High School Sports

WWE Backlash 2025 results, grades, recap, winners

If John Cena and Randy Orton never wrestle again, they can be proud of how they closed out their 20-year rivalry at WWE Backlash. Orton had a viper-like grip against Cena, but returns to his home in St. Louis empty-handed after bad luck and many distractions on Saturday. Cena made the first title defense of […]

Published

2 weeks ago

May 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WWE Backlash 2025 results, grades, recap, winners

Cena made the first title defense of his record-setting 17th world title run against a familiar foe. Orton was one step ahead of Cena in the weeks leading to their match, and for most of their match. Ultimately, however, Orton was foiled by endless shenanigans familiar to those present for their illustrious careers.

The rest of the card also featured a mixed bag of results. Jacob Fatu managed to retain the United States championship in a fatal four way thanks to some assistance from a debuting superstar. Gunther beat down Pat McAfee despite some aid from play-by-play man Michael Cole. Lyra Valkyria retained the women’s intercontinental title against Becky Lynch, who lost it in the aftermath. And Dominik Mysterio retained the men’s intercontinental title against Penta thanks to some help from another masked luchador.

CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event, providing updates and highlights as the action unfolded in the live blog below.

Jacob Fatu defends U.S. title in barnburner fatal four-way, gets an unwanted assist from debuting Jeff Cobb

Backlash got off to a hot start with this fatal four-way match. The St. Louis crowd validated Fatu’s reputation as a future main eventer, repeatedly chanting his name. Typically, more conniving superstars form temporary alliances in these matches. But heroes LA Knight and Damian Priest, recognizing Fatu’s danger, briefly aligned to take out the champ. Everyone had a moment to shine, but it’s hard competing with Fatu’s ridiculous athleticism. The defending United States champion pieced together an incredible sequence after being hurled off the top rope by Drew McIntyre, landing on Knight with a swanton bomb. Aftewards, he quickly took out McIntyre with a corner attack, launched into Priest with a suicide dive, and flattened McIntyre with a second swanton.

Each superstar also scored near falls. Priest fell directly onto Knight after eating a Claymore Kick, nearly winning the match by accident. McIntyre had the match won before Priest yanked the referee from the ring, continuing the plot of Priest screwing McIntyre over. Knight put down Fatu with an elbow drop, but the champ kicked out. The bad blood between McIntyre and Priest spilled into the crowd. The brawl ended after Priest hit a South of Heaven chokeslam off an equipment box through two tables, ostensibly removing them from the match.

Closer to the ring, Fatu was in peril. Knight splayed Fatu across the announcers’ table and lined him up for a top rope elbow drop. That’s when Solo Sikoa arrived. Fatu’s Bloodline ally yanked Fatu off the table and confronted Knight. Suddenly, Knight was laid out by a mystery assailant — the debuting Jeff Cobb. Fatu was upset with Sikoa and Cobb’s intrusion, but capitalized by putting away Knight with a jumping top rope moonsault. Each superstar delivered memorable spots. The finish hit all the right marks: giving the champ a win, protecting the challengers, debuting a new act, and furthering The Bloodline storyline. Fatu def. Knight, McIntyre and Priest via pinfall to retain the U.S. title. Grade: A

Underdog champion Lyra Valkryia springs the upset on Becky Lynch

Saturday’s women’s intercontinental had a dash of Lynch’s bravado, a sprinkle of Valkyria’s technique, and heaping scoops of bravado and intensity from both athletes. The former tag team champions kicked off the match with a fist fight, demonstrating their bitterness. Lynch found the most success by intercepting Valkyria and bludgeoning her with strikes. At one point, Lynch dragged Valkyria over to the latter’s fiancé, mocking the lovebirds. Several open-hand slaps meant to demean Valkyria instead lit a fire under her. The defending champ slapped Lynch back before hitting a running fisherman’s buster, enzuiguri and sit-out powerbomb. A stalling superplex was perhaps Valkyria’s best display of power.

Valkyria’s increasing momentum spurred Lynch’s desperation. “The Man” rolled up Valkyria and grabbed the ropes for leverage, but the referee caught her red-handed. The closing sequence featured a series of impressive counters as both superstars chained armbar attempts. Lynch appeared to have the match secured after landing a Manhandle slam, but Valkyria kicked out. The champ’s resilience sent Lynch into a panic. The challenger attempted to use a steel chair and exposed turnbuckle, but the referee continued to foil her.

