Browsing: Women

England all-rounder Charlie Dean has signed a two-year contract extension with Somerset.

The 24-year-old spinner, who is currently on international duty with England at the World Cup in India, came through the Hampshire set-up and joined Somerset last November following a seven-season stint with Southern Vipers.

Dean featured in 12 matches across the formats for Trevor Griffin’s side this summer, scoring 180 runs and claiming 14 wickets. Her new deal will see her remain with Somerset through to the conclusion of the 2027 season.

“I’m delighted; it’s nice to be rewarded with the faith of the club because I’ve really enjoyed playing for Somerset,” Dean said.

“I’m really excited for the next few years as this group learns and grows.

“It’s an exciting time for the team and hopefully we can continue to build and put in a few more match-winning performances next season.

“It’s been a really enjoyable first year and everyone in Taunton has been so welcoming. It’s a great place to play cricket and there’s a real sense of community down here.”

Dean made her county debut with Hampshire in 2016 at the age of 15 and won five trophies during her time with Southern Vipers, including the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

She has also played for London Spirit in The Hundred since 2021, and was part of the side that lifted the trophy at Lord’s in 2024.

Having first been called into the England ODI squad in 2021, Dean now has 98 international caps to her name in which she has claimed 148 wickets and scored over 600 runs.

She was named PCA Women’s ODI Player of the Year in 2022, signing her first central contract in November of that year.

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Racing with “absolutely no plans,†NC Stateâ€s Grace Hartman, mostly grateful to be healthy, steadily edged away from the best of the rest over the final 2K. (SEAN HARTNETT)

VERONA, WISCONSIN, October 17 — Nuttycombe Invite winner Grace Hartman didnâ€t have a race plan. Heck, 3 weeks earlier, the North Carolina State senior wasnâ€t even sure if sheâ€d run.

She just wanted to race. And that she did, sans race plan, and quite well, with her 19:30 over the 6K Zimmer course not only the third best in Nutty history but also more than enough to pace her team to a 41-point team win.

Not a bad season debut, to be sure, for the 8-time XC and track all-American from Oakwood, Ohio, who was 5th in the 2024 NCAA championship. It was, needless to say, the kind of season opener Hartman not only wanted but probably needed, and one that was even more meaningful because she had been laboring under such uncertainty.

“I had absolutely no plans going into this,†Hartman said. “I was in a lot of pain 8 weeks ago and each week Iâ€ve kind of been working back from that on a day-to-day basis. And I didnâ€t even know if I was going to be lining up here today.

“So, to do this, I was just running. First of all, there was a lot of anxiety going into this race but also a lot of joy, because I didnâ€t even know if I was going to have a cross country season.

“Iâ€m just so grateful — I feel like Iâ€m a freshman again,†she said. “Every day I get to run is a blessing. Sometimes you need that kind of perspective to break through. Having the support of my team and coaches has really helped. Itâ€s so motivating to compete against so many women at such a high level.â€

NC State, ranked second nationally, scored its 41 points off a 1-2-9-11-18 finish. After trailing Notre Dame 73–112 at 2K, the Wolfpack took a healthy lead the squad would never relinquish (nearly identical to its final victory margin) by the 3½ mark.

Adding some icing on the cake, soph Angelina Napoleon made it a 1-2 finish for the Wolfpack, closing like gangbusters up the long uphill finishing straight to overtake Washington State frosh Rosemary Longisa, 19:34.6 to 19:39.2. Notre Dame soph Mary Bonner Dalton (19:40.3) and Iowa State freshman Mercyline Kirwa (19:44.8) rounded out the top 5 in the 236-runner field.

Sophomore Bethany Michalak in 9th, junior Hannah Gapes in 11th and frosh Sadie Engelhardt in 18th completed NC Stateâ€s top 5.

It was hardly ever in doubt, team-wise, even with 17 of the eventual top-18 teams ranked nationally in a hugely competitive field. No. 7 Notre Dameâ€s solid 1-2 punch pushed the Irish to a runner-up finish with 125 points, followed by No. 16 Iowa State (176), No. 9 West Virginia (190) and a well-balanced 18th-ranked Northwestern squad with 225.

