Sports

Youngsters begin their long journey to stardom

Published

7 months ago

May 9, 2025

For 14-year-old Ava O’Malley, thoughts of making the Olympic team were far from her mind when she contested the national 16 and under championships as part of the 167-team Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Perth last month.

Daughter of team manager Bianca O’Malley, Ava was experiencing her first taste of national competition and her Geraldton team finished far from the medals.

“It was worth the training and effort that our team put in to get there. The games were tough, but it was good seeing the players from around the country and all the different skill levels. Being part of this team with these amazing girls and our coach Gilly was a really positive experience,” she said.

Geraldton is a port city of 42,000 people, shipping iron ore, wheat, lupin, talc, zinc, mineral sands and the like to the world. It also boasts a water polo competition of about 500 players.

This year, Geraldton sent three teams to the national championships, 420km south — 16 and under and 18 and under girls and an 18 and under boys’ team. Several others players competed for composite teams. It was one team up on the previous two years when it sent a boys’ and a girls’ team.

Jimmy Horsman is an older player at 17 with three years’ experience of the nationals and this year the team grabbed the bronze medal in the green division.

“For three years, most of us boys have played underaged in the 18s’ competition and for us to get bronze, it definitely shows how much we learnt and adapted to being in an older age group. Versing bigger bodies and smarter men definitely made us prepared for what was to come in the 2025 competition.

“I feel like the boys really stood up and grabbed the opportunity of being the older and bigger people in the competition this year. AYC is such a great competition to be a part of,” Hagan said.

It was a family affair with mother Amy Hagan refereeing across all age groups and younger sister Delta Hagan competing in the 16 & under age group.

These players are typical of what it means to travel vast distances in Australia and compete at the highest level in their age groups. Not all will go on to higher honours, but it typifies what our sport is delivering to players in regional centres.

In Western Australia, a boys’ team travelled from Port Hedland in the far north and two teams attended from Busselton in the south-west. It is showing the popularity of the sport and the urge to expose players to a higher level of play.

The AYC is the biggest water polo tournament in the southern hemisphere and the large number of teams travelling from the east coast made this the biggest of the two years it has been staged in Perth — a city with a glorious water polo past.

There were a staggering 565 matches played and many of those were played in Australia’s premier water polo venue — currently called the High Performance Centre — which has staged two FINA World Championships, a women’s water polo World Cup, four youth water polo championships and a men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Water Polo Australia chief executive officer Tim Welsford said: “The Australian Youth Water Polo Championships is always a highlight on our annual calendar, and this year’s event has been no different.

“On behalf of Water Polo Australia, thank you to all the clubs, officials, volunteers and supporters for making the 2025 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Perth such a memorable event.

“Our AYWPC teams and players also had the opportunity to cheer on and support our Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks in the three-test series against New Zealand, which was a resounding success.”

There were 57 teams from New South Wales, 43 from Western Australia, 37 from Queensland, 10 from Victoria, seven from Australian Capital Territory and five each from South Australia and Tasmania. There were three overseas teams.

There were 565 matches in 10 days of competition in eight pools at four venues. There were two divisions in each age group, except 12 & unders, while 65 referees and delegates controlled the matches.

Live streaming played a big part in the promotion of the event with 250 matches covered with cameras pointed on to three pools each day.

Typical of the spectators were parents who had made their mark on the sport, including Olympic champions and other former internationals, including four-time Olympian Thomas Whalan, who manned the clock for his child’s match.

The next two editions will be staged in Queensland with Brisbane securing the rights.

“Brisbane has proven itself time and again as a premier sporting destination. We’re thrilled to be returning for two more years, especially as we continue to grow momentum on the green and gold runway to the Brisbane Olympics,” Wellsford said.

“Since the AYWPC launched in Brisbane in 2018, it has grown year on year and is now the pinnacle event for our clubs on the national water polo calendar and also has attracted interest internationally with clubs from New Zealand, and the USA also taking part,” he said.

The 2026 edition will be staged on April 8-18 and contain more players with Olympic aspirations.

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Sports

Track & Field Teams Claim 19 Top-10 Finishes

Published

8 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Men’s Track & Field | 12/6/2025 7:48:00 PM

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

>> The Saint Francis track & field teams opened its indoor season at the Bison Opener.
>> Saint Francis compiled 19 top 10 finishes.
>> The Red Flash faced the following colleges: Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Lincoln (Pa.), West Chester, Millersville, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Indiana (Pa.)

FLASH WOMEN NUGGETS

The women’s team accumulated seven top 10 performances.

Olivia Renk finished second in the 200-meter and fourth in the 60-meter on the women’s side. The sophomore clocked in a time of 25.46 in the 200-meter and a 7.72 time in the 60-meter.

In the women’s long jump, Taylor Foster finished in fifth place in the event with a jump of 5.29m. Foster also claimed eighth place in the women’s triple jump with 10.63m.

Aubrie Wells and Karsyn Ford both finished with 3.25m to tie for eighth place.

Rounding out the top 10 finishes was Rylee Nicklas taking 10th in the women’s weight throw with a toss of 14.22m.

