Sports
UTRGV Athletics Announces Senior Staff Promotions
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday the promotion of Sara Hernandez to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Strategic Initiatives, Steven Kraus to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Julia Perez to Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success, and Derek Schramm to Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Officer.
“We are grateful for the continued commitment, leadership and passion for excellence that these four administrators contribute to our department’s success,” UTRGV Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “We continue to be blessed to have some of the best and most dedicated administrators in the country, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work Sara, Steven, Julia, and Derek do to serve the Rio Grande Valley and contribute to the success of our coaches and student-athletes.”
Sara Hernandez
Following four years as a track & field student-athlete, Hernandez started working with the athletic department as a media relations graduate assistant in 2011 before starting full time as the athletics marketing and promotions coordinator in January 2013. She has since been promoted three times, including to assistant athletic director for marketing and most recently to associate athletic director for marketing and strategic initiatives.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to keep growing in this department, which has been my home for such a long time,” Hernandez said. “I’m proud of the way our team has grown and how we have reached new heights together.”
Hernandez oversees the department’s marketing and promotions efforts while also overseeing strategic initiatives such as increasing the department’s activity throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including on and around the Brownsville campus.
Hernandez’s team led the creation, development, and integration of the “Our Valley. Our Team. Our Time.” campaign that started prior to the 2024-25 athletic year. The campaign was recognized by the American Advertising Federation-RGV with the best of show award for sales and marketing and receiving gold in the cross-platform campaigns.
The marketing team was vital in UTRGV’s efforts to earn back-to-back department records in attendance across all sports, including the 82,258 fans that attended UTRGV baseball games in 2025, the 34th-most in the nation.
Hernandez is quick to note the support and work of her team, consisting of Julie Vasquez, Kristella Cruz, and Maria Ruiz. She finds happiness in their development and the development of their student staff.
“I’m especially grateful for the people I get to work with every day, whose talent, dedication, and passion make this place so special,” Hernandez said. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and look forward to continuing to serve and contribute to our shared success.”
Steven Kraus
Kraus, who previously worked with the department from 2016-19, returned to UTRGV as associate athletic director for sports medicine on July 6, 2020.
“I’m extremely grateful and honored to receive this promotion,” Kraus said. “UTRGV has been my home for eight years now and I’ve truly enjoyed getting to grow as a professional, grow the sports medicine department at UTRGV, and grow in my personal life as well.”
Kraus has been instrumental in the growth of the sports medicine department. When he returned to UTRGV in 2020, the sports medicine department had five full-time athletic trainers. Starting in 2025-26, sports medicine will have nine full-time athletic trainers and one medical assistant.
Kraus also helped revamp the student athletic training program to provide more learning opportunities for the students and has increased the size from 26 student athletic trainers to 46.
In addition to Kraus’ administrative responsibilities, he is also the primary athletic trainer for men’s basketball, women’s golf, and men’s tennis.
“I look forward to continuing to give my all to UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley and looking forward to providing the best quality healthcare I can to our student-athletes for years to come.”
Julia Perez
Following four years as a women’s tennis student-athlete from 2012-16, including a conference championship as a senior, Perez served in multiple roles for the department, including volunteer assistant women’s tennis coach and compliance assistant. She joined UTRGV Athletics in a full-time capacity in Feb. 2019 as coordinator for student development before being promoted to assistant athletic director for student-athlete services in Sept. 2023.
“I’m excited and honored to step into the role of associate athletic director for student success and incredibly grateful for the journey that led me here,” Perez said. “In this new role, I will be taking on responsibilities related to student-athlete housing and financial aid, leading the revamp of our life skills programming, and continuing to oversee both our student-athlete advisory committee and community service initiatives. I’m especially excited to join the senior staff and contribute in every way I can to the continued growth and success of UTRGV Athletics and our amazing student-athletes.”
While overseeing community service initiatives, Perez helped the UTRGV SAAC win the 2022 Division I Video Contest and has helped the department earn three top 20 finishes in community service among all NCAA Division I programs.
In the fall of 2023, Perez earned the #RISEUp award, which recognizes individuals in UTRGV Athletics who go above and beyond, making a meaningful impact on UTRGV student-athletes, coaches, and staff as voted on by her peers.
