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Vitale homegrown into Mexico boys wrestling HC

Published

8 months ago

April 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Vitale homegrown into Mexico boys wrestling HC

By Jeremy Jacob, Sports Editor

Jake Vitale has many reasons to be grateful to the Mexico boys wrestling program.

Most of Vitale’s 12 years of coaching high school wrestling have been spent with his alma mater, and it just named him the new head coach at the April 15 school board meeting. However, the four-time state medalist is most grateful to the program for growing him into the person he is today.

Vitale turned a successful high school career into a Division I wrestling opportunity for Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. Since 2014, Vitale has coached high school wrestling starting at Mexico and only spending three years away from the program as the head coach at North Callaway.

“It’s a privilege to take over a program that has had so much success,” Vitale said. “It built a very large part of who I am. I grew up wrestling for Mexico since I was 5-years-old. I spent about 20-25 years in the Mexico wrestling program, being part of that program, getting to build a lot of relationships and help a lot of kids reach their potential.”

Vitale takes over for Gayle Adams, who decided to step away after 16 years with the high school program. Adams was Vitale’s first wrestling coach when he was a boy and started wrestling around the same time as Adams’ son.

Of course, “it’s more fun to win,” Vitale said, and it becomes more possible with more hard work. That’s what Vitale tries to pass on to wrestlers after what he learned through his growth in the program.

“Even at 5, coach Adams was already setting the expectations,” Vitale said. “He made it fun for us, but he still wanted us to come in and work from a young age. He instilled that drive to win and to give everything I had whether I won or lost.”

Wrestling does bring more value than just winning as Vitale described in his coaching experience outside of high school. When Vitale was in high school, he would help coach the youth program when 8-year-old Kellen Ekern and Brit Wilson were there before going on to be multiple time state champions and assistant coaches in the program.

“We’ve got pictures of me coaching them at the state tournaments and handing out their medals when they were on the state podiums,” Vitale said. “I’ve always wanted to be a coach and have enjoyed coaching as much as I did competing.”

Vitale said he wants to continue helping kids reach their potential and growing leaders who are “always looking out trying to do their best” and “take all the steps to bring everybody else up around with them.” This applies to the wrestling mat but also in the classroom and in their lives after graduation.

Growing potential as the head coach isn’t unfamiliar to Vitale as he spent three years as the North Callaway head coach. He said he started with nine wrestlers in his first year until he eventually took a program-best 11 kids to state in his third year — the same year that North Callaway won its first wrestling district championship. Vitale was named the district coach of the year in his final two years and had six state medalists in his three years at North Callaway.

Vitale was glad he was able to help North Callaway flourish as a program in that time and knows what to expect going into his new head coaching job from that experience and as the middle school athletic director. He said Adams involved him in the decisions as soon as he started coaching high school in 2014 but is now fully aware what the head spot demands.

“As the assistant coach, my role was coming in and making decisions and getting to wrestle every day and showing technique,” Vitale said. “My role at North Callaway, it was my first time truly dealing with bus issues, kids skipping practice, parent communications and all sorts of little stuff like that.”

Athletic director Brandon Schafer said there is “a strong blend of familiarity and experience” in the Vitale promotion. Schafer said he thinks Vitale is “well-positioned” to lead the program into continued success because of his passion for the sport and commitment to developing young athletes.

“Coach Vitale has a deep understanding of the culture and expectations of Mexico High School athletics,” Schafer said. “His prior work with the program has earned the respect of our student-athletes, families and fellow coaches.”

Vitale expects to have a young team next season with three or four seniors but with some experience and state ability in the form of six returning state qualifiers and a returning state runner-up in Carlos Juarez Ramirez. Kyler Carr, Grant Walker, Evan Blair, Logan Hilderman and Travis Shramek also wrestled at the state tournament this year. Brayden Arnold missed state qualification after his first state appearance a year prior but is “right there,” according to Vitale, since he has beaten state medalists from this season. Kyler Benne was also “right there” with state qualifiers but suffered an injury at the end of the season.

“We’ve got a very bright future and are bringing in some talented freshmen who have had success with multiple state medals and being a state qualifier,” Vitale said. “We’re already hitting the ground running this offseason.”

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Women’s Track & Field: Ariella Rogahn-Press Chosen MIAC Track Athlete of the Week

Published

11 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ariella Rogahn Press 25 — **Rogahn-Press**

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore Ariella Rogahn-Press (Albuquerque, N.M./Bosque School) was named the MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week for the week ending Dec. 7, the conference announced today. Rogahn-Press won the 400 meters at the University of Minnesota’s M City Indoor Classic on Dec. 5 in her first competition of the new season.

Rogahn-Press, who was an All-American in the 400 both indoors and outdoors last year, won the 400 on Friday by over five seconds with a time of 57.43. The converted time currently ranks third in Division III. At this same meet a year ago, she broke the school record in the 400 with a time of 57.34 in her first collegiate competition.

