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Vermont high school track and field: U-32 state championship sweep

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U-32 remained on top. In a year of state records, Hartford’s Bennett Moreno surprised himself with an historic run. And Middlebury sprinter Jazmyn Hurley cruised to more individual hardware.

Despite wet conditions, the track and field stars of Division II continued to shine bright on Friday.

The U-32 girls and boys swept the team competition for the seventh time since 2013, Moreno shattered his own divisional record in the 1,500 meters, slipping under the 4-minute barrier, and Hurley captured the 100 and 200 one year after a three-win performance during the D-II state championships at Burlington’s D.G. Weaver Athletic Complex.

The U-32 boys racked up 167 points to runner-up Hartford’s 80 to claim the second of back-to-back crowns and their 10th state title overall since 2013. The Raider girls, meanwhile, surged to a five-peat with 138 total points, out-distancing Rice (88).

“We take the team competition really seriously. It’s a big focus for us,” U-32 coach Andrew Tripp said. “We knew we were the favorites and we knew that we didn’t need any heroics, that’s what we told the kids before (the meet).

“No one had to be Superman today. We just had to do what we’ve done all year and we’d be good. And they did that.”

Depth, star power prevail for U-32 program

Ginger Long headlined the U-32 girls in her final state meet. The senior captured the 1,500 (4:51.57) and 800 (2:22.67) and ran a leg on U-32’s victorious 4×400 relay squad. Counting her success across cross-country, indoor and outdoor track, Long rolled up 12 individual state crowns in her career.

Long’s teammate, Madison Beaudoin, finished second to Long in 1,500 and 800, and was also a member of the winning 4×400.

“Between (Long) and (Beaudoin), I’ll probably never coach two women like that again, ever,” Tripp said. “Arguably, two of the best athletes in the history of the school. And they both showed out (Friday). There are lot of girls who had amazing days.”

Indeed. Morgan Towne totaled 26 points in four individual events, Clara Maker won the 300 hurdles (49.41), placed second in the 100 hurdles and was on the winning 4×100 and 4×400 relay squads, Isobel Kobel captured the 400 (1:00.44) and Adeline Cannella racked up 16 points.

For the U-32 boys, Cavan Farrell swept the 110 hurdles (16.08) and 300 hurdles (16.64), the Raiders swept all three relays, Zackary Parton swiped runner-up spots in long jump and high jump, and Noah Kopsco’s big day included first in the 400 (51.15).

Kopsco, Farrell, Drew Frostick and Josh Pearson made up U-32’s first-place 4×100. Frostick, Kopsco, Wyatt Mallory and Andrew McKinstry were on the winning 4×400. And McKinstry, Asa Dorfman, Oren Winters and Sawyer Tootle formed the victorious 4×800 for U-32.

“We are a really strong program and we take a lot of pride in that,” Tripp said.

Bennett Moreno dusts 1,500 D-II record in 3:58.48

Less than a week after lowering his 800 D-II record to 1:51.60 at Essex Invitational, Moreno felt under the weather leading up to Friday’s D-II state meet. He wasn’t expecting to challenge his 1,500 D-II record of 4:00.11, but U-32’s Cole Page pushed the pace.

And Moreno saw his opportunity. With a lap to go, Moreno said he knew he could close strong, clipping the line at 3:58.48. Moreno is the first D-II runner to break 4 minutes in the 1,500.

“I said, ‘All right, let’s do this. Whatever I got,'” Moreno said. “That led me to a 3:58. I was not in that mentality, but it switches once you’re in it.”

Vermont high school track and field: Bennett Moreno resets record

Hartford senior Bennett Moreno broke his Division II state record in the 1,500 during the D-II track and field championships at Burlington on June 6.

Moreno said the 800 record means more to him.

“The 1,500 is special and I’m so glad I found it, but the 800 is always going to be where my heart lies,” he said.

As of Friday, June 6, Moreno owns five D-II records: 800 and 1,500 in outdoor and 600, 1,000 and 1,500 for indoor. The senior will compete at New Englands and then nationals.

After setting records, Jazmyn Hurley races to 100-200 double

At the Essex Invitational, Hurley buried the 100 and 200 records for D-II. They have been long-fulfilled goals for Hurley. But Friday’s rainy weather and slick track surface made it difficult to top those times less than six days later.

