Chad Buechel

Vice President & Division Manager, Defense Enterprise IT Modernization Division within the Digital Modernization Sector, Leidos

Most recently, Chad Buechel’s team stepped in to support the Defense Department’s goal of accelerating the migration of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s IT network to the Defense Information Systems Agency’s modernized DODNet.

In less than 48 hours, they assembled a team and partnered with both DISA and DARPA to embark on a pivotal 80-day migration, proving the capabilities of DODNet and Leidos’ agility to fast-track migrations for other Defense Agencies and Field Activities. The teamwork and collaboration seen throughout the process has been described as nothing short of extraordinary, with each stakeholder — regardless of badge — stepping in to ensure mission success.

Delivering smarter outcomes that make government more efficient is core to the company’s mission. For example, Leidos protects mission-critical DOD data on “no-fail” networks essential to national security every day. The company saved the department over $645 million by identifying and implementing improvements in network cybersecurity, artificial intelligence operations and cloud use. Its work also increased network availability to 99.9% at no additional cost.

Bryan Jolly, senior vice president of digital modernization for Leidos’ DISA IT business area, described Buechel as a mission-driven leader who brings exceptional energy, focus and execution to one of the Defense Department’s most complex IT modernization efforts.

“Under his leadership, the Leidos team is accelerating the DES program and DODNet migration — delivering transformative capabilities that strengthen cybersecurity, enhance user experience and increase mission effectiveness across the Fourth Estate,” he said. “Chad’s ability to lead with vision while driving results makes him a standout leader and a key force shaping the future of defense IT.”

Why Watch

Buechel’s team is helping DISA consolidate the Fourth Estate’s agencies onto a common IT infrastructure through the Defense Enclave Services program. With the modernized DODNet, they are improving efficiency, enabling data-driven decisions and providing a secure, scalable network to keep agencies mission-ready. These capabilities allow users to protect and connect the warfighter while staying agile in a fast-changing environment.

Buechel said the Leidos DES program is a true team effort that brings together talent, innovation and mission focus to deliver a secure, modern and efficient IT environment for the Fourth Estate. He added that he’s proud of his team’s ability to move fast, think strategically and work closely with DISA and the DAFAs.

“Through DODNet, we’re not just consolidating infrastructure—we’re enabling the agility, resilience and scalability defense agencies need to accelerate decision making and support the warfighter in today’s dynamic threat landscape,” he said.

Fun Fact: Buechel was a college track and field athlete at Brown University. He still holds a school record for the steeplechase, a 3,000-meter race that combines running with obstacles, hurdles and water jumps. He was also a three-time All-Ivy Champion for indoor track — and is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

See the entire Top DOD Execs to Watch in 2025 list here. 

Los Angeles is officially three years out from the Olympic Games and to mark the occasion, organizers on Monday released a preview of the competition schedule.

Track and field will dominate the first week of the Games at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and swimming will close it out at SoFi Stadium.

It’s a switch-up from how things have historically been done. Typically, track and field athletics are in the second week of the 2028 Games. Some things aren’t changing though — the marathon will still take place on the competition’s final weekend, starting on the Venice Beach boardwalk.

The rest of the Games will take place across the region, temporarily transforming many of Los Angeles’s most historic and treasured locations.

Gymnastics will be held at Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. Basketball will be at Inglewood Dome. Beach volleyball will take over Alamitos Beach. The cycling road race will start on the Venice Beach boardwalk.

Sepulveda Basin will host skateboarders. Trestles Beach, which stretches from Orange County into San Diego County, will hold the surfing competition. The L.A. Convention Center downtown will have fencing, table tennis, taekwondo, judo and wrestling.

Baseball will, of course, be at Dodger Stadium.

A couple events will be as far away as Oklahoma. Softball, canoe and kayaking competitions will take place in Oklahoma City’s Whitewater Center and Softball Park.

It’s the third time L.A. will host the Olympics. Opening ceremonies will kick off at L.A. Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium at 5 p.m., July 14, 2028.

Tickets aren’t on sale, yet. But you can check out the daily schedule here.

Here’s the venue list

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Athletics placed 132 Scarlet Knights on the 2024-25 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars list, the conference announced. It marks the fifth-consecutive academic year that over 125 Rutgers student-athletes were named to the list.

