1500m DOMINANCE 🙌😤
Margot Appleton (4:11.28) holds off Silvia Jelelgo (4:11.61) of Clemson to defend her title!#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/z2w788LXvQ
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 17, 2025
Sports
Virginia Women Win ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Title
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out a thrilling weekend of competition at the 2025 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in which the Virginia women won the first women’s team title since 1987 and the sixth team title in program history scoring a total of 93 points at Kentner Stadium on the campus of Wake Forest University on Saturday (May17).
Back-to-Back-to-BACK
- Margot Appleton won her third straight ACC Outdoor 1500-meter title fending off Silvia Jelelgo of Clemson in second.
- Appleton edged out Jelelgo clocking 4:11.28 to the Clemson Tiger’s 4:11.61.
Setting a High Bar
- Celia Rifaterra continued her undefeated season winning the women’s high jump competition clearing a personal-best 1.86m/6-1.25.
- After clearing the first two bars on her first attempt, Rifaterra began clearing on her third attempt.
- Rifaterra is just the second Virginia woman to win gold in the women’s high jump alongside Ann Blair from 1983.
- Carly Tarentino equaled her personal best of 1.80m/5-10.75 to tie for second place in the competition. She cleared each of her three bars on her first attempt at each height before knocking the bar down at 1.83m/6-0.
- For their performance, both Rifaterra and Tarentino earned first team All-ACC honors.
Let’s watch it again 🤩
Big time performances by Celia Rifaterra and Carly Tarentino in the women’s high jump to go 1️⃣-2️⃣!!#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/LDZy3dYLO3
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 18, 2025
Gold for Christiana Ellina
- Christiana Ellina won the women’s javelin throw on her sixth and final attempt in the competition throwing for 52.44m/172-0.
- Ellina brought home the first ACC gold medal and first team All-ACC honors in the women’s javelin since Meghan Briggs in 2010.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 🙌
Christiana Ellina brings home the first ACC gold medal in the women’s javelin since Meghan Briggs in 2010!!#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/T8pGuvK8pY
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 17, 2025
Freshman Phenom
- Maya Rollins won the silver medal in the women’s 100-meter hurdles clocking 13.42.
- Rollins already owns the freshman record in the event which she set in the prelims of 13.33. Her time also ranks third all-time in program history.
- For her performance, Rollins earned first team All-ACC honors.
Clock it 😎
Maya Rollins brings home the SILVER!!!! #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/EmHM9tr2W6
— Virginia Track & Field and Cross Country (@UVATFCC) May 17, 2025
Hurdle Dominance
- Alex Sherman brought home the bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter hurdles clocking a new personal best of 49.98.
- Sherman’s time broke the Virginia record which previously stood at 50.02 by Steve Delice in 2010.
- His time ranks 17th in the NCAA and eighth in the east region this season.
- This marks the third consecutive year in which Sherman has made the podium at the ACC Outdoor Championships, winning the silver medal in the event a year ago and bronze in 2023.
More Notable Performances
- Virginia went three for three qualifying to the final of the women’s javelin with Christiana Ellina, Abigail Meckes and Siobhan Loughney.
- Ellina won gold while Meckes (42.61m/130-3) and Loughney (42.23m/138-6) finished seventh and ninth.
- Emily Alexandru ran a strong race in the women’s 400-meter hurdles clocking a new personal-best 58.13. In her first ACC Outdoor final, Alexandru finished fifth and earned second team All-ACC honors. She moves up to No.7 all-time in program history.
- Lily Hulland earned second team All-ACC honors in the women’s triple jump finishing fifth with her mark of 12.89m/42-3.50 (+3.0).
- On her third event of the weekend, Estel Valeanu finished fourth in the women’s discus throwing for 55.93m/183-6.
- Both men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relay teams recorded season best times. The women’s quartet of Ariel Fletcher, Lola Kolawole, Sophia Akpan and Sarah Akpan just missed the podium by one spot finishing fourth in 44.30. The four tied for the fifth fastest time in school record.
- The men’s contingent of Evans White IV, Jacob Garnett, Jerlan Fish and Peter Djan combined efforts to stop the clock at 40.91.
- Will Daley grabbed a point in the men’s 1500-meters clocking 3:46.49 for eighth place.
- In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Peter Djan ran his way to a seventh-place finish crossing the line in 13.97.
- Running a season-best 23.13, Sarah Akpan finished sixth to earn important points for the team and second team All-ACC honors.
- After winning the women’s 1500-meters, Margot Appleton returned to the track in the women’s 5000-meters. Appleton was the top Cavalier finisher in seventh place with her time of 15:52.55.
