WORCESTER, Mass. – Seniors Ella Grey, Haley Murphy, Maura Switzer and Brian Fennelly of the Holy Cross track and field teams have been named to the Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-League Team, as announced by the Patriot League on Tuesday.

Murphy, a chemistry major, earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.890, concluding the fall of her senior year. She competed in five of the eight meets so far this season. She won her heat and claimed third overall in the 400m hurdles prelim (1:02.00) to qualify for the final. The captain then went on to break her own 400m hurdles school record with a time of 59.08 to win in the final, the gold medal and set a new Patriot League meet record. To cap off the Championship meet, she aided the 4x400m relay team to a new school record with a time of 3:45.99 to place fourth. Murphy is a First Team All-Patriot League selection in the 400m hurdles and aided Holy Cross to a fifth-place team finish at the meet. Throughout the outdoor season, she has broken the 400m hurdles school record three times and the 400m dash school record once. The Massachusetts native currently holds four school records and one Patriot League record.

Off the track, Murphy has volunteered her time with the Holy Cross Office of Sustainability on Civic Engagement Day. She is a SAAC representative and the Vice President of Holy Cross’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society. In her free time, she does research in a biochemistry lab on campus and works a part-time job as a Library Research Assistant.

Grey, a psychology major, earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.490, concluding the fall of her senior year. She competed in four of the eight meets so far this season. She placed third with a qualifying time of 14.05 in the 100m hurdles semis. She then broke the 100m hurdles school record with a time of 13.84 to take third and the bronze medal in the final. Her time is the third fastest in the Patriot League this outdoor season. Her efforts helped Holy Cross to a fifth-place team finish at the meet.

In the classroom, Grey is a psychology major. In her free time, she volunteers as an Education Intern at the Goddard School of Science and serves as the Chair of the Education Minor SAC Board. She is also a chapter member of the Alpha Alpha Alpha (or Tri-Alpha) National Honor Society, a society that recognizes academic achievement for first-generation college students.

Switzer, a computer science and mathematics double major, earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.950, concluding the fall of her senior year. She competed in six of the eight meets so far this season. The captain clinched second and the silver medal in the pole vault, clearing 3.97m to earn a spot on the Second-Team All-Patriot League. This is the first time Switzer had made an appearance on a All-League team and the second time she has been recognized on the Academic All-League Outdoor Track and Field team. The Washington native hit a personal best mark of 4.01m for second place in the pole vault earlier this season at the UMass Spring Opener on Apr. 5. That mark currently ranks her second in the Patriot League in the event.

Off the track, Switzer works as a TA for the Holy Cross Computer Science Department and as a Note-Taker and Exam Proctor for Holy Cross. She just concluded a year-long research project on Women in Computer Science for her Holy Cross Honors Program thesis and is a member of the Holy Cross Girls Who Code Club. Last spring, she was inducted into the Pi Mu Epsilon National Mathematics Honor Society and won the Holy Cross Innovation Challenge. This spring, she competed in the WooTank Competition, placing second and took home first in the CrossTank Competition.

Fennelly, a chemistry major, earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.780, concluding the fall of his senior year. He competed in six of the eight meets so far this season. He claimed third in the 110m hurdles semis (14.44), then clinched second and the silver medal in the final with a personal best time of 14.07 (0.01 seconds shy of the school record) to be named Second Team All-Patriot League. He also placed sixth in both the 400m hurdles semis (54.34) and the final (54.20) and helped the 4x100m relay team to a fifth-place finish with a time of 41.18. At the Holy Cross Jim Kavanagh Legacy Invitational on Apr. 19, he set a personal best 400m hurdles time of 53.90 for first and helped the 4x100m relay team to a new school record with a time of 41.09. His 110m hurdles time, 14.07, is currently ranked second in the Patriot League this outdoor season.

Off the track, Fennelly is a Gateways Orientation Leader and tour guide for the Holy Cross Office of Admissions department. He represents the track team in SAAC and works as a research assistant for the Holy Cross chemistry department. He volunteers his time as an assistant coach for the Hingham High School track and field team, his alma mater, and is a coordinator for the Community Harvest Project, a 5k raising funds for hunger relief.

To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in their sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.

The Holy Cross track and field teams conclude the 2025 outdoor season at the New England Outdoor Championship hosted by UMass Amherst from May 9-10 at the UMass Track & Field Complex in Amherst, Mass. 