Still, Hurley charged in with comfortable wins, 12.69 in the 100 and 26.10 in the 200. The Middlebury College-bound senior finishes her career with 11 individual state titles from indoor and outdoor combined.

“It was still fun, I had a nice time,” said Hurley, who will race at New Englands.

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter:@aabrami5.





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Penn State women’s volleyball earns commitment from Texas transfer outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein | Penn State Volleyball News

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Penn State landed its second commitment in the transfer portal of the day.

The Nittany Lions earned a commitment from outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein.

Lauenstein was previously at Texas and Nebraska before transferring to her third school, Penn State.

Lauenstein adds depth to the right side and outside, which is already pretty deep for the blue and white.

The Waverly, Nebraska, native had her best season in 2022 with the Cornhuskers, totaling 297 kills, with 2.78 kills per set and a .238 hitting percentage. She added 28 aces as a premier server, which could be a major part of her role with the Nittany Lions. 

She’ll make her way to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility.

MORE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE


Penn State women's volleyball earns commitment from Pitt transfer middle blocker Ryla Jones

Penn State earned another commitment from the transfer portal.

If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.



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Texas Outside Hitter Whitney Lauenstein Transfers To Penn State Women’s Volleyball

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Texas outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein announced her commitment to Penn State women’s volleyball out of the transfer portal on Wednesday. Lauenstein posted her decision to transfer to Happy Valley on her Instagram.

As a redshirt senior this past season, Lauenstein logged 33 kills, 11 digs, and 14 total blocks across 20 sets for the Longhorns.

Lauenstein began her NCAA journey with two seasons at Nebraska. As a sophomore, she led the Cornhuskers in total points, earning AVCA All-Region Team and Academic All-Big Ten honors.

After the 2022 season, the Waverly, Nebraska, native stepped away from the team to focus on her family. Lauenstein then transferred to Texas in December of 2023, where she spent the last two seasons.

Lauenstein now joins setter Alexis Stucky and middle blocker Ryla Jones as transfer players who have committed to the Nittany Lions this cycle.

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Cadyn is a third-year broadcast journalism major at Penn State. Hailing from the great state of Texas, he is a die hard Dallas sports fan. You’ll often see him voicing his opinions on music and sports on X/Twitter @cgill214.



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Marquette volleyball All-American Natalie Ring transfers to Texas A&M

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Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 10:22 a.m. CT





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Izzy Starck transfers to Pitt volleyball from Penn State

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Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 12:56 p.m. ET





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Texas A&M volleyball’s sweep of Kentucky attracts record viewership

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Dec. 24, 2025, 10:30 a.m. CT

Texas A&M’s first-ever NCAA Championship win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday was one of the most-watched title games in college volleyball history.

The 2025 campaign has featured many first-time achievements for Jamie Morrison’s squad in just his third year as head coach in Bryan-College Station, Texas, including a victory in the No. 2-most-watched NCAA title game ever. Texas A&M’s match against Kentucky attracted a peak of 1.7 million viewers, as part of the most-consumed NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament in the history of the sport.

The Aggies have much to be proud of following their historic run on the court this season. Still, the Maroon and White faithful have also played their own crucial roles in supporting the program as it ventured to some of the most hostile road environments in volleyball. One of those rowdy atmospheres occurred in the Lincoln Regional, where Morrison’s squad dethroned No. 1 seed Nebraska in an instant classic that advanced the Aggies to their first-ever appearance in the Final Four.

Texas A&M’s outstanding season, capped off by a sweep of the Wildcats in the NCAA Championship, played a massive role in etching their name into the viewership history books.





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K-State Hires Jeremiah Johnson to Serve as Defensive Backs Coach

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – A 24-year coaching veteran who has 13 years of coordinator experience, Jeremiah Johnson has been hired as a defensive backs coach at Kansas State, head coach Collin Klein announced Wednesday.
 
Johnson comes to Manhattan after serving one season as the defensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina in addition to being the Chanticleers’ interim head coach for the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech, which will be played next Tuesday.
 
“When Coach Klein called about joining his staff, it was a no brainer,” said Johnson, who worked with Klein during the 2016 season at Northern Iowa. “Having the opportunity to help him execute his vision for this program is exciting, and I am humbled and honored to work alongside one of the best coaches, leaders and humans in this business. It’s an added bonus that I am able to return to my home state. Nicki, Lane, Drew and I are so grateful to Collin and Shalin for bringing us on their journey and making us a part of their Wildcat Family. Team Johnson is fired up to get to Manhattan and get to work. Go Cats!”
 
