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X Games Snowboarder Zeb Powell Partners with World

Rumor has it that the Jordan Brand has been working on a partnership with a new athlete. This time — for the first time in history — said athlete is a professional snowboarder who has acted as a trailblazer and advocate for his sport. The elite athlete has joined forces with perhaps the greatest athlete […]

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X Games Snowboarder Zeb Powell Partners with World

Rumor has it that the Jordan Brand has been working on a partnership with a new athlete. This time — for the first time in history — said athlete is a professional snowboarder who has acted as a trailblazer and advocate for his sport. The elite athlete has joined forces with perhaps the greatest athlete of all time – Michael Jordon and the Jordon Brand.

25-year-old Zeb Powell may be young, but don’t let his age fool you. He is fierce on the slopes and performs like he’s been at it for decades. During his 2020 debut at the X Games Aspen, Powell took home first — a major boost to his career. Having participated in the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 X Games, he’s gained expertise and has developed into a remarkable rider.

His hard work continues to pay off as he’s now involved in a massive partnership with the famous Jordan Brand. Not only is this a milestone for Powell, but it is a major feat for the snowboarding community as a whole.

Speculations have been floating around regarding the potential partnership between the two after Powell was seen representing the brand. Now that the rumors are confirmed to be true, excitement is on the rise for the snow sports athletes.

Powell keeps busy in his daily life, so more partnerships and deals are likely to made in the coming years. As stated on his Red Bull profile:

“Zeb also rides for Nitro snowboards, Thirtytwo apparel, Recess Ride Shop and Crab Grab gloves and stomp pads. When he’s not busy training, competing full time on the Revolution tour and filming with Dylan Demers and the EAST crew, Zeb likes to skate, throw double gainers off cliffs, wakeboard and ride with his friends. ‘What I really love,’ he says, ‘is flying through the air. So I really like anything that involves flipping and spinning.”

Things are evolving in the snowboarding world — snowboarders are getting more attention, records are being broken and athletes are reaching levels that don’t seem humanly possible. While the Jordan Brand partnering with a snow sports athlete is a new endeavor, it’s not shocking when you consider the strides that these riders have made over the years.

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Toby Rens named Jimmie men’s volleyball head coach

Story Links JAMESTOWN, N.D. —University of Jamestown Director of Athletics Austin Hieb announced Toby Rens as the new Jimmie men’s volleyball head coach.   Rens, who has an overall collegiate coaching record of 425-309 in 22 seasons, spent mostly at the NCAA Division I level, comes to Jamestown following the 2024-25 […]

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JAMESTOWN, N.D. —University of Jamestown Director of Athletics Austin Hieb announced Toby Rens as the new Jimmie men’s volleyball head coach.
 
Rens, who has an overall collegiate coaching record of 425-309 in 22 seasons, spent mostly at the NCAA Division I level, comes to Jamestown following the 2024-25 season as the head coach at Poudre High School in Fort Collins, Colo.
 
“Toby comes to us with a wealth of experience at various levels of volleyball,” Hieb said. “We think he is going to be a great addition not only for men’s volleyball, but for our department as a whole. We’re excited to get him to campus and see what the future of Jimmie men’s volleyball looks like!”
 
In his most recent collegiate season, Rens went 17-11 at NCAA Division III Oswego State University.
 
“I am honored and humbled to join the University of Jamestown staff and lead the Jimmie volleyball program,” said Rens. “This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am thrilled to become part of the Jimmie family.” 
 
Prior to coaching at Oswego State, Rens coached 19 seasons at the Division I level, posting a record of 127-102 at University of Maryland Eastern Shore in seven seasons; one season at Chicago State; seasons at University of Pittsburgh with a record of 85-72; four years at Long Island University Brooklyn with a record of 106-46; and two seasons at Georgetown (30-32). He began his head coaching career at NCAA Division II Northern Michigan, finishing with a record of 58-17 in two seasons.  
 
A graduate of Morningside (Iowa) College, Rens spent time as an assistant coach at his alma mater, along with stints at Tennessee Tech, Texas Tech, and George Washington from 1994-98.
 