-
Not far behind Appleton was Jenny Schilling (15:53.43) and Gillian Bushee (16:04.33) in ninth and 13th place, both recording new personal best times. With their times, Schilling moves up to No.3 all-time while Bushee moves up to No.6 in program history.
- The 4×400-meter relay team of Sarah Akpan, Ariel Fletcher, Emily Alexandru and Brooke’Lyn Drakeford ran a season-best 3:33.14 to finish in sixth place and secure the team title for the Cavaliers. Their time ranks third in program history.
Thursday/Friday ACC Medalists & All-ACC:
- Jenny Schilling won the women’s 10,000-meters clocking 33:22.34.
- Keyandre Davis won the bronze medal in the men’s hammer throw with a new personal best mark of 67.12m/220-2. With his mark, Davis moved up to No.5 all-time in program history.
- John Fay (63.72m/209-1, 6th) and Annika Kelly (64.81m/212-7 PB, 4th) earned second team All-ACC honors in the men’s and women’s hammer throw. Kelly also broke her own school record which she set earlier in the season.
- Estel Valeanu earned second team All-ACC accolades in the women’s shot put throwing for 16.47m/54-0.50 to finish fifth.
All-ACC Finishes:
The Cavalier men and women accumulated a total of 14 All-ACC performances over the course of the meet:
- First team men: Keyandre Davis (HT), John Fay (HT), Alex Sherman (400mH)
- First Team women: Emily Alexandru (400mH), Margot Appleton (1500m), Christiana Ellina (JT), Celia Rifaterra (HJ), Maya Rollins (100mH), Jenny Schilling (10,000m), Carly Tarentino (HJ)
- Second team women: Sarah Akpan (200m), Lily Hulland (TJ), Annika Kelly (HT), Estel Valeanu (SP, DT)
The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash
The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions. In men’s and women’s track and field, the points are awarded to the team that finishes highest at the ACC Championships. Virginia has already clinched the title; the Cavaliers get the point on the women’s side while the Hokies take the men’s point. With one more opportunity (baseball) to earn points, Virginia has a total of 14 points while Virginia Tech has 7 points.
Final Team Standings:
Women:
1. Virginia – 93
2. Louisville – 89
3. Clemson – 86
4. Florida State – 73
5. Duke – 72
6. California – 61
7. Miami – 51
8. North Carolina – 48
9. Stanford – 46
9. Virginia Tech – 46
11. NC State – 45
12. Notre Dame – 38
13. Pittsburgh – 23
14. SMU – 13
15. Wake Forest – 13
16. Georgia Tech – 11
18. Boston College – 3
Men:
1. Duke – 86
2. North Carolina – 82
3. California – 79.83
4. Virginia Tech – 78.33
5. Florida State – 74
6. Clemson – 70
7. Pittsburgh – 61
8. Louisville – 50,33
9. Miami – 50
10. NC State – 40
11. Stanford 38.5
13. Wake Forest – 28
13. Virginia – 25
14. Notre Dame – 20
15. Syracuse – 19
16. Georgia Tech – 15
Up Next
Virginia will continue the championship portion of the season with the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday (May28) through Saturday (May 31) before heading to Eugene, Ore. for the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wednesday (June 11) through Saturday (June 14).
Sports
Indy volleyball coach in viral video charged after allegedly sexting a minor
INDIANAPOLIS — A viral video has led to criminal charges against an Indianapolis volleyball coach accused of sending sexually explicit images to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced that Levi Garrett, 34, of Danville, faces attempted dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a Level 6 felony, following an independent investigation by the prosecutor’s office.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the charges stem from allegations that on March 2, 2025, Garrett engaged in explicit conversations and sent sexually graphic photos on the dating app Grindr to someone he believed was a minor.
A member of a private online investigative organization used a fake Grindr profile titled “tryna have fun” with a photo portraying themselves as a 14-year-old male named “Josh.” The decoy allegedly engaged with Garrett’s profile, “Hmu & find out.”
During the conversation, court documents show the minor texted Garrett, “U mind if I’m young,” and Garrett replied, “No I don’t mind.” When the decoy told Garrett, “I’m 14 but I down for whatever,” Garrett allegedly “liked” the message and proceeded to send three sexually explicit images, including photos of male genitalia and sexual activity.
The messages also allegedly included language about meeting for sex, with Garrett asking whether the encounter would be “safe or bareback.”
Court records show Garrett initially agreed to meet at a location in Greencastle but later blocked the account.
