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With stigma fading and scholarships available, video games take off at Clark County schools …

Prairie High School’s esports team plays Valorant against Camas High School on Wednesday at Prairie High School. The Falcons mounted a furious comeback against Camas but ultimately lost 13-12. At left is Prairie esports coach Simeon Redberg. At top, an esports team member looks at a monitor displaying Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during practice March […]

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With stigma fading and scholarships available, video games take off at Clark County schools ...


Prairie High School’s esports team plays Valorant against Camas High School on Wednesday at Prairie High School. The Falcons mounted a furious comeback against Camas but ultimately lost 13-12. At left is Prairie esports coach Simeon Redberg. At top, an esports team member looks at a monitor displaying Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during practice March 19 at Prairie High School.

Prairie High School’s esports team plays Valorant against Camas High School on Wednesday at Prairie High School. The Falcons mounted a furious comeback against Camas but ultimately lost 13-12. At left is Prairie esports coach Simeon Redberg. At top, an esports team member looks at a monitor displaying Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during practice March 19 at Prairie High School. (Photos by Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)
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Prairie High School students went head-to-head — more like screen-to-screen — against Camas High School during an esports match after school on Wednesday, March 19.

Cody Sigler, 17, a Prairie senior and a varsity team captain, received esports scholarship offers from multiple colleges, including ,000 from Winthrop University in South Carolina, which he decided to attend in the fall.
Esports (electronic sports) made its way to Clark County high schools in the 2022-23 school year and has slowly expanded ever since. Prairie had only five students interested and one team when the school started esports. Now, 15 students are split between the school’s two varsity teams and one junior varsity team.
“I played video games a lot growing up, but I never considered that it would help me get into college. I didn’t think there was ever going to be esports at school either,” Sigler said. “There’s always the conversation around it (being) too violent and this or that. But I think the fact that people are finally recognizing it as a sport and something that you actually have to work together as a team to compete in is great.”
“I think there’s still a little bit of a stigma around playing esports, that it’s not a real sport, or people are afraid they’re going to get made fun of for playing video games,” said Simeon Redberg, Prairie science teacher and esports adviser. “But it’s a multibillion-dollar industry. Colleges are offering scholarships for it.”

Esports team members Dillon Thai, center, and Eason Ni, left, both sophomores, celebrate after a win on March 19 at Prairie High School.

Esports team members Dillon Thai, center, and Eason Ni, left, both sophomores, celebrate after a win on March 19 at Prairie High School. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)
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Matches are filmed
Even though esports isn’t a traditional sport, it shares many aspects. Redberg said a lot of teams stream their matches on Twitch and YouTube. Prairie students watch film of their matches and those of their opponents to learn how to improve. Also, schools compete against others in their division, and the top teams compete in playoffs to get to the state championship.
Prairie’s team practices and competes in the school’s library. This season, one varsity team plays Valorant, and the other two teams play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, an old-school, one-on-one fighter game.
Super Smash Bros. holds a special place in Emmi Castagnaro’s heart. She said her uncles played the older versions of the game when she was growing up. They let her play, and now she does it competitively.
“I can just be myself and play with people that love to play games, even if it’s competitively or just for fun,” said Castagnaro, a 17-year-old senior. “And it’s definitely a way for me to relax from school.”
As one of the few girls participating in esports at Prairie, Castagnaro said that although she wishes there were more girl players, the guys welcomed her and everyone is treated equally.

Prairie senior Cody Sigler, center, looks back at coach Simeon Redberg, left, during a match of Valorant against Camas on Wednesday at Prairie High School. The teams are gearing up for this season’s playoffs and state championship in May at the Lynnwood Event Center.