Ultimately, Valkyria stunned her former hero with a quick roll-up for the win. Lynch, outraged, didn’t give her opponent a moment to celebrate. Lynch pounced on Valkyria and slapped on a Disarm Her until WWE producers pulled her off. This was Valkyria’s best main roster match to date. Her power moves had impact, her technique was crisp and she shined as the underdog. Lynch was a step behind her in the ring, but excelled as a cunning villain. My only complaint is that the match ran a little long. Valkyria def. Lynch via pinfall to retain the women’s intercontinental title. Grade: B+

Dominik Mysterio gets a dirty win over Penta with help from El Grande Americano

Mysterio vs. Penta was a clash between Penta’s athleticism and Dom’s “dirty” tactics, but it wasn’t exclusively that. The match’s most impressive physical feat was arguably Mysterio’s flawless suicide dive DDT. Penta’s luchador style was also displayed with a top rope crossbody to the ring, a springboard crucifix bomb and a ring apron destroyer. Mysterio’s weaponization of other superstars’ moves was one of the more entertaining tropes. Mysterio whiffed on Eddie Guerrero’s three amigos and father Rey Mysterio’s 619, but surprised Penta with Liv’s Oblivion.

The Judgment Day, who walked Dominik Mysterio to the ring, were involved as expected. Carlito, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh tried to intervene but were initially thwarted by Penta and the referee. Balor’s second distraction was more successful as El Grande Americano — the masked superstar presumed to be Chad Gable, who defeated Penta’s brother Rey Fenix at WrestleMania 41 — dropped Penta with a steel plate-assisted headbutt. Mysterio followed up with a frog splash for the win.

Mysterio vs. Penta had flashes of a great match, but never quite kicked into that gear. In hindsight, a few minutes could have been shaved from the women’s intercontinental match to give the men’s title more time. Mysterio def. Penta via pinfall to retain the intercontinental title. Grade: B

Gunther puts Pat McAfee to sleep in a snoozer

Gunther stared down McAfee with a wide smile, identifying his foe as easy prey. “The Ring General” exercised his vast technical advantage early, though McAfee’s athleticism drew acknowledgment from the former world heavyweight champion. Gunther gave McAfee a brotherly pat on the head, setting the tone for how the match would go. Gunther encouraged his smaller foe to chop him, absorbing multiple blows to the chest before dropping McAfee with a massive chop of his own. The bullying extended to McAfee’s broadcast partner Michael Cole, whom Gunther would stare down in between beating McAfee. Cole’s pleading for Gunther to show mercy fell on deaf ears as Gunther prolonged McAfee’s torment. Cole at one point described it as “a public flogging.”

McAfee briefly sprang to life, landing on his feet after a missed moonsault and again finding his footing after Gunther attempted a German suplex. McAfee, previously a punter for the Indianapolis Colts, stunned Gunther with kicks to the chin and spine. Cole became increasingly present after leaving the announcers’ booth to cheer on his friend. Gunther dragged Cole into the ring, but his split focus created multiple opportunities for McAfee. The former NFL star saved Cole from a powerbomb by big booting Gunther. Cole returned the favor by snatching Gunther’s leg on a suplex attempt, resulting in McAfee landing on and nearly pinning Gunther. Shortly after, Gunther latched on a rear-naked choke, putting McAfee to sleep. Gunther showed McAfee a small gesture of respect afterwards.

This didn’t click for me. The pacing was slow, and McAfee’s comebacks were half-baked. There was potential to build sympathy around Cole, but the storyline didn’t develop enough to make for a meaningful payoff. Gunther def. McAfee via submission. Grade: C+

John Cena sneaks away with the win in a possible conclusion to his legendary rivalry with Randy Orton

The match was slow and methodical, as expected from two superstars in their mid-to-late 40s who’ve traditionally employed that style. The audience got loud for everything that hometown hero Orton did. Cena indulged as the antagonist, mocking the audience and fleeing when things got tough. The legends have wrestled nearly two dozen times on WWE broadcasts, but rarely, if ever, in their current roles. Cena and Orton wrestled as the villain and hero, respectively. Yet old habits die hard, and Orton wasn’t beyond stooping to his opponent’s level. Cena lured Orton with a disingenuous handshake and poked him in the eye. Moments later, Orton retorted with his own blinding thumb.