The case gained widespread attention in August when YouTuber JiDion, who is affiliated with the private investigative group, posted a 26-minute video titled “Volleyball Coach Gets EXPOSED” that has been viewed over 1.2 million times.
In the video, JiDion confronts Garrett at The Academy Volleyball Club located on East 30th Street, showing him screenshots of the alleged text exchanges and explicit photos.
Notably, the video showed several Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers at the scene during the confrontation. When JiDion urged them to arrest the coach, one officer stated, “I have run into this before. Our prosecutor will not touch this,” a response that was controversial to many of JiDion’s followers.
IMPD later responded to the backlash and clarified that the video lacked important context, noting that a police report was filed at the scene, Garrett was trespassed from the property, and detectives were informed about the allegations.
Following the viral incident, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office opened a formal investigation into the allegations.
“There are no shortcuts in the investigative process,” Mears said in a statement Monday. “When it comes to crimes against children, justice demands that an independent investigation occur and evidence be properly obtained, so that a case is built that will hold offenders accountable in a court of law.”
According to the affidavit, body camera footage from the incident shows Garrett identifying himself by name and providing his date of birth and phone number to officers, information that matched the Grindr profile under investigation.
Garrett is scheduled to appear for a change of plea hearing on January 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Marion County Superior Court.
Sports
Volleyball Lands Four on CSC Academic All-District Team
To qualify, a student-athlete must hold a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.50, across both undergraduate and graduate courses, if applicable. Athletically, volleyball student-athletes must have either competed in 90% of their team’s contests for the season or started at least 66% of contests.
The list of honorees is below:
Senior Alina Anderson (Rockford, Mich. / Rockford / Ferris State)
Senior Abby Olin (Coopersville, Mich. / Coopersville / Michigan State)
Sophomore Izzy Swiercz (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville)
Sophomore Grace Thomas (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman)
Both Anderson and Olin earned the honor for the 2024 season.
For the latest news and updates on CMU Volleyball, follow the team in X (@cmuvolleyball) and on Instagram (@cmuvolleyball).
Sports
Affidavit reveals AI-generated plan in alleged grooming case against Mesquite pastor’s son and volleyball coach
An arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News Texas reveals more details about what led up to the arrest of a teacher and volleyball coach accused of grooming a teenage girl to have a sexual relationship with her, including the discovery of an AI-generated document outlining manipulation tactics.
Matthan Lough, 32, was arrested on Dec. 10 on a charge of child grooming, a third-degree felony. His father, Kevin Lough, was the senior pastor of the Christian Center of Mesquite, where some of the alleged grooming took place.
The victim and her mother filed a report with Mesquite police about Lough on Oct. 2. According to police, the victim’s mother found out about the relationship earlier that week.
Mesquite police: Grooming began more than two years ago
The affidavit outlines how the case began with an interaction at a party in the spring of 2023.
According to the affidavit, the victim met Lough at her cousin’s graduation party when he approached her while she was playing volleyball. The victim recognized Lough from church, as his wife was the worship leader for their youth group. Lough asked her if she would be interested in joining a club volleyball team he wanted to start at the church.
It was not until the fall of 2024 that Lough held tryouts for the team, and the victim was given a spot, the affidavit said. The victim reported a series of unusual interactions with Lough over the following months in which he shared overly personal details about his life and marriage, then began to make flirty and inappropriate jokes, according to the report.
Lough’s inappropriate behavior escalated further over the summer of 2025, when he started sending the victim explicit messages and discussed committing murders, the affidavit said. Lough also repeatedly made sure the victim knew he was carrying a gun, making her fear for her safety.
In September, the affidavit describes the relationship turning physical. Lough allegedly kissed the victim at a church event. Later that month, he sexually assaulted her twice, the victim told police.
The relationship ended after the victim’s mother discovered the inappropriate messages on the victim’s devices. Her mother then contacted Lough’s wife.
Police said that after the victim filed the report, detectives obtained a search warrant and found an AI-generated document on Lough’s iPad titled “Hypothetical Counter-Influence Plan.” The document outlined phases such as “rebuild her autonomy” and “shift the power dynamic,” and provided guidance on how to achieve success.
Fallout from child grooming case
After the relationship was uncovered, police said Lough’s wife left Texas. Court records show she filed for divorce in October.
Lough’s father also resigned as senior pastor of the Christian Center of Mesquite. In a post on the church’s website, its board said the church would work to seek justice for the victim. It also said the church has “initiated an immediate internal review of all child protection policies, volunteer screening processes, and facility access logs to ensure the absolute safety of every child and youth within our care.”