Derek Schramm
Schramm joined UTRGV Athletics on Sept. 11, 2023, as the senior associate athletic director for advancement and administration.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Chasse Conque for his continued trust and belief in my abilities, and for giving me the opportunity for further responsibilities and growth here at UTRGV,” Schramm said. “This is a very special place, and I tell people all the time that making the move to the Valley and UTRGV is the best decision I’ve made. That sentiment certainly still holds true.”
Since joining UTRGV, Schramm has been instrumental in the creation of the Vaqueros Loyalty Points program, the Vaqueros Athletic Fund, and the Rally the Valley NIL exchange. Since 2023, the Vaqueros Athletic Fund has raised over $28 million, including a record $207,320 from 195 donors during the 2024 UTRGV Day of Giving.
Schramm also oversees the ticket sales team for UTRGV. In back-to-back years, UTRGV has achieved record-breaking ticket sales and attendance records, including welcoming over 140,000 fans across all sports in 2024-25.
As part of these record-breaking attendance numbers, UTRGV baseball averaged 3,164 fans per date in 2025, ranking 30th in the nation.
In addition, Schramm and the ticket sales team have achieved sellouts for season tickets, suites, and all premium seating for the 2025 football season.
In his new role, Schramm will oversee ticket sales, NIL, licensing, and corporate sponsorships.
“What we have achieved externally the past couple of years underscores the talent and dedication of our team and the incredible amount of excitement the Rio Grande Valley has for the Vaqueros,” Schramm said. “I’m eager to continue to #RallyTheValley while building on our momentum by looking for new ways to be creative and innovative as we build strong, lasting relationships with the community and enhance our resources to position our student-athletes for championship level success.”
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The Badgers (27-4) were clicking on all cylinders in the first frame, as UW exploded for a .514 swinging percentage to jump out to a hot start in the first frame.
Wisconsin utilized a 5-0 serving run from libero Kristen Simon, highlighted by an ace turned in by the freshman—guiding the Badgers to a 15-9 advantage. UW and the Cardinal (29-5) continued to trade points throughout the latter half of the set, led by nine kills from outside hitter Mimi Colyer.
Stanford was quick to provide a response in this back-and-forth affair, as they put together three separate 3-0 runs to put away the Badgers and even up the match. UW fought back late with the help of a kill apiece from middle blocker Carter Booth and Colyer. Unfortunately for the Badgers, it was not enough, as they fell 21-25 to even up the match at one apiece.
The teams continued to be even throughout the first half of the third frame, with Stanford building a 17-14 cushion. In one of the largest turning points of the match, freshman Natalie Wardlow stepped up in the clutch with three-straight service aces to give UW an 18-17 lead. Wardlow’s four aces on the afternoon tied a career-best, as she last finished with four against No. 1 Nebraska on Oct. 31.
The Badgers kept the pressure on, forcing the Cardinal out of the system for the remainder of the third set. Right side Grace Egan capped it off with a kill to secure a 25-23 victory.
Set four brought the same intensity, as Wisconsin jumped out to a 10-6 lead with a pair of kills turned in by outside hitter Una Vajagic. The redshirt sophomore finished with her 10th double-double, hitting .411 with 13 kills, complemented by 11 digs on the defensive end.
The Cardinal battled and tied it up at 14-14 before the Badgers’ rattled off three consecutive points. Colyer racked up her 2,000th kill of her career in the process—accumulating a match-high 27 at Gregory Gym. The senior earned her final three in the late stages of set four, pushing Wisconsin to the Regional Finals.
Offensively, Booth tied a career-best with 14 kills, last doing so in the Regional Semifinal last season against Texas A&M. The Denver, Colorado, native swung .700 (14 – 0 – 20) against the Cardinal, as she finished errorless for the fourth-straight match.
Middle blocker Alicia Andrew joined her in the process, racking up seven kills on nine attempts without an attack error.
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer was the centerpiece throughout the entirety of the match, tallying a career-high 61 assists to guide the Badgers to their highest hitting percentage in a four-set match in program history.
Straight from the Court
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on this afternoon’s match): “It was just two teams that were just battling like crazy. The level of talent out there on the court and the level of play out there, that easily could have been a Final Four match. It’s unusual to see that high level and back-and-forth in the Sweet 16.”