Johnson has also served as a defensive coordinator at Northern Iowa (2014-2021, 2023), Kent State (2022) and Louisiana Tech (2024).
 
“Jeremiah is one of the best teachers of the game of football I have been around,” said Klein. “He is a relentless recruiter and a program builder. I am very excited to have him on our staff.”
 
This season, Johnson has helped Coastal advance to its sixth-straight bowl game as the Chanticleers rank 16th nationally and second in the Sun Belt in fourth down defense (40.0%) and 31st in fumble recoveries (8). He has helped Xamarion Gordon to a No. 2 national ranking in fumble recoveries (3) and a No. 5 ranking in the conference in interceptions (3). Myles Woods also had three interceptions on the year, while Johnson has coached Ezekiel Durham-Campbell to a No. 7 ranking in the conference in sacks (0.46 per game).
 
The Johnson-led Louisiana Tech defense in 2024 ranked 12th nationally in total defense, surrendering only 308.4 yards per game. It was a 98-spot improvement over where the Bulldogs finished in 2023, while his unit also produced a 91-place improvement in scoring defense (21.0 points per game) as they finished at No. 26. Additionally, Johnson led La Tech to an 88-place bump in rushing defense (135.5 yards per game) to rank 44th.
 
Outside of a one-year hiatus in which he served the 2022 season as Kent State’s defensive coordinator, Johnson coached for 16 seasons at Northern Iowa, spending the 2007 through 2021 seasons – in addition to the 2023 campaign – in Cedar Falls. While at UNI, Johnson coached Panther defenders to a combined 32 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) First Team honors, five MVFC Defensive Players of the Year, one Buck Buchanan Award winner, 15 Associated Press FCS All-America honors and seven American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American accolades.
 
In 11 seasons as the UNI defensive coordinator, Johnson’s defenses ranked in the top 10 nationally in statistical categories 29 times, which included turnovers gained on six occasions (highest ranking of No. 2 in 2019 with 34), defensive touchdowns four times (highest ranking of No. 5 in 2016 and 2019 with 4) and scoring defense three times (best ranking of No. 6 at 15.3 points per game in the Spring of 2021). During his first run as defensive coordinator from 2014 through 2021, UNI ranked sixth in the FCS by allowing 19.9 points per game over a 99-game span. He was also named a finalist for the 2019 FootballScoop FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year award.
 
The Panthers won four conference championships during Johnson’s time at UNI. Additionally, they made 10 FCS Playoff appearances and advanced past the first round in eight of 10 seasons, which included a semifinal showing in 2008 and quarterfinal appearances in 2015 and 2019.
 
Before being promoted to coordinator, Johnson coached the Northern Iowa defensive backs and served as the recruiting coordinator from 2009 through 2012. In 2007 and 2008, he was the video coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach.
 
Johnson went to UNI after working the 2003 through 2006 seasons at Loras College, serving on the same staff as former K-State head coach Chris Klieman. Johnson worked with the Duhawk defensive backs in 2003, 2004 and 2006, while he coached the wide receivers in 2005. Prior to his time at Loras, he was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Wyoming in 2002.
 
A native of Scandia, Kansas, Johnson obtained his undergraduate degree in sports science from Kansas in 2000, while he earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Loras in 2005.
 
Johnson and his five, Nicki, have a son, Lane, and a daughter, Drew.
 
THE JEREMIAH JOHNSON FILE
Hometown: Scandia, Kansas
College: Kansas – Bachelor’s degree in sports science (2000); Loras College – Master’s degree in athletic administration (2005)
Family: Wife: Nicki; Children: Lane, Drew
 
JEREMIAH JOHNSON’S COACHING CAREER
2002, Wyoming (Graduate Assistant/Video Coordinator)
2003-04, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2005, Loras College (Wide Receivers)
2006, Loras College (Defensive Backs)
2007-08, Northern Iowa (Video Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Backs Coach)
2009-12, Northern Iowa (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2013-16, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2017-21, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2022, Kent State (Defensive Coordinator)
2023, Northern Iowa (Defensive Coordinator)
2024, Louisiana Tech (Defensive Coordinator)
2025, Coastal Carolina (Defensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach)
2026, K-State (Defensive Backs)

 



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