This is the sixth MIAC Athlete of the Week award for Rogahn-Press, who earned the award three times during the indoor season and twice during the outdoor season last year. The MIAC Rookie of the Year both indoors and outdoors, she was sixth at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and fourth at outdoor nationals in the 400 meters to garner All-American honors.

Macalester resumes competition in January by hosting the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic on Jan. 24 in the Leonard Center Fieldhouse.

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Georgia State Beach Volleyball Announces Spring 2026 Schedule

Published

12 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ATLANTA – Head coach Beth Van Fleet and the Georgia State Beach Volleyball team unveils its spring 2026 schedule, featuring a competitive slate of home events, marquee tournaments and postseason opportunities as the Panthers prepare for another championship-contending season.

The spring opens on Feb. 20–21 with a road competition at Florida State, where the Sandy Panthers will see matchups against Bakersfield, North Alabama, UAB and Florida State.
Georgia State then travels to the University of Arizona on Feb. 27-28, where they will face off against Arizona State, Oregon, Arizona and Grand Canyon.

March opens with a conference matchup at Coastal Carolina on March 6-7. The Sandy Panthers are set to face its first conference matchup against Coastal, as well as contests against Florida Atlantic, Cal Poly and Tulane.

After starting the first month on the road, the Georgia State Beach Volleyball team will return to Atlanta to host the annual Day of Duals on March 11. Head coach Beth Van Fleet and the Sandy Panthers will host Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech.

The team will enjoy a bye week on March 14-15 before traveling to Baton Rouge, La., to face off in the East Meets West tournament at LSU. The Panthers are slated for contests against Cal, Arizona State, Grand Canyon and Boise State.

The Sandy Panthers close out March hosting the Sun Belt Mid-Season tournament on March 27-28.

Georgia State stays at home to begin April, hosting the GSU Diggin’ Duals tournament on April 3-4. The Sandy Panthers will host a conference matchup against Mercer, along with contests against UAB, North Alabama and South Florida.

Following its last home tournament of the season, Georgia State hits the road once again for a one-day tournament at Chattanooga on April 11. The Sandy Panthers are slated for contests against Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Berry and UT-Martin.

The Sandy Panthers close out the regular season at Stetson on April 17-18. In addition to a matchup against Stetson, Georgia State is also set to face South Carolina and conference opponent UNC-Wilmington.

The Panthers head to the Sun Belt Championship tournament on April 23-25 to battle for a change at the NCAA tournament on May 1-3.

All dates, times and opponents are subject to change. For the complete 2026 Georgia State beach volleyball schedule and updates throughout the season, fans are encouraged to follow the program’s official channels and visit GeorgiaStateSports.com.

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CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 9, 2025)

Published

27 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025-26 Women’s Indoor Track and Field: Schedule/Results | Top Performances

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week

Toshel Goffe, Medgar Evers (Jr., Jamaica, West Indies)

Goffe won the 200 (26.10/25.71 converted) and placed fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.82) at the Crowell Invitational and Multi hosted by Army West Point. Her times in both events rank first in the conference and are No. 18 nationally in both events in Division III.

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Field Athlete of the Week/Rookie of the Week

Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers (Fr., Queens, N.Y.)

Lindo competed in the pentathlon at the Crowell Invitational and Multi, placing fourth with 2,888 points. She placed fourth out of 13 competitors and her point total is currently No. 16 in Division III. She finished second in the high jump (1.50m) and fourth in the 800 (2:37.30). Five of her six marks in the pentathlon currently rank first in the conference.

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week (Honorable Mention)

Rachelle Griffith, Hunter (Fr., Valley Stream, N.Y.)

Griffith posted the best time in the conference in the 400 at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational, recording a time of 1:03.74. She also put down a time of 10.72 seconds in the 60 meter hurdles, good for thirdin the current CUNYAC rankings.

Previous Award Winners

Week	Track Athlete of the Week	Field Athlete of the Week	Rookie of the Week	Honorable Mention
12/9/25	Toshel Goffe, Medgar Evers	Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers	Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers	Rachelle Griffith, Hunter

Previous Results

Friday, December 5

Lehman at Armory Collegiate Carnival | Results

Saturday, December 6

Medgar Evers at Crowell Invitational and Multi | Results

CCNY, Hunter at Youree-Spence Garcia Meet | Results

This Week’s Schedule

Friday, December 12

CCNY, York at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

Saturday, December 13

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

2026 CUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Championship
Sunday, March 1 – Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory

For the latest news on the CUNY Athletic Conference, log on to cunyathletics.com – the official site of the CUNY Athletic Conference. Also, become a follower of the CUNYAC on Instagram (@CUNYAC), Twitter (@CUNYAC) and YouTube (@CUNY Athletic Conference), and “LIKE” Us on Facebook (CUNY Athletic Conference).

