Georgia
Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge breaks another record, leads Bulldogs to title
Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum reacts to winning NCAA 1,500-meter title
Oregon distance runner Simeon Birnbaum took home a national title in the men’s 1,500 at Hayward Field. Here’s what he said after the race.
For the second time in three days, Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge took down a collegiate record.
This one carried a bit of extra weight with it.
Hodge, a freshman, won the NCAA outdoor track and field 200-meter national title in a personal-best 21.68 seconds, shattering former Kentucky standout Abby Steiner’s long-standing mark of 21.80, June 13 at Hayward Field. That performance set the tone for the Bulldogs, who won the national title with 50 points.
“I’ve been working for this all my life,” Hodge said. “I really wanted this one. So, I went out there and I got it.”
Earlier this week, Hodge generated plenty of fireworks when she took down the 100 collegiate record — and clocked the fifth-fastest time in world history — in 10.63. In Saturday’s final, though, Florida State’s Shenese Walker stole the show, winning in 10.88. Hodge was second (10.93).
Approximately 45 minutes later, Hodge came back and won her favorite event in dominant fashion. LSU’s Shawnti Jackson was second in 22.12, nearly half a second behind Hodge.
The frustration from her 100 loss wasn’t used for fuel, Hodge said. She didn’t need any extra motivation to bounce back.
Although she was running her sixth race in three days, she had plenty left in the tank.
“Actually, no, I wasn’t,” Hodge said when asked if she was upset about the outcome of the 100. “In track and field, you’ve got to learn how to compartmentalize. I think I did a great job of forgetting the 100, coming back and running my heart out in the (200). … It was definitely just about going back, like, ‘Hey, it is what it is. It’s all part of God’s plan. Move forward to the next event.’ That just shows my maturity in the sport.”
Hodge was far from the only athlete who etched her name in the record books on the final day of the meet.
Fellow Bulldog Dejanea Oakley toppled the 400 record in 48.79, toppling the previous mark of 48.89 set by Arkansas’ Nickisha Pryce in 2004. USC runner-up Madison Whyte (48.97) and Tennessee’s Javonya Valcourt (third, 50.16) also ran personal-best times.
Oakley was the 400 runner-up at the 2025 outdoor national championships.
“All I can say is that we’ve been working toward this,” Oakley said. “Even this morning, me and my coach were going through a visualization of this race. Just going, ‘You can get this collegiate record. Just go out there and do what you’ve been doing during practice and it will come.’ To see it actually come to fruition, like, I wasn’t surprised. We’ve been doing it in practice.”
Before the meet came to a close, Arkansas senior Sanu Jallow delivered another jaw-dropping, record-breaking run. The Razorbacks star smashed Athing Mu’s 800 collegiate record with a winning time of 1:56.85. Penn State’s Hayley Kitching took second in a rapid field; the top six finishers clocked personal bests.
“I didn’t want to just break it; I wanted to shatter the record,” Jallow said. “Breaking it is cool; like, ‘Oh my god, I broke the record!’ But I wanted to make a statement. I wanted to make it a stamp.”
Jallow joked that an 800 race doesn’t truly begin for her until the second lap. She put the rest of the field on notice from the get-go, splitting 55.03 over the opening 400.
From there, she dug deep and delivered a performance for the ages.
“It’s not that painful until you get to the last 150 (meters),” Jallow said. “That’s when the monkey starts jumping on you and you have to go after everything. I honestly felt good.”
Controversial finish in loaded 5,000 field
What was expected to be the highlight of the final day of the outdoor championships devolved into a nervy waiting game — and eventually heartbreak — for one of the great distance runners in collegiate history.
Alabama junior Doris Lemngole, a Kenyan national with five NCAA titles to her name, won in 15:11.71. In the moments following her victory, though, she was disqualified for ‘taking two-plus steps over the rail.’
Following a 45-minute appeal process, the decision was upheld. Lemngole was disqualified, and New Mexico sophomore Marion Jepngetich, who finished second in a personal-best 15:13.01, was declared the winner.
“I have nothing to say right now,” Lemngole said in a prepared statement. “It is what it is. I’m proud of myself, proud of my school and my career.”
Lemngole and an Alabama athletic spokesperson declined to answer further questions following the athlete’s statement.
BYU freshman Jane Hedengren, the 5K collegiate record-holder, was in the field but faded with 800 meters to go and finished ninth in 15:22.88. After orchestrating a thrilling 10k win on the opening day of the meet, Iowa State freshman Mercyline Kirwa took second in 15:13.72.
New Mexico sophomore Pamela Kosgei, the 2025 5K and 10K NCAA outdoor champion, was fifth in 15:15.88.
BYU’s Taylor Lovell nabs long-awaited steeplechase title
Brigham Young University has a rich history of producing national champion-caliber steeplechasers.
On Saturday, Taylor Lovell added her name to this list.
Lovell, a BYU senior, knifed through a strong wind and left nothing to doubt as she clocked a 3,000 steeplechase personal best of 9:21.03 to claim a long-awaited national title. She finished more than five seconds ahead of Notre Dame’s Sophie Novak, who placed second.
