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Panthers’ unbeaten run culminates with WIAA Division 2 crown

(Photo courtesy of @wiaawistate on Twitter)

An undefeated regular season did not earn Oregon (Wis.) the top overall seed in Wisconsin’s Division 2 state playoffs. But no matter, the Panthers knocked off top-seeded Whitefish Bay 1-0 in Saturday’s final to earn their third state title.

Katelyn Studebaker scored the game-winning goal in the second half, and the Panthers notched their 21st shutout in their 24th game of the season.

It’s the Panthers’ second title in four years and propels them to No. 5 in the JWS soccer rankings.

With all the high school spring soccer seasons wrapped up, these rankings encompass all schools that played in the spring.

1. Westminster (Ga.), 19-1

The Wildcats continued their dominance with a seventh consecutive state championship, outscoring opponents 148-11. Westminster is loaded with talent; North Carolina commit Evelyn Shores is one of five players committed to a college in the Power 5 conferences.

2. Grandview (Colo.), 17-1-2

The Wolves beat the top two seeds in the semifinal and final to claim the coveted 5A state title, avenging their sole regular-season loss in the process.

3. Yorktown (Va.), 22-1-1

The Patriots won their second state championship in three seasons behind a shutdown defense that posted 18 shutouts and an explosive attack led by South Carolina signee Shay Montgomery, who finished with 25 goals and 10 assists.

4. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 17-0-2

The Saints tested themselves against the best, beating 6A state champion Blue Valley West in the regular season, and it paid off with a dominant postseason run to a second straight 5A crown.

5. Oregon (Wis.), 23-0-1

The Panthers last conceded a goal on May 11.

6. Briar Woods (Va.), 20-0-2

Virginia Tech-bound Taylor Price netted 32 goals and had 15 assists, as the Falcons rebounded from last year’s state championship defeat to win it all this spring.

7. Gretna (Neb.), 21-0

The Dragons outscored opponents 118-6 to capture a second consecutive state title. They are 42-1 over that stretch.

8. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 26-1

Another repeat champion, the Bulldogs rebounded from a regular-season loss to reel off 15 wins to end the season.

9. Triad (Ill.), 25-1

The Knights’ unbeaten streak ended at 41 games, but that was just a temporary speed bump en route to their fourth state title in 11 years.

10. Lassiter (Ga.), 16-0-4

The Trojans dedicated their state title to Libby Rountree, a rising senior soccer player who died last summer in a car crash.

11. Searcy (Ark.), 21-0-1

The Lions gave up just one goal all season en route to back-to-back state championships.

12. St. Dominic (Mo.), 23-3

Despite three regular-season losses, the Crusaders never lost faith and secured a third consecutive state title.

13. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 16-6-2

Another team that started slowly, Cardinal Gibbons played its best soccer at the right time, winning the state championship in penalty kicks.

14. Dallas Center (Iowa), 22-0

With a plus-95 goal difference, the Mustangs secured a state championship and a perfect season.

15. Wando (S.C.), 19-1

The Warriors have built a perennial powerhouse in South Carolina, winning the 12th state title in program history.

16. Metea Valley (Ill.), 22-2-1

The Mustangs won the first state championship in program history in a penalty shootout and ended the season on a 14-game winning streak.

17. West Forsyth (Ga.), 18-3

An overtime win propelled the Wolverines to back-to-back state titles in Georgia’s highest classification.

18. James Island (S.C.), 20-1-2

A year after capturing its first state crown, the Trojans did it again. Their sole defeat was a 1-0 loss to Wando.

19. Valor Christian (Colo.), 16-1

The Eagles fell just short of a perfect season with a double-overtime loss to Grandview in the state semifinals.

20. Homewood (Ala.), 20-2-2

After losing in the state final last year, the Patriots captured the program’s second state championship this spring.

21. South County (Va.), 20-1-1

The Stallions picked a bad time to suffer their first loss of the season, falling in the state semifinals and missing out on a chance for back-to-back state titles.

22. Ardrey Kell (N.C.), 25-2-1

Ardrey Kell lost the state championship in penalty kicks to Cardinal Gibbons, bringing its record in state title games to 0-4, but the Knights were otherwise brilliant in their run to the state final.