Prairie senior Cody Sigler, center, looks back at coach Simeon Redberg, left, during a match of Valorant against Camas on Wednesday at Prairie High School. The teams are gearing up for this season’s playoffs and state championship in May at the Lynnwood Event Center. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)
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For Wednesday’s match, Sigler and four others on the Valorant team each sat in a row facing a computer. They grabbed their headsets, chose their characters and started the first round against Camas.
Valorant is a fantasy first-person shooter game in which each character has a special ability. At the start of the game, a coin toss decides which team starts as the attackers and which team as the defenders. The goal for attackers is to plant a spike and protect it for a certain time, and defenders try to prevent that.
Prairie’s team started off strong, but Camas quickly caught up. Most rounds, the teams were neck and neck until Prairie started to lag. Even with the team’s huge comeback, Camas took the win.
The teams are gearing up for this season’s playoffs and state championship in May at the Lynnwood Event Center. Last season, Sigler’s team took home the top state prize.

“They work so well together. Communication is just always on point. They’re locked in, as the kids would say,” Redberg said. “I just sit here and watch them and just smile the whole time.”
Brianna Murschel: 360-735-4534; [email protected]

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UIL Legislative Council to consider new sports, playoff changes during Wednesday meeting | Beeville Bee-Picayune

The University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council is set to meet Wednesday, June 11, in Austin, where proposals to sanction new sports, implement a basketball shot clock, and alter playoff rules will take center stage. The all-day meeting will be held at the Westin Austin at the Domain, beginning at 8 a.m. with a business session […]

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The University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council is set to meet Wednesday, June 11, in Austin, where proposals to sanction new sports, implement a basketball shot clock, and alter playoff rules will take center stage.

The all-day meeting will be held at the Westin Austin at the Domain, beginning at 8 a.m. with a business session followed by a public hearing featuring scheduled presentations from leaders of athletic organizations and public stakeholders. Speakers are expected to advocate for changes ranging from eligibility rules to the expansion of UIL activities.

Among the most prominent proposals is the addition of new UIL-sanctioned sports. Boys volleyball, girls flag football, bowling, table tennis, and lacrosse are among the activities being pitched, along with cultural and performance programs like Ballet Folklórico and TDEA dance.

The athletic committee, scheduled to meet later in the day, will take up a series of proposals including the formal adoption of a shot clock for basketball, the creation of a Class 3A soccer division, and removal of pilot status from the water polo program. Other proposals include allowing instant replay in all playoff games, setting a mileage cap for travel in postseason contests, and modifying rules around off-campus PE participation.

The committee will also hear staff reports related to sportsmanship, playoff structure, and pilot program evaluations. Though the public hearing allows outside input, the committee’s business meeting does not accept external presentations unless clarification is needed by committee members.

Additional proposals address player eligibility, including the impact of school transfers and student grade retention as well as coaching certification and playoff seeding formats. One proposal would give home field advantage in the first round of playoffs to all district champions.

Final decisions on which proposals move forward to the full council are expected by day’s end.



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Nine Wildcats Ready for National Championship Stage

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams wrap up the 2024-25 season with nine Wildcats competing in the four-day NCAA Championship starting on Wednesday (June 11) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The first two days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN, the final two days on ESPN2. Each individual event […]

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams wrap up the 2024-25 season with nine Wildcats competing in the four-day NCAA Championship starting on Wednesday (June 11) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The first two days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN, the final two days on ESPN2. Each individual event can be streamed separately on ESPN+.
 
Six women and three men will compete across ten individual events after earning a qualifying spot at the NCAA West Preliminary on May 28-31. Featured women include Sharie Enoe (high jump), Jourdin Edwards and Safhia Hinds (400 meter hurdles), Monique Hardy (hammer throw), Tamaiah Koonce (discus throw) and Shalom Olotu (long, triple jump). The three participating men include Riley Marx (javelin throw), Selva Prabhu (triple jump) and Emil Uhlin (men’s decathlon).
 
With the men’s first day of competition on Wednesday, the men’s decathlon will kick off at 2 p.m., CT with the 100 meter dash. The following events include the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters. Marx will compete in the javelin throw that afternoon at 7:15 p.m.
 
On Thursday (June 12) the men’s decathlon will wrap up with the remaining five events starting at 11:45 a.m., CT with the 110 meter hurdles. The women will then start their first day of action, the hammer throw beginning at 3:30 p.m., the long jump at 7:40 p.m. and the quarterfinal 400 meter hurdles race at 8:14 p.m.
 
