Fit-again wing Robert Baloucoune returns to the Ireland line-up for Saturday’s much-anticipated Nations Championship game against New Zealand in Auckland.
Baloucoune, who won the Six Nations Rising Player award after starring in Ireland’s Triple Crown campaign earlier this year, missed the wins over Australia and Japan with a hamstring issue.
Head coach Andy Farrell recalls a host of key players after fielding a heavily rotated in last week’s 36-20 victory over Japan, with the return of captain Dan Sheehan, prop Tadhg Furlong and fly-half Sam Prendergast among nine changes.
Tom O’Toole, Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Stuart McCloskey and Jimmy O’Brien are the six players retained in the line-up.
Having beaten the Wallabies and Brave Blossoms, Ireland aim to round out the southern hemisphere leg of their Nations Championship campaign with a statement win at Eden Park (08:10 BST).
The All Blacks, who beat France and Italy in their first two games, have not lost at the Auckland venue since 1994, a run of 52 Tests.
Beard will complete a long season after the final two Wales matches against Argentina and South Africa in Durban next weekend.
The former Ospreys lock had only just linked up with the Wales squad a couple of days before the Fiji game, following a mammoth first season with French club Montpellier, which included a Challenge Cup success and losing the Top 14 final to Toulouse.
“I have personally loved it and it was probably the best decision I’ve made rugby wise so far for myself and my family,” said Beard.
“It was a tough decision at first, leaving the Ospreys after being there since I was 14.
“But it was probably something, if I didn’t join Montpellier, I might have regretted at the end of my career.”
While playing in France is a tough challenge, it is also a rewarding one said Beard.
“It’s a physical league and you’ve got to play 30 games a season,” he added.
“But just the support and passion, everything they do out in the Top 14 is a different level to what I’ve experienced before.
“So it’s been an amazing move for myself and my family.”
There’s no time off this summer for Loyola volleyball coach Michael Boehle, who owns the Manhattan Beach Volleyball Club. He was celebrating Monday after his two sons, Davis and Parker, coached the 18U club team to the AAU Open Junior National Championship in Orlando, Fla.
The tournament MVP was Loyola graduate Blake Fahlbusch, a USC commit. Wyatt Davis and Jack Newman, Mira Costa grads, were All-Americans. JP Wardy, another Loyola graduate, was also instrumental in the team’s success.
“I’m so proud,” Boehle said of his sons coaching the team.
Australia: Jock Campbell; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Carter Gordon, Ryan Lonergan; Angus Bell, Josh Nasser, Allan Alaalatoa, Jeremy Williams, Josh Canham, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Tom Wright.
Sin-bin: Shaw (76)
Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Tom O’Toole, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley, Bundee Aki.
Finn Russell will not feature in Scotland’s opening Nations Championship match of the summer series but could feature against South Africa, says head coach Gregor Townsend, who welcomes back Jonny Gray.
Fly-half Russell, 33, has not fully recovered from the calf injury that kept him out of the latter part of Bath’s domestic campaign and was not considered for the match at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba on Saturday (20:10 BST). The Scots face the Springboks in Pretoria on 11 July then Fiji at Murrayfield on 18 July.
Tom Jordan starts at 10 in Russell’s absence, with Fergus Burke among the replacements.
Gray returns against the Pumas, having missed this year’s Six Nations, while fellow lock Scott Cummings, 29, and prop Pierre Schoeman, 32, will win their 50th caps.
“Great for [Jonny Gray] to be back in the squad,” said Townsend. “Since his move to Perpignan, he’s played very well so his form’s been rewarded with this opportunity. It’s nice obviously nice that him and Scott Cummings are playing together.
“Jonny was at Glasgow when Scott came through as an 18-year-old. It will be great to see them both back int he second row again.”
Overall, the XV in Cordoba shows eight personnel changes to the team that finished the Six Nations with defeat to Ireland in Dublin in mid-March.
Full-back Kyle Rowe, centre Rory Hutchinson, wing Jamie Dobie, fly-half Tom Jordan, hooker George Turner, prop Elliot Millar-Mills and Cummings are the players joining Gray in coming in to the side.