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Volleyball Inks All-Sun Belt Hitter Nina Moorer as Transfer – Ole Miss Athletics

Published

28 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OXFORD, Miss. – Head coach Bre Henry and the Ole Miss volleyball program made an early splash in the transfer portal, signing All-Sun Belt honoree Nina Moorer as a transfer on Tuesday.

Moorer joins the Rebels after spending two seasons at Texas State. Moorer spent the previous two seasons at Louisville, redshirting in 2022 and has one season of eligibility remaining.

A native of Missouri City, Texas, Moorer joins the Rebels after a breakout season at Texas State in which she was selected as an All-Sun Belt Third Team honoree. Moorer recorded 252 kills on .202 hitting, while adding 72.0 blocks and 63 digs over 28 matches.

Moorer shined in big moments for the Bobcats, delivering several standout performances against top teams in the nation, including a 13-kill performance on .300 hitting against UCLA and 13 kills on .250 hitting and four blocks in a five-setter against No. 9 Arizona State.

Moorer’s career began at Louisville, where she redshirted on the 2022 team that reached the national championship match, before making her debut with the Cardinals the next season as a redshirt freshman. That Louisville team would go on to reach the Elite Eight.

Fans can continue to show support for the Rebels by joining the ACE Club. Funds from the ACE Club are a major component in helping the Ole Miss volleyball program compete at the highest level. For more information and to donate, click here.

Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Volleyball on X at @OleMissVB, on Instagram at @olemissvb and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball. See exclusive photo and video content from behind the scenes and connect in real time with everything Ole Miss.

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CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 9, 2025)

Published

43 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025-26 Men’s Indoor Track and Field: Schedule/Results | Top Performances

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week

Reco Griffith, Medgar Evers (So., Barbados, West Indies)

At the Crowell Invitational and Multi hosted by Army West Point, Griffith laid down the top time in the conference in the 60-meter dash in the prelims (7.00 seconds) and placed third in the final with a 7.05-second effort. He also ran a time of 23.11 (22.71 converted) in the 200, also the top time in the CUNYAC, and was part of the Cougars’ 4×400 relay that posted a time of 3:34.09.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Field Athlete of the Week

Chrisnel Nicolas, Medgar Evers (Sr., St. Albans, N.Y.)

Nicolas competed in the heptathlon at the Crowell Invitational and Multi, setting a school record with 3,615 points. He placed second in the high jump (1.76 meters), fourth in the pole vault (3.45 meters) and posted a 10.32 meter toss in the shot put (second in the conference) and a 5.66-meter long jump (third in the conference). Nicolas was ninth overall in a field consisting of primarly Division I athletes.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Week

Mustapha Abubakar, CCNY (Fr., Yonkers, N.Y.)

Abubakar placed fourth in the 200-meter dash at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational hosted by St. John’s at Ocean Breeze. He ran a time of 22.72, good for second in the conference. Abubakar also ran a time of 7.14 in the 60-meter dash, currently good for third in CUNYAC.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week (Honorable Mention)

Brian Arias, Hunter (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Arias laid down the top time in the conference in the 3,000 meters at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational Saturday, posting a time of 9:48.98. He placed 11th in a field of 28 runners.

Previous Award Winners

Week	Track Athlete of the Week	Field Athlete of the Week	Rookie of the Week	Honorable Mention
12/9/25	Reco Griffith, Medgar Evers	Chrisnel Nicolas, Medgar Evers	Mustapha Abubakar, CCNY	Brian Arias, Hunter

Previous Results

Friday, December 5

Lehman at Armory Collegiate Carnival | Results

Saturday, December 6

Medgar Evers at Crowell Invitational and Multi | Results

CCNY, Hunter at Youree-Spence Garcia Meet | Results

This Week’s Schedule

Friday, December 12

CCNY, York at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

Saturday, December 13

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

2026 CUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Championship
Sunday, March 1 – Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory

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Preston Receives AVCA All-Region Honors

Published

44 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rice’s Taylor Preston received AVCA Southwest Region All-Region Honorable Mention, the organization announced Tuesday morning.

Preston led Rice in kills in 25 of 31 matches this season and surpassed 1,000 career kills, adding two American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors along the way. She also earned a spot on the American’s first-team all-conference team.

She averaged 4.32 kills and 4.78 points per set while starting every match for the Owls. Preston recorded six double-doubles and twice posted a season-high 27 kills, doing so against Temple and Wichita State.

Nationally, she ranks 36th in kills per set, 41st in total points and points per set, 10th in total attacks and second in attacks per set. Within the American, she is second in kills per set and third in points per set.

This is the Owls’ 19th consecutive season in which a player has been honored by the AVCA. Rice finished the season 21–10, claiming the American regular-season title. The Owls set a program record with a 17-game winning streak and went 15–1 in conference play.

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