Prabhu will be the only Wildcat to compete on Friday (June 13) in the triple jump at 7:10 p.m., CT. On the final day of competition on Saturday (June 14) the women will start at 2:30 p.m., CT in the discus throw. The remaining Cats hit the field at 7:30 p.m. in the high jump and the triple jump, at 8:10 p.m. Should Edwards or Hinds finish in the top-9 on Thursday, the 400 meter hurdles final will take place at 9:27 p.m.
 
Olotu is the first K-State woman in 10 years, since Akela Jones, to compete in two events individually at the outdoor NCAA Championship. In 2015, Jones won the women’s heptathlon with 6,371 points and then went on to finish 4th in the high jump at 1.87m (6′ 1 ½”). Olotu reached the highest stage in two events after significant personal bests at the West Preliminary, 6.44m (21′ 1 ½”) in the long jump, the no. 4 best outdoor mark at K-State, and 13.45m (44′ 1 ½”) in the triple jump.
 
Uhlin, a senior from Falun, Sweden will compete in his second NCAA Championship decathlon. During his freshman season in 2022 he earned Second Team All-America honors after finishing in 12th place with 7,546 points. At the Drake Relays Uhlin recorded his best decathlon performance at 7,788 points, the no. 6 best score in the K-State records.
 
This is the first outdoor championship appearance for eight Wildcats, Enoe and Hardy have previously competed in the indoor championship in the high jump and weight throw, respectively. The outdoor Big 12 championship on May 15-17 propelled the athletes to personal bests, the momentum leading them to qualifying marks.
 
Hinds, this season’s 400-meter hurdles Big 12 Champion, is looking for her first NCAA title. A transfer from South Plains College, she claimed the NJCAA title in the same event last year in 58.31 seconds and was part of a winning 4×400 relay team in 2023. Her conference title winning time of 55.90 seconds remains her fastest time and the no. 2 best in the school records.
 
Enoe is looking to add to her trophy case this season as she earned First Team All-America honors in the high jump this indoor season, consistently aiming towards her best height of 1.88m (6′ 2″). Advancing past the Preliminary’s for the first time, Hardy’s personal best of 68.07m (223′ 4″) in the hammer throw claimed 3rd place in the conference meet.
 
Prabhu, the freshman from Madurai, India, arrives in Eugene with the 3rd best triple jump in the NCAA this season at 16.49m (54′ 1 ¼”). His personal best earned him the runner-up spot during the West Prelims and the no. 3 spot in the K-State outdoor records. Marx threw over 70 meters three times this season, including his personal best of 72.58m (238′ 1″) for 4th place during the Prelims, the no. 2 best throw in the K-State records.
 
Edwards saw steady progress in the 400 meter hurdles during the postseason, racing under 57 seconds for the first time during the Preliminary semifinal race in 56.73 seconds to finish 7th overall. Koonce had her best performance of the season in the discus throw as the 6th place finisher in the Prelims at 55.99m (183′ 8″), just six inches shy of her personal best from last season.
 
NCAA Championship Schedule
 
Wednesday, June 11
2 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 100 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
2:40 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Long Jump (Emil Uhlin)
3:55 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Shot Put (Emil Uhlin)
5:10 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon High Jump (Emil Uhlin)
7:15 p.m. – Riley Marx (men’s javelin throw)
8:43 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 400 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
 
Thursday, June 12
11:45 a.m. – Men’s Decathlon 110 Meter Hurdles (Emil Uhlin)
12:35 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Discus (Emil Uhlin)
1:45 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Pole Vault (Emil Uhlin)
3:30 p.m. – Monique Hardy (women’s hammer throw)
4:15 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Javelin (Emil Uhlin)
7:40 p.m. – Shalom Olotu (women’s long jump)
8:14 p.m. – Jourdin Edwards, Safhia Hinds (women’s 400-meter hurdles quarterfinal)
8:43 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 1,500 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
 
Friday, June 13
7:10 p.m. – Selva Prabhu (men’s triple jump)
 
Saturday, June 14
2:30 p.m. – Tamaiah Koonce (women’s discus throw)
7:30 p.m. – Sharie Enoe (women’s high jump)
8:10 p.m. – Shalom Olotu (women’s triple jump)
9:27 p.m. – women’s 400 meter hurdles finals (if advance)
 
 

— k-statesports.com —

 
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.