2025 Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Vera Sjöberg, Boston University, Jr.  

2025 Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Karsen Vesty, Boston University, So.

2025 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Academic All-Patriot League Team 

Lorelei Bangit (American)

Charlotte Richman (Army West Point)

Emily Fink (Army West Point)

Jordan Hecht (Army West Point)

Mikayla Cheney (Army West Point)

Zoe Eggleston (Army West Point)

Alli Lofquist (Boston University)

Asia Hamilton (Boston University)

Ijeoma Ezechukwu (Boston University)

Peace Omonzane (Boston University)

Vera Sjöberg (Boston University)

Evelyn Bliss (Bucknell)

Kaitlyn Segreti (Bucknell)

Ella Grey (Holy Cross)

Haley Murphy (Holy Cross)

Maura Switzer (Holy Cross)

Ida Moczerniuk (Lehigh)

Laura Reigle (Lehigh)

Kylie Maddalena (Loyola Maryland)

Alex Wercinski (Navy)

Gracie Emerick (Navy) 

2025 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Academic All-Patriot League Team

Brian McSweeney (Army West Point)

Javan Guevara-Cragwell (Army West Point)

Jaxon Hammond (Army West Point)

Nathan Davis (Army West Point)

Karsen Vesty (Boston University)

Owen Faulha (Boston University)

Ryan Rosenberger (Boston University)

Shamiso Sikaneta (Boston University)

Steven Franco (Boston University)

Braden Stryker (Bucknell)

Keenan LaMontagne (Bucknell)

Wade Shomper (Bucknell)

Cole Blair (Colgate)

Ethan Eisner (Colgate)

Brian Fennelly (Holy Cross)

Titan Casey (Lafayette)

Jonathan Bennett (Lehigh)

Patrez Thomas (Lehigh)

Caleb Walker (Navy)

Joe Hurt (Navy)

Sheldon Ulmer (Navy)

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The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2024-25 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.

The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team is in Columbus, Ohio, this week, where they’ll begin their hunt for a fourth NCAA national championship in program history. The Beach will open the tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against Fort Valley State on Thursday at 2 p.m. PST in the Covelli Center.

“It’s an exciting week for us obviously,” said LBSU coach Alan Knipe. “This is what you set your sights on way back in August when we got going. I know the guys are fired up to get started.”

The Beach (27–2) took down the Wildcats (18–9) this past January with a convincing sweep in Reno, Nevada. This time the winner will go on to face either Pepperdine or Loyola Chicago in the semifinals, which would mark an eighth Final Four appearance for LBSU in the last nine seasons.

“We can’t look past them because everyone wants to make it to the next round,” said LBSU captain and outside hitter Skylar Varga of Fort Valley State. “They may be coming from a weaker conference but they’re still a good team and we can’t underestimate them.”

Varga was part of the Long Beach State team last year that lost in the national championship to UCLA at the Walter Pyramid. He’s using that experience as extra motivation along with the drive to win it for some of his injured teammates.

“With the last two championships that we played in being losses, it definitely sets a fire in me for sure,” he said. “Especially sending off our seniors with something to take home, like Sotiris [Siapanis]. I’m very close friends with him and I feel like since he can’t come back on the court [this season] I really want to win a championship for him.”

The story of the season for LBSU has largely revolved around 18-year-old Bulgarian star Moni Nikolov — and rightfully so. Last week, it was announced that the setter had won Big West Player of the Year honors, becoming just the second freshman to earn the award after his brother Alex Nikolov won in 2022.

The older Nikolov led Long Beach State to the national championship match that year but fell to Hawaii before turning pro. Moni has joked about one-upping his brother by potentially adding a national title to his resume, and he isn’t taking that opportunity lightly.

“At this level, anything can happen,” he said. “Especially when it’s a one and done game and not a series. One person can have the best game of their life and make you totally change your plan. So the only thing you can expect is to expect everything and be ready for anything.”

There have been moving pieces all over the court for the Beach this season after losing 10 seniors from a stacked class last year. DiAeris McRaven is the only player who has remained in the same position, while Varga, the only other returning starter, has since transitioned to opposite.

The Beach has also been plagued by injuries, including the loss of standout senior Siapanis midway through the season and ongoing issues for outside hitter Daniil Hershtynovich. Still, players like Alex Kandev, Nato Dickinson, Sebastiano Sani, and Ben Braun have stepped up, and LBSU has found ways to make it work with just about anyone on the floor.