Georgetown (243), Penn State (247), Stanford (250), New Mexico (312) and Utah (316) filled out the rest of the top 10 in the 30-team field.

By the mid-point of the race, NC Stateâ€s dominance was established with the rest of the multitude of ranked teams jockeying for places (and, ultimately, for points possibly needed for an at-large selection).

Individually, however, it was no runaway for eventual champ Hartman or anyone else as the field remained bunched. The leaders, really, a group of 12-15 including Hartman, Longisa and Napoleon, went through 2K in 6:33, with some 20 more runners within a second of them. The field had thinned only slightly as they went through 3K in 9:47 with a dozen or so within striking distance.

Finally, by 4K there was some action, as Hartman, Longisa and Napoleon were 1-2-3 at 13:12 with Gapes and North Carolinaâ€s Vera Sjöberg lurking nearby.

Hartman, seeing daylight, steadily and almost stealthily moved to the fore, and all of a sudden, it seemed, a once neck-and-neck race was hers alone. The top 3 all closed well although Napoleon outran Longisa in the final 200 meters.

NUTTYCOMBE WOMENâ€S RESULTS

Teams: 1. NC State 41; 2. Notre Dame 125; 3. Iowa State 176; 4. West Virginia 190; 5. Northwestern 225; 6. Georgetown 243.

Individuals (6K): 1. *Grace Hartman (NCSt) 19:30.1; 2. **Angelina Napoleon (NCSt) 19:34.6; 3. ***Rosemary Longisa’ (WaSt-Ken) 19:39.2; 4. **Mary Bonner Dalton (NDm) 19:40.3; 5. ***Mercyline Kirwa’ (IaSt-Ken) 19:44.8; 6. Vera Sjoberg (NC) 19:45.5; 7. *Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 19:48.8; 8. ***Amaya Aramini (NDm) 19:50.0; 9. **Bethany Michalak (NCSt) 19:50.7; 10. **Joy Naukot’ (WV-Ken) 19:56.1;

11. *Hannah Gapes’ (NCSt-NZ) 19:57.4; 12. *Erin Vringer’ (Ut-Can) 20:03.6; 13. Maelle Porcher’ (IaSt-Fra) 20:04.4; 14. ***Betty Kipkore’ (IaSt-Ken) 20:05.0; 15. Florence Caron’ (PennSt-Can) 20:07.3; 16. ***Marion Jepngetich’ (NM-Ken) 20:10.6; 17. **Mercy Kinyanjui’ (WV-Ken) 20:11.3; 18. ***Sadie Engelhardt (NCSt) 20:11.8;

19. Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 20:13.9; 20. **Rachel Forsyth’ (MiSt-Can) 20:14.6; 21. **Zenah Cheptoo’ (WaSt-Ken) 20:17.8; 22. Emily Bryce’ (WV-Can) 20:19.1; 23. **Ava Criniti (NWn) 20:21.1; 24. *Annastasia Peters (Ut) 20:21.5; 25. *Stephanie Moss (Duke) 20:22.0; 26. **Arianne Olson (NDm) 20:22.8; 27. *Hayley Burns (NnAz) 20:23.0; 28. *Mia Cochran (Wa) 20:23.6; 29. ***Mercy Kibet (IaSt) 20:26.9; 30. Almi Nerurkar (Gtn) 20:27.6;

31. **Ava Mitchell (NnAz) 20:28.3; 32. ***Tessa Walter (Furm) 20:28.4; 33. **Logan Hofstee (Gonz) 20:29.2; 34. Leane Willemse (Wi) 20:29.9;

35. ***Hanne Thomsen (Stan) 20:30.2; 36. *Barrett Justema (Gtn) 20:30.5; 37. ***Judy Rono’ (NM-Ken) 20:30.9; 38. ***Mia Larochelle’ (Co-Can) 20:31.0;

39. Holly Smith (NWn) 20:31.2; 40. Charlotte Tomkinson (Gtn) 20:31.3;… dnf—**Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken), Tilly Simpson’ (NM-GB).