Kyle Steyn moves from left to right wing to accommodate Dobie. Prop Zander Fagerson and wing Darcy Graham, who started in Dublin, drop to the bench.
Gregor Hiddleston could make his Scotland debut off the bench.
“We’ll have to gel quickly,” Townsend said.
“It’s our first game since we played in Dublin. We’ve got a lot of evidence in the Six Nations and November that when we get our game in place in attack and defence, we can cause problems to any team in world rugby and do more than that, convert opportunities.
“I believe that our squad now is much deeper and we use that bench to continue what the starters are doing or actually raise the energy.”
In-play, in-picture adverts will not be part of ITV’s coverage of the Nations Championship in July, but the 20-second slots, shown before a scrum, are set to return for the November Tests and next year’s Six Nations.
The abundance of opportunities in ITV’s schedule in July, with an expanded 48-team football World Cup dominating the airwaves, means advertisers’ spending has been directed elsewhere.
During their debut at this year’s Six Nations, the scrum slots, one of which was available per half, were bought up by blue-chip companies such as Samsung and Virgin Atlantic.
During the segments, audio from the stadium dipped, the screen was split in half and an advert was played in the right-hand part of the screen. Some viewers criticised the concept as intrusive.
Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison said the adverts may be “a little bit uncomfortable” for viewers in the UK who, unlike those in the US and Australia, are only used to adverts appearing around, rather than during, play.
The Nations Championship pits the northern hemisphere teams who compete in the Six Nations – England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy – against southern hemisphere sides South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, plus invited sides Fiji and Japan.
It starts on Saturday with six games, with a further six on 11 July and 18 July before concluding in November.
Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt and Dragons back-row forwards Harri Keddie and Ryan Woodman all made their international debuts in Twickenham, but miss out on the squad for the three Tests.
Wings Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Tom Rogers, centres Bryn Bradley and Joe Roberts, fly-half Jarrod Evans, scrum-half Ellis Bevan, lock or flanker Freddie Thomas and back-row forward Olly Cracknell also miss out.
Leicester open-side flanker Tommy Reffell makes the cut after being overlooked by Tandy for the autumn internationals and Six Nations.
“We have selected a squad of 33 players for the Nations Championship to mirror what will be required for the World Cup in 2027,” said the head coach, who cut 11 players and lost Jenkins.
“We are building a lot of competition among our group of players, which is what we want to have, and there were some tough calls to make.
“We have an exciting opportunity over the next three weeks in a brand-new competition and can’t wait to get our campaign started against Fiji on Saturday.”
Louis Rees-Zammit, Max Llewellyn, Tomos Williams, Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, James and Reffell could not face the Baa-Baas because they play for English clubs, but all return for the Nations Championship fixtures.
The loss of Jenkins means that Tandy is down to three specialist locks – Ben Carter, Teddy Williams and Adam Beard, who is included fresh from playing for Montpellier in their Top 14 final defeat by Toulouse on Saturday.
The former Ospreys second-row forward, who lost his starting spot to Carter during the Six Nations, came on in the final quarter in Paris.
“He has been with us for two campaigns, is battle-hardened and is really experienced,” said Tandy about Beard.
Wales had already lost centre Louie Hennessey, tight-head prop Keiron Assiratti and hooker Liam Belcher to injury before cutting down their squad.
Reasons for the Clippers to trade Kawhi Leonard are apparent. So are reasons to keep the seven-time All-Pro forward who turned 35 on Monday.
For now, the team is engaged in discussions and entertaining offers for Leonard, who is highly regarded despite being central to a league investigation into allegations of salary-cap intervention.
Representatives for Leonard, who has one year remaining on a three-year, $152.4 million contract, have informed other teams he prefers to remain with the Clippers and would only sign an extension with the Toronto Raptors or San Antonio Spurs if the Clippers trade him, ESPN reported. Leonard helped both of those teams to NBA titles, the Raptors in 2019 and the Spurs in 2014. He was Finals MVP both years.
However, the Athletic reported that the Dallas Mavericks offered to trade power forward P.J. Washington, shooting guard Klay Thompson and draft picks for Leonard. Mavericks president Masai Ujiri held the same position with the Raptors when they won the 2019 championship.