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Women's Swimming Trio Named Academic All

Story Links ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s swimming trio of Kai Wong, Eszter Kiss, and Delaney Klaus were each named Academic All-MAC by the Middle Atlantic Conference office Thursday, following outstanding seasons for all both in and out of the water. Wong earns her second career Academic All-MAC Honor (2022) following […]

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Women's Swimming Trio Named Academic All

ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s swimming trio of Kai Wong, Eszter Kiss, and Delaney Klaus were each named Academic All-MAC by the Middle Atlantic Conference office Thursday, following outstanding seasons for all both in and out of the water.

Wong earns her second career Academic All-MAC Honor (2022) following a 2024-25 campaign that netted her All-MAC Honors in four races, bringing her career All-MAC total to 18. Wong took First Team All-Conference honors in three relays (200 Yard Medley, 200 Yard Freestyle, 400 Yard Freestyle) and Third Team recognition in the 100-yard backstroke.

Klaus earned conference Rookie of the Year honors following a commanding performance at MAC Championships in February. The Readington, N.J. native was named First Team All-Conference in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the 400-yard freestyle relay, adding a Second Team All-Conference performance in the 100-yard butterfly for good measure.

Kiss matched Wong with four All-Conference honors, three being First Team. The first-year earned those First Team selections in the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley relay, and 200-yard freestyle relay; she also took home Second Team honors for the 200-yard individual medley.

The Academic All-MAC teams are based off semester grade-point averages (GPA) for the semester of their championship season. The minimum GPA required is a 3.20, and the student-athlete must remain an eligible member of the team through the conclusion of the season. Voting for this award is based on 50% academic excellence and 50% athletic prowess.

The three Ducks selected match the most honorees for the program in a single year since the school joined the MAC prior to the 2019-20 season.

Athletic Department Social Media
Facebook: “Like” Stevens Athletics         
X (Formerly Twitter): @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
 
#AllRise

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How volleyball helped UC Irvine’s Ofure Iselen step into her confidence

Story Links (This story was originally published on ucirvinesports.com) Journeys. Whether it be starting school or a new hobby, everyone in life goes through them – and the ups and downs that come along the way.  The thing about journeys is they feel long while they’re happening but when you look back, it […]

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(This story was originally published on ucirvinesports.com)

Journeys. Whether it be starting school or a new hobby, everyone in life goes through them – and the ups and downs that come along the way. 

The thing about journeys is they feel long while they’re happening but when you look back, it really went by in a flash. Only when you take a step back and look at your journey can you see the highs and lows and realize how it was all worth it. This is how senior Ofure Iselen would describe her time at UC Irvine as a member of the women’s volleyball team: a journey.

“I would describe it as a journey. I know it’s cliche, but it flew by so fast. I can’t even wrap my head around that it’s done. I would just describe it as a roller coaster. There were the highest of highs and there were the lowest of the lows.”

Iselen’s volleyball career had an unexpected starting point. As her mom wanted her and her siblings to stay active, she was involved with multiple sports growing up. However, it was actually her friend who convinced her to try out for a volleyball team.

“Once I got to middle school, I made my friend try out for the basketball team and then she made me try out for the volleyball team. So, I was just playing middle school volleyball, nothing serious. Then once I got to high school, my mom was like, okay, you have to pick one to really get serious about.”

Since the volleyball season started in the fall before basketball, Iselen’s high school athletic career began with spikes instead of layups, and the rest is history. She made varsity her freshman year and enjoyed the experience. She had found her sport of choice.

Having only started playing competitive volleyball her freshman year of high school, Iselen had some catching up to do, but that didn’t stop others from recognizing her potential. During her high school season, a club director approached her and asked about joining their club volleyball team. Iselen was immediately interested as it would help her grow and they saw potential in her ability to play at the collegiate level. 

Iselen put in the work and eventually schools started calling. When it came time to commit, UC Irvine felt like the right fit.

“I had heard of UC Irvine. Some of my friends’ older siblings went there so I was familiar with the school. It was really pretty, and it was not too far from home (the Bay Area). Also, UCI is a really well-known school and that degree holds a lot of weight, so I felt I was getting the best of both worlds. I would get to live out my dreams of playing Division I volleyball while also getting a degree that could push me further after I’m done with volleyball.”