23. Bloomfield Hills (Mich.), 15-2-3

The Black Hawks knocked off previously unbeaten Northville in penalty kicks to win the state crown.

24. Blue Valley West (Kan.), 16-3-1

Despite some regular-season stumbles, the Jaguars showed their skill in the postseason, outscoring their semifinal and final opponents combined by 7-1.

25. Deer Creek (Okla.), 17-3

The Antlers secured the seventh state championship in program history but first since 2015, winning the final in penalty kicks.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

‘The Late Sub’ Digs Into Angel City FC’s Red-Hot 2025 NWSL Start

Angel City winger Alyssa Thompson celebrates a goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
With three goals in four matches, Alyssa Thompson is leading Angel City's young attack. (Harry How/NWSL via Getty Images)

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins examines Angel City FC's early success in the young 2025 NWSL season.

Off to an undefeated 2025 campaign, a stat only the 2024 championship-winning Orlando Pride and powerhouse Kansas City Current also boast, 2022 expansion side Angel City launched itself into the early contender conversation after missing the NWSL Playoffs entirely last season.

Watkins digs into the LA club, chatting through the team's star-studded formation, its early days, as well as its young core, highlighted by star sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson — all while weighing if the squad is truly ready to level up into the league's title-seeking echelon.

Angel City is beginning to see some payoff from its early developmental strategy, with Watkins pointing out that taking winger Alyssa Thompson straight out of high school is now providing major returns.

"She's got three goals in four games in 2025, she's the second youngest NWSL player to hit 10 goals and 10 assists in her career," noted Watkins. "Teams are having trouble accounting for her despite knowing that she is their offensive focal point at this moment."

That said, even with Thompson's prowess, Watkins does expect the club's hot start to cool, though she does predict a 2025 NWSL Playoff berth for the LA team.

"They are getting through on moments of brilliance, on chemistry and mental fortitude," noted Watkins. "It's a long season, and those kinds of things can start to slip as you get tired and other teams get used to the way that you play."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

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MLB Trailblazer Kim Ng Named AUSL Commissioner

Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng smiles before a 2023 MLB game.
Ex-MLB GM Kim Ng will serve as AUSL’s first commissioner. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) hired former MLB executive Kim Ng as its first-ever commissioner on Wednesday, tapping into Ng’s 21 years of top-level experience ahead of the league’s inaugural 2025 season.

After becoming the youngest assistant general manager in baseball history for the New York Yankees in 1998, Ng inked another line into the record books as the first woman GM in any major US men’s sports league in November 2020, when she took over the front office for MLB’s Miami Marlins.

Her three-season tenure in Miami culminated in a 2023 playoff appearance — the Marlins' first in 20 years.

Ng's pivot to softball is a homecoming for the trailblazing 56-year-old exec, who played NCAA softball before breaking down MLB barriers.

"I think after 30-plus years in the business, I also owe it to myself to do some things that I hadn't necessarily had the opportunity to do in the past," Ng told The Athletic about her decision to join AUSL. "And this is, for me, it's a passion."

Prior to her commissioner appointment, Ng served as a senior advisor for AUSL, helping to develop the league into existence from a landscape full of growing parity at the college level, yet few viable pro opportunities.

"Knowing what an established, mature system of governance looks like, I think will be really helpful in establishing this league," Ng added.

Athletes Unlimited softball player Rachel Garcia warms up before a 2024 game.
AUSL offers NCAA alums like ex-UCLA star pitcher Rachel Garcia the chance to go pro in softball. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

AUSL takes the field with 2025 tour

Launching on June 7th — immediately following the 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series — each of the AUSL's four inaugural teams will play 24 games across a seven-week season.

The league's 2025 debut will function as a tour, with regular-season games played across eight different cities before two additional locations are added for the first-ever AUSL All-Star Cup in August.

Each city is auditioning to become one of six permanent markets for the league, which will transition to a traditional location-based set-up in 2026.

PWHL Reveals 2025 Draft Details, Will Welcome New Pros in June

2024 PWHL Draft No. 1 pick Sarah Fillier skates in a 2025 New York Sirens game.
Princeton alum Sarah Fillier was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft. (Troy Parla/Getty Images)

The PWHL dropped its 2025 Draft details on Tuesday, with the league’s third-annual entry draft set to take over Ottawa, Canada — home of the Charge — on June 24th.

