COLLEGE STATION – A contingent of ACU Wildcats kicked off the 2026 indoor track season in at the McFerrin 12-Degree Invitational, with several successful times and marks.

Highlights in the meet were two victories for the Wildcats, as Vincent Luffey won the men’s mile with a personal best time of 4:12.16 (with teammate Benjamin Castro close behind in 2nd in a personal best time of 4:13.06) and Rhet Punt, last season’s National Junior College Athletic Association national champ, winning the weight throw handily with a toss of 62-10.25/19.16m.

There were several other highlights, including:

• Miguel Hall finishing in 3rd in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.03, a few fractions off his personal best, with Canaan Fairley in 6th in a time of 8.18
• Mariana Van Dyk in 5th place in the shot put with a big personal best throw of 46-2/14.07m, with freshman Ciera Tilley close behind in 6th with a throw of 44-3.25/13.49m. Mariana also finished 5th in the weight throw with a strong season opening throw of 47-8.25/14.46.
• In the men’s 3K run, Mark Barajas finished in 3rd in a time of 8:19.52, with Carlos Cortez close behind in 5th with a time of 8:20.41 – both times substantial improvements over their previous personal bests.
• Running in the 1000-meter run, Emma Santoro finished 3rd in the women’s race with a time of 2:57.96 and Evan Martin placed 4th in the men’s race running a time of 2:28.74.
• In the women’s 600-meter race, Madelyn McFadden finished in 2nd with a time of 1:35.12 and Jalyn Childers was just behind her in 3rd running a 1:36.23.
• ACU had a large group of freshmen running in the women’s 60-meter dash, led by Kee’Lani Whitlock, who finished in 7th with a time of 7.66
• The women’s 4×400 relay finished in 2nd with a team made up of 800-meter runners – Anna Vyn, Emma Santoro, Gracee Whiteaker, and Madelyn McFadden, in a time of 3:50.94 and Gracee with the fastest split time of 56.45.

The Wildcats will now enter a season of hard training over the holiday break, before the team’s next indoor track meet, the Texas Tech Corky Classic on January 16-17, 2026.

Gophers volleyball kicked off the weekend with a strong performance, winning against Fairfield University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and then taking down Iowa State University. 

These two wins advance the Gophers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022. Their first appearance under Head Coach Keegan Cook. This tournament marks the program’s 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th consecutive one. 

Cook spoke about how the team approached the tournament with confidence.

“It didn’t feel like some accomplishment that wasn’t within our reach,” Cook said. “Anything can happen. This tournament is the place where you can become a different player.” 

Minnesota’s performance against Fairfield showed a team playing with confidence and control from the opening serve. Minnesota steered clear of the mistakes that often decrease momentum. 

The Gophers maintained defensive organization and control, sustaining rallies with precise passes that enabled them to regroup and execute their offense. Their points were generated through a consistent combination of fast sets in the center and accurately targeted hits from the outside, which consistently left Fairfield disconnected. 

Minnesota focused on open areas using tip shots and cross-court plays, consistently placing the ball in zones where Fairfield’s defense was sluggish to adjust. 

In the next round, Iowa State posed a more difficult challenge. The Cyclones demonstrated more power at the net and showed enhanced intensity in their defense. Minnesota countered with another three-set sweep, yet this win demanded greater patience, wiser choices and strong conclusions in critical moments.

Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson showcased an impressive performance, scoring consistently in key moments and offering the reliable presence Minnesota required. Her ability to hit through the defense and place the ball effectively gave Minnesota a reliable source of momentum throughout the match.

Redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson also played a key role. Her distribution of the ball kept Minnesota’s offense balanced, involving multiple hitters and preventing Iowa State from locking in on any single player. Her calmness and ability to read the flow of each rally helped Minnesota maintain control as the match progressed.

Reflecting on the challenges earlier in the season, Swenson said the growth that shaped her performance.

“Losing people early on meant that lineups changed constantly. So it meant learning what my hitters liked and didn’t like, right away,” Swenson said. “I had to figure out what they needed, what they didn’t want. The fact that I made those connections and that I can set Julia blindfolded is huge for our team.”

The team had a strong defense, which stopped Iowa State from advancing further. This type of playing showed fans that Minnesota is focused and ready for the next round of the tournament. Not only is advancing to the Sweet 16 an impressive accomplishment for Minnesota, but it is evidence of the progress made under Cook’s leadership. 

Minnesota is headed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next. The next round will be the Gophers’ most competitive game since they faced No. 1 Nebraska. 

The Panthers are ranked No.1 in the Gophers’ bracket, but the Gophers are riding the momentum of the successful first two rounds as they enter the Sweet 16, which will help them maintain the same confidence they played with this weekend.

STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly honors have been released and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine women’s track and field was highlighted by sophomore Haley Williams being named GNAC Track Athlete of the Week and sophomore Ella Labrie earning GNAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition following their performances at the Elm City Classic.

Williams collected Track Athlete of the Week after a strong day on the track, placing second in the mile in 6:00.44 and running a leg on the winning distance medley relay that clocked 14:38.93, contributing to two major scoring performances for the Monks. 

Labrie was tabbed Field Athlete of the Week after scoring in both horizontal jumps, finishing fourth in the long jump with a mark of 4.80m (15′ 9″) and adding a fourth-place finish in the triple jump at 10.48m (34′ 4.75″), a mark that meets the New England Division III provisional standard. As of December 7, 2025, she ranks first in both the long jump and triple jump within the GNAC.

Saint Joseph’s will head to Southern Maine Saturday for the USM Alumni Open.