Her freshman season was all about learning and adjusting to the college life. At the advice of her coaches, and coming off an early injury, she focused her efforts in the weight room and learning the ins-and-outs of being a Division I student-athlete.

“My freshman year, I didn’t have many expectations. Coach Ashlie (Hain) told me when I first came in to get serious in that weight room because it would help me a ton. I took that to heart, and I made sure that the weight room was my best friend. Being in the weight room seriously and trying to find that [improvement], and then senior year breaking into that starting lineup was huge for me. It felt like my whole journey kind of meant something and all my hard work didn’t go to waste. I was happy the way we ended, and I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season.”

Ofure Iselen Spike

Iselen bided her time and put in the work to continually improve. She played sparingly her first two seasons with her playing time increasing her junior year, but it wasn’t until her senior season when she earned the opportunity to be in the starting lineup. That doesn’t mean there weren’t still a few bumps along the way in her journey. While she began the season in the starting lineup, by the end of the second preseason tournament, Iselen found herself back on the bench. It was a mental battle as this was her senior year and there was no next season.

“It was probably the biggest challenge mentally and emotionally that I had to face because before it was always like you have next year to try again or get better, but getting benched during preseason of my senior year, I was like there is no next year, right? It was more of a mental challenge than it was a physical challenge because I felt like I was there physically, but mentally I couldn’t perform. I’ve never had to deal with my mental health throughout sports. I was always a pretty positive person. So, when my mental wasn’t there, it’s like, how do you get back to believing in yourself? How do you get back to who you are as a person and as a player?”

Still, Iselen persevered and found her way back into the lineup during the beginning of conference play. From there, she continued to play well, helping lead the Anteaters to a winning record, the program’s first season sweep of Hawai’i and an appearance in the Big West Championships. She ended her senior season ranked first in the Big West in blocks per set (1.24), while averaging 1.21 kills per set and making the Big West Fall All-Academic team. 

Iselen looks back on her career fondly and will always cherish the people she met and memories she made with UCI volleyball.

“I’ve met so many amazing people at UCI that I know I’m going to have in my life forever. I never understood when people said that when they come to college, they find their forever people, but I truly did. I’m so appreciative for this school. When I was a kid out of high school, Coach Ashlie took a chance on me because I had only been playing for a few years and I’m so grateful that I was given the opportunity to showcase who I am, not just as an athlete, but as a person too.”

Off the court, Iselen spent a large amount of time with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and helped found the Black Student Athlete Alliance (BSAA) at UCI. With her involvement in these organizations and her experience as a student-athlete, a new position opened up that allowed Iselen to remain with UCI Athletics. 

After graduating earlier this year with a degree in Political Science (she will walk this weekend), Iselen has served as the Student Athlete Development Coordinator the past two quarters. Her experience and relationships she built at UCI has helped her understand the needs of student-athletes and to plan events and workshops that cater to their interests.

“I work a lot with career development. Having former collegiate athletes come back, from all different sports and schools, and just kind of talk to our student athletes about life after sport and helping them with that transition.

“I feel like I have a unique experience because I’m still in it. A lot of my friends are still student-athletes. I just take their feedback of the things that they feel we’re lacking, and I have the ability to bring those things to life.”

After graduation, Iselen plans to take a gap year and then pursue her MBA. Her plan to become a marketing executive hasn’t changed.

“Coming back from the Black Student Athlete Summit (in 2023), and talking to different marketing executives there made me realize that is what I want to do, so I’ve just been growing in that area too.”

Iselen’s time at UCI wasn’t necessarily a typical one, coming in after COVID, getting a late start in the sport to becoming a key starter as a senior, to continuing to assist student-athletes after her athletic career ended, she always sees the growth in her opportunities and her work. While her journey at UC Irvine has come to a close, her next journey is just getting started. Iselen has no regrets and will forever cherish being an Anteater.

“Just going through this journey – this was such a unique experience that I was gracious to have. Going on the journey alongside people you build a bond with can’t be replaced, they’ve seen you when you were at your lowest and they were the ones that picked you up and carried you through. This is something that you definitely can’t do alone. Finding that community and finding those people who I was able to lean on when I needed to, and then, when it was their turn, for me to be there for them. You create that bond that just lasts for a long time, and I feel like that’s the thing that I probably take away the most is those relationships. I’ve definitely grown and changed a lot since my freshman year. Looking back and seeing videos of myself from four years ago, I’m like, wow, this person has come a long way.”