“I’m so proud,” Lovell said. “I have so many people before me and with me that I’m so grateful I get to keep doing it with them and continue that legacy.”
After finishing ninth in both 2024 and 2025, Lovell sat on Novak’s hip until the bell lap before unleashing a ferocious kick that put her in control of the race for good.
Lovell is the fifth BYU woman to ever win an outdoor 3K steeplechase title. She joins Lexy Halladay-Lowry (9:08.68) and Courtney Wayment (9:16.0) on the top-10 all-time collegiate leaderboard for the event.
“It’s really exciting to be able to continue a legacy like that,” Lovell said.
Lemngole is the fastest steeplechaser in NCAA history. But the star junior did not race the steeple this week, choosing instead to focus her efforts on the 5K.
That did not alter Lovell’s gameplan coming into the meet.
“I just wanted to come out better than I went in,” Lovell said. “Whether or not she was in the steeplechase, that was still my goal.”
- Florida junior Alida Van Daalen secured a dominant win in the discus; on her third throw, the Dutch international hit a meet record 216-6. That was well ahead of Alabama junior Joyce Oguama, who took second (196-9). Oregon freshman Marie Josee Bovele Linaka was seventh (185-10).
- USC’s 4×100 relay crew won with a blistering 41.58, good enough for a new 2026 collegiate lead. Trojans’ sophomore Mia Brahe-Pedersen, who starred at Lake Oswego in high school, ran the second leg.
- Washington State sophomore Rosemary Longisa cruised to victory in the 1,500, winning in 4:12.1 in a strategic race where no runner necessarily tried to push the pace. Oregon’s Juliet Cherubet (4:12.99) and Wilma Nielsen (4:13.40) were third and fourth, respectively.
- On her final attempt of the day, Clemson senior Shantae Foreman catapulted to the top of the triple jump podium. The Tigers’ standout produced a winning mark of 46-8 3/4 to move ahead of Oregon sophomore Sharifa Davronova, who took second (46-5 1/4).
- Oregon senior Aaliyah McCormick nabbed her second consecutive 100 hurdles national title with a winning time of 12.47.
- Texas Tech junior Temitope Adeshina won the high jump with a season-best leap of 6-5. Illinois’ Rose Yeboah was second; she also cleared 6-5, but Adeshina required fewer attempts to get over the bar.
- Washington sophomore Sofia Cosculluela emerged as the heptathlon champion. She tallied a winning score of 6,182 points, finishing comfortably ahead of Cincinnati’s Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (6,084). Cosculluela moved ahead of Laracuente-Huebner when she won the long jump, the sixth event of the meet, with a mark of 21-43/4. She sealed the victory with a second-place finish in the javelin (144-7).
- South Carolina junior Akala Garrett won the 400 hurdles in a personal-best 53.32.
2026 NCAA women’s outdoor championships team standings
1) Georgia 50; 2) Florida 43; 3) Arkansas 38; 4) Oregon 36; 5) USC 32; 6) Iowa State 30; 7) Washington 28; 8) Illinois 27
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at jdenney@registerguard.com or on X @jarrid_denney
Georgia
2026 College World Series weather delay: When Georgia vs. Texas game will begin
First pitch of Saturday night’s College World Series game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 6 Texas has been delayed due to inclement weather in the Omaha area. Gates at Charles Schwab Stadium will, however, continue to open at 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET.
First pitch (as of now) will be thrown at 7:45 p.m. CT/8:45 p.m. ET.
$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage
Georgia heads into its first Men’s College World Series game since 2008, when it finished as runner-ups to Fresno State. The Bulldogs downed Liberty to win the Athens Regional, and held off Mississippi State in an explosive Athens Super Regional to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Texas, meanwhile, returns to the Men’s College World Series for the first time since 2022. The Longhorns downed UC Santa Barbara in the Austin Regional and Oregon in the Austin Super Regional to punch their ticket to the MWCS for the first time under head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
The 2026 College World Series features a double-elimination format heading into the championship series. Then, it becomes Best of 3, with the winner hoisting the trophy. On3 is tracking the CWS with an updated bracket throughout the event.
College World Series bracket
All times Eastern
Friday, June 12
Game 1: No. 16 West Virginia 7, Troy 5
Game 2: No. 5 North Carolina 6, Ole Miss 2
Saturday, June 13
Game 3: Oklahoma 9, No. 7 Alabama 0
Game 4: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas – TBD, ESPN
Sunday, June 14
Game 5: Ole Miss vs. Troy – 2 p.m., ESPN
Game 6: No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 16 West Virginia – 7 p.m., ESPN
Monday, June 15
Game 7: No. 7 Alabama vs. Loser of Game 4 – 2 p.m., ESPN
Game 8: Oklahoma vs. Winner of Game 4 – 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, June 16
Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6 – 2 p.m., ESPN
Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8 – 7 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday, June 17
Game 11: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 9 – 2 p.m., ESPN
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10 – 7 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, June 18 (if necessary)
Bracket 1: TBD (if necessary), ESPN
Bracket 2: TBD (if necessary), ESPN
Championship Series: Best of 3
Game 1: June 20, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 2: June 21, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Game 3 (if necessary): June 22, 7 p.m., ESPN
Georgia
Georgia baseball’s Joey Volchko ready for Texas in College World Series
Wes Johnson explains why momentum is overrated in baseball
Georgia coach Wes Johnson says momentum is overrated and that preparation is what wins postseason games.