Veteran editor, writer and author Don Kopriva has been writing for Track & Field News since 1970, primarily covering the Midwest, the Big Ten and major cross country meets. His coverage stats: 2 Olympic Games, 6 Olympic Trials, 55 Drake Relays, 165 Big Ten XC and track championships and more than 110 NCAA and USA championships, including 50 in NCAA Div. I cross country. He lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

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Frosh Jane Hedengren (center) blasted off with the pack, soon reached the front and by 2½M was building an enormous lead. (SHAWN PRICE)

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, October 17 — Jane Hedengren, making a long, sweeping left turn at about 4900m, took a good look over her left shoulder at any possibly pursuers.

There was no one there.

And no wonder. The BYU frosh would cross the 5K mark of the Gans Creek XC Course moments later in 15:36.0. She had just covered the fifth kilo of the 6K Pre-Nationals course in a blistering 3:01.5, increasing her gaping margin over Clemsonâ€s Silvia Jelego from 7.6 to 19.2 seconds.

Every question as to whether Hedengren would make her BYU debut here at Gans, whether she would run steady with her teammates or push hard to win, and whether she would pick up where she left off in June — with the greatest distance campaign a prep girl has ever authored — had been answered with a resounding “YES!â€

The 9-time HS recordsetter would go on to smash the course record in 18:42.3, more than 23 seconds up on Jelego (19:05.8). She had made it immediately clear she would run at or near the lead from the start and went with Jelego when she started to break it open in the second K. Then Hedengren began running purposefully just after 2K (Jelego 6:17.7), alternating the lead with the Kenyan. At about 2M (9:21.7 3K) she took control for good.

It was in that fourth kilometer, though, where Hedengren really showed how good she could be.

Now the Timpview, Utah, grad could hardly be called an NCAA favorite yet, not with the likes of defending champ Doris Lemngole and â€24 runner-up Pamela Kosgei out there (and yet to debut this fall). But anyone who argued Hedengren would rank high among the nationâ€s top 10 NCAA runners right away this fall would appear well vindicated.

Nearly as impressive were Coach Diljeet Taylorâ€s No. 1 defending champ Cougars as a team. Closing hard on Jelego at the end after running a solitary 4th much of the way was Riley Chamberlain, taking 3rd in 19:08.6. Taylor Rohatinsky ran in the top 10 after 2K and finished 6th, while Jacey Farmer, Lexi Goff and Nelah Roberts — all well outside the top 30 at 2K — surged all the way to 7th, 8th and 10th in the end.

Hence, BYU crushed the field with 25 points, 145 ahead of No. 19 Villanova (170). The Wildcats, in turn, had chased host No. 21 Missouri as a team all race long, finally surpassing them in the last K. The Tigers did hold off No. 30 Tennessee, 216–219.

Tennessee frosh Mary Ogwoka, who broke away with Hedengren and Jelego in the second kilo, held 4th (19:27.6) after getting passed by Chamberlain. Libertyâ€s Allie Zealand rounded out the top 5 in 19:40.4, just ahead of Rohatinsky.

Many had hoped to see whether No. 3 Florida could challenge BYU in the team battle, but the Gators — who also ran here in Septemberâ€s Gans Creek Classic — did not run their top 4 and finished just 13th in the 38-team field (though they were top 6 through 4 runners).

And, of course, it goes without saying that at least one or two of the Florida quartet of Hilda Olemomoi, Judy Chepkoech, Tia Wilson and Desma Chepkoech would have battled Hedengren and/or challenged for top 10 individual spots. They ran as a group in the meet here last month, finishing 5-7-8-9 while the Volunteer Ogwoka was 2nd behind Washington Stateâ€s Rosemary Longisa in that earlier meet.

PRE-NATIONALS WOMENâ€S RESULTS

Teams: 1. BYU 25; 2. Villanova 170; 3. Missouri 216; 4. Tennessee 219; 5. Florida State 255; 6. Clemson 286; 7. Boston College 306; 8. Arkansas 309; 9. Liberty 325; 10. Kentucky 330.