The action picked up after Cena hoisted Orton onto his shoulders. The undisputed WWE champion landed the Attitude Adjustment, but simultaneously ate an RKO. Neither wrestler, each enduring the other’s finishing move, could capitalize. Cena surprised Orton with a second Attitude Adjustment, but Orton kicked out. Orton, no stranger to surprise strikes, countered Cena’s shoulder block series with an RKO but only mustered a two-count. “The Legend Killer” dusted off the punt kick from his repertoire; however, Cena moved out of the way and hit a third Attitude Adjustment. That would have sealed the deal in most cases, but not against Orton in St. Louis. Cena couldn’t capitalize on a fourth Attitude Adjust because the referee had been knocked down. When Cena retrieved his title to strike Orton with, “The Viper” struck first with an RKO. Referee Chad Patton slowly spurred to life, though the extra time allowed Cena to kick out.

Outside the ring, an accidental collision took the referee out again. Orton gave Cena a taste of his medicine, landing an Attitude Adjustment onto the announcers’ table. The table only slightly budged, so Orton grabbed a wooden table from underneath the ring. The second break was far cleaner as Orton landed another Attitude Adjustment. Amusingly, the challenger took a small beverage break before resuming action. Orton continued to dominate Cena, but he couldn’t catch a break. Orton landed two RKOs — the replacement referee arrived too late on the first instance, and got clocked with the title belt for the second RKO. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis and various WWE staff ran into the ring to check on the officials, and they all ate RKOs.

The match ended after Orton lined Cena up for the punt. R-Truth — who describes Cena as his childhood hero despite Truth being five years older — intervened and begged for mercy. Orton delivered an RKO to Truth, but the distraction allowed Cena to land a low blow and Attitude Adjustment for the win. The right atmosphere can do a lot for a match. Was Cena vs. Orton a technical thriller? Certainly not. But there’s a charm to seeing an iconic rivalry’s final chapter after 20 years. It was an overbooked throwback to WWE’s heavily used playbook in the 2010s. The match was physical, the stakes were high, and the crowd was hot. Cena def. Orton via pinfall to retain the undisputed WWE title. Grade: A-

High School Sports

State Baseball

The third-ever Montana all-class high school baseball state tournament got underway in Hamilton on Thursday with opening round quarterfinals games. Here’s a look at the highlights and results from those opening round games: Game One: Billings Central defeats Columbia Falls 6-2 Not only was Rams sophomore Matteo Harris the winning pitcher on Thursday, scattering two […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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The third-ever Montana all-class high school baseball state tournament got underway in Hamilton on Thursday with opening round quarterfinals games.

Here’s a look at the highlights and results from those opening round games:

Game One: Billings Central defeats Columbia Falls 6-2

Not only was Rams sophomore Matteo Harris the winning pitcher on Thursday, scattering two runs (one earned) and three hits over 4.2 innings of work, but Harris was also Central’s driving force at the plate with three hits and three RBIs on the day.

The Rams earned a 6-2 victory over the Wildcats in their opening round quarterfinal game of the Montana high school baseball state tournament.

Vince Bagby
SWX Local Sports Content Coordinator

Game Two: Billings West defeats Frenchtown 11-4

Five different Golden Bears had multi-hit efforts and seven different players drove in a run for West, making it a total team effort on offense. On the mound for West it was starting pitcher Carson Steinmetz who picked up the win, allowing just two runs (non earned) on one hit over five innings of work.

The Golden Bears dominated the Broncs 11-4 in their opening round quarterfinal game of the Montana high school baseball state tournament.

Vince Bagby
SWX Local Sports Content Coordinator

Game Three: Billings Skyview vs Hamilton (4:45 PM DELAYED)

Game Four: Missoula Big Sky vs Belgrade (TBD)

High School Sports

High School Track Meet Highlights Archives

NEW MIDDLETOWN, OH- The D3 Springfield District meet kicked off with fire on the track and big throws in the ring as schools from all over the region battled for spots to move on. McDonald’s distance squads were cooking—both the boys and girls grabbed gold in the 4×800. The girls (Flere, Krumpak, N. Sheesley, S. […]

Published

6 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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High School Track Meet Highlights Archives

NEW MIDDLETOWN, OH- The D3 Springfield District meet kicked off with fire on the track and big throws in the ring as schools from all over the region battled for spots to move on.