FLASH MEN NUGGETS

The men’s team registered 12 top 10 finishes on the day.

1-weight throw,

Jayden Foster took eighth place in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.81. Meanwhile, Tyler Craft claimed the ninth spot with a time of 37.08 in the 300-meter. Craft jumped his way into second place in the long jump with 6.94m.

Staying in the meter dashes, James Parmelee (1:10.38) took third and Holden Schreier finished seventh (1:12.90) in the men’s 500-meter.

Two more Red Flash placed top 10 in the high jump, Ayden Martinage (8th, 1.85m) and Braydon Beach (10th, 1.80m).

Running over to the pole vault, Dylan Andrews finished with a jump of 4.25 to give himself seventh place.

Clark Gulycz took fourth in the men’s shot put with a mark of 17.07m.

Saint Francis took another two top 10 finishes, this time in the men’s triple jump. Nehemyah Williams gained third place with a leap of 14.35m. Ian Conway was not far behind him in seventh with 12.54m.

Vincent Franco finished out the Red Flash in sixth place with a time of 15.94m.

NEXT UP FOR FLASH

Track & field will next compete at the Wagner College Seahawk Shootout hosted by Wagner College on Friday the 12.

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PHOTO: Nebraska volleyball showcases grit in a sweep against Kansas State | Unlimited Sports

Published

9 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Nebraska Huskers showed up to battle and proved their grit and capability, adapting to Kansas State’s style of play on Dec. 6, 2025, at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska continued its dominant postseason run and swept Kansas State (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) in front of 8,601 fans. With the win, the No. 1 Huskers advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Nebraska controlled the match, out-hitting Kansas State, .253 to .118, and extending its streak of out-hitting opponents by at least .100 for seven consecutive matches. Nebraska was still tested in many areas throughout the game and had to overcome and adapt under pressure.

“You know, they really challenged us in a lot of areas and thought this was one of the first matches in a while,” said coach Dani Busboom Kelly. “We had to gut it out with our serve and pass and floor defense, which is kind of like classic Nebraska volleyball. And I felt like we handled it really well.”

Juniors Andi Jackson and Harper Murray led the way with 10 kills each, with Jackson having a .533 hitting percentage on 15 swings. Nebraska’s balanced attack featured eight kills from senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair, seven from freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano and six from senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick, while junior outside hitter Bergen Reilly was a huge threat on offense with 34 assists.

Defensively, the Huskers fulfilled their high postseason standard. Nebraska totaled 48 digs, led by Olivia Mauch’s 13 and Laney Choboy’s 12, limiting Kansas State to only 27 kills. Nebraska placed their serves well, which brought them seven aces.

“Our defense hung in there, and just we were ready for long rallies. So, I was really proud of us even when it didn’t feel super clean, like we still we’re just playing Nebraska volleyball,” said setter Bergen Reilly.

Nebraska will next host No. 16 Kansas in a regional semifinal on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, at 8:30 CST at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

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Hayes, Covington power North Park Track & Field to strong season-opening start

Published

24 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

KENOSHA, Wis. – North Park Track & Field opened their indoor season on Saturday afternoon, competing at Carthage’s Forever Red Alumni Classic. Senior sprinter Riana Hayes was the lead story for the Vikings, earning first-place finishes in the 55m and 200m.

Hayes reeled in 10 points for North Park by crossing the line at 7.25 in the 55m, followed by a personal record, sixth-place finish for senior Julia Klein (7.60). Freshman Chloe Chesser also made it to the finals in her first collegiate event, marking a time of 7.69. Klein was also the top vaulter of the season-opening meet, turning in a personal record of 3.40m to finish first in the Pole Vault.

Hayes enjoyed another first-place in the 200m, beating the next-best finisher by nearly two-tenths of a second with a top time of 26.36. Sophomore sprinter Kimoria Oliver was top-10 in the event with a time of 28.34 to finish 8th of 26.

For the men, senior Ali Karatas placed third in both the 800m (2:09.08) and Mile (4:38.27) to give the Vikings 12 points. Freshman Leonardo Gonzalez was a few strides away from Karatas in the 800m, placing fourth (2:12.54) and earning NPU four points.

Richard Covington brought in the most points for the North Park men, placing second in the Shot Put with a PR toss of 13.38m and earning another PR in the Weight Throw (15.01m) to collect 14 points.

What’s Next?

North Park heads to DePaul’s Blue Demon Holiday Invite on Friday, December 12.

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Barrera sets school mark, Champagnie wins triple jump in first indoor meet

Published

40 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BISMARCK, N.D. – The Valley City State Track and Field teams were in Bismarck to begin the Indoor season at the Mike Thorson Open. Freshman Frida Barrera set the school record in the mile and junior Cameron Champagnie won the triple jump.

All totaled, Valley City State had 30 top eight finishes. The Men placed fourth as a team with 91 points. The Women placed third with 59 points.

For the men, in the field events, Champagnie won the triple jump with a jump of 13.58 meters. Zeke Barnick was second in the high jump with a jump of 1.90 Meters. In the long jump, the Vikings took four of the top eight spots. Aaron Cutshall (4^th), Porter Granger (5^th), Jeffry Rosinski (6^th), and Makana Taylor (8^th) all picked up points for VCSU. Zac Kuznia was fifth in the shot put and Arie Bratrud was sixth in the weight throw.