If Leonard doesn’t agree to a contract extension with Dallas, he essentially would be a one-year rental and not worth as much in trade capital. Ujiri engineered the trade in 2018 that brought Leonard to the Raptors without the player agreeing to an extension, and the result was a championship followed by Leonard bolting to the Clippers.
Another factor in assessing Leonard’s trade value and the Clippers’ motivation to move him is the ongoing NBA investigation involving team owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and the now-bankrupt sustainable financial technology firm Aspiration.
Triggered in October when the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast detailed a $28 million endorsement contract Leonard received from Aspiration, the NBA hired a prominent law firm to conduct the probe. Findings could be announced soon because NBA commissioner Adam Silver said June 2 that it was time to “wrap it up.”
Aspiration had a $300 million, 23-year endorsement deal with the Clippers and Ballmer personally invested $60 million into the company, whose co-founder Joseph Sanberg was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Ballmer admits introducing Leonard to Aspiration executives but has denied that he knew details of the endorsement deal that Leonard never fulfilled.
Silver has not stated that the NBA would hold up any trade involving Leonard because of the investigation. Still, the Clippers expressed at the end of the regular season that keeping the 14-year veteran was a priority.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Clippers president Lawrence Frank said.
Leonard is coming off his best season of six with the Clippers, averaging a career-high 27.9 points over 65 games. He has averaged 20.7 points a game during his career.
The Raptors are rumored to be dangling former Lakers forward Brandon Ingram and first-round draft picks
-13 H Ryu (Kor); -11 I Yoon (Kor); -10 B Henderson (Can), D Weber (Ned); -7 A Corpuz (US), A Kim (US), A Lee (US); -6 SY Kim (Kor), J Thitikul (Tha), N Korda (US), AL Kim (Kor)
Selected others: +5 L Maguire (Ire); +6 G Dryburgh (Sco)
South Korea’s Haeran Ryu landed a maiden major with a two-shot victory at the Women’s PGA Championship.
The 25-year-old went into the day with a one-shot lead and relinquished her place at the top of the leaderboard in a fluctuating final round, with three bogeys in the first five holes.
But she got back on track with five birdies in a two-under-par round to finish on -13 and take the $1.95m (£1.48m) winner’s cheque.
The tournament purse of $13m (£9.8m) is the largest in women’s golf history.
“It feels like a dream has come true because I tried a couple times to be a major champion and I didn’t get it,” Ryu said.
“Today I did it and I’m so happy right now.”
It was an incredible comeback for a player who was tied for 70th and 10 shots off the lead after the opening round at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Dewi Weber of the Netherlands each held the lead following a weather-delayed start to the round but both finished on -10, tied for third – a career-best finish in a major for Weber.
Ryu’s compatriot Ina Yoon had fallen away on the third day after leading by five, but fought back to finish second on -11.
America’s Nelly Korda – chasing a historic third straight major championship win – was four shots off the lead at the start of play but could not kick on, ending tied for eighth on six under.
Scottie Scheffler fired a 10-under-par 60 to hold the lead after the second round of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship.
The world number one made 11 birdies and a lone bogey on Friday to move to 16 under at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
That put him two shots clear of Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who also threatened a rare round of 59 as he fired a bogey-free 61 which included seven birdies and an eagle.
Jim Furyk holds the tour-record lowest round at 58, but Scheffler is one of 14 players to have made a 59, which for him came during the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
The 30-year-old American had the chance to repeat the feat with a birdie at the 18th hole but missed from just outside 26 feet.
“It was a little tricky,” Scheffler said. “It actually went right to start, and there was a tonne of break right to left at the end.
“It was a tough read, but overall it was a really solid day. I was pretty happy with my execution.”
On his plans for the weekend, the four-time major winner added: “Hard to keep up that pace, but continue to execute, continue to give myself looks.”
Compatriot Akshay Bhatia sat four shots off the lead in a share of third place having matched his career-low round with a bogey-free 62, with fellow American Eric Cole alongside him after a 65.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick lurked two strokes back on 10 under, having had to settle for a four-under 66 after two bogeys on his final three holes, with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood a single shot further behind and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre at eight under.