McDonald’s distance squads were cooking—both the boys and girls grabbed gold in the 4×800. The girls (Flere, Krumpak, N. Sheesley, S. Sheesley) clocked a sharp 9:42.69 to win it. The boys (Klase, Cappuzzello, Baldwin, Deluga) dropped an 8:14.28, showing off some serious anchor leg grit.

Mineral Ridge showed depth across events, with the girls finishing second in the 4×800 and picking up more heat in prelims. Ava Hulett torched the 100m hurdles prelims with a 15.04, leading all qualifiers. Ridge also saw standout runs in the boys 4×800 (8:25.64) and field success with Jurnee Jordan and Gianna Wilson scoring in high jump. Jocelyn Traw and Kate Cross threw down in shot put for major points too.

Columbiana’s girls got big points from Kelsey Cameron, who cleared 5-01 to win high jump, while their relays looked sharp with top-three prelim finishes in both the 4×100 and 4×200. Danica Halas and Camille Jeffries also made waves in the sprints.

Mooney had a solid all-around showing, led by Sammy Rotunno and Talecia Huff tearing up relays and hurdles. On the boys’ side, the Cards brought speed with De’Andre Riley and Tyon Flowers pushing both the 100m dash and relays into the next round.

United’s sprinters looked locked in, grabbing prelim wins in the girls and boys 4×100 and 4×200, plus Taylor Simmons and Brinsley Hiscox lighting it up in the short hurdles and jumps.

Wellsville’s Clayten Kersey and Jaren Jackson went 2-3 in long jump, grabbing a crucial 14 points to put the Tigers on top of the early boys leaderboard with 14.

South Range’s Taylor Dado looked smooth in the 400, qualifying with the fastest time (1:01.30), and their girls’ 4×100 and 4×200 both advanced after strong prelims. Cassandra Habeger added points with a top-8 finish in shot put.

On the field, McDonald’s Cierra Shiley launched a 40-10 to win girls shot, with teammate Emma Bundy finishing third. Maddy Jones from Southern Local was runner-up with a throw of 38-07.

With only a handful of finals scored so far, McDonald leads the girls’ race with 34 points, while Mineral Ridge trails closely at 24. On the boys’ side, Wellsville edges out McDonald and Ridge with 14 points, thanks to that long jump double punch.

The meet continues through May 23 with finals across all sprint and field events. Buckle up—things are just heating up.

College Sports

Where to watch 'The Fall of Diddy' documentary

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting […]

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7 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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Where to watch 'The Fall of Diddy' documentary

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Hip Hop was king in the Nineties and Noughties, with some of the most infamous albums of the rap genre emerging during this time from the likes of Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z to Mary J Blige and Usher. But, if you flip any of those album covers over, the likelihood is you’ll see the same name over and over again – Sean Combs (aka Diddy), a rapper and music producer who generated countless hip-hop hits under his Bad Boy Records label, which he founded in 1993.

Now though, the man who once ruled the music industry finds himself behind bars awaiting trial, accused of sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution and racketeering conspiracy.

The documentary – essential watching in light of the first day of his abuse trial – maps out his ascension to power and the allegations of violence and abuse that were kept quiet for years. The Fall of Diddy is a five-part documentary and comes from the same producers as Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV – a documentary series that went viral last year for exposing child abuse allegations from Nickelodeon TV sets in the 90s and early 00s.

The Diddy documentary, which is available to stream right now, includes testimonies of alleged victims and those who have worked closely with the rapper over the years, including his personal assistant. The series also shows and investigates security footage of Combs physically abusing his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whose lawsuit against the mogul led to his ultimate arrest in September 2024.

To catch the full story of Diddy’s rise to power and the details of his alleged crimes, here’s how to stream the entire series now.

Where to watch ‘The Fall of Diddy’ in the UK?

The documentary series began streaming in the UK on 28 January, releasing all five episodes immediately onto Discovery+.

Discovery+ is an American streaming service that UK audiences can access by attaching it to an existing Amazon account for £3.99 per month or £39.99 annually. Included in your Discovery+ subscription you will also have access to live channels, including Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery History, Discovery Science, DMAX, Food Network, HGTV, Quest, Quest Red, TLC, Turbo and ID.

