EUGENE – The Texas A&M women’s track & field team advanced five to finals on the second day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday at Hayward Field.
 
The women’s 4x100m relay team got the day started on the front foot, as the quartet of Jasmine Harmon, Camryn Dickson, Bria Bullard and Jasmine Montgomery ran a season-best time of 42.92 to place second in the final heat and advance third overall to Saturday’s final.
 
Freshman steeplechase standout Debora Cherono continued the momentum, as she broke her own school record for the fourth time this season after placing third in the second heat of the event in 9:36.95. Kennady Fontenot concluded her outdoor campaign in the semifinal round, earning the first All-America honor of her career after placing 15^th with a personal-best time of 9:52.75.
 
The reigning indoor short hurdle national champion, Jaiya Covington, booked her spot to the 100m hurdles final for an attempt at the national title sweep after earning automatic qualification in the semifinals. She crossed the line in 12.87 to finish second in the final heat and fourth overall in the opening round.
 
Montgomery added to her standout day, topping the second heat of the women’s 200m semifinals to advance to Saturday’s final after she clocked a time of 22.36 to advance third overall. Dickson also logged a top-16 finish in the event with a time of 22.79 to earn Second Team All-America honors.
 
The women’s 4x400m relay team ended the night for the Aggie women, as Kennedy Wade, Dickson, Montgomery and Jaydan Wood secured the fifth and final advancing spot to championship Saturday. The team entered the final leg in fifth place, however a heroic final leg split of 50.75 from Wood moved the squad all the way to second to ensure automatic qualification with a time of 3:29.00.
 
Montgomery and Dickson each secured their first All-America honors of the championships in the 100m semifinals, as the duo finished 10^th (11.07) and 14^th (11.20), respectively, to earn Second Team status.
 
Wood concluded her individual campaign at the championships in the 400m, as she placed 15^th in 52.23 to garner a Second Team All-America accolade.
 
Next Up
The Aggies return to Hayward Field tomorrow for the third day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 

To learn more about Texas A&M Track & Field/Cross Country, visit 12thMan.com and follow @aggietfxc.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara women’s beach volleyball program has promoted Lance Muret to Assistant Coach for the 2025-26 season. Muret returns to the Broncos after spending the past two seasons as a Volunteer Assistant Coach. Head Coach Jeff Alzina made the announcement Friday.
 
“We are all very excited to have Lance as our first full time assistant coach in the program,” Alzina said. “The team, their families, and our athletic administration have been extremely supportive of his work and relationships built already at Santa Clara. Lance’s work last year really propelled the team forward into our historic season. He is one of the best young coaches in the country. His excellent teaching of the game is matched only by his high character and genuine care for the players on our team. I feel very fortunate to have him full time now helping me lead the Broncos into our next goals and growth.”
 
Muret returns to the Broncos after helping lead them to one of their most successful seasons in program history in 2025. They won 18 games, which is tied for the most in program history, and reached the West Coast Conference Tournament final for the first time in program history, finishing in second place. The Broncos defeated No. 17 Washington on March 16 for their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2015, and had a historic six players claim all-WCC honors.
 
Muret is a San Diego native who graduated from La Costa Canyon High School where he won an indoor volleyball CIF championship and was named CIF Libero of the Year. He also led the beach volleyball team to a No.1 seed in all four years, winning two championships and one individual pairs title.
 
Muret went on to play indoor club volleyball at UC San Diego where he graduated with a B.A. in International Business. He has four years of coaching experience with WAVE Beach and has continued to compete in top-rated beach volleyball tournaments, recently winning the King of Spring event in Encinitas.
 
“I’m incredibly honored and beyond excited to officially join the Santa Clara University Beach Volleyball team as the full-time assistant coach,” Muret said. “After two amazing years volunteering alongside this passionate and hardworking group, I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity to continue growing with this program. I truly believe in the direction we’re headed and can’t wait to help shape a future that reflects the heart, grit, and potential of this team. Go Broncos!”
 
Muret doubles the Broncos’ full-time coaching staff, joining Alzina, who has been with the program since 2019.
 

By Barton Community College Athletics

GREAT BEND, Kan. (BartonSports.com) – Pending approval from the Barton Community College Board of Trustees at their meeting later this month, Jim Cartisser is expected to become the volleyball program’s next head coach.