A total of 33 Scarlet Knights earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA) during the previous academic term. Those individuals are listed below; 

• Lucy Bannatyne, Field Hockey
• Paulina Niklaus, Field Hockey
• Tyler Needham, Football
• Emily Leese, Gymnastics
• Gianna Ortiz, Gymnastics
• Aidan Flynn, Men’s Soccer
• Noah Kriesman, Men’s Track and Field
• Nico Morales, Men’s Track and Field
• Alissa Kinkela, Volleyball
• Emma Baeyens, Women’s Cross Country
• Emily James, Women’s Golf
• Krystal Li, Women’s Golf
• Lucrezia Rossettin, Women’s Golf
• Erin Duggan, Women’s Lacrosse
• Victoria Goldrick, Women’s Lacrosse
• Kimberly Greenblatt, Women’s Lacrosse
• Madison Karpe, Women’s Lacrosse
• Kelsey Klein, Women’s Lacrosse
• A’Mya Dill-El, Women’s Rowing
• Julia Galesi, Women’s Rowing
• Ruby Hatfield, Women’s Rowing
• Kathryn Koleto, Women’s Rowing
• Sydney Lehrer, Women’s Rowing
• Claire Nealon , Women’s Rowing
• Orian Gablan, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Grace Hagemaster, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Katherine Lang, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Hale Oal, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Natalie Schick, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Jade Smits, Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Charlee Crawford, Women’s Track and Field
• Emma Keating, Women’s Track and Field
• Suzy Lacombe, Women’s Track and Field

Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student’s academic career.

Rutgers Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Selections by Sport

Baseball (3)

• RJ Johnson Jr.
• JD Jones           
• Joe Mazza

Field Hockey (10)

• Natalie Arnold             
• Lucy Bannatyne          
• Olivia Beattie
• Guillermina Causarano
• Ava Cickavage
• Sophia Howard           
• Vicky Jure        
• Paulina Niklaus           
• Indy Van Ek     
• Puck Winter   

Football (10)

• Djibril Abdou Rahman            
• DJ Allen            
• Joe De Croce 
• Moses Gbagbe-Sowah          
• Kyonte Hamilton        
• Nelson Monegro Breton
• Tyler Needham            
• Nick Oliveira  
• Terrence Salami          
• Reggie Sutton

Gymnastics (9)

• Elia Aird            
• Olivia DiNovi 
• Campbell Earley        
• Emily Leese   
• Jacqueline Manifold
• Gianna Ortiz  
• Anna Pagliaro
• Matis Rains    
• Ginger Richards          

Men’s Cross Country (1)

Men’s Golf (1)

Men’s Lacrosse (5)

• Brock Desmarais       
• Justin Lawler 
• Dean Scalamandre   
• Cardin Stoller
• Marco Wimmershoff

Men’s Soccer (4)

• Nicholas Collins
• Aidan Flynn    
• Andrew Noel 
• Erick Ruiz        

Men’s Track and Field (9)

• Steven Coponi             
• Ian Habjan      
• Noah Kriesman           
• Nico Morales 
• Zachary Novak            
• Brian O’ Sullivan         
• Robert Paneque         
• Sincere Robinson      
• Zachary Semerjian   

Softball (2)

• Jillian Anderson          
• Georgia Ingle 

Volleyball (2)

• Makenzie Dyrstad      
• Alissa Kinkela

Women’s Basketball (2)

• Kennedy Brandt
• Awa Sidibe     

Women’s Cross Country (3)

• Emma Baeyens          
• Lorena David 
• Casey Walter

Women’s Golf (4)

• Emily James   
• Krystal Li          
• Lorena Rossettin        
• Lucrezia Rossettin     

Women’s Lacrosse (14)

• Makenna Boutin         
• Katie Buck      
• Ava Chiarella 
• Kayleigh Coughlin      
• Erin Devine    
• Erin Duggan   
• Gianna Eglauf              
• Victoria Goldrick        
• Kimberly Greenblatt 
• Madison Karpe            
• Kelsey Klein   
• Sophia Rowell              
• Samantha Swanovich             
• Grace Toth      

Women’s Rowing (20)

• Lauren Andersen       
• Elli Arbogast
• Madison Cancro
• Megan Cherichello   
• A’Mya Dill-El
• Katharina Dowlin       
• Abigail Franks
• Julia Galesi     
• Madeline Galesi         
• Catherine Garvey       
• Ruby Hatfield
• Vanessa Karayiannis
• Kathryn Koleto
• Sydney Lehrer              
• Madison Miller            
• Catherine Montgomery         
• Claire Nealon
• Emily Szopa   
• Seher Talukdar            
• Sofia Ulinski  

Women’s Soccer (7)

• Kassidy Banks             
• Olivia Bodmer              
• Kylie Daigle    
• Cameron Kennett      
• Olivia Russomanno  
• Tehya Scheuten          
• Patricia Tsokos           

Women’s Swimming and Diving (13)

• Sephora Ford 
• Orian Gablan
• Grace Hagemaster   
• Ella Hall           
• Katherine Lang            
• Shannon Meadway   
• Hale Oal          
• Holly Prasanto             
• Natalie Schick             
• Elinor Schinsky           
• Jade Smits      
• Emma Solseng            
• Molly Urkiel    

Women’s Tennis (2)

• Jackeline Lopez
• Mai Nguyen

Women’s Track and Field (9)

• Anna Barber  
• Bailey Bertrand           
• Celine-Jada Brown    
• Charlee Crawford
• Kelly Enterline             
• Samantha Gravatt     
• Emma Keating             
• Suzy Lacombe
• Kristina Tossas

Wrestling (2)

• Alfred DeSantis
• Hadyn Packer

Under the bright lights of the Brazosport ISD Board Meeting, a wave of pride washed over the room as the achievements of the Ladybug Water Polo team were celebrated. The team, fresh off their victory as the 2024 UIL state champions, has made history by clinching the title for the third consecutive year, a feat that speaks volumes about their dedication and teamwork.

