges the environment, and gets us to look at each other as people and how we can connect, and how everyone is different and how we navigate that within a team, so she’s been gold in that respect for me.”
Shearer spent three years as CEO of Snow Sports NZ, before taking charge of NZ Water polo in 2021, when Covid was having a big impact. She is also board chair of Canoe Racing NZ.
Winstanley-Smith’s first three months of communication with Shearer was over Zoom, when Auckland was in lockdown.
“She came in, and just provided a support for me and a guidance in the New Zealand high performance environment, and her connections and ability to get stuff done is just incredible.
“Immediately, her knowledge and expertise, she came from Snow Sports and we’ve all seen the success they have had, and also Canoe Racing New Zealand, so two organisations she’s been involved with who’ve had a lot of Olympic success, I don’t think that’s by chance.”
Jan Shearer (left) and Leslie Egnot at the Barcelona Olympic Games, 1992.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Winstanley-Smith said Powrie was the most unassuming, laid-back person she had ever worked with.
“So level-headed, which is fantastic for me, because she balances my ADHD out, so it’s great,” she laughed.
“She just loves being involved in sport, but not for the limelight. The girls can sit down at breakfast in tournament and chat through, ‘What was the morning like before you went out to sail your last race and won gold’ – those key moments that Polly has lived that she can bring real-life experience.”
White Caps captain Jessica Milicich, 29, has been in the squad for nine years and said missing out on Paris was difficult, but it made them confident they could make it.
She said having so much Olympic experience around the team was invaluable.
“Having Angie lead our programme has been really important for us,” Milicich said. “We wouldn’t be in the position that we are today without her.
“She’s really driven the women’s programme forward in the time that she’s been head coach. I’ve never met anyone as technically capable as her.
“She understands what you’re going through in high-pressure moments, she is very calm in times of stress, she is just so valuable and we are lucky to have someone like her involved.”
Jessica Milicich of the NZ women’s water polo team.
Photo: Deep Blue Media
Milicich said also having Powrie and Kendall in their camp filled them with confidence.
“They both came to the Doha world champs with us last year and the impact that they had was so positive, so all of our feedback was that we wanted them to be involved moving forward.
“Barbara creates an atmosphere where she brings out the best in everyone. She is really focussed on how we can perform as a group and individually at our best, so I think that is really important, because when you get to those international moments, she has so much experience and value to offer.
“Then Polly is just awesome. Having the two of them, I think we are very fortunate, and I don’t think you’d look across any other staff or team management, and have the same kind of experience or value.”
Traditionally, Europe produces strong water polo teams like Hungary, Greece and Italy. USA is strong in women’s water polo and Australia won silver in Paris last year.
“For us to break in to that upper tier, we are a little bit further away, so the more we get exposed to those kind of teams, the better,” Milicich said.
Water polo is now one of 10 recognised team sports under the High Performance Sport New Zealand programme, which has bumped up their funding.
“Singapore is one of our first world championships where we haven’t had to do much fundraising,” Milicich said. “It’s covered, but normally, it has been self-funded.
“To get to this point where we can now move forward and hopefully continue to grow the sport is really exciting.”
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