Cartisser comes to Great Bend after spending 18 seasons at the College of Southern Idaho including the last six seasons as head coach leading the Golden Eagles to a 118-61 overall record.

“Jim comes to Barton a proven winner!” remarked Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. “His background and resume in collegiate volleyball speaks for itself. We look forward to Coach Cartisser arriving in Great Bend to guide Barton Volleyball to NJCAA prominence.”

Serving the first twelve seasons as an assistant, the last eight assisting his late wife Heidi, the duo led the Golden Eagles to a trio of NJCAA national titles and a national runner-up finish.

During his tenure as the Head Coach, the Golden Eagles claimed another NJCAA Championship in 2018 as Cartisser was named both the AVCA and NJCAA Coach of the Year.

A native of Oregon, the love of volleyball started on the sand courts carrying onto the hard court collegiately competing for Portland State University’s club team.

Entering the collegiate coaching ranks in 1994, Cartisser has served as either a head or assistant coach throughout his career, along with coaching multiple club team programs.

Cartisser inherits an expected reloaded Cougar squad assembled by Megan Besecker prior to her departure taking over the reigns of NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University.

The 2024 Cougars captured their second straight KJCCC title on the way to their 24th NJCAA National Tournament appearance, finishing 4th in the nation at 33-4 overall.

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s Volleyball continues to build up their 2025-26 squad with youthful talent, adding freshman Zoe Joshua out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. Unlike most prep players, Joshua focussed purely on beach while playing for the Knights, giving her loads of experience on the sand despite coming in as just a freshman.

With numerous tournament wins to her name including the the 18u AVP and the 18u Walker Beach, Joshua concluded her pre collegiate beach career by being named the Mission League MVP after leading Notre Dame Sherman Oaks to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the CIF Southern Section DII Tournament. Standing at 5-8 and left hand dominant, Joshua will bring another dynamic dimension to Saint Mary’s Beach Volleyball

Joshua originally committed to the University of Utah, but after the discontinuation of their program, re-opened her recruiting and selected Saint Mary’s to be the place to call home for the next four years. 

“Zoe  is a 5’8″ left-handed defender who has achieved notable success in her beach volleyball career!” noted Head Coach Janice Harrer, “Her passion and persistence are qualities that will bring her success in the classroom and in competition!  She brings notable experience on the sand, and we look forward to what she will bring to the SMC program!”

Now with four true freshmen coming in for the 2025-26 season, the Gaels truly have set the building blocks for success in the near and far future.

#GaelsRise

Cranston East, Lincoln and Mt. Hope danced on the court of the Murray Center.

Their season-long missions were complete as they hoisted championship trophies. But now there’s another job to be finished. The Providence Journal selected two players from each of those teams and nominated them for Player of the Championship honors.

Teammates, friends, family and members of the volleyball community can vote from now until June 20 for who they think earned these bragging rights. You can vote however many times you would like, but voting must be done via the ballot below. Email submissions will not be accepted.

Vote now!

Jacob Betres, Mt. Hope

Betres landed the most important kill of his career at the perfect time. The senior broke the final tie against Portsmouth in the Division III championship and helped hand the Huskies the 3-2 victory at the Murray Center. Mt. Hope captured its first boys volleyball title with the 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 16-14 triumph.

Jackson Colton, Lincoln

Pawtucket’s hitters never had any momentum and that’s because Colton was a force in the middle. The Lions’ 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-23) title-winning performance was dominant and spearheaded by the play at the net. Lincoln finished off its undefeated season with a second Division II championship in three years.

Sebastian DeCubellis, Lincoln

DeCubellis isn’t your prototypical setter. He’s a threat to go over on two hits and Lincoln benefits from it each time. Lincoln breezed past Pawtucket in a little over an hour and DeCubellis was in on every play for the Lions.

Dylan DeOliveira, Mt. Hope

The Huskies’ setter was in on every point, but none were as important as when he went over on two hits in the fourth set. The junior found open space in the middle of the Patriots’ defense and gave Mt. Hope a 19-18 advantage. Mt. Hope went on to win the set, 25-21, to force the deciding fifth frame.

Dennis Dixon, Cranston East

Dixon might have been the most athletic player on the court in Cranston East’s upset of North Kingstown. Defense was key in the Thunderbolts’ 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 16-14) triumph. Dixon stymied NK’s hitters and handed the Skippers’ its only loss this season. The championship win earned Cranston East its first state title.