Individuals (6K): 1. ***Jane Hedengren (BYU) 18:42.3; 2. **Silvia Jelego’ (Clem-Ken) 19:05.8; 3. *Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 19:08.6; 4. ***Mary Ogwoka’ (Tn-Ken) 19:27.6; 5. **Allie Zealand (Lib) 19:40.4; 6. Taylor Rohatinsky (BYU) 19:41.6; 7. *Jacey Farmer (BYU) 19:45.6; 8. *Lexi Goff (BYU) 19:46.5; 9. ***Monica Wanjiku’ (Mo-Ken) 19:47.9; 10. **Nelah Roberts (BYU) 19:50.5;

11. *Gladys Chepngetich’ (Clem-Ken) 19:50.9; 12. Sydney Thorvaldson (Ar) 19:51.1; 13. Imogen Gardiner (BC) 19:51.6; 14. ***Rylee Blade (FlSt) 19:53.0; 15. *Tilly O’Connor (Vill) 19:55.7; 16. ***Doricah Minsari Isoe’ (Ky-Ken) 19:55.7; 17. *Bieke Schipperen’ (FlSt-Neth) 19:56.1; 18. *Taylor Lovell (BYU) 19:57.5; 19. Nicole Vanasse (Vill) 19:58.1; 20. ***Zariel Macchia (BYU) 20:00.8; 21. Kyra Holland (BC) 20:01.3; 22. *Josphine Mwaura’ (Ar-Ken) 20:01.6; 23. Carmen Alder’ (BYU-Ecu) 20:02.3; 24. *Ali Bainbridge (Nb) 20:03.9; 25. ***Anastasia Nilsson’ (Ga-Swe) 20:05.1.

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For the first time this season, Mark Broadie’s NCAA Division I golf rankings are out.

The anticipation lasted a little longer than expected, too, as only the first five men’s teams went live around 3 p.m. ET, with the rest likely filtering in once the servers recovered from what was surely an influx of anxious coaches, players and fans.

Debuting at Nos. 1 are the Utah men and Wake Forest women. While the Demon Deacons, perfect through two events (the Annika Intercollegiate and Jackson T. Stephens Cup), are no surprise, the Utes edged Virginia, Vanderbilt and Auburn for the top spot without winning a tournament.

Utah was second at The Tindall and third at The Wohali, perhaps proving that playing only events starting with a definite article is some sort of cheat code. But seriously, the job that head coach Garrett Clegg has done in nearly a decade at Utah is remarkable. The Utes have made NCAA regionals in four of the last five seasons, and in 2022, they advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time in almost 35 years. Last year, they finished No. 17 in Broadie’s ranking, though they failed to qualify for the 30-team field at La Costa.

Utah’s Gabriel Palacios is the top-ranked individual in the national rankings while his teammate Davis Johnson is fifth. Virginia’s Ben James is second, less than 13 average points behind Palacios.

Virginia, last season’s national runner-up won at Colonial and was second at Chattanooga’s event at the Honors Course, but with a four-way tie for first at the Hogan and T-8 just six shots back, the Cavaliers only mustered 71.99 points for that co-title, about 10 fewer points than what they received for their runner-up.

Arkansas rounds out the top five in the men’s ranking, while New Mexico and BYU are two fresh faces inside the top 10 compared to previous seasons. Another mid-major, Charlotte, is No. 16, a spot ahead of defending national champion Oklahoma State, which won at Olympia Fields but finished T-10 at Notre Dame’s tournament without its two first-team All-Americans, Preston Stout and Ethan Fang.

On the women’s side, Wake Forest is clear of USC, Stanford, Oregon and Texas A&M. The Demon Deacons beat the Cardinal at the Stephens Cup, in both stroke play and match play. That’s Stanford’s only tournament of the fall so far, though it hosts its home event this week. There are few surprises in the top 20, though Pepperdine at No. 8 stands out, with the Waves posting a respectable seventh at Annika before finishing a distant runner-up to USC at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic.

Among the teams in the top 25, Oklahoma jumps out in a good way, as the Sooners hold the 19th spot, their best national ranking in a long time, thanks to three top-5s, albeit no wins.