That was what the backup point guard wrote on X, followed by three laughing-until-crying emojis, soon after he was stopped by two police officers who apparently did not recognize him as a Knicks player during the team’s championship parade in Lower Manhattan.
A video that has gone viral on social media shows Kolek skipping along the parade route next to a barrier meant to keep fans off that part of the street, using one hand to hold a beer and the other to slap hands with fans.
At one point, an officer stepped in front of Kolek to block his path while another gently grabbed him by the shoulders and motioned for the confused player to go back in the direction from which he came.
An unidentified man who had been accompanying Kolek quickly stepped in, and then officers allowed him to pass.
To be fair to the officers, Kolek — wearing a Knicks hat, Knicks T-shirt and gym shorts — looked like he could have been one of the estimated 2 million fans attending the parade.
And he’s not the most recognizable player on the team. Kolek has made one start in 103 game appearances during his two years with the Knicks, averaging almost 10 minutes a game. He did not make it into an NBA Finals game but played in eight postseason games this year, averaging 3.5 points and 6.6 minutes a game.
It doesn’t appear that the very brief run-in with the law dampened Kolek’s mood, based on the parade videos he posted on his Instagram. One showed his view of the massive crowds on either side of the street; another showed him throwing confetti while singing along to “New York, New York;” and another showed him standing outside the railing on a moving float while dancing and cheering.
And, yes, one showed the incident with parade security, along with the caption “I hoop bro I swear” and four laughing-until-crying emojis.
The sense of anticipation felt by Ireland supporters about the start of the inaugural Nations Championship ramped up a degree or two on Wednesday when head coach Andy Farrell named his 36-man squad for the three matches his side will play in July.
Farrell’s selection for the games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand in July features three players who have yet to win their first caps, all three of those Connacht forwards.
Props Billy Bohan and Sam Illo, along with back row Sean Jansen, are part of the group which will travel to Sydney on Monday to begin their preparation for the three Test matches in the southern hemisphere.
The call-ups reflect the excellent form shown by Connacht in the latter half of the season particularly, as a run of positive results by Stuart Lancaster’s team’s moved them into eighth in the United Rugby Championship table, and thereby progressing to the end-of-season play-offs and qualify for next season’s Champions Cup.
In total, six Connacht players have been named with Darragh Murray, Cian Prendergast and Bundee Aki also having been chosen.
The inclusion of front-rowers Illo and Bohan owes much to the unavailability of injured Leinster props Andrew Porter, Jack Boyle and Paddy McCarthy, but both will be keen to make the most of the opportunity afforded to them.
With the opening fixture with the Wallabies in Sydney on 4 July, BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at the credentials of the uncapped trio in the Ireland squad.
If any fan can be excused for using “we” when speaking of their favorite sports team, it would probably be Lee.
The “Do the Right Thing” star, director and screenwriter was 13 when he witnessed the Knicks defeat the Lakers in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. And he was on hand in San Antonio at age 69 when the Knicks finished off the Spurs with a title-clinching 94-90 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
In between, Lee has become the Knicks’ most famous and visible fan. He has been a season-ticket holder since 1985, the rookie season of Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, and has been a courtside fixture for decades. In 2024, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s superfan gallery.
During a 2020 appearance on ESPN’s “First Take,” Lee laughed when he was informed that his Knicks seats cost around $300,000 a year and that he had spent roughly $10 million on tickets over the years.
So, yeah, he’s considered by many to be an honorary member of the Knicks — and as such, he’s also considered by many to be more than worthy of an NBA championship ring. The idea has taken off on social media, with several celebrities offering their support.
“Give @officialspikelee a CHAMPIONSHIP RING DAMN IT!!!!!!!!” comedian and actor Kevin Hart wrote Sunday on Instagram.
Legendary sports broadcaster Dick Vitale wrote Monday on X: “I agree with Kevin Hart – yes the LOYALTY of SPIKE LEE to the @nyknicks should be recognized & rewarded- Spike is truly a dedicated & genuine LOYAL Knicks fan .YES I agree with Kevin – SPIKE should get a Championship ring !”