Eligible NCAA standouts and other pro hockey prospects have until May 8th to declare for selection, following the PWHL’s May 3rd regular-season finale.

Notably, the second-year league follows the Gold Plan when it comes to determining draft order. Under this system, teams eliminated from the playoffs have an incentive to continue hunting wins, as franchises who amass more points post-elimination secure higher draft picks.

The New York Sirens and 2024 champions Minnesota Frost currently sit below the postseason cutoff line, meaning both teams could snag the most draft capital when the league returns from international break later this month.

Team USA's Abbey Murphy skates during a 2023 game against Canada.
Team USA's Abbey Murphy is the likely 2025 PWHL Draft No. 1 pick, unless she returns to the NCAA. (Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)

NCAA stars likely to top 2025 PWHL Draft selections

Last year, the New York Sirens selected Princeton star Sarah Fillier as the overall No. 1 pick, with the rookie forward having an immediate impact in her debut pro season.

Fillier currently ranks second in individual points scored on the 2024/25 PWHL stat sheet, trailing only US hockey legend and Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight.

As for who will join Fillier and Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise — the inaugural 2023 PWHL Draft No. 1 pick — atop this year's draft, two NCAA standouts are likely contenders.

Should she declare, University of Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy is the projected 2025 No. 1 pick.

However, Murphy could return to the Golden Gophers for a final NCAA season following her international duty with the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship semifinals-bound Team USA.

Should Murphy defer her pro debut, 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien is the likely top selectee, having already declared for the draft.

The Wisconsin captain wrapped up her NCAA campaign as this season's leading scorer, claiming 88 points on 26 goals and 62 assists en route to this year’s national championship — the third NCAA title of her college career.

LSU Hunts Repeat Title as 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Kick Off

UCLA gymnastics star Jordan Chiles poses during her balance beam routine at a 2025 NCAA meet.
Jordan Chiles’s UCLA squad is hunting their first NCAA title since 2018. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Eight top squads are edging closer to Saturday’s 2025 NCAA gymnastics championships team trophy, with the pivotal semifinal round kicking off on Thursday afternoon.

No. 2-seed Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 7 Missouri, and No. 11 Alabama will hit the mat first, before 2024 winners and the 2025 bracket's No. 1-seed LSU goes to work to defend their title against No. 4 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 8 Michigan State.

The top two teams from each of Thursday's semifinals will advance to compete for the national title on Saturday.

LSU's Haleigh Bryant does a split-leap during a December 2024 gymnastics exhibition meet.
LSU's Haleigh Bryant will defend her 2024 all-around title on Thursday. (Reagan Cotten/University Images via Getty Images)

Semifinal meets will crown individual NCAA champions

First, however, five individual NCAA trophies will be bestowed on Thursday night, as the semifinal meets will determine the 2025 all-around and event champions.

In addition to the athletes on the eight qualifying teams, four all-around competitors and 16 event specialists will join the race for solo NCAA hardware, with each earning an invite as the top performer in their respective category at one of the sport's four Regional tournaments.

These individual contenders will follow a qualified team's rotation schedule during their semifinal meet.

Leading the all-around pack is LSU star and 2024 individual champ Haleigh Bryant, though she'll face stiff competition in her bid for a back-to-back championship.

Standing in Bryant's path are Oregon State's Jade Carey, Arkansas's Joscelyn Roberson, Denver's Madison Ulrich, and Washington's Mary McDonough, alongside qualified team athletes like UCLA's Jordan Chiles — Carey’s 2024 Olympics teammate.

Bryant will also defend her shared 2024 vault title, though her co-champion on that event, Cal's Mya Lauzon, will instead compete for beam and floor hardware this week.

All other 2024 event winners are also back, with LSU's Konnor McClain and Florida's Leanne Wong seeking to repeat on beam and floor, respectively. Wong will also hunt another trophy on bars, alongside last year's co-champ, Utah's Grace McCallum.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships

The first 2025 NCAA gymnastics semifinal starts at 4:30 PM ET on Thursday, followed by the second semi at 9 PM ET.

Live coverage of both semifinal meets will air on ESPN2.

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