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Lee Wood named WKU Director of Cross Country and Track and Field

WKU Athletics named Lee Wood as the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Monday morning, filling the gap on the Hill left by the sudden passing of Brent Chumbley on Jan 30. Wood has served as interim head coach since the position opened, leading the Hilltopper men’s team to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 […]

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WKU Athletics named Lee Wood as the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Monday morning, filling the gap on the Hill left by the sudden passing of Brent Chumbley on Jan 30.

Wood has served as interim head coach since the position opened, leading the Hilltopper men’s team to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Conference USA Outdoor Championship, their best finish since 2019.

“We are excited to name Lee Wood our next Director of Cross Country/Track & Field,” said WKU Athletics Director Todd Stewart in a press release. “Coach Wood guided the program admirably this spring following Coach Chumbley’s passing.”

Wood ran for Missouri Southern from 1998 to 2000 before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. He later obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

“It is a great honor to be the next Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at WKU,” Wood. “This team has had a great amount of success and winning tradition in the past, and I’m ready to build on the foundation that has been set.”

Wood began his coaching career with 12 years of experience at the 7A high school level, winning seven state championships with Rogers High School and Heritage High School in Arkansas. He was scooped up by Western Colorado University, an NCAA Division II school, where he spent the first five years of his collegiate coaching career.

Before arriving on the Hill in December of 2023 to lead the WKU Cross Country and distance teams, Wood served as head coach at Drury University. As a Panther, he led over 70 athletes to break school records, leading the women’s team to their highest conference finish in program history.



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Miles Grant aims for high jump success at NCAA Nationals

Miles Grant is the only Hornet who qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Miles Grant is the definition of setting a goal and achieving it.  “In my goal sheet, I had written that I wanted to go to Nationals,” said Grant. “So it feels really good to be able to […]

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Miles Grant is the only Hornet who qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Miles Grant is the definition of setting a goal and achieving it. 

“In my goal sheet, I had written that I wanted to go to Nationals,” said Grant. “So it feels really good to be able to accomplish something.”

The graduating senior out of Sacramento State University is the only member on the track and field team to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Championships this weekend, where he’ll be competing in high jump.

“This will be my last collegiate meet, so I think enjoyment is the most important thing,” said Grant. “And just representing who I am and where I’m coming from. I’ll definitely feel some nerves, but you get that feeling in your chest and it’s like an elevating kind of feeling and it helps me when I’m high jumping.”

Behind every great athlete is a great coach, and for Miles, that’s coach Carl Caughell. 

“We’ve become friends over the course of four years,” said Grant. “It makes it that much more exciting to travel and get to spend time with him while we’re traveling and competing.”

It’s safe to say that Miles has left an indelible mark on this team.

“I know all my teammates names,” said Grant. “I always try to say hi to them when I see them, just that small bit has made an impact on my team.”

Miles can clear 7 feet and 2 1/2 inches, which is high enough to clear Shaquille O’Neal. And funny enough, he already has a marketing pitch for the big guy.

“My girlfriend, who’s also on the team, she’s always talking about you need to do an ad with Shaq where you jump over him. He turns around hands you a Red Bull, and we turn to the camera and say ‘Red Bull gives you wings.'”

Grant takes off for Eugene, Oregon, where the championships will be held on Tuesday, and he’s set to jump on Friday.