“What I’m most impressed about with this group is that nothing has rattled them,” Knipe said. “You hear the cliche all the time of ‘next man up,’ but literally whoever we’ve put out there we’ve felt like we can win.”

As the No. 1 seed in the bracket, Long Beach State won’t get a highly anticipated rematch against either No. 2 Hawaii or No. 3 UCLA unless the teams meet in Monday’s championship game. On the other side of the bracket, Hawaii faces No. 7 Penn State in the quarterfinals while UCLA takes on No. 6 Belmont Abbey.

If the Beach wins on Thursday, their matchup against either Pepperdine or Loyola Chicago will take place on Saturday at 2 p.m. PST. The national championship will be on Monday at 4 p.m. PST.
CLICK HERE for the full NCAA tournament bracket.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic’s Inside the Owls’ Burrow is in its ninth season. The show originates on FanDuel Sports Network Florida (formerly Bally Sports Florida) and can also be viewed on fausports.com and YouTube. Episode 29 first airs on Thursday, May 8, at 5:30 p.m. It will re-air on Friday, May 9 at 5:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, May 10 at 11:30 a.m.

During the spring, Inside the Owls’ Burrow is scheduled for every other week.

This week’s show, produced and hosted by FAU’s Frank Forte, will feature softball freshmen Destiny Johns and Bella Foran, who have been a constant in the No. 24 ranked softball team’s lineup and were named to AAC All-Freshmen team. “Getting to Know” features beach volleyball’s Olivia Strandberg with guest host Sydney Schroder in “Life’s a Beach.” FAU football quarterback Caden Veltkamp is “Wired for Sound” during spring football practice, plus a look at the 2025 Football Ladies Night.

The show will re-air on Fanduel on Thursday, May 15 at 5:30 p.m., on Friday May 16 at 6 p.m. and again on Saturday May 17 at 11:30 a.m. 

Inside the Owls’ Burrow is also available on fausports.com and YouTube. 

The 2024-25 year saw several successful seasons for Long Beach State athletics programs, with multiple squads getting the opportunity to compete for a national title. Here are the top five most impressive teams at LBSU this year:

5. Women’s golf 

The reigning Big West conference champions from 2024, LBSU women’s golf, ultimately failed to repeat in 2025, but had an impressive season headlined by the junior Leovao twins and sophomore Erin Lee. 

Jasmine and Janae Leovao were recognized for their standout seasons with a selection to compete at the Gold Canyon NCAA Regional. The twins make up two of the 36 individual golfers nationally elected to the postseason. 

Making history together, the twins are just the fourth and fifth LBSU women’s golfers to compete in the NCAA postseason, and it is the first time in school history that multiple players have advanced in the same year. 

In addition to their success, Lee had a breakout year as well for The Beach. She helped lead the team to a third-place finish at the Big West Tournament by shooting a 76 on the last day of competition, which was tied for third best among 47 golfers. 

4. Women’s water polo (17-11)

No. 6 Women’s water polo at The Beach stayed in the top ten of the NCAA’s top 25 rankings through the entire season for the first time in program history. 

In a stacked Big West conference with seven ranked teams, LBSU managed a 6-1 conference record, with its only loss coming to the eventual conference champion, No. 3 University of Hawai’i. 

The LBSU women’s water polo team on April 26 at the Anteater Aquatics Complex against UCI during the Big West Tournament. The Beach defeated the Anteaters 12-11, but were eliminated by Hawai’i in the championship match 8-6. Photo credit: Devin Malast

The Beach met the Rainbow Wahine again in the championship final, but finished as the conference’s runner-up for the second consecutive year after an 8-6 defeat. 

LBSU’s offensive attack was spearheaded by its duo of attackers, senior Martina Cardona and junior Elisa Portillo, who finished the season fourth and fifth in the Big West with 70 and 67 goals, respectively. 

Following her junior season, Portillo finds herself fifth in LBSU history with 177 goals and the chance to rise to first before her time with The Beach is up. 

3. Men’s water polo (20-11)

The No. 6 men’s water polo team’s placement on this list might have come as a surprise based solely on their regular season performance, as it entered the Big West Tournament as the lower-seed in its quarterfinal matchup.

However, a surging hot streak from The Beach with their season on the line led to three straight upsets of higher-seeded teams to claim their first Big West Championship in program history. 