Ofure Iselen Celebrate



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Meet the 2025 athletes of the year, first team, honorable m – Butler Eagle

Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness won gold at the WPIAL and PIAA championships this season. Magness has been named Butler Eagle Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle Excelling as a freshman brings with it expectations. Mackenzie Magness did not wilt under that pressure — she flourished. In 2024, Magness won […]

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Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness won gold at the WPIAL and PIAA championships this season. Magness has been named Butler Eagle Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle

Excelling as a freshman brings with it expectations. Mackenzie Magness did not wilt under that pressure — she flourished.

In 2024, Magness won a WPIAL Class 2A title in the pole vault. This spring, the Freeport sophomore raised the bar even higher, winning another district crown before earning a state championship May 24 at Shippensburg University with a height of 12 feet.

The campaign yielded a pair of school records for Magness — 12-4 in the pole vault, which won her WPIAL gold, and 17-8¾ in the long jump. Her collective effort made Magness a unanimous pick for Butler Eagle Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.


Related Article: Track and field honor roll: See Butler County’s all-time girls results, updated after 2025 season


Related Article: PIAA track championships: Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness wins 2A girls pole vault gold in friend’s memory

“It was a lot for me to handle at once,” Magness said regarding the flurry of achievements. “But I’m extremely happy with what I was able to do.

“There’s so many talented girls in the county, and I am super-appreciative for this honor.”

Her desire for continued improvement is evident this summer. She recently returned from a pole vault camp at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, will attend a similar camp in Louisville in July and is training for a decathlon, scheduled for August in Ohio.

The pole vault is obviously her best event, but Magness also has potential in the jumping events. She earned WPIAL medals in the long and triple jump this year.

“I got a lot of work in for the jumps during the indoor season over the winter,” she said. “It helped me become more explosive.”


Related Article: PIAA track championships: North Catholic 4×100 girls relay wins gold; Butler boys relays ends with 2 medals


Related Article: WPIAL track and field: Butler’s Aubrey Rock defends pole vault gold; Seneca Valley’s Gavin Skarbek realizes 400 dreams

Butler’s boys 4×400-meter relay team (from left: Jace Gratzmiller, Carter Ekas, Aaron Stebick and Regan Peth) set a school record this season with an all-time Butler County-best effort of 3 minutes, 17.49 seconds. The quartet won a WPIAL Class 3A title with a district-record time and placed sixth in the state and is this year’s Butler Eagle Boys Track and Field Athletes of the Year. Submitted Photo

Boys Athletes of the Year

With one performance, Butler’s 4×400-meter relay team reached legendary status.

The scene was the WPIAL Class 3A Championships at Slippery Rock University in May. Up until then, the Golden Tornado had turned in very good times in the event.

Regan Peth, Aaron Stebick, Jace Gratzmiller and Carter Ekas teamed up to rewrite three record books. Their time of 3 minutes, 17.49 seconds broke the school standard, district meet record and Butler County’s all-time record.

The team went on to place sixth at the state meet, the only squad from Western Pa. to medal in the event.

All four runners have been voted Boys Track and Field Athletes of the Year.


Related Article: Track and field honor roll: See Butler County’s all-time boys results, updated after 2025 season


Related Article: WPIAL track and field: Butler boys 4×100 and 4×400 relays break district, school records

“The guys had been running so well throughout the year, but you still want to see improvement every time out,” Butler coach Mike Seybert said. “We were hoping to break the school record, but to get the WPIAL record, too, they exceeded our hopes.”

Gratzmiller was injured for part of the year.

“When he came back, it was good to see and I knew he was going to be strong for us,” said Stebick, the one senior of the group who is headed to compete at Westminster College. “We had a great time this season. It felt amazing to achieve something big with my friends.”

Butler had a bevy of runners to choose from for the relay.

“We had nine kids under 51 seconds in the open 400, which is unheard of,” Seybert said. “It’s the deepest group we’ve ever had at Butler. You literally could have flip-flopped our 4×1 and 4×4 teams.”