Northern California track star Naiaja Sizemore wins two gold medals at CIF State Championships



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Oregon track and field determined to defend Hayward Field at NCAA Championships

EUGENE, Ore. — Headline : Oregon track and field determined to defend Hayward Field at NCAA Championships The talk is done. Now it’s time to run. The 2025 NCAA Track and Field Championships run through Eugene. Coming off a stellar week in College Station, Oregon has 17 athletes competing in the championship meet over at […]

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Headline : Oregon track and field determined to defend Hayward Field at NCAA Championships

The talk is done. Now it’s time to run.

The 2025 NCAA Track and Field Championships run through Eugene.

Coming off a stellar week in College Station, Oregon has 17 athletes competing in the championship meet over at Hayward Field starting on Wednesday – including some athletes who are hungry to compete at their best.

After cleaning out the field and posting a personal record of time of 12.74 seconds, Ducks junior hurdler Aaliyah McCormick jumped to No. 2 on University of Oregon’s top 10 list in the 100-meter hurdles and is looking forward to making her NCAA Outdoor Championship debut.

“Everything that I’ve been doing on this track has made it for this moment right now and this is the way to close out the season,” said McCormick.

“You’re supposed to close out the season as a champion. I feel like that’s definitely what’s leading me on from indoor Big Ten’s, indoor Nationals, outdoor Big Ten’s, and outdoor Nationals, so I definitely think that it’s going to lead up to a good point.”

Over on the men’s side, Ducks senior middle distance runner Matthew Erickson understands the importance of defending Oregon’s home track and is confident the Ducks will go the distance against the great competition looming.

“The Ducks just know how to step up when it counts,” said Erickson. “Something about being in Tracktown USA, competing with athletes who are some of the bests in the world, but the sign of a great athlete is someone who knows how to bring their best performance on the biggest stage and I think that’s something the Ducks pride themselves on. We know how to get the job done when it counts.”

The 2025 NCAA Track and Field Championships begin Wednesday at 4:05 p.m. with the men’s 4×100 relay.



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USA Beats Australia 13–12 to Open Water Polo Exhibition Series

USA Beats Australia 13–12 at the Buzzer to Open Water Polo Exhibition Series Team USA opened its June men’s water polo exhibition series with a dramatic 13–12 victory over Australia, sealed by a buzzer-beating goal at Mt. San Antonio College. In front of a spirited California crowd, the match featured high-level physicality, sharp execution, and […]

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USA Beats Australia 13–12 at the Buzzer to Open Water Polo Exhibition Series

Team USA opened its June men’s water polo exhibition series with a dramatic 13–12 victory over Australia, sealed by a buzzer-beating goal at Mt. San Antonio College.

In front of a spirited California crowd, the match featured high-level physicality, sharp execution, and a back-and-forth scoring battle. Emerging star Ryder Dodd led the way with five goals, including the final shot that found the back of the net as time expired. Dodd was in San Francisco the night before to receive NCAA Water Polo’s highest honor, The Peter J. Cutino Award.

Australia jumped out to an early lead, but the Americans responded with strong second and third quarters. Contributions came from a balanced group including Chase Dodd,  Dominic Brown, Jake Ehrhardt, Hannes Daube, and Dylan Woodhead.

The final moments were tense. With the game tied at 12-12 and just seconds remaining, Team USA executed a set play that gave Dodd the final look. His buzzer-beater secured the one-goal win and gave the U.S. the early edge in the exhibition series.

Veteran goalkeeper Bernardo Herzer anchored the defense with 12 saves, helping stifle Australia’s attack in critical moments.

Game Highlights

  • Final Score: USA 13–12 Australia

  • Venue: Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA

  • Series: Men’s Exhibition Series Opener

  • Top Scorer: Ryder Dodd (5 goals)

  • Goalkeeper Saves: Bernardo Herzer (12)

What’s Next

The exhibition series continues June 11 at JSerra Catholic High School and wraps up June 13 at Chapman University in Orange, CA. These games offer critical prep time as Team USA continues building toward the LA28 Olympic Games.


Stay Connected:
Get the new Swimming World App for full coverage of Team USA’s exhibition series, including match reports, player interviews, and LA28 Olympic prep updates.



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