Individually, the annual Blessings bump went to Mississippi State’s Avery Weed, who won the event and received 180.78 points, well over double what she got for a runner-up at the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach. Weed is ranked No. 1 nationally over Arkansas’ Maria Jose Marin, who – you guessed it – was second at the Blessings.

As with any ranking, once there is more data, some of the head-scratching rankings should sort themselves out. And hopefully, after weeks of waiting, there will be weekly updates.

Let the rankings debates begin!

For full rankings, click here.

Churning out 5K segments of about 16:00 each, Hawi Feysa had pacing help into the 21st mile and then quickly opened a 15-meter margin that only grew until the finish. (MIKE SCOTT)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, October 12 — Hawi Feysa made the most of her first appearance in the Windy Cityâ€s famed annual contest on its speedway course. The 26-year-old Ethiopian led from the start to her smiling 2:14:57 finish.

She had plenty to smile about as she became just the sixth woman under 2:15 — trailing only Ruth Chepngetich, Tigst Assefa, Sifan Hassan and Brigid Kosgei as she moved to No. 5 on the all-time list. By one second, she pushed her training partner Amane Beriso (2:14:58 at London in â€22) back one spot on the ATL.

“I feel very happy,†Feysa said. “The race conditions were good. The course was good, and my coach Gemedu [Dedefo] gave me a lot of good preparation heading into this race. I felt confident. I trained really hard to have this victory and I feel I can run faster in the future.â€

Chicago is now home to 5 of the top 6 all-time womenâ€s performances, and this edition yielded 5 sub-2:20s. Ethiopiaâ€s Megertu Alemu finished 2nd in 2:17:18 with Tanzaniaâ€s Magdalena Shauri 3rd in 2:18:03. Following the lead trio were Kenyans Loice Chemnung (2:18:23) and Mary Ngugi (2:19:25).

Natosha Rogers found her third marathon effort to be the charm as the â€12 NCAA 10,000 champion finished as first American. Rogers took 6th in a PR 2:23:28. Paris Olympian Dakotah Popehn (formerly Lindwurm also notched a PR finishing 8th in 2:24:20.

Right from the gun, Feysa followed male pacer Chala Beyo to the front, targeting 16:00 splits for each 5K segment — 2:15 pace. “That was the plan,†Feysa noted, “to run even pace.â€

They hit the first 5K in 16:07, then got on tempo through subsequent 5K segments of 16:02, 15:55 and 15:59 to cross halfway spot at 67:30.

Feysa was far from alone. Shauri ran next to her, and the Ethiopian duo of Alemu and Ejgayehu Taye ran with their pacer 7 seconds back.

The steady tempo continued through 16:00 and 15:55 5Ks to 30K in 1:35:54 — 2:14:53 pace. Feysa just followed Beyo apparently unconcerned with her competition as Shauri fell away in the 28th kilometer. Then Alemu surged to within 5 seconds — maybe a bit of a concern as the challenger had run a PR 2:16:34 to finish 4th in London â€24 then scored a 2:16:49 win last December in Valencia.

No, Feysa soon had a larger development interfere with her race plan as Beyo, her dedicated pacer in training and races, pulled up with blisters in the 34th K.

The petite Feysa missed Beyoâ€s windbreak more than the pacing as she recounted, “There was a bit of wind after 30K and that became challenging, but I had confidence in my training.â€

Feysa, indeed, kept up her own pace through a 16:04 and fended off Megertuâ€s challenge by extending her lead to 15 seconds at 35K.

Maintaining a fluid arm carry and steady stride, Feysa cruised through the final kilometers looking like she was running 2:15 pace very much within herself. She was.

“I do a lot of training like this in practice,†she said. “I am teammates of Tigst Assefa, and Amane Beriso and we are training at times like 2:13 or 2:14. We work on this, so I was just locking in on the rhythm we have in our long, hard group runs.â€

Feysaâ€s training pedigree carried her through another 16:00 split as she hit 40K at 2:15:00 pace, then closed in 6:58 to peel away a significant 4 seconds, closing out a 1:07:30/1:07:26 even-paced masterpiece.