Head coach Robert Brown and assistant coach Kyle Painter stood proudly as the team was recognized for their remarkable journey. With an impressive season record of 28 wins and just 2 losses, the Ladybugs showcased their resilience, overcoming challenges and setting high goals throughout the year. Their path to the championship was marked by significant victories, including a thrilling 14-8 win over Southlake Carroll in the semifinals and a nail-biting 11-9 overtime victory against Foster in the state championship game.

Since water polo became a UIL sanctioned sport in 2022, the Ladybugs have consistently excelled, boasting a combined record of 76 wins and 9 losses over the past three years. Notably, seven of those losses were to Foster, making their championship win even sweeter. The team’s success is not just a reflection of their athletic prowess but also of the unwavering support from families, staff, and fans who rallied behind them throughout the season.

As the meeting continued, the board took a moment to express gratitude to the water polo families and fans for their steadfast encouragement. The celebration culminated in the introduction of the team members, each recognized for their contributions to this historic achievement.

This championship is more than just a title; it symbolizes the spirit of determination and collaboration that unites the Brazosport community. As the Ladybugs prepare for the next season, their legacy of excellence continues to inspire, reminding everyone of what can be achieved through hard work and unity.

The College Football Playoff could remain at 12 teams if the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten can’t come to an agreement, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday.

“That’s fine,” Sankey said as SEC media days kicked off in Atlanta. “We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions. That can stay if we can’t agree.”

Coaches in the SEC would like to see a 16-team playoff that follows the “5+11” model, made up of the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large bids.

The Big Ten has proposed a format where the Big Ten and SEC would each get four automatic bids, with two going to both the ACC and Big 12 and one more to the highest-ranked champion of another conference. The rest of the field — either 14 or 16 teams — would come from at-large bids.

“We had a different view coming out of (SEC meetings) around the notion of allocations, if you will,” Sankey said, referring to automatic bids. “I think you’ll probably hear that again from our coaches. The Big Ten has a different view, that’s fine.”

Although all sides at least seem to favor increasing the size of the field, Sankey said it’s not a foregone conclusion.

“I think there’s this notion that there has to be this magic moment and something has to happen with expansion, and it has to be forced,” he said.

There is a Dec. 1 deadline to determine a format for the CFP in 2026 and beyond.

–Field Level Media

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Sports officials have a tough job and it’s been a challenge to recruit new ones.

In this story, you’ll meet Craig Wiedel who has been a volleyball referee for 30 years. He’s stuck around through referee shortages and actively works to recruit more officials in Nebraska.

His why: giving back and the love of competition.

• Craig Wiedel began officiating volleyball as a side job while he was in college.
• Thirty years later, volleyball is now a full-time gig: he referees, assigns other officials in Nebraska to games and is the Commissioner for USA Volleyball Great Plains Region.
• “There hasn’t been a day that I can say I don’t enjoy doing what I do,” Wiedel said.

WATCH KELSEY’S STORY:

Local volleyball referee entering 30th year of officiating, also works to recruit more refs in Nebraska

What began as a side hustle turned into a career.

“I started reffing when I was 18 to make a little extra money in college,” Craig Wiedel, a volleyball referee based in Nebraska, said. “All I do now for a career is volleyball which is kind of fun.”

This will be his 30th year officiating volleyball.

“I’ve done all sports,” Wiedel said. “I’ve officiated them all, but what I like about volleyball is it’s fast.”

Which is why the career accountant made a switch in his early 40s.

“Being around so many people that have the same passion,” Wiedel said. “It’s just like one big family and that’s what I appreciate about it.”

Over the last few years, there has been a national shortage of sports officials.

In fact, a 2024 NSAA survey found about 64% of officials across all sports considered quitting at some point.

On the other hand, Wiedel said the numbers for volleyball refs in Nebraska are increasing.

“Whenever I go somewhere, they’re like ‘Oh, you’re recruiting refs again,’” he said. “But honestly, half the time you just have to ask the people and they want to do it.”

He says if a ref sticks around for three years, it’s likely they’ll ref for many more.

Like Hiliary Vanness, a former player, now a fifth-year official.

“In the moment it may seem kind of stressful,” she said, “but at the end of the match, just playing good volleyball, watching good volleyball, officiating good volleyball, that’s really the best part.”

Wiedel said sometimes he still has to crunch numbers to ensure games in Nebraska have officials.

“When I assign in the fall, there’s nights that I will go to bed having to find four or five refs for the next day because we’re that short,” he said. “We’ve grown it a lot, but we still have a long ways to go with that.”

But Wiedel said he’s more than happy to do it to grow the sport.

“Just do what you love to do,” he said. “There hasn’t been a day that I can say I don’t enjoy doing what I do.”