Latest news with #NCAAChampionships
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska participating in Big Ten Volleyball Media Days
The Nebraska volleyball team participated in the fourth annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Days on Monday in Chicago. Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly, senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick, and junior outside hitter Harper Murray represent the Huskers at the event. Nebraska finished 33-3 last season, ending the year in the NCAA semifinals. Now, the team is entering a new era following the retirement of John Cook. For the Big Ten this season, the Huskers rank No. 1 in the preseason rankings. The Big Ten's coaches have also noticed the individual talent the Huskers roster holds this season. Four Huskers were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Those four players are Harper Murray, Rebekah Allick, Bergen Reilly, and Andi Jackson. Busboom Kelly returns to Nebraska after spending eight years at Louisville and turning the Cardinals into a national contender. In her tenure, Louisville reached two NCAA Championships, three Final Fours, five regional finals, and four ACC titles. She compiled a 203-44 record in her eight seasons with the Cardinals, including a 120-15 (.889) mark from 2021 to 2024, the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. Busboom Kelly is a national champion, having served both as a former player and an assistant coach for the Huskers. Nebraska will begin the 2025 season on Friday, August 22, when the Huskers host Pittsburgh at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
SA rower Kerry Grundlingh killed in Johannesburg cycling accident
The South African and international sporting communities are mourning the tragic death of Kerry Grundlingh, a talented young rower and economics student at Princeton University, who died in a cycling accident while visiting Johannesburg during her summer break. Grundlingh, 21, was struck by a car while cycling in her hometown. The incident was confirmed by both Princeton Athletics and her alma mater, St Mary's School, Waverley, where she matriculated in 2022. 'Kerry lost her life in a cycling accident while visiting family and friends in Johannesburg during the American university summer holidays,' the school said in a statement. Grundlingh had distinguished herself both academically and athletically. As a member of Princeton's open water rowing team, she was a two-time Ivy League medallist and competed at the NCAA Championships in both her freshman and sophomore years. In 2024, she was part of the second varsity eight that took bronze at the Ivy League Championships and later finished sixth at the NCAAs. This year, she rowed in the first varsity eight, winning gold at Ivies and securing victory in the Petite Final at NCAAs. 'She leaves a legacy of her life lived as a tremendous daughter, sister, friend and teammate,' said Princeton head coach Lori Dauphiny. 'Kerry constantly gave the best of herself for the betterment of others in every daily interaction. All of us in the Princeton rowing community send our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to her parents, Debbie and Francois, her brother James, and all her family and friends around the globe.' Grundlingh also represented South Africa at the World Rowing Championships, earning widespread respect for her discipline, dedication, and quiet leadership. In a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, Rowing South Africa said she had left 'an unfillable space in those who had the honour of knowing her,' highlighting her dry sense of humour, infectious laugh, and deep commitment to high performance. Friends, coaches, and team-mates have remembered Grundlingh as a quiet force, a gifted athlete, and a warm, humble presence both on and off the water. 'The world has lost an amazing young woman,' Princeton's Dauphiny said. Post your condolences below, by … Leaving a comment below, or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Cycling accident claims life of top achiever Kerry Grundlingh
A former Johannesburg resident studying at Princeton University in the US, Kerry Grundlingh, died in a cycling accident in her home town after being struck by a car. This was confirmed by Princeton Athletics. St Mary's school in Waverley, where she passed matric with eight distinctions in 2022, said: 'Kerry lost her life in a cycling accident while visiting family and friends in Johannesburg during the American university summer holidays.' Grundlingh represented South Africa at the world rowing championships. Row SA posted a tribute to her on Facebook, saying she had a profound impact on her classmates, teammates, coaches and friends. 'This devastating loss has left an unfillable space in those who had the honour of knowing Kerry [and who] fondly remember her dry sense of humour and infectious laugh, and her quiet leadership and deep commitment to high performance.' 'The world has lost an amazing young woman,' Princeton Athletics head coach Lori Dauphiny said of the open rowing student-athlete. 'She leaves a legacy of her life lived as a tremendous daughter, sister, friend and teammate who constantly gave the best of herself for the betterment of others in every daily interaction. All of us in the Princeton rowing community send our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Kerry's parents, Debbie and Francois, her brother, James, and all her family and friends around the globe.' During her two years competing for the Tigers, Grundlingh was a two-time medallist at the Ivy League Championships and twice rowed at the NCAA Championships. In 2024 she was part of the bronze medal-winning second varsity eight at the Ivies who went on to finish sixth at the NCAA Championships. This past season Grundlingh was part of the first varsity eight who won gold at the Ivy League Championship before winning the Petite Final at NCAAs.
Miami Herald
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Another HBCU Star Bolts to Power Four Program
Florida A&M's (FAMU) Kirk Dawkins was one of the best stories in college track this season. Now, he's taking his talents to a Power Four program. After a record-breaking run through the 2025 season, Dawkins-who proudly carried the HBCU banner into the NCAA Outdoor Championships-has entered the transfer portal and committed to Iowa State University of the Big 12. It's the latest blow in what's becoming an all-too-familiar pattern: elite HBCU track and field talent leaving for Power Four programs. But to understand why Dawkins' departure matters, you have to understand what he meant to FAMU. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica-where sprinting is second nature and Olympic medals are a national currency-Dawkins grew up racing through the streets on errands for his parents. He honed his craft at Kingston College before taking a leap to the U.S. to compete at the University at Albany. The cold Northeast didn't suit him, and after one season, Dawkins transferred to Florida A&M. That's when everything changed. With warmth on the track and in the community, Dawkins found his stride. In 2025, he swept the SWAC's indoor and outdoor 800-meter titles, added gold in the mile and 1500-meter, and broke through at the NCAA East Prelims with a personal-best 1:46.62 to punch his ticket to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Championships. "Saying that you're going to make it to Eugene is one thing, but doing it is the next," Dawkins told the Tallahassee Democrat before the NCAA Outdoor Championships. "I have some unfinished business." Dawkins wasn't just representing FAMU in Eugene-he was carrying the HBCU flag solo in the 800-meter race. "To know I'm the only one representing FAMU and HBCUs at the national meet is a very nice feeling," he said. "It's all about executing and coming out on top." Even before the NCAA Championships, Dawkins had made history, becoming the first Rattler since 2022 to qualify for the event. His coaches, Garfield Ellenwood II and Tamika Kimchen, had seen this coming. "We set out a plan," Dawkins told the Democrat. "If I got to a specific point, we knew this season would be the year of glory." But it's not just glory Kirk Dawkins is chasing. He's eyeing a spot on Jamaica's national team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. He needs a 1:44.70 to qualify-less than two seconds off his PR. "I believe with the training I've been doing and the mentorship of my coaches, family, and peers, I know I have a big chance of making it," Dawkins said. Dawkins' transfer to Iowa State is the latest in a wave of high-profile HBCU track and field stars departing for Power Four schools this summer. He joins names like Jamarion Stubbs, Tyson Williams, and Amarianna Lofton. Stubbs, a sprint king from Alabama State, announced his transfer to Arkansas after racking up six SWAC titles and a top-25 NCAA ranking in the 100 meters. Johnson C. Smith's Tyson Williams-a freshman phenom and DII indoor 200m champ. Committed to South Carolina shortly after placing third at the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships. Then came Central State's Amarianna Lofton, a two-time SIAC high jump champion and elite multi-event performer, who announced her move to Purdue. She leaves CSU with four conference golds and a legacy of dominance in the jumps and hurdles. One after another, HBCU stars are leaping from conference podiums to Power 4 lineups. And it's not a knock on their original schools. It reflects how good HBCU programs have gotten at developing elite athletes. Is it fair to ask a student-athlete not to chase greater exposure, better facilities, and potential Olympic pipelines? Or is it a gut-punch to programs like FAMU that have poured in the coaching, care, and culture? But Kirk Dawkins is different. While others left after DII championships or breakout freshman seasons, Dawkins reached the pinnacle of NCAA Division I competition-on his own terms, from an HBCU, without the hype machine of a Power Four behind him. "All the hard work and the days of throwing up all paid off," said Garfield Ellenwood II, Director of Track and Field at FAMU. "To see his excitement-that's what it's about… seeing them reach their goals." Still, the pattern is clear. HBCUs are producing world-class athletes, but keeping them is becoming the next big challenge. Whether it's improved NIL deals, better facilities, or Olympic development pipelines, Power 4 programs have plenty to offer. And while HBCU coaches remain proud of their athletes' success, every departure leaves another "what if" behind. Dawkins was set to graduate in 2026 with a degree in Supply Chain Management, and his love for FAMU runs deep. He calls it "a place of culture," and credits his transformation to the mentorship and support he received there. "I'm not going to the meet like I'm from one of the smallest schools," he said before the NCAA Championships. "It's all about executing and coming out on top." Whether he runs his next race in Iowa State colors or on the world stage for Jamaica, Dawkins will always be a part of HBCU track and field's proud lineage. But his departure-and the growing trend it represents-raises big questions. Can HBCUs remain the launchpad for elite track talent and also the destination? Or are they now destined to be a proving ground from which Power Four programs pluck? For now, all we know is this: Kirk Dawkins is headed to Iowa State. But the legacy he leaves at FAMU-and the fire he sparked across HBCU track-won't fade anytime soon. The post Another HBCU Star Bolts to Power Four Program appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
March Madness expansion to 72 or 76 teams floated; change could come as soon as next season
The committees for men's and women's Division I basketball met this week to discuss possible expansion of the March Madness tournaments, but made no immediate decisions or recommendations. 'The still viable outcomes include the tournaments remaining at 68 teams or expanding the fields to either 72 or 76 teams in advance of the 2026 or 2027 championships,' Dan Gavitt, the NCAA senior vice president of basketball, said in a statement Thursday.