 

The first weekend of the NCAA volleyball tournament delivered on kills, points and of course, upsets. At campuses across the country, big names dominated, but there is still a Cinderella or two to cheer for as the tournament moves to the Sweet 16 this coming weekend. Here’s what you need to know from the first two rounds.

No. 1 seeds dominated…

Perhaps it’s not a surprise to see No. 1 seeds romp their way to the regional semifinals, but Nebraska, Texas, Kentucky and Pittsburgh each won their first two matches of the tournament with relative ease. Among the four teams, only one dropped a set — Kentucky dropped its third set to UCLA in the second round, and then came back to take that match with a 25-17 set. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh had 99 kills over the weekend, and Texas scored 73 points more than its opponents. And Nebraska? They were so good that they inspired their own bullet point in this story. (See below.)

Advertisement

…but there were plenty of upsets to enjoy

Unseeded Marquette took out the higher-seeded Western Kentucky (No. 7) in the first round in just three sets, then took Louisville — which went to the national semifinal last season — to five sets before the Cardinals eventually pulled out the win. After a 25-5 regular season, UTEP earned a sixth seed, but unseeded North Carolina knocked them out 3-1 in the first round. Rice had a No. 7 seed but lost to Florida, and Utah State won a barn-burner 3-2 match over No. 7 Tennessee in the first round of the tournament.

STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly honors have been released and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine was well-represented, with junior Jacob Schmader (Limington, Maine) named GNAC Track Athlete of the Week, freshman Stephen Pierre (Turner, Maine) selected as GNAC Field Athlete of the Week, and freshman Eli Benjamin (Rochester, N.H.) earning GNAC Rookie of the Week recognition following their performances at the Elm City Classic.

Schmader claimed Track Athlete of the Week after placing third in the 600 meters with a time of 1:24.80, a mark that meets the New England Division III provisional qualifying standard. 

Pierre earned Field Athlete of the Week honors by winning the long jump with a mark of 6.74m (22′ 1.5″), an automatic qualifier for the New England Division III Championships and a new Saint Joseph’s program record. He also cleared 1.83m (6′ 0″) in the high jump to place third, giving him two top-three finishes in the jumps and ranking him first in the GNAC in the long jump and fourth in the high jump as of December 7, 2025. 

Benjamin was tabbed Rookie of the Week after scoring in two events in his collegiate debut, finishing second in the high jump with a clearance of 1.88m (6′ 2″), which surpasses the New England Division III provisional standard, and adding a sixth-place effort in the 60 meters with a time of 7.64. His high jump mark currently ranks first in the conference as of December 7, 2025.

Saint Joseph’s will head to Southern Maine Saturday December 13th for the USM Alumni Open.

 

SALT LAKE CITY — Over her 36-year tenure as head coach of the women’s volleyball team at the University of Utah, Beth Launiere has become an icon of the sport.

That storied career — one that makes her the all-time winningest head coach (689-439) at Utah — has come to an end, though. Launiere announced her retirement from the game Monday, citing a desire to enter “the next chapter of my life.”

“Thank you to the hundreds of players whom I have had the privilege to coach, and the many assistant coaches, support staff and administrators who were my daily collaborators to build this program into what it is today,” Launiere said in a statement. “I will miss the daily interactions, but I know our relationships will last a lifetime.

“It has been an honor to represent one of the greatest universities in the country. I will forever love Utah and will always be a Ute!”

Launiere leaves as the third-longest tenured coach in Utah history, following former Red Rocks head coach Greg Marsden (40 years) and men’s swimming coach Don Reddish (37 years).

The decision, Launiere said, was a “difficult decision,” but it was time for another voice. Her decision comes after leading Utah to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, with the most recent being the last two seasons.

In those 36 years, Launiere’s program reached four Sweet 16 appearances, six conference championships in the Mountain West, and 20 of the school’s 25 20-win seasons. She also helped Utah to a 45 consecutive week streak of appearing in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 from 2000-02 and again in 2019-22.

“Her legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of Utah athletics is well-established, and the number of student-athletes, coaches and staff she has influenced in such a positive way stands at the top of her lengthy list of accomplishments,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said. “The standard of excellence and winning culture that Beth has created and sustained here for nearly four decades cements her place in Utah athletics history.

“She will be greatly missed, but her established standard and culture will carry forward.”

That culture will continue with the hiring of associate head coach Alyssa D’Errico to the top position. After being in her role for three seasons, D’Errico now becomes the sixth volleyball head coach in Utah history.

“Alyssa D’Errico is a tremendous identifier of talent and is elite in developing student-athletes and building genuine relationships,” Harlan said in a statement. “With her championship pedigree, All-America playing experience, and the three years she has spent at the University of Utah as associate head coach, she is uniquely equipped to take over leadership of our volleyball program.

“I’m thrilled to appoint Alyssa as our new head coach, and excited to see her establish herself as this programs’ leader, building on the legacy that Beth Launiere has built.”

D’Errico comes to Utah after a six-year tenure at Dayton, where she spent time as the associate head coach and the school’s recruiting coordinator. She began her career at Louisville in 2015 following a four-time national championship playing career at Penn State where she was captain.

“I couldn’t be more pleased for Alyssa D’Errico to be named the next head volleyball coach at the University of Utah,” Launiere said in a statement. “She has great knowledge of the game, and a work ethic second to none.

“Alyssa is a leader who invests in her players in both time and care, and is a tremendous role model for young women. Her exceptionalism as a four-time NCAA women’s volleyball national champion was a prelude to her extraordinary attributes as a coach and what she brings to the profession. I have no doubt Alyssa will maintain the culture we have strived to create and continue Utah volleyball’s winning tradition.”