Butler’s 4×100 team of Grayden Brown, Logan Ekas, Chris Rubcic and Kevin Shriver also won a WPIAL title with a school-record and all-time Butler County-best effort of 41.85.

Following are the other athletes who made the Eagle’s first team, followed by honorable mentions, listed alphabetically.

Girls First Team

North Catholic’s girls 4×100 relay team (from left: Anna Lazzara, Audra Lazzara, Seava Cresta and Daphne Flerl) won Class 2A gold during the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. All four have been named Butler County all-stars. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Seava Cresta, sr., sprints, North Catholic

Returned from a torn hamstring suffered during the indoor season to run on North’s 4×100-meter relay team that won WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A titles. The state crown came with a school and Butler County record time of 48.06 seconds. She also earned district medals in the 100 and 200 dash.

College: Duquesne

Mars’ Morgan Duker takes third place in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.95 during the Butler County Track and Field Classic on Saturday, April 05, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Morgan Duker, sr., sprints, Mars

Qualified for the state meet in the 400 by placing fourth in the WPIAL, then earned a PIAA medal in the event with an eighth-place finish. Also medaled in the 200 dash at WPIALs. Finished the season with Butler County’s best time in the 400 at 57.01 seconds and graduated with school records in the 400 and 200 (25.90).

North Catholic’s Daphne Flerl was part of the district and state champion 4×100 team and medaled in the triple jump at WPIALs. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Daphne Flerl, sr., sprints/jumps, North Catholic

A member of the Trojanettes’ 4×100 relay team that won district and state titles, closing the season with a Butler County all-time best effort of 48.06 seconds. Qualified for states by placing fifth in the WPIAL in the Class 2A triple jump. Also helped North place second in the 4×400 relay at WPIALs and fourth in the state.

College: Davidson

North Catholic’s Anna Lazzara won three individual WPIAL medals this season. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Anna Lazzara, so., sprints/jumps, North Catholic

Earned a berth in the state meet in three individual events after WPIAL efforts in the 100 (fifth), 200 (fourth) and long jump (third).

Placed third in the state in the long jump and was the anchor of North’s 4×100 relay team that won WPIAL and state titles. Had Butler County’s top time this season in the 100 (12.31) and 200 (25.27).

North Catholic twin sisters, track and field stars Anna Lazzara, left, and Audra Lazzara. Audra won the WPIAL Class 2A 100 hurdles title this season. Derek Pyda/Butler Eagle

Audra Lazzara, so., sprints/hurdles, North Catholic

Won a WPIAL Class 2A title in the 100 hurdles before finishing second in the state. Also qualified for the state meet by placing fifth in the district in the 300 hurdles. Ran a leg on the WPIAL and PIAA championship 4×100 relay. Finished the season with the county’s best time in the 100 hurdles at 14.93.

Seneca Valley’s Jordan Monteleone won the WPIAL Class 3A high jump title and medaled at states. Jason Malmont/Special to the Eagle

Jordan Monteleone, jr., jumps, Seneca Valley

Her best event is the high jump, and she delivered with a WPIAL Class 3A title and fourth place in the state. Finished the year with Butler County’s top height in the event at 5-6. Also earned a WPIAL medal in the long jump.

Slippery Rock’s Aiva Reich, middle, won District 10 Class 3A 100 hurdles gold and medaled in the 300 hurdles. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Aiva Reich, sr., hurdles, Slippery Rock

Captured a District 10 Class 3A title in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.40, which put her in Butler County’s top five for the season. Also medaled at districts with a fourth-place finish in the 300 hurdles and helped the Rockets’ 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams medal in D10.

College: Grove City

Butler’s Aubrey Rock won WPIAL Class 3A gold in the long jump and pole vault. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Aubrey Rock, sr., jumps/pole vault, Butler

Closed her high school career with a banner season, winning WPIAL Class 3A titles in the long jump and pole vault. Placed seventh in the state in the pole vault. Her 19-2.5 in the long jump broke the Butler County-area’s all-time record by 4 inches. Was a member of the 4×100 relay team that set a new school standard at 48.92.