The win also cemented Feysaâ€s rise to the top echelon of womenâ€s marathon in just her fifth 42K race.

Primarily a trackster, Feysa finished 8th in the â€19 World Championships 5000 and has logged 8 DL races. She also mixed in cross and road races throughout her career including a runner-up finish in the World XC Junior race of â€17.

Feysa had a banner year on the track in â€22, running 8:38.48 and 14:33.66 PRs — followed by debilitating injuries that sent her to the marathon the next year.

Training full time with Gemeduâ€s A-group, Feysa raced to a breakout 2:17:25 course record win a year ago in Frankfurt. She hit the podium in her first WMM race this past March in Tokyo running 2:17:00 for 3rd.

Feysa is quick to credit Gemeduâ€s guidance: “My coach gave me training that prepared me very well. Beyond just the training, he has given me confidence. He has told me many times that I can win. He is giving me the morale to think that maybe I can do this.â€

CHICAGO WOMENâ€S RESULTS

1. Hawi Feysa (Eth) 2:14:57 (5, 6 W) (16:06, 16:02 [32:08], 15:52 [48:00], 15:59 [1:03:59], 16:00 [1:19:59], 15:55 [1:35:54], 16:04 [1:51:58], 16:01 [2:07:59], 6:58) (1:07:30/1:07:27);

2. Megertu Alemu (Eth) 2:17:18; 3. Magdalena Shauri (Tan) 2:18:03; 4. Loice Chemnung (Ken) 2:18:24; 5. Mary Ngugi (Ken) 2:19:26; 6. Natosha Rogers (US) 2:23:28; 7. Dakotah Popehn (formerly Lindwurm) (US) 2:24:20; 8. Florencia Borelli (Arg) 2:24:23; 9. Gabriella Rooker (US) 2:26:32; 10. Melody Julien (Fra) 2:27:08; 11. Bedatu Hirpa (Eth) 2:27:51; 12. Marta Galimany (Spa) 2:28:24; 13. Aubrey Frentheway (US) 2:28:56;

14. Makenna Myler (US) 2:29:26; 15. Maggie Montoya (US) 2:29:51; 16. Rachel McCardell (US) 2:34:31; 17. Maria Lindberg (US) 2:34:59; 18. Anna Kenig-Ziesler (US) 2:35:25; 19. Christa Cain (GB) 2:35:31; 20. Maddie Meyers (US) 2:35:37; 21. Rachel Hyland (US) 2:35:41; 22. Kristin Dailey (US) 2:36:08; 23. Alana Levy (US) 2:36:53; 24. Ashley Heidenrich (US) 2:37:04.

When “Professor Marathon†isnâ€t crafting topographical maps and pace charts for 26-milers around the world, the now Emeritus geographer at Wisconsin–Eau Claire, serves as the Chair of the Lower Chippewa River conservation organization and hits the airwaves Thursday afternoons as a DJ on a community radio program called “All Things 6 String.†(Hint: Sean’s the one in the photo who never set a World Record ?)

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Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda and Hawi Feysa Gejia of Ethiopia are the 2025 Chicago Marathon champions in a race that also featured a new American record on the men’s side.

Kiplimo won the men’s competition with a time of two hours, two minutes and 23 seconds, which was enough to outpace fellow podium-finishers Amos Kipruto and Alex Masai.

Conner Mantz of the United States finished in fourth place and set the American record with a time of two hours, four minutes and 43 seconds.

As for the women’s competition, Feysa broke free in the latter portion of the race and cruised to a win.

Here is a look at the top finishers:

It seemed like Kiplimo would challenge for a world record since he was under pace for approximately 22 hours. He ultimately fell short of the 2:00:35 world record, which was set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon by Kelvin Kiptum.

However, this year’s victor still needed a strong finish to hold off Kipruto. That it was Kiplimo’s second career marathon made it all the more impressive.

As for Mantz, he broke Khalid Khannouchi’s American record of 2:05:38 from the 2002 London Marathon by nearly a full minute. Khannouchi was part of NBC Chicago’s coverage and joked with Mantz, “What took you so long?”