Caleb Xum, Cranston East

Xum is one of the state’s best setters, but Cranston East needed more of him in the championship match. The Thunderbolts moved the senior to libero to help against North Kingstown’s hitters. Xum welcomed the positional change and helped Cranston East to its first state championship.

Brynn Beatty is preparing for more than just a walk across the stage this weekend in Pauley Pavilion. With commencement nearing, she has been wrapping up her capstone project, working with her group to finish building a small robot that detects and digs up metal on the beach and at the sand volleyball courts near the dorms. But the fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is also getting ready for a new title: graduate student.

This fall, Beatty will move off campus into an apartment farther from Westwood as she begins a new chapter at UCLA, pursuing a master’s degree focused on fluid mechanics, a discipline she gravitated toward after taking two rigorous but captivating elective courses.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Beatty experienced a bit of culture shock when she first moved to Los Angeles. “I am used to a very laissez faire city. Changing from the laid-back attitude of my home city to the fast-paced, get-it-done mentality here was a major change,” Beatty recalled. She credits UCLA’s tight-knit community for making her feel at home, telling her friends that she doesn’t really live in Los Angeles — she lives in Westwood. While the idea of taking a day trip to the beach still seems crazy to her, she has become a regular visitor to the Hammer Museum and is a proud Los Angeles Public Library card holder.

“I love the cross between research and writing,” said Brynn Beatty. “Communication isn’t a bonus skill, but rather something that is necessary for everyone — no matter their field.”

Despite initially taking some time to get used to a faster city life, Beatty is no stranger to juxtaposition. She spent her high school years at an arts-focused magnet school, where each student chose a specialty during freshman year. Beatty picked creative writing to complement her study of engineering — building model bridges by day and writing poetry by night. In her senior year, Beatty designed and tested a planter aimed to help restore Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.

At UCLA, Beatty joined the Undergraduate Science Journal as an editor in her sophomore year, helping make technical research content more accessible to broader audiences. She also worked as a student writer for the UCLA Samueli’s Office of Marketing Communications. In her role, she helped monitor news coverage of the school, draft stories on faculty awards and school events, and assisted with data analytics — honing her writing skills while staying steeped in science.

“I am so glad that I am able to combine my technical knowledge of engineering with writing,” Beatty said. “Getting to see the commencement booklet before it’s published is just a bonus.”

Beatty is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Harry M. Showman Prize, awarded annually to a UCLA Samueli student who excels in communicating the societal relevance of engineering. It’s a fitting honor for someone who has spent her undergraduate years balancing equations with prose.

“I love the cross between research and writing,” said Beatty, whose parents are both journalists. “Communication isn’t a bonus skill, but rather something that is necessary for everyone — no matter their field.”

As a student staffer in UCLA’s housing services, Residential Life, Beatty worked overnight shifts while maintaining a rigorous academic load. She tried to keep a set schedule to help manage stress. To recharge, she turned to sewing and crossword puzzles. “Having creative hobbies allows me to connect with people both within the engineering school and outside of it,” Beatty said.

Recently, she created a UCLA-themed crossword inspired by the long-standing “North Campus vs. South Campus” divide — a playful nod to the contrast between humanities and STEM students. “Students across campus think of themselves as so different from each other, but we all share the same campus, dorms and city at large, and we have a lot more in common than our different majors,” Beatty said.

Over the past four years, Beatty has gone from having an abstract idea of becoming an engineer to discovering her interest in fluid mechanics, additive manufacturing and computational modeling. Looking ahead, Beatty says she is excited to explore all that UCLA can offer as she continues to define her plans for the future. But one thing is for certain: she is adopting a dog once she moves into her new apartment.

For incoming UCLA Samueli undergrads unsure about where to get help, Beatty suggested they talk to their professors. “Every professor that I have reached out to has been amazingly helpful and honest about what to expect from internships and from grad school,” she said.

Beatty is also inspired by her fellow Bruin engineers. She has heard her classmates talk about their future as Tiffany watchmakers, rocket scientists and even cheese researchers. As for Beatty, she will stay connected to the physics and core principles of engineering. “I hope to maintain that love for engineering at its core: asking and answering questions with whatever tools are available,” she said.