College: Westminster

Girls Honorable Mention

Adraya Baxter, sr., hurdles, Butler; Phoebe Brandon, so., sprints/jumps, Karns City; Karlee Buterbaugh, sr., throws, Knoch; Autumn Christie, so., javelin, Slippery Rock; Aubrey Erdos, sr., pole vault, Seneca Valley; Kara Fennell, sr., jumps/pole vault, Knoch; Maddee Fischer, sr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Aubrey Popp, jr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Jocie Slesinski, sr., sprints, Butler; Augelina Williams, fr., sprints, Seneca Valley; Izzy Yuhouse, so., sprints, Seneca Valley

Boys First Team

Karns City’s Griffin Booher won the District 9 Class 2A title in the 800. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Griffin Booher, sr., middle distance, Karns City

Won a District 9 Class 2A title in the 800 run, then capped his high school career by going 1:59.96 to crack Butler County’s top five this season. Was named first team all-conference in the event.

Freeport’s Michael Braun finished with two WPIAL silvers in the 1,600 and 3,200, then did the same at the PIAA championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Michael Braun, sr., distance, Freeport

Was runner-up in WPIAL Class 2A in the 1,600 and 3,200. Placed second in the state in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600. Broke his own school record in both events this year and ranks third and fourth on Butler County’s all-time honor roll with times of 9:02.25 and 4:11.97, respectively.

College: Penn State

Moniteau’s Ashton Grossman won the pole vault at the District 9 championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Ashton Grossman, sr., pole vault, Moniteau

Broke his own school record in the pole vault several times this season, graduating with a best effort of 15-3. Won a District 9 Class 2A crown in the event and placed runner-up in the state. Was named first team all-conference.

College: Slippery Rock

Seneca Valley’s Dakari Payne won medals in all three jumping events at the WPIAL championships, including high jump gold. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Dakari Payne, jr., jumps, Seneca Valley

For the second straight year, he finished the season ranked in Butler County’s top five in all three jumps, including tops in the high jump at 6-7. Earned three WPIAL medals, including first place in the high jump.

Seneca Valley’s Gavin Skarbek won gold in the 400 in the WPIAL Class 3A championships. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Gavin Skarbek, sr., sprints, Seneca Valley

Earned a WPIAL Class 3A title in the 400 with a time of 48.99, the best effort in Butler County this spring. Also placed second in the WPIAL in the 200 and had the county’s best finish in that event at 22.11.

College: Slippery Rock

Boys Honorable Mention

Nicco Baggetta, so., javelin, Butler; Grayden Brown, sr., sprints, Butler; Logan Ekas, jr., sprints, Butler; Austin Friedline, jr., sprints/hurdles, Knoch; Dustin Joyce, sr., jumps, Slippery Rock; Chris Rubcic, sr., sprints, Butler; Kevin Shriver, so., sprints, Butler; Logan Skibinski, jr., sprints, Union/A-C Valley; Zachary Slear, sr., middle distance, Butler; Jack Steineman, fr., distance, North Catholic; Alex Wilson, so., pole vault, Karns City





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Leaf To Produce Minor League Baseball Trading Cards

Leaf Trading Cards has signed a licensing deal with the MLBPA and will be producing minor league trading cards beginning this summer, the company has announced. Collectors will first see the impact of the deal in Leaf’s upcoming Trinity 2024 product, reportedly scheduled to be released in late September. Baseball America is excited to bring […]

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Leaf To Produce Minor League Baseball Trading Cards

Leaf Trading Cards has signed a licensing deal with the MLBPA and will be producing minor league trading cards beginning this summer, the company has announced.

Collectors will first see the impact of the deal in Leaf’s upcoming Trinity 2024 product, reportedly scheduled to be released in late September.

Baseball America is excited to bring collectors an exclusive first look at a few of the prospect cards that will make their way into the set, including Jac Caglianone, Charlie Condon and Roman Anthony:

“We’re incredibly excited,” Leaf’s director of marketing & licensing, CJ Breen, told Baseball America. “We now have access to a wider range of players than ever before, which really elevates the product. Plus, having the official MiLB license brings a new level of legitimacy.”