On the women’s side, Feysa added to her resume that also includes the 2025 Tokyo Marathon bronze medal. She seized control around the 18th mile and defeated Megertu Alemu by nearly three minutes.

The Chicago Marathon is always highly anticipated as one of the three World Marathon Majors in the United States, and this year was certainly no different.

Ashley Tysiac of Runner’s Worldcalled the men’s competition “one of the deepest fields” of the year with reigning champion John Korir returning to face a field that included half marathon world-record holder Kiplimo and Mantz.

It has also been just two years since Kiptum set the 2:00:35 world record in Chicago, and record watch is always an area of focus in the Windy City.

As for the women’s competition, Tysiac called it a “wide-open” field since reigning champion and world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich is suspended after a positive drug test. Tysiac highlighted Ethiopians Alemu and Feysa as candidates to take home the title.

That was quite a prediction considering they finished in first and second place.

All of the runners were facing a course that travels through some of Chicago’s most famous neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Old Town, Greek Town, Little Town and Chinatown. Much of the race runs parallel to Lake Michigan, and runners finished at Grant Park.

And nobody finished faster than Kiplimo for the men and Feysa for the women.

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England vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: England will begin their ICC Womenâ€s World Cup campaign against South Africa with an eye on neutralizing the Proteas†key players, especially captain Laura Wolvaardt. Speaking ahead of the match, England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt highlighted Wolvaardtâ€s threat, saying, “If you let her get going, it is difficult to get her out. So, we will be putting our plans in place for her. Obviously, they have had a very good opening partnership in the last series they played, so it will be important for us to get their wickets early.â€

Wolvaardt, a seasoned batter and South Africaâ€s top ODI run-getter, has amassed 4,651 runs in 110 matches at an average of 48.95, with nine centuries and 35 fifties. Since becoming captain in 2021, she has further elevated her game, scoring 1,523 runs in 32 matches at an average of 56.40, while leading South Africa to 16 wins. Heather Knight, former England skipper, described her as a “calm leader†whose batting has reached a new level under her captaincy.

Tazmin Brits, Wolvaardtâ€s opening partner, is in exceptional form this year, with 643 runs in nine innings at an average of 91.85, including four centuries and a fifty. Her recent performances feature a hat-trick of centuries, with scores of 171* against Pakistan and other big knocks against West Indies and Pakistan, underscoring the challenge for Englandâ€s bowlers.

Two-time champions England have assembled a balanced squad led by Sciver-Brunt, featuring Tammy Beaumont, Sophie Ecclestone, Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, and others. The team will aim to strike early, particularly against South Africaâ€s dangerous top order, to secure momentum in their opening fixture.

The clash is expected to be a high-stakes contest, with England eager to start their World Cup campaign with a win, while South Africa will rely on Wolvaardtâ€s consistency and the destructive form of Brits to challenge the defending champions. Tactical planning, execution in the powerplay, and key individual performances will likely determine the outcome of this opening encounter.

England won the toss and Nat Sciver-Brunt has opted to field against South Africa Women.

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The Sheffield United head coach, Ash Thompson, has left his role at the Womenâ€s Super League 2 side, with the club saying they have “mutually agreed to part waysâ€.

The news comes 19 days after the Guardian revealed that Thompson had been suspended from his duties. The teamâ€s assistant head coach, Luke Turner, has been in charge on an interim basis in the meantime and they have picked up one point from their opening four league matches of the WSL 2 campaign and are bottom of the table.

There was never any formal announcement of Thompsonâ€s suspension, although earlier in September, a club spokesperson told the Guardian: “Sheffield United Women confirms that Luke Turner takes charge of the senior womenâ€s team on an interim basis, with Ash Thompson currently unavailable.†Thompson was also contacted for a response.

On Tuesday, a short statement from the club said: “Sheffield United can confirm that the club and womenâ€s manager Ash Thompson have mutually agreed to part ways. Following a review, both parties agreed that this was the right time for a change of leadership.

“The club would like to thank Ash for his efforts throughout his time at the club. Luke Turner will take charge in the interim.â€

Sheffield United were poised for relegation last season after a disappointing campaign under Thompson, finishