JULY 10, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

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TOP STORY
1. Shue Highlights Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team

“Hope Shue, an attacker on the Middlebury women’s lacrosse team, headlines a group of outstanding student-athletes named to the 2025 DIII Academic All-America® at-large team selected by College Sports Communicators.

A senior from Dover, Mass., Shue graduated with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a perfect 4.00 GPA this spring. She helped Middlebury win the 2025 NCAA Division III national championship in lacrosse, the Panthers’ fourth consecutive NCAA crown. In 2025, Shue won her second IWLCA National Player and Attacker of the Year, and NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year awards. She was named the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and was a member of the all-tournament squad for the third time. Shue ended her career as the program’s all-time leader in goals (306) and points (391).

The Division III at-large teams honored 45 student-athletes with eight members of the first team holding perfect 4.00 GPAs either as an undergraduate or a graduate student. A total of 19 of the 45 members have 4.00 GPAs. The 15-member first team has a 3.96 cumulative GPA.

First Team

• Josephine Chang, Johns Hopkins, Fencing, Jr., 3.94, Neuroscience

• Carys Code, Emory, Golf, So., 3.98, Business Administration

• Madeline Delaney, Tufts, Lacrosse, Grad, 3.84/4.00, Tech Management & Leadership

• Libby Ford, Washington and Lee, Lacrosse, Sr., 3.96, History & Sociology & Anthropology

• Bella Garabo, York (Pa.), Lacrosse, Grad, 3.96/4.00, Strategic Leadership

• Amy Griffin, Middlebury, Field Hockey, Sr., 3.85, Computer Science

• Elizabeth Johnson, UW-Whitewater, Golf, Sr., 4.00, Biology

• Zoe Kluegel, York (Pa.), Lacrosse, Sr., 4.00, Civil Engineering

• Macy Ludwig, Illinois Wesleyan, Golf, Sr., 3.90, Marketing

• Kat Munter, Colby, Lacrosse, Sr., 4.00, Environmental Science

• Bailey Olson, UW-River Falls, Ice Hockey, Sr., 3.90, Business Administration

• Hope Shue, Middlebury, Lacrosse, Sr., 4.00, Neuroscience

• Maura Smeader, William Smith, Lacrosse, Sr., 4.00, History

• Lauren Sullivan, Stevens, Lacrosse, Jr., 4.00, Biomedical Engineering

» Complete Team

ACADEMICS
2. Sheaffer Headlines Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Team

“Christian Sheaffer, an outside hitter on the Southern Virginia men’s volleyball team, headlines a group of outstanding student-athletes named to the 2025 DIII Academic All-America® at-large team selected by College Sports Communicators.

A three-time first team All-American and the 2025 AVCA Division III Player of the Year, Sheaffer boasted a .421 attacking percentage with a career-high 444 kills alongside 149 digs, 97.0 blocks and 70 service aces this season. He led Southern Virginia to its first men’s volleyball national championship as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and became the Knights’ all-time ace leader with 177 in his career. Sheaffer has a 3.87 GPA as a business major.

Fifteen honorees on the Academic All-America® Division III at-large teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 15-man first team has an average GPA of 3.94, with the entire 46-man team combining for a collective 3.88 GPA.”

First Team

• Luke Aquaro, Hobart, Ice Hockey, Sr., 4.00, Economics

• Juney Bai, Illinois Wesleyan, Golf, Jr., 4.00, Business

• Eric Chen, Haverford, Fencing, So., 4.00, Anthropology

• Quinn Clifford, Illinois Wesleyan, Golf, Sr., 4.00, Business

• Braeden Duncan, Aurora, Golf, Sr., 4.00, Pre-Physical Therapy

• Michael Glynn III, RIT, Wrestling, Sr., 4.00, Mechanical Engineering

• Connor Kalthoff, St. Olaf, Ice Hockey, Sr., 3.91, Economics

• Josh McLellan, Aurora, Volleyball, Jr., 4.00, Mathematics & Secondary Education

• Griffin Pohl, Illinois Wesleyan, Golf, Sr., 3.77, Finance

• Christian Sheaffer, Southern Virginia, Volleyball, Sr., 3.87, Business

• Cooper Swift, Hobart, Ice Hockey, Sr., 3.95, Economics

• Charlie Tagliaferri, Tufts, Lacrosse, Sr., 3.77, Economics

• Joey Waldbaum, Tufts, Lacrosse, Sr., 3.92, Biology

• Patrick Xinyi Liu, MIT, Fencing, Sr., 4.00, Computer Science

• Alan Zheng, Johns Hopkins, Fencing, Sr., 3.91, Computer Science

» Complete Team

SCHOLARS
3. 15 Earn NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships

“The NCAA has awarded $10,000 to 42 extraordinary student-athletes as part of its Postgraduate Scholarship program. These student-athletes, representing spring sports across all three NCAA divisions, have demonstrated remarkable academic achievements, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities.

Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually — in the fall, winter and spring — providing 21 scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship aimed at funding graduate study at an accredited institution.”

Men's Awardees

• Morgan Conner, Nebraska Wesleyan, outdoor track and field

• Mason Cox, Martin Luther, baseball

• Braeden Duncan, Aurora, golf

• Agustin Kalinowski, Hendrix, tennis

• Ishaan Tibrewal, Grinnell, tennis

• Jeffrey "Kirk" Waller, University of Chicago, baseball

• Spencer Watry, Emory, outdoor track and field

Women's Awardees

• Avery Decker, Nebraska Wesleyan, outdoor track and field

• Ella Ford, Nebraska Wesleyan, tennis

• Elizabeth Hennessey, Colby, lacrosse

• Janaki Jagannathan, Wooster, tennis

• Emma Kelley, Washington University in St. Louis, outdoor track and field

• Charlotte Newport, Augustana (Illinois), water polo

• Michaela Pomatto, Stockton, outdoor track and field

• Angie Zhou, Pomona-Pitzer, tennis

NEWS YOU CAN USE
4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

» Conferences. The Little East Conference announced the addition of women’s golf as the LEC’s 24th championship sport beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Husson and Westfield State will join as affiliate members.

» Beach Volleyball. Concordia (Texas) announced the addition of women’s beach volleyball as its newest NCAA sport.

» ROTC Closures. “Eighty-four college campuses, including 10 DIII members, will see changes to their Army ROTC programs, ranging from total closure to merging with a program at a neighboring institution, the U.S. Army announced late last month. Program changes will take effect in summer 2026.”

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings 

ALBION - Matt Rix named head baseball coach
ALFRED - Garrett McGowan named faculty athletics representative
ALMA - Addie Pastor named head women’s lacrosse coach
ATLANTIC EAST CONFERENCE - Rebecca Mullen named commissioner
AUSTIN - Jon Schimming named head swimming coach
BARUCH - Anna Carbone named head women’s volleyball coach. Tammer Farid named head men’s basketball coach
BUFFALO STATE - Victoria Caruso named head women’s soccer coach. Ashley Holdridge resigned as head women’s lacrosse coach
CARLOW - Ashley Barr resigned as head cross country coach
CCNY - Daniel Colon named head men’s basketball coach. Yanique Newman named head women’s soccer coach
CENTRAL - Katelin Valster named faculty athletics representative
CURRY - Endy Morales named head baseball coach
DEAN - Jackson Garner named head cross country coach
ELMIRA - Pat Sullivan named head men’s lacrosse coach
FITCHBURG STATE - Nicole Gaffney named head women’s cross country/track and field coach. Theofanis Booras named head men’s soccer coach
KING’S - Andy Orlowski named executive director of athletics
LAKE FOREST - Mike Sosulski named president
MAINE MARITIME - Bill Ashby stepped down as head women’s soccer coach
MARY WASHINGTON - Andrew Spencer named head men’s rugby coach
NORTH CENTRAL (Minn.) - Jessica Curry named head volleyball coach
NORTH PARK - Craig Shelton named assistant sports information director
OBERLIN - Sophia Anderson named assistant director of athletic communications
OZARKS - Brad Jones named head tennis coach
PLATTSBURGH STATE - Anna Bissell named head women’s lacrosse coach
RANDOLPH-MACON - JD Kuchta named assistant director of athletic communications
ROANOKE - Grant Zimmerman named head men’s lacrosse coach
SAINT VINCENT - Jimmy Petruska resigned as head women’s basketball coach
ST. THOMAS - Sinda Vanderpool named president
SALEM - Caitlyn Hemric named director of sports information and communications
SALISBURY - Kendall Jacobsen named head volleyball coach
SIMPSON - Susan Stuebner named interim president
SOUTHERN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION - Paige Ward named assistant commissioner
STOCKTON - Harry Silverstein retired as head women’s tennis coach
TCNJ - Heather Charlton named assistant athletic trainer
TUFTS - Ryan Pisarri named director of athletics
WILMINGTON - Shauna Watson named head women’s basketball coach
WITTENBERG - Daniel Shields named head women’s lacrosse coach
WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT - Katie Lindsley named head women’s lacrosse coach

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