The deal will now give Leaf the ability to produce cards of any players in the minor leagues, including players such as Caglianone, who has an exclusive deal with Topps and couldn’t be featured previously. 

Because the deal is with the MLBPA and not the minor leagues themselves, Leaf will have to remove team logos the way other brands such as Panini and Donruss currently do on baseball products. Topps still has an exclusive contract with MiLB to feature both players and team logos, as seen in products such as Topps Pro Debut.

The upcoming Trinity 2024 release will feature a “strong mix of current MiLB talent, veterans, prospects, and even Hall of Famers,” Breen said.

“You can also expect exciting NIL arcs and some surprises from players like Aiva Arquette and Jace LaViolette.”

Leaf Trinity boxes will each contain six autographs and two base cards numbered to 49 or less. Preorder prices on major retailer sites are currently in the $160 range. Beyond the autographs, chases will include booklet cards, relics, multi-signed cards and more.

A “mega box” version of Trinity featuring 10 cards–seven base cards, two “steel” cards and a memorabilia card—is expected to be released in October. Preorder prices are in the $20 range.

The Leaf Metal Baseball release later this year is the next set expected to take advantage of the new minor league deal. Leaf is currently planning about five products per year spotlighting MiLB players, according to Breen.

“This partnership allows us to expand our reach, grow the hobby, and give collectors more ways to engage with the players they love—now with official MiLB backing,” Breen said. “We’re just getting started.”

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Women's Basketball Announces 2025

Story Links WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW women’s basketball head coach Nicole Woods and staff have finalized the Seahawks’ 2025-26 roster, featuring eight returners and five newcomers for the upcoming season. In her second season at the helm in 2024-25, Woods led the Seahawks to a 14-18 record, improving their win total by nine to reach the second […]

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Women's Basketball Announces 2025

WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW women’s basketball head coach Nicole Woods and staff have finalized the Seahawks’ 2025-26 roster, featuring eight returners and five newcomers for the upcoming season.

In her second season at the helm in 2024-25, Woods led the Seahawks to a 14-18 record, improving their win total by nine to reach the second round of the Coastal Athletic Association tournament. 

UNCW also won eight conference games during the 2024-25 season, matching the previous total from the past four seasons combined.

Five guards return to the roster in 2025, including senior Kate Hollifield, who led the CAA by shooting 43.5% from 3-point range in conference games, and sophomore Tia Dobson, who led all freshmen in the CAA last season with 65 assists.

Kylah Silver, a redshirt sophomore guard, will return to the court after missing the 2024-25 campaign with an injury. Silver averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman in 2023-24. 

Senior guards Mary Ferrito and McCall King return to bring veteran experience to the backcourt. King played in all 32 games last season, making 14 starts. 

UNCW will return three post players for the 2025-26 season. Corrie McLaughlin, a junior, played in 26 games last season, while redshirt freshman Angelina Pelayo and redshirt junior Torin Rogers return after dealing with injuries last season. 

Five newcomers, Rori Cox (Virginia Union), Sarah Oduro (George Mason), Paige Smith (CCBC Essex), Icyss Storm and Ebbony Wilson join the Seahawks for the 2025-26 season.

2025-26 UNCW Men’s Basketball Roster

# Name Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown
0 Ebbony Wilson G Fr. 5-10 Los Angeles, Calif.
1 Mary Ferrito G Sr. 5-10 Plain City, Ohio
2 Paige Smith        G Jr. 5-7 Hagerstown, Md.
3 Kate Hollifield G Sr. 5-10 Shelby, N.C.
4 Tia Dobson G So. 5-7 Daytona Beach, Fla.
5 Rori Cox G Gr. 5-7 Brooklyn, N.Y.
7 Sarah Oduro C R-Fr. 6-3 Gainesville, Va.
10 McCall King G Sr. 5-10 Easley, S.C.
11 Torin Rogers F R-Jr. 6-1 Brasstown, N.C.
13 Corrie McLaughlin F Jr. 6-2 Raleigh, N.C.
21 Kylah Silver G R-So. 5-10 Greenville, N.C.
23 Icyss Storm F Fr. 6-1 Durham, N.C.
24 Angelina Pelayo C R-Fr. 6-3 Louisville, Ky.
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