STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford runners Roisin Willis and Zofia Dudek were named to the Academic All-America team for women’s track and field/cross country by College Sports Communicators.

Willis, the 2025 NCAA outdoor 800-meter champion, was named to the first team and Dudek, the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor 5,000 champ, received second-team honors. This is the second Academic All-America honor for Willis and the third for Dudek.

Willis, a junior history major from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, broke the NCAA Outdoor Championships record in capturing her third career NCAA title. Her personal-record time of 1:58.13 at the championships in Eugene, Oregon, was an ACC record and the third-fastest time in collegiate history.

Willis, the USTFCCCA West Region Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, has the second-most NCAA women’s titles in program history, behind the five of Lauren Fleshman ’03. She is nine-time All-American and was named 2025 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s track and field.

Dudek, a graduate student in biomedical data science from Poland via Ann Arbor, Michigan, earned second-team indoor All-America honors in the distance medley relay and was an NCAA outdoor qualifier in the 5,000, placing 17th. A four-time All-American, Dudek represents Poland in international competition.

Stanford cross country and track and field now has 26 Academic All-America honors earned by 20 different women.

College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team
Division I Track and Field/Cross Country

Women
First team
Roisin Willis, Jr., Stevens Point, Wis., 3.96, history.
Second team
Zofia Dudek, Grad., Ann Arbor, Mich., 3.81 (Undergrad)/3.64 (Grad), Bioengineering (U), Biomedical Data Science (G).

Willis and Dudek were selected from those who were named to the CSC Academic All-District teams.

Here is the list of Stanford’s All-District honorees:

Amy Bunnage, So.
Zofia Dudek, Grad.
Sophia Kennedy, So.
Roisin Willis, Jr.
Teagan Zwaanstra, Sr.

Here is an all-time list of Stanford cross country and track and field’s women’s Academic All-Americans:

Women
Year, Name, Category, Team
1983: Kim Schnurpfeil, At Large, second team
1984: PattiSue Plumer, At Large, second team
1999: Sarna Renfro, At Large, second team
2002: Caroline Annis, XC/TF, third team
2007: Arianna Lambie, XC/TF, first team
2011: Kate Niehaus, XC/TF, first team
2012: Kathy Kroeger, XC/TF, first team
2012: Arantxa King, XC/TF, second team
2013: Kathy Kroeger, XC/TF, second team
2015: Jessica Tonn, XC/TF, second team
2016: Elise Cranny, XC/TF, third team2016: Kristyn Williams, XC/TF, third team
2017: Elise Cranny, XC/TF, second team
2018: Elise Cranny, XC/TF, first team
2019: Mackenzie Little, XC/TF, second team
2019: Fiona O’Keeffe, XC/TF, second team
2022: Christina Aragon, XC/TF, first team
2022: Allie Jones, XC/TF, second team
2023: Zofia Dudek, XC/TF, first team
2023: Maya Valmon, XC/TF, first team
2024: Zofia Dudek, XC/TF, first team
2024: Juliette Whittaker, XC/TF, first team
2024: Roisin Willis, XC/TF, first team
2024: Lucy Jenks, XC/TF, second team
2025: Roisin Willis, XC/TF, first team
2025: Zofia Dudek, XC/TF, second team

North Dakota State University women’s track & field athlete Merrideth Spiers has been named to the CSC Academic All-America second team for Division I, the College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday.
 

This is the first Academic All-America honor of Spiers’ career, and the first for the NDSU women since 2022. The Bison women have now earned 21 Academic All-America honors in track & field and cross country since the Division I transition.
 
Spiers (Grant City, Mo.) owns a 4.0 GPA pursuing a Ph.D. in criminal justice after earning her undergrad degree with a 4.0 majoring in psychology. She ranked 45th nationally in the weight throw for the indoor season and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in the hammer throw outdoor.
 
Previously this season, Spiers was voted Academic All-League for the Summit League indoor and outdoor seasons, as well as being named the 2025 Summit League Outdoor Scholar of the Championship.
 

The Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball team and Head Coach Nicole Barringer have announced their schedule for the upcoming 2025 season. The Bears are coming off a 25-7 that saw them advance to the SAC Championship game and their second straight NCAA Tournament. Barringer, who is entering her 4th season at the helm, has a career winning percentage of .703 and has a three-year record of 64-27.

The Bears will kick off their 2025 campaign on September 5th when they play host a two-day tournament inside Shuford Arena. The Bears will welcome Lees-McRae, Catawba, Florida Tech and Mount Olive to Hickory for that tournament. Lenoir-Rhyne will open with Lees-McRae on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m. and will be back Saturday morning to host Mount Olive and Florida Tech.

The next weekend, the Bears will travel to Saint Augustine, Florida to play in the Flagler Saints Classic. On the opening day, the Bears will play a pair of teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year in Embry-Riddle and Flagler. LR will conclude the tournament with another game against Lees-McRae and a contest against Ashland.

The Bears will open SAC play with a key match up inside Shuford Arena as Anderson comes to town on September 16th.

Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate will renew their rivalry with back to back games in a span of eight days as the Bears will travel to Wingate to close out September, and the Bulldogs will travel to Hickory on October 7th.

October concludes with the Bears and Tusculum battling in back to back games as LR will travel to Greeneville on October 28th then the two teams will battle in Hickory on Halloween night.

LR will open November with a contest against Catawba on the 4th before the Bears go on the road for back to back games before their home finale on November 14th against Lincoln Memorial.

The SAC Tournament will begin on Tuesday, November 18th, with quarterfinals at campus sites before moving to Rock Hill for the semi-finals and finals that weekend.

The Bears will be looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season for the first time in program history. The 2025 NCAA Tournament will kick off on Friday, December 5th.

{Information from Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics}

STOCKTON, Calif. – It’s been a summer to remember for Derek Clappis from the Pacific men’s water polo program as he not only earned a runner-up finish at the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Championships with the USA National Team but was also promoted to Associate Head Coach with the Tigers.
 
Clappis served as a team manager for USA this summer at the international competition in Zagreb, Croatia. He helped the country knock off Serbia in the quarterfinals 19-18 before ousting Hungary in the semifinals 18-16. USA dropped a hard fought decision to Spain in the finals 14-11.
 
“The opportunities Pacific has provided me allowed me to spend the summer traveling and coaching with the Cadet and Junior National teams on the world stage. Seeing some of our incoming players was a great reminder of the talent and athletes that make up Pacific’s Water Polo U,” Clappis said. “I’m excited to continue to bring new perspectives from my experiences back to Pacific to continue to adapt and be our best in my new role.” 
 
Clappis, a Pacific alum, joined the Tigers staff in 2021-22 as Assistant Coach. This past season, he assisted the men’s team to an 18-2 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in the West Coast Conference, which resulted in a regular season championship.
 
In 2022, Clappis was part of a Pacific men’s team that won the Golden Coast Conference Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament after beating Cal in the quarterfinals 11-7. The Tigers finished 22-7 overall.
 
“I’m very excited for the next chapter in my career at Pacific as Associate Head Coach. I am thankful to James Graham and Pacific Athletics for the opportunity to represent our university on many levels and for this new transition.
 
Born and raised in Stockton, Clappis played for the Tigers from 2013-17. He was part of a National Championship Runner-Up team in 2013, National Championship Semifinalist team in 2017 and GCC Conference Tournament Championship Team in 2017.
 
“I’m thrilled to announce Derek as our new Associate Head Coach for men’s water polo. Derek has consistently proven himself as one of the top coaches in the country, with success at both the collegiate and international levels. He’s been a key part of our championship runs in the WCC and GCC, and this summer, he added multiple medals with Team USA to his impressive résumé. Derek exemplifies what Pacific Water Polo stands for – passion, commitment, and the relentless pursuit of excellence,” said director of water polo James Graham.
 
Clappis earned his degree from Pacific in business administration with a concentration in finance.
 
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For all the latest on Pacific men’s water polo, be sure to follow the team on X (@UOPWaterPoloU), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and “like” the team’s official Facebook page (Pacific Men’s Water Polo).
 