A subscription to Discovery+ is also free for any Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky

Watch the trailer for ‘The Fall of Diddy’:

The documentary can be watched through Discovery+ in the UK, where a description of the documentary reads: “Pull back the curtain on music mogul Sean Combs, and the allegations of violence and abuse kept quiet for years. This chilling chronicle redefines the music mogul and business titan everyone thinks they know.” Many of the interviews featured are from those who claim to have experienced the violence and manipulation of Diddy firsthand, including rappers and singers within the music industry and former employees of his record label.

Your TV doesn’t support apps? Give it a new lease of life with one of the best streaming devices

High School Sports

Darien's Back in the USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25

A familiar name is one of two newcomers in this week’s USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys’ National Top 25. Darien (Conn.) earned a win over a strong Staples (Conn.) squad to vault into the rankings at No. 12. It’s the Blue Wave’s fourth win in a row since they dropped three straight games while […]

Published

7 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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Darien's Back in the USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25

A familiar name is one of two newcomers in this week’s USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys’ National Top 25.

Darien (Conn.) earned a win over a strong Staples (Conn.) squad to vault into the rankings at No. 12. It’s the Blue Wave’s fourth win in a row since they dropped three straight games while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Staples moves back to No. 13.

The other newcomer is No. 22 Billerica (Mass.). Timmy Murphy picked off a pass and Kameron Tremblay scored with 16 seconds left for an 8-7 win over Boston College High (Mass.). It was Billerica’s 16th straight win since losing its season opener. State tournament brackets come out next week.

No. 1 Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.) is seeded first in the Section XI playoffs and will open play Thursday against eighth-seeded Ward Melville (N.Y.) in the quarterfinals. Semifinals are set for Tuesday.

No. 2 Severna Park (Md.) handled Towson (Md.) 11-4 Wednesday to finish off its season with the Class 3A state championship. The Falcons were impressive this year with a lopsided 312-70 score advantage through 20 games, losing only to private power Landon (Md.).

For the second time this season, No. 5 Kent Island (Md.) defeated Stephen Decatur (Md.) by a goal. This time it was for the Class 2A state championship to cap an unbeaten season. The Buccaneers outscored teams, 263-102, in their perfect year. The losses were the only two for Stephen Decatur.

No. 6 New Canaan (Conn.) flexed its muscles with a 15-9 win over No. 11 Ridgefield (Conn.), followed by a one-goal win over New Jersey private school Don Bosco (N.J.). New Canaan’s only loss came against Staples.

Jack Frers scored a hat trick, Eli Pounds made eight saves and Will LoSauro had three assists as No. 10 Ridgewood (N.J.) defeated No. 19 Summit (N.J.) 7-6. It’s the Maroons’ fifth one-goal win of the season.

No. 17 Cape Henlopen (Del.) opened its state tournament with a 20-2 win over Sanford (Del.). The Vikings were coming off their fourth straight Henlopen Conference Championship.

No. 23 Cherry Creek (Colo.) got a hat trick from Wyatt Branish and even a goalie goal from High Point commit Owen Corsi in an 11-8 comeback win over Valor Christian (Colo.) for the 5A state championship title, its first since 2019.

In the regional rankings, there were two newcomers to the South: Middlecreek (N.C.) at No. 6 and Lake Norman (N.C.) at No. 10. The West had a top-three change with Torrey Pines (Calif.) claiming a section title to move to No. 2 and Arapahoe (Colo.) losing to Valor Christian to move to No. 3.

State tournaments will continue to match up good programs. Two of the best Mid-Atlantic teams will face off when No. 9 Urbana (Md.) plays No. 25 Broadneck (Md.) for the Class 4A state title Thursday.

Scroll below for this week’s USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys’ National Top 25 and Regional Top 10 lists, with each team’s previous ranking denoted in parenthesis.

Compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches around the country, these rankings (also found here in our hub) will be updated weekly on Thursdays.

National Top 25

1. Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.), 16-0 (21)
2. Severna Park (Md.), 19-1 (2)
3. Radnor (Pa.), 16-3 (3)
4. Springfield-Delco (Pa.), 18-1 (4)
5. Kent Island (Md.), 17-0 (5)
6. New Canaan (Conn.), 15-1 (6)
7. Northport (N.Y.), 14-2 (7)
8. Garden City (N.Y.), 14-2 (8)
9. Urbana (Md.), 16-2 (12)
10. Westfield (N.J.), 12-6 (10)
11. Ridgefield (Conn.), 13-3 (13)
12. Darien (Conn.), 10-6 (NR)
13. Staples (Conn.), 12-4 (9)
14. Highland Park (Texas), 19-3 (15)
15. Ridgewood (N.J.), 11-5 (22)
16. Rye (N.Y.), 13-3 (17)
17. Cape Henlopen (Del.) 15-2 (18)
18. Moorestown (N.J.), 14-4 (14)
19. Summit (N.J.), 12-4 (11)
20. West Genesee (N.Y.), 16-0 (23)
21. Lake Mary (Fla.), 19-1 (19)
22. Billerica (Mass.), 16-1 (NR)
23. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 19-0 (21)
24. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 17-2 (24)
25. Broadneck (Md.), 15-3 (25)