In the track events, Jordan Mount was second in the 400m, and Zach Baumgartner was second in the mile run. Titus Dolo was fourth in the 60m and seventh in the 200m. Tate Minnihan and Mason Brehmer finished third and fourth respectively in the mile. Gage Gunther was third in the 800m while Parker Jacobson was fifth in the 60m. In relay’s, the team of Brock Norton, Jeffry Rosinski, Zeke Barnick, and Jordan Mount took third in the 4×400.

On the women’s side, the Vikings were led by Barrera whose 5:21.61 time in the mile set the record that was set last season by Jasmine Barnes. Barrera beat the record by 4.67 seconds. She also took second in the 800m with a time of 2:26.69 which is the second fastest 800 in school history. Billie Maye Pohlkamp was third in the 800m. In the 200m, Ava Krier was sixth and Jonica Taylor was seventh.

In field events, Grace Backstrom and Emma Muggli were second and third respectively, Caitlyn Armbrust was fourth in the triple jump. Carlee Fuchs was third in the weight throw with Megan Lahtonen taking seventh. Kiana Hilary was sixth in the shot put with Rebecca Bohrer right behind in seventh.

Live results can be found here.

NEXT UP: The Vikings will be at the Bison Alumni Classic in Fargo on Thursday, December 11^th.

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Falcons Win Two Races at Season Opening Suffolk Relays

Published

57 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BOSTON, Mass. – Samantha Doran and Hannah Croteau won races for Bentley women’s track and field at the team’s first indoor meet of the season at the Suffolk Relays.

Doran, who competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships two weeks ago, won the 5000 meter race by more than 26 seconds with a time of 18:41.30.

Croteau won the 60 meter hurdles in 9.58

The one mile saw Bentley runners finish second and third. Lily Tedford, who also competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, was second (5:09.34) and Amelia Luetjen was third (5:36.20).

Molly Capece was third in the 3000 meter (10:45.56).

In the field events, Mia Bonner was third in the triple jump.

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Devils Win SU Holiday Open for Third Straight Year

Published

1 hour ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WINCHESTER, Va. – For the third straight season the Dickinson women’s indoor track and field team opened up their season by winning the Shenandoah University Holiday Kickoff Open inside the James Wilkins Jr. Athletics and Events Center.

Sprints

Erin Olsavsky finished off the Top-5 for the 60m dash with a time of 8.07. Angie Braun also earned a Top-10 slot clocking in at 8.18 for ninth. When hurdles were put in front of the athletes Sylvie McMaken-Marsh nabbed sixth by hitting the line in 10.63. Allison Edmands and Melina Gregory claimed ninth (11.16) and tenth (11.18) respectively.

Three Devils got inside the Top-10 during the 200m as Olsavsky won the event in 26.04, followed by Emily Chaine in eighth (28.55) and Gregory in tenth (29.08). McMaken-Marsh just missed the Top-10 claiming eleventh at 30.14.

Chaine just missed the podium for the 400m as her time of 1:06.37 was good for fourth.

Distance

The 800m was only made up of Dickinson runners with Sophia Kovalski winning the race in 2:27.33, while Lauren Scott (2:43.08), Margaret Randolph (2:59.95) and Leah Bell (3:01.77) took up spots two through four.

Meghan Higgins-Haas rounded out the Top-3 for the 5000m by hitting the stripe in 18:48.14. The group of Breanna Franchak (5th – 19:52.05), Ellie Drescher (7th – 21:48.86), Jenna Kerns (8th – 21:49.49), Emma VanMeter (9th – 21:49.63) and Emma Lewis (10th – 22:23.36) had a great showing all finishing inside the Top-10.

Bell was the lone Devil to compete during the mile run earning an eighth-place result with a time of 6:42.03.

Relays

Dickinson put two teams forward for the 4x400m with the team of Gregory, Olsavsky, Randolph and Scott claiming the victory with a time of 4:41.66, while the group with Chaine, Drescher, Franchak and Kovalski falling just off the pace of their teammates grabbing second at 4:45.82.

Field

McMaken-Marsh collecting second-place during the pole vault by clearing 2.45m.

Another Dickinson victory came in the high jump when Amanda Hoglund eclipsed 1.48m, followed by Edmands in sixth (1.30m). Braun earned seventh for the long jump with a mark of 4.59m, while in the triple jump Braun and Hoglund took up seventh (9.52m) and eighth (9.51m) respectively.

Two Devils took part in the weight throw with Sarah Glickson just missing the podium landing in fourth with a mark of 13.45m. Anna Purvis gave a good showing in her first meet taking 15th at 9.29m. Glickson collected sixth for the shot put by dropping down at 9.65m, followed by Purvis (12th – 7.36m), Hoglund (13th – 7.13m) and Edmands (15th – 5.84m).

Up Next

Dickinson will next compete after the New Year holiday when they take part in the Moravian University Indoor Meet in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 17th beginning at 10am.

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