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Louisiana Tech University has officially accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference, a move that will renew rivalries and provide a better competitive experience for Bulldogs and Lady Techsters.

The Sun Belt Board of Directors, which includes the presidents of the 13 conference member institutions, voted unanimously to invite Louisiana Tech to join no later than July 1, 2027.

“We are thrilled to welcome Louisiana Tech University to the Sun Belt. Geographically situated within the current Sun Belt footprint, the addition of Louisiana Tech reunites a number of long-standing regional rivalries under the conference banner,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “I am grateful to President Dr. Jim Henderson and Athletic Director Ryan Ivey for their leadership during this process. I’d also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our Sun Belt member institutions for their continued commitment to the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country. The Sun Belt Conference is RISING and our best days are ahead.”

Louisiana Tech, a national research university with more than 12,000 students, joins Appalachian State University, Arkansas State University, Coastal Carolina University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, James Madison University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Louisiana Monroe, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, University of South Alabama, University of Southern Mississippi, and Troy University as the 14^th member following Texas State University’s departure to the PAC-12.

“The storied legacy of our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, long an integral part of the Louisiana Tech experience, will be advanced with this move,” President Jim Henderson said. “The invitation from the Sun Belt Conference affirms the quality of our athletics programs. Joining the conference will guarantee regular competition with regional rivals, new and old, creating a more logistically sound experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans.”

The move will elevate access for Tech alumni who largely live in the Sun Belt’s geographic footprint, improve ticket sales for in-state and regional rivalries, strengthen recruitment efforts, and enhance student-athlete experiences.

“Through all the uncertainty surrounding college athletics, we are pleased that Louisiana Tech has found its rightful home as a member of the Sun Belt Conference,” Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey said. “The opportunity for more fan engagement, reduced travel burden, and the renewal of storied rivalries will allow our student-athletes to pursue excellence in sport and in the classroom. Our coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and fans share in our excitement for the future of Bulldogs and Lady Techsters athletics. We appreciate Commissioner Keith Gill and the board for their confidence in our athletics department and look forward to elevating the conference through competition.”

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters compete in 16 varsity sports at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The program is poised for an era of unprecedented momentum, driven by strategic investments, competitive success, and a growing national profile.

Over the past five years, Louisiana Tech has claimed conference championships in four different sports, led by baseball with three league titles and three NCAA Regional appearances. The 2024–25 season continued that momentum, with six teams or individuals reaching postseason play including football, which competed in the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

Louisiana Tech has invested more than $325 million in campus improvements during the past 10 years, including more than $100 million to improve athletics facilities. A $21 million north end zone project featuring the 20,000-square-foot Origin Bank Center for Student-Athlete Success is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2026 football season.

Academically, Louisiana Tech Athletics matched or set a new multi-year rate record in Academic Progress Rate score in the NCAA’s most recent report with six programs posting perfect single-year ratings of 1,000; 10 teams scored above 980.

“While the benefits to Louisiana Tech, the state of Louisiana, and the Sun Belt Conference are obvious, the real winners are our student-athletes who will continue to succeed academically and compete for championships in more favorable conditions,” Henderson said. “It’s a great day for our Bulldogs and Lady Techsters.”

Louisiana Tech and Sun Belt Conference will host a joint press conference on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Davison Athletics Complex. The press conference will also be streamed at www.youtube.com/latechathletics.

Louisiana Tech Conference History:

• Louisiana Tech was previously a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1991-2001, a decade of which included competition in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s tennis, and volleyball
• Louisiana Tech has been league members with six of the current Sun Belt Conference institutions – ULM (1982-87 Southland Conference), Arkansas State (1991-01 Sun Belt Conference), UL-Lafayette (1991-01 Sun Belt Conference), Marshall (2013-22 Conference USA), Old Dominion (2013-22 Conference USA), and Southern Miss (2013-22 Conference USA)
• Six Sun Belt Conference members are within a seven-hour driving distance of Louisiana Tech’s campus – ULM, UL-Lafayette, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, South Alabama, and Troy