(On freshman Natalie Wardlow’s serving): “It was huge because we were down by a few points, and she got in there and got three aces in a row. She’s put in the work, and she’s got that ability to doubt people as a passer and get you doubting. She’s got that ability, we have a few of those players who can do that.”
Middle Blocker Carter Booth (on what went right offensively): “I think it was just coming into the match with the mentality that we’re on the attack, knowing that we have a bit of an advantage in transition from what we’ve studied over the film. I think it was really an emphasis for us to always be the ones throwing punches, not the ones taking them.”
Outside Hitter Mimi Colyer (on playing in marquee matches): “I want to get in these big games and be competitive and play with a group of girls that want to win and need to win. I think our team is doing just that, I think we’re gelling at the right time and I think we’re gaining so much momentum.”
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer (on Una Vajagic’s performance): “I think she’s literally the most underrated player in the whole NCAA. She hit .444 and had 13 kills tonight, and she passes dimes. When Una passes, I think we hit over .500 every time, so I just don’t think she’s talked about enough and the amount she does for our team is huge.”
Notes:
- For the first time in program history, Wisconsin beat Stanford. The Badgers and Cardinal met six times previously in program history.
- Wisconsin will advance to the Regional Finals for the eighth-straight season.
- UW improves to 16-7 in program history in Regional Finals, and head coach Kelly Sheffield is 11-2.
- The Badgers improve to 73-29 all-time in the NCAA tournament.
- Wisconsin wore its black jersey for just the second time this season. The Badgers previously wore black in a 3-1 victory over Florida on Sept. 16. This marks just the third time in program history UW has worn black, and it’s first in 1999 at Penn State.
- Freshman Natalie Wardlow tied a career-best with four service aces against Stanford.
- Senior Carter Booth recorded a season-best 14 kills. She totaled 14 kills on 20 swings, while also hitting .700 for the match. This also marks her fourth-straight match without a hitting error.
- For the 12th match this season, outside hitter Mimi Colyer tallied 20 or more kills. She had a match-high 27 kills on 51 swings while hitting 373. With 27 kills, Colyer joins the 2,000 career kill club.
- For the eighth time this season, Wisconsin hit .400 or better. The Badgers hit .420 (70-15-131).
- Badgers had three players with double-figure kills, Colyer (27), Booth (14) and Una Vajagic (13).
- Setter Charlie Fuerbringer set a career-best 61 assists against Stanford. She previously totaled 59 against Ohio State on November 27, 2024.
Up Next: The Badgers are set to take on No. 1 Texas in the NCAA Regional Final on Sunday, Dec. 14 for a trip to the NCAA Championship. Match time is still to be determined.
THE HILL | Twenty-six Alabama A&M University student-athletes earned degrees at the University’s fall commencement ceremony on Friday at the AAMU Event Center.
Of the class, six of the graduates were baseball student-athletes, five were from volleyball, four were from women’s basketball, three were from football and softball, two from women’ s bowling and one each from men’s track & field, women’s soccer and women’s tennis.
Below are the graduates, listed by sport with their major.
| Name | Sports | Major |
| Isaac Casto | Baseball | Liberal Studies |
| Chevalier Dorris | Baseball | Mechanical Engineering |
| Brycen Hammonds | Baseball | Communications Media |
| Juan Rey | Baseball | Finance |
| Trey Scott | Baseball | Management |
| Avery Seaton | Baseball | Business Administration |
| Tyrell Lawrence | Football | Master’s in Business Administration |
| Jordan Milton | Football | Communications Media |
| Nikobe Myers | Football | Management |
| Preston London | Men’s Track & Field | Mechanical Engineering |
| Jalia Callway | Softball | Plant Biochemistry |
| Paige Scott | Softball | Political Science |
| Alyssa Charter-Smith | Softball | Liberal Studies |
| Moses Davenport | Women’s Basketball | Master’s in Business Administration |
| Kamaria Gibson | Women’s Basketball | Liberal Studies |
| Jaiyah Smith | Women’s Basketball | Liberal Studies |
| Mailyn Wilkerson | Women’s Basketball | Master’s in Business Administration |
| Tamyra Long | Women’s Bowling | Biology |
| Megan Whorton | Women’s Bowling | Sport Management |
| Daniela Marroquin | Women’s Soccer | Business Administration |
| Yana Dhamija | Women’s Tennis | Computer Science |
| Fatoumata Camara | Volleyball | Liberal Studies |
| Kemora Coachman | Volleyball | Business Administration |
| Bailey Duckett | Volleyball | Management |
| Myiah Porter | Volleyball | Psychology |
| Kennedy Robinson | Volleyball | Computer Science |
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville’s only Division I program – check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), Twitter (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
LINCOLN, Neb — Nebraska’s track and field team made a powerful start to their season at the Husker Holiday Open, securing event titles in 18 of 29 events and setting two new school records. Axelina Johansson highlighted the meet by breaking both the school and Swedish records in the shot put with a mark of 19.72m (64-8 1/2). Dyson Wicker also set a new school record in the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.62m (18-5 1/4).
Cade Moran claimed the men’s shot put title, achieving a mark of 20.07m (65-10 1/4), which ranks fifth in school history. Donna Douglas made an impressive debut, winning the women’s weight throw with a mark of 19.33m (63-5). Aspen Fears took the women’s pole vault title, clearing 3.96m (12-11 3/4).
Seth Schnakenberg set a personal best in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 20.87m (68-5 3/4), while Abrielle Artley won the women’s 300m with a time of 39.00. Elo Blessing Okpah and Ashriel Dixion excelled in the 60m races, with Okpah taking first in the women’s event and Dixion securing second in the men’s.
Brayden Bergkamp and Kate Campos both won their respective 60m hurdles events, with Bergkamp setting a personal best of 8.18. Alea Hardie and Gabe Nash claimed the mile titles, with Hardie achieving a personal best of 4:56.18.
In the men’s 600m, William McDavid emerged victorious with a time of 1:20.05. Ela Velepec claimed the women’s high jump title with a personal best of 1.83m (6-0). The Huskers also dominated the 4×400 relays, with both the men’s and women’s teams taking first place.
Desire Tonye-Nyemeck won the men’s high jump, clearing 2.14m (7-0 1/4). Nebraska will next host the Graduate Classic on Jan. 16-17 at the Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eighteen Austin Peay State University student-athletes participated in the Winter 2025 Commencement Ceremonies, which took place in the Winfield Dunn Center, Friday.
The following were master’s degree candidates for the December 2025 Commencement:
The following student-athletes were bachelor’s degree candidates for the December 2025 Commencement:
- Ashley Doyle, Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field
- Carson Smith, Football
- Harrison Wilkes, Football
- DJ Carter, Football
- Kendrick Clark, Football
- Davion Hood, Football
- Marcus Howard, Football
- Nate Lewis, Football
- Lucas Bales, Men’s Cross Country
- Christian Pastrana, Men’s Cross Country
- Bailey Lasater, Beach Volleyball
- Emma Loiars, Beach Volleyball
- Ashlyn Dulaney, Softball
- Sammie Shelander, Softball
These student-athletes were not just names on a roster or numbers on a field. They also represent…
- 18 Dean’s List selections
- 18 Athletic Director’s Honors Roll recipients
- One United Athletic Conference Specialist of the Year
- Two First Team All-UAC selections
- One Second Team All-UAC selection
- One College Sports Communicators All-District Team
- One NFF Hampshire Honor Society selection
- One Second Team All-ASUN selection
- One NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete
- Three members of the 2022 ASUN Football Championship Team
- Three members of the 2023 UAC Football Championship Team
And so much more! Thank you to these student-athletes for always giving their all for Austin Peay. We wish you well in all your future endeavors and as always… LET’S GO PEAY!
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray has announced a leadership change in the volleyball program. Sean Byron will not return as head coach after seven seasons.
Byron had an overall record of 78-103 and a mark of 62-50 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The Red Foxes qualified for the MAAC Championship four times in his tenure, and they reached the semifinal round in 2019.
The Red Foxes had six First Team All-MAAC selections in Byron’s seven seasons, led by MAAC Player of the Year Sasha van der Merwe in 2023. The program also continued its strong work academically, as it won the Athletic Director’s award for highest cumulative grade-point average each of the last four years.
A national search for Byron’s replacement will begin immediately.
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