“First Take” host and fellow die-hard Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith reposted on X a graphic calling for Lee to receive a ring for his “decades of loyalty.”
Spike Lee celebrates with a crowd of New York Knicks fans after Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday in San Antonio.
(Darren Abate / Ap Photo/darren Abate)
“I completely support this for Spike Lee,” Smith wrote. “No Knicks’ fan deserves this more than him.”
The Times reached out to a representative for Lee and the Knicks for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Lee is likely less concerned with a championship ring for himself and more concerned with his beloved team earning another one in 2027.
“You know what I’m thinking?” Lee asked during an on-court interview with WABC-TV in New York immediately following Saturday’s victory, before shouting the answer to his own question: “Back to back!”
The 35-year-old played 160 times for Newcastle after joining from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, and made 54 appearances for England between 2017 and 2024.
“We know what we’ve lacked this year, and we know what we need next year – experience, leadership, resilient characters and strong characters,” said head coach Rob Edwards, external.
“That’s what we’re going to need in abundance, and Tripps ticks every box.”
Jimenez, 35, was listed by Fulham on Monday among a group of players set to leave the Premier League club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
It is understood negotiations have begun over a return to Molineux, where he scored 57 goals in 166 games between 2018 and 2023.
His 40 Premier League goals make him Wolves’ top scorer in the English top flight.
Jimenez is on international duty with World Cup hosts Mexico, who begin the tournament against South Africa on Thursday.
Wolves are looking to rebuild after finishing bottom of the Premier League last season and being relegated to the Championship.
SAN ANTONIO — Go crazy, New York. Or, perhaps more accurately, crazier.
The red-hot Knicks are going home, two wins away from an NBA championship that the capital of the world has been waiting to see for generations.
Jalen Brunson hit a go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left after a turnover by Victor Wembanyama moments earlier, then Wembanyama missed a jumper at the end of New York’s 105-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
“What a ballgame,” Knicks coach Mike Brown marveled.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 for the Knicks. They have won 13 straight, the second-longest streak by any team in NBA playoff history.
“New York City showed up,” Towns said. “The fans showed up. The energy showed up. And we found a way to get it done.”
The Knicks are just the third team to win the first two games of a finals on the road, joining Michael Jordan and the 1993 Chicago Bulls, and Hakeem Olajuwon and the 1995 Houston Rockets.
Both of those teams won championships, the Bulls needing six games to oust the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets going home after winning those first two games in Orlando and sweeping the Magic. The Knicks, seeking their first championship since 1973, are in position to join them.
Wembanyama, after a very quiet first half, scored 29. De’Aaron Fox had 20 for San Antonio.
“We can’t change the past,” Wembanyama said, “We’re already thinking about Game 3.”
The series shifts to New York. Game 3 is at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet, left, celebrates with guard Mikal Bridges after making a three-pointer in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
President Donald Trump — a native New Yorker — plans on attending Monday. And ticket prices on the secondary market, for the worst seats at MSG, were approaching $9,000 apiece on Friday night, with Knicks fans evidently willing to pay tippy-top dollar just to be in the building as the team nears what would be its first championship in 53 years.
The Spurs were down 14 midway through the fourth and came all the way back — scoring the next 14 points to tie the game. Wembanyama’s three-point play with 57 seconds left gave the Spurs their first lead in nearly two full quarters, putting San Antonio up 104-102.
“We showed tremendous desperation, urgency and competitive response,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Hopefully we can try to bottle that up … and try to play to that same level.”
But the Knicks got the last three, Brunson — the hero of Game 1 for the Knicks — getting them all.
Brunson scored on the next possession, just his seventh basket in 24 shots on the night, and the game was tied. Wembanyama missed a long jumper, OG Anunoby got the rebound for New York with 30 seconds left, the Knicks called time and the stage was set.
The Spurs got a stop, but Wembanyama threw the ball away. Brunson got fouled, the Knicks had the lead back and before long Spurs fans were filing out of the arena — possibly for the final time this season.
The Spurs called time with 7.5 seconds remaining. Fox took the inbound pass, then set up Wembanyama for a jumper that would have won it. The shot bounced off the rim, and it was over.
“We had to get a stop. We hadn’t gotten a stop all quarter,” Towns said.
They got their stop. Next stop: New York, where the hottest team in basketball knows an NBA title is just two wins away.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It was championship weekend for Southern Section baseball and softball. And there were some crazy moments and performances.
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Greatness on display
This photo says it all about the passion and determination of Jack Champlin, headed to UC Irvine. His walkn up song should be Tom Petty’s I Won’t’ Back Down. Photo by Craig Weston. pic.twitter.com/6beQNTXonH
It’s tough enough to win one Southern Section Division 1 baseball title going through the gauntlet of top teams. St. John Bosco did it back to back in a 2-0 win over Norco.
Julian Garcia turned in one of the best pitching performances in championship game history. He gave up a first-inning double to Codey Brown and that was the last hit by a good-hitting Norco team. He struck out 14 and walked none. Here’s the report from Cal State Fullerton.
The superintendent intervened and asked them to stay because Ganesha would have faced severe sanctions from the Southern Section. All the players showed up Saturday and the team beat Loyola 6-3. Here’s the report.
Mira Costa, which lost its top two pitchers to injuries before the season and early in league, rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat Agoura 9-7 to win the Division 3 title. Quite an achievement for coach Andy Diver and his players.
Despite lots of teams opting out, the Southern California regional championships begin this week. St. John Bosco is playing to defend its regional title and was seeded No. 1 in Division I.
JSerra High ace Liliana Escobar strides forward as she windmills a pitch against La Mirada in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game on Friday night.
(Nick Koza)
JSerra won its first Southern Section Division 1 championship in softball behind pitcher Liliana Escobar, who was the best all season. The Lions defeated La Mirada 3-2. She struck out 12. Here’s the report.
Whittier Christian went into rally mode to defeat Mater Dei 5-3 in the Division 2 final, getting two-run home runs in the seventh and eighth innings from Mia Camacho and Bella Perez.
Carson came away as City Section Open Division champions with a 12-1 win over defending champion Granada Hills. The Colts and Highlanders have met the last four years in the final, with Carson prevailing three times. Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.
Jonah Jeovany Vasquez of Cathedral has made it to the state track championships in the 1,600 in his first year running track.
(Vasquez family)
Things didn’t go as well as Cathedral’s Jonah Vasquez had hoped at the CIF track and field championships. He just missed qualifying for the finals in the 1,600.
But his story is just beginning in his first season running track.
Mateo Fuerbringer, center, celebrates with his Mira Costa teammates following a five-set win over Loyola on March 20, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
It was a season to remember for Mira Costa’s volleyball team, which won the state championship Saturday in Fresno.
The Southern Section Division 1 champions faced top teams all season and prevailed, with junior Mateo Fuerbringer stamping himself as the top player for his class in the nation.
End of an era
Tom Meusborn announced his retirement as head baseball coach at Chatsworth.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Tom Meusbornand Spud O’Neil, two high school baseball coaching giants, have retired from head coaching duties.
Meusborn coached for nearly 35 years at Chatsworth and Sierra Canyon. His eight City Section championships remains the most by any coach in City Section history.
“It’s time,” he said after four seasons at Sierra Canyon.
O’Neil, the head coach at Lakewood since 1984, lost in the Southern Section Division 6 playoffs and retires with 985 career victories.
Notes . . .
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-#Cardinals 1st-round QB Josh Rosen has officially earned his MBA from Wharton School of Business.
Rosen is now working as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan.
Former St. John Bosco and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business….
Damien has begun a search for a new baseball coach. AJ LaMonda was head coach for five years….
The Southern Section says there is no transfer czar. They have just hired a new assistant commissioner, Orange AD Alicia Seevers, who will join four others in checking transfers.
Devin Davis is the new baseball coach at Castaic….
Ernest Baskerville is the new basketball coach at Pasadena….
Western quarterback Chance Thomas is transferring to Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, which opens the season hosting St. John Bosco in August….
Tight end Luke Karby of Mission Viejo has committed to Duke….
Kevin McCaffrey has been dismissed as baseball coach at Corona del Mar after eight seasons….