OMAHA, Neb. — Joey Volchko has geared up this week to face a Texas lineup that is the second highest scoring team at the College World Series, led the SEC in walks drawn and has two players with 22 or more homers.
He also knows No. 3 seed Georgia baseball needs him to be on his game in Saturday‘s 8 p.m. matchup, considering that the starting pitcher on the other side, Dylan Volantis, is one of the top arms in the nation.
“Every game I go out there, I try to give my team a chance to win,” Volchko said. “I know at any moment they can explode for seven runs so for me just keeping the game close, especially game one against Mississippi State, I knew I had to keep the game because we were going to come back. That meant a lot to me to stay in and keep fighting. That’s the same mentality I’m going to carry into this one.”
Volchko and Georgia (51-12) trailed Mississippi State 7-0 in the fourth inning on June 6 in the Athens Super Regional before rallying back for a 13-12 win.
Volchko gave up seven runs (four earned) on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts in five innings.
“He’s that guy who doesn’t want to be taken out of a game at any time, no matter what the score is or what’s going on,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said.
The sophomore lefty Volantis is 10-2 and is fourth in the nation with 2.03 ERA with 27 walks and 126 strikeouts for No. 6 seed Texas (45-13). He will face a Texas team that includes Aiden Robbins (24 homers) and Carson Tinney (22 homers).
“As a staff, we know our offense is really good so we try to treat every inning as a 0-0 ballgame regardless of if we’re up and down,” said Volchko, a senior transfer from Stanford who is 10-2 with a 4.07 ERA. “Especially with a guy on the mound like Volantis, he’s going to limit runs, he’s going to limit contact. He’s really good at what he does and so does their entire pitching staff. We’re going to have to pitch a complete game to get it done.”
The 6-foot-6 Volantis threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, with two hits allowed, one walk and nine strikeouts in Texas’ sweep of Georgia last season in Athens.
“He’s got a high release height,” Johnson said. “He does a really good job of tunneling his fastball and curve ball down in the strike zone which makes it tough. I think that’s why he gets so many chases. He’ll stick you the fast ball down at your knees and then start the curve ball right there. The hitters have, with that release height, a really, really hard time picking up the spin. He gets a lot chases on curve balls that bounce. That’s still pretty much his MO now. He’s moving the ball around a little bit more with his fastball trying to open up his curve ball.”
Volantis has given up just two homers in 88 2/3 innings this season.
Georgia leads the nation with 174 homers and is fourth in the nation with a .326 batting average.
“We’ve been preparing for him,” shortstop Kolby Branch said. “So it’s just, it’s a good arm. So you’ve got to go out there. You’ve got to take your offensive hacks. You’ve got to go out there and be confident in yourself and go out there and believe, or that’s it. Just like we’ve done all year against any good arm.”
Georgia
How investigators tracked Georgia child sex abuse suspect to Alabama
John Hunter Blanton and Brian Spargo (Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office)
MUSCOGEE COUNTY, Ga. – A multi-agency operation led to the arrest of two men wanted for separate child sex crimes, authorities said.
Muscogee County child exploitation arrests
What we know:
The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office Collaborative Intelligence Group worked with regional federal and state partners to track down and arrest two wanted men.
Authorities executed a search warrant in Macon County, Alabama, to arrest John Hunter Blanton on multiple bench warrants out of Muscogee County. Those warrants include two counts of aggravated child molestation, child molestation, statutory rape and enticing a child for indecent purposes, according to the sheriff’s office.
Blanton was taken into custody without incident and is being held while awaiting extradition back to Muscogee County.
In a separate action, investigators arrested Brian Spargo in Muscogee County on a felony warrant from the Phenix City Police Department in Alabama.
Spargo was wanted for first-degree sodomy in connection to an ongoing case involving the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, the sheriff’s office said.
He was taken to the Muscogee County Jail and is waiting for extradition to Russell County, Alabama.
Ongoing Georgia-Alabama sex crime investigation
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the specific dates or locations where the alleged crimes took place. It remains unclear when Blanton and Spargo will face their first court appearances. Authorities have not released details regarding how long Blanton had been a fugitive in Alabama before his capture.
Sheriff vows protection for local children
What they’re saying:
“We won’t stop until the criminals do!” Sheriff Greg Countryman said in a statement. “The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate crimes of this nature against our children. We remain committed to locating and arresting wanted offenders to ensure the safety of those in our community.”
Future charges pending in child sex abuse cases
Both cases remain under active investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities noted that additional charges may be pending against the suspects as the investigation continues.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, who explained how investigators caught the suspects, as well as statements from Sheriff Greg Countryman.
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