Graduate goalkeeper Aaron Wilson was brilliant in the postseason, earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award with 14 saves. He also led the conference in save percentage in the regular season at .507. 

Offensively, freshman LBSU center Gabi Acosta recorded a conference-high 64 goals, winning Big West Player and Freshman of the Year honors. 

After earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as conference champions, The Beach fell 16-11 in the first round to No. 3 Fordham University.

2. Women’s beach volleyball (27-11)

Led by the record-shattering top-flight junior duo of Taylor Hagenah and Malia Gementera, No. 6 women’s beach volleyball won its second conference title in the last three years this season. 

Hagenah/Gementera, who entered the 2025 campaign with already the most pair wins in LBSU history, both reached their 94th individual win in the Big West Tournament this season and now share the top spot in individual wins in program history. 

Against No. 6 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the championship final, LBSU needed just one of either Hagenah/Gementera or the pair of freshman Demi Wagdy/senior Megan Widener to win their third sets to clinch the championship.

1. Men’s volleyball (27-3)

The crown jewel of athletics at LBSU, the men’s volleyball team, had another fantastic season under LBSU Athletics Hall of Fame head coach Alan Knipe. 

After coming up just short in the NCAA Championship final on its home court to UCLA in 2024, No. 1 LBSU emerged with a vengeance in 2025. The Beach quickly rose to the top of the NCAA national rankings, a spot they went on to hold through the entire season, and amassed 20 straight wins before losing a game. 

The Beach’s major addition in 2025 was none other than setter Moni Nikolov.

Freshman setter Moni Nikolov (right) sets the ball to junior middle blocker Ben Braun (left) to score against UC San Diego. LBSU took down UCSD 3-0 on April 18. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko

Affectionately nicknamed “The Bulgarian Prince,” the freshman sensation did it all for The Beach this year. Known for his serving prowess, Nikolov led the nation in aces per set at .940, ranked 14th in assists per set at 9.99 and was a force defensively with 77 blocks. 

The most common recipients of Nikolov’s assists were the heavy-hitting pair of opposites, junior Skyler Varga and sophomore Daniil Hershtynovich.

Varga led the team in kills on the year with 250, hitting .377, which was the 14th best percentage in the country, while Hershtynovich was just behind with 245 kills on .354, the 19th best hitting percentage in the country. 

While LBSU was upset by Hawai’i in the Big West Championship game on April 26, it will still enter as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Championship Tournament, starting on May 8.

Forum Communications Company, headquartered in Fargo, N.D., has acquired the Sioux City, Iowa-based MetroSports TV, and will expand its commitment to sports broadcasting in the Upper Midwest.

MetroSports TV will become Midwest Sports+ with a soon-to-launch streaming app and website

(midwestsportsplus.com).

This new sports media brand aims to connect viewers across all platforms — a destination for fans, families and athletes alike with high-quality sports content and streaming. In addition to digital streaming, games will also be broadcast on KSFL TV in Sioux Falls, KNBN TV in Rapid City, and KCAU in Sioux City, creating a broad regional footprint.

“Our focus will be on high-quality broadcasts so fans can feel close to the action,” said Mary Jo Hotzler, chief content officer for Forum Communications. “We’re excited to be able to showcase our incredible sports reporting and broadcasting talent in this way, too.”

Forum Communications is a family-owned media company with more than 35 newspapers, TV stations, websites and apps across the Upper Midwest. Those include The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and WDAY TV in Fargo, as well as the WDAY+ streaming app.

In South Dakota, the Mitchell Republic, Sioux Falls Live, KSFL-TV in Sioux Falls and KNBN Newscenter 1 in Rapid City all are part of Forum Communications Company and will also contribute the sports broadcasts for Midwest Sports+.

MetroSports TV, founded in 2017 by retired coach and educator Pat Schiltz, has steadily grown into a trusted name in regional sports broadcasting and a leader in high school sports coverage, bolstered in recent years by partnerships with local TV stations in Sioux Falls and Sioux City. Schiltz will remain with Forum Communications and will be the director of business development for Midwest Sports+.

“Metro Sports TV is delighted to join the Forum Communication Company’s multi-media platform,” Schiltz said. “Forum’s dynamic content team combined with our existing coverage areas is a big win for all the sports viewers in the Upper Midwest.”

The Midwest Sports+ app will go live later this summer and will be available in the app store or through Google Play, Roku, AppleTV and FireTV devices, as well as through Android and IOS mobile devices.