Kevin Nichols is the new football coach at Garden Grove…
Katey Thompson has stepped down as boys volleyball coach at Corona del Mar….
Standout junior pitcher Justin Kirchner (11-0) of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Vanderbilt. He was previously committed to Yale….
Brad Willis is the new boys basketball coach at Villa Park. He had been coaching girls basketball at the school….
Standout quarterback Dane Weber of Chaparral has committed to Cal….
Tight end Luke Gazzaniga of Santa Margarita has committed to Kansas….
Defensive end Elyjah Staples from Marquez has committed to Cal….
Matteo Huarte of Mater Dei won the Southern Section individual title. He’s the grandson of Heisman Trophy winner and Mater Dei grad John Huarte….
Makena Cook, the top flag football quarterback for Orange Lutheran, is transferring to Sierra Canyon, which is starting a flag football program this fall….
Cole Kim of Sunny Hills won the Southern California Regional golf tournament last week and will be the player to beat at the state championships Wednesday at San Gabriel Country Club….
Pitcher Jake Brande of Rancho Christian has committed to Cal Poly….
Laura Browder has resigned as boys and girls volleyball coach at La Canada.
From the archives: Kaniya Bragg
UCLA shortstop Kaniya Bragg was a star at Garden Grove Pacifica.
(Nick Koza)
Kaniya Bragg, who was The Times’ softball player of the year in 2024, is living up to expectations and more for UCLA this season.
She entered this week as a key player for the Bruins in the College World Series with a .387 batting average and 18 home runs.
From Texas, a school district continues bureaucratic hurdles for media trying to cover high school sports.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on former Palisades pitcher Mason Edwards becoming an ace for USC.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Zoe Thompson, an eighth-grader at Harvard-Westlake who might be the best soccer player in a famous family of soccer players.
Tweets you might have missed
Boys Volleyball: Congratulations To All Student-Athletes Selected To 2026 LAVCA All-Academic Team. Grant Chang (Chatsworth) & Sam Engelen (Venice) Were Named Co-Academic Players Of The Year W/ 4.36 GPA. @CIFLACSpic.twitter.com/IWo5Xr04Bk
These are softball opt outs for state playoffs so far:
JSerra Catholic Cathedral City Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks Lutheran/Orange Northwood La Mirada Pacifica/Garden Grove San Clemente Warren Elsinore Kennedy ML King
Chaparral is on the rise in football. Chaparral won both the seven on seven tournament and lineman competition hosted by the Rams. Eagle Rock won the girls flag football tournament.
Oxnard Pacifica QB Taylor Lee bleached his hair for baseball playoffs. They’re over, so it’s full focus on football. Portland State is making big run recruiting him. pic.twitter.com/qdisidYrrl
SHOCKING: A growing number of middle school athletes — mostly boys — are intentionally repeating 8th grade to delay their start in high school, giving themselves another full year to get bigger, stronger, and faster, which in turn dramatically boosts their chances at elite high… pic.twitter.com/rTkzXPq2GQ
• Didn’t hold back ✅ • Didn’t attend a workout academy ✅ • Didn’t play for a super youth team ✅ • Doesn’t go to camps ✅ • Doesn’t play at an elite HS program ✅ • Doesn’t get validation from others ✅
Put it down on your calendar. July 11. Edison’s Battle at the Beach seven on seven passing tournament. Great lineup of teams as always. pic.twitter.com/wV1tZATIQV
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As someone who has been covering high school baseball championship games in Southern California for six decades, the pitching performance seen on Friday night by Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco moves into the top five, if not a share for No. 1.
Garcia struck out 14, walked none and surrendered only a first-inning double to Codey Brown in a 2-0 victory over Norco in the Southern Section Division 1 final at Cal State Fullerton. His fastball was reaching 95 mph. He was blowing fastballs past top hitters all night.
Probably the No. 1 pitching performance continues to be Bret Saberhagen of Cleveland in the 1981 City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium when he threw a no-hitter against Palisades.
Others that come to mind:
No pitcher has been as overpowering as Garcia was under the lights. And he needed to be near perfect to beat Norco pitcher Jordan Ayala, who also was outstanding.
What a memory to add to Southern California’s great pitching moments in championship games.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