Also considered (alphabetical order): Arapahoe (Colo.), Canandaigua (N.Y.), Chatham (N.J.), Downingtown West (Pa.), Easton Area (Pa.), Garnet Valley (Pa.), Huntingtown (Md.), Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.), Kings Park (N.Y.), Kingsway (N.J.), Lambert (Ga.), Madison (Va.), Manhasset (N.Y.), Manasquan (N.J.), Marple Newtown (Pa.), Niskayuna (N.Y.), Reading Memorial (Mass.), Ridley (Pa.), Shawnee (N.J.), Somers (N.Y.), South Side (N.Y.), South River (Md.), Stephen Decatur (Md.), Torrey Pines (Calif.), Towson (Md.), Upper Arlington (Ohio), Wantagh (N.Y.), Wilson (Pa.)

High School Sports

UCF Trio Highlights Big 12 Rowing Awards

Story Links UCF’s Hannah Lovejoy (Rower of the Year), Lucy Buckingham (Newcomer of the Year) and Mara Allen (Coach of the Year) highlighted the 2025 Big 12 Rowing Awards after the Knights earned the program’s first Big 12 Championship and a bid to the NCAA Championships. Laura Teska (Kansas) and Sydnee Blackburn (Old Dominion) were […]

Published

8 hours ago

May 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

UCF Trio Highlights Big 12 Rowing Awards

UCF’s Hannah Lovejoy (Rower of the Year), Lucy Buckingham (Newcomer of the Year) and Mara Allen (Coach of the Year) highlighted the 2025 Big 12 Rowing Awards after the Knights earned the program’s first Big 12 Championship and a bid to the NCAA Championships. Laura Teska (Kansas) and Sydnee Blackburn (Old Dominion) were voted as Co-Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Lovejoy helped the UCF 1V8+ win its race at the Big 12 Championship by 16 seconds, rowing from the bow position. She was a part of two crews that captured Big 12 Boat of the Week honors, plus received the team’s Charging Knight award, which is awarded to the team’s highest contributor each season. She is the first UCF rower to win the Conference’s top individual honor.

Buckingham was in the four seat of the Knights’ 1V8+ that captured a pair of Boat of the Week honors and won the title-clinching race at the Big 12 Championship. The freshman only began rowing in her senior year of high school, before coming to UCF and earning a spot in the varsity eight. She is the first Knight to capture Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors.

In just her second season at the helm of the program, Allen led the UCF program to a sweep of all six races at the Big 12 Championship. The Knights clinched its first bid to the NCAA Championship since 2019, which takes May 30-June 1 in West Windsor, N.J.

Teska earns her second consecutive Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor while maintaining a 3.99 GPA in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. She was a part of the KU 1V8+ that won Big 12 Boat of the Week honors after defeating K-State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. This marks the third time a Jayhawk has earned Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

Blackburn finished her degree in nursing with a 3.9 GPA while being voted a team captain on the Monarch’s team. Rowing from the three seat on ODU’s varsity eight, she has found time to volunteer hundreds of hours at a local hospital, and will begin her career working in a pediatric neonatal ICU. She is the first Old Dominion athlete to win a Big 12 yearly award.

Big 12 Rower of the Year: Hannah Lovejoy, UCF
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year: Lucy Buckingham, UCF
Big 12 Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Laura Teska, Kansas
Big 12 Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sydnee Blackburn
Big 12 Coach of the Year: Mara Allen, UCF

High School Sports

Iowa high school playoff soccer highlights and scores (5

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Here’s a look at our local Iowa high school girls soccer playoff highlights and scores from May 21st, 2025: MOC-Floyd Valley 2, Unity Christian 0 Bishop Heelan 10, East Sac County 0 Sioux Center 5, Western Christian 1 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not […]

Published

9 hours ago

May 22, 2025

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