Sports
2025 NCAA women’s volleyball championship: How to watch, schedule
Texas A&M shook up the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament when the No. 3 Aggies upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten Nebraska in their regional final. Now, the Aggies are headed to their first Final Four in program history.
No. 3 Wisconsin, which ousted Texas, another No. 1 seed, on its home court, and No. 1 seeds Kentucky and Pittsburgh join Texas A&M in the national semifinals, which take place Thursday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Aggies will take on Pitt in one semifinal, while Wisconsin and Kentucky will face off in the other. Neither Texas A&M nor the Panthers have won a national championship, though Pitt will play in its fifth straight Final Four. Both Wisconsin (2021) and Kentucky (2020) have won one national title.
Here are key facts about the 2025 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament:
What is the remaining schedule?
*All times Eastern
Thursday, Dec. 18
Semifinal: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh – 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
“NCAA Women’s Volleyball Studio Show” – 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Semifinal: No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky – 9 p.m. on ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 21
“NCAA Women’s Volleyball Preview Show” – 3 p.m. on ABC
Championship – 3:30 p.m. on ABC
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the NCAA women’s volleyball streaming hub.
How can fans access more college sports coverage from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for the latest news, scores, rankings and more.
Sports
Three Clarkson Volleyball Players Named to CSC Academic All-District List
The 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. To be eligible, student-athletes need to be of sophomore standing both athletically and academically, hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or better, and have participated in 90% of sets or have started at least two-thirds of their respective team’s matches.
Baxter, a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering, was a Liberty League Second-Team All-Star thanks to her excellence in the back row. Baxter ranked 22nd nationally in digs per set (5.40 dps) and was 57th nationally in aces per set (0.63 aps).
Currier, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, continued to be relied upon in a variety of roles for the Knights, averaging 7.09 assists, 0.95 kills, 2.50 digs, and 0.61 blocks per set. In a match against University of Rochester she nearly posted an incredibly rare feat, coming up just one kill short of a quadruple double (31 assists, 16 digs, 10 blocks, and 9 kills).
Hangliter, a senior majoring in Environmental Engineering, finished the season averaging 2.62 kills per set, which ranked second on the team. She also was second in the Liberty League in aces per set with 0.64, which placed her 49th nationally in that category.
Sports
Three Tennessee Volleyball Players Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors
This marks the first time in program history that three Lady Vols have been named to the Academic All-District Team. In Eve Rackham Watt‘s eight years as head coach, eight total players have earned Academic All-District honors. Tennessee has had two or more players selected to the All-District team now in three seasons, all coming under Rackham Watt.
CSC’s Academic All-America program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Both Kerr and Kubik earned spots on the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which will be announced on January 13, 2026.
Compiling a 3.87 GPA in the Sport Management program, Kerr garnered First Team All-SEC honors after leading the team with 945 assists. Kerr was a key force for a Tennessee attack that finished the season top 15 in both hitting percentage and kills per set. Kerr had 20 matches with 30 or more assists, including tying her career high with 57 against Florida on Oct. 15.
One of the top setters in Tennessee history, Kerr currently ranks sixth all-time in both assists (3,259) and assists per set (10.65). The two-time All-American setter has led the team in assists in each of the last three seasons, eclipsing the 1,000-assist mark in both 2023 & 2024.
Earning her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, Kubik had her best offensive season of her career in her final collegiate season. Kubik led the team in kills (390), kills per set (4.19), points (431.0), and points per set (4.63) this season. She had double-digit kills in 24 matches, reaching 20 or more on four occasions.
Kubik also ranked top ten in the conference in both kills per set and points per set in 2025. A stellar defender in the back row, Kubik finished third on the team with 209 digs. The First Team All-SEC selection had seven double-doubles on the campaign, all of which came against conference opponents.
Boasting a 4.00 GPA in Communication Studies, Güçtekin became an important piece to Tennessee’s defensive success. The senior libero led the team in 2025 with 408 digs. Güçtekin finished the season ranking top five in the SEC in both digs and digs per set. She recorded double figure digs in 23 matches, including having 20 or more in six. She set a career-high of 30 digs at Kentucky on Nov. 9, becoming the first Tennessee player to reach 30 or more digs since Yelianoz Torres had 30 against Arkansas on Oct. 20, 2023.
Güçtekin eclipsed 1,000 digs in her career this season, and finishes her collegiate career with 1,293 digs. An all-around player in college, Güçtekin also finished with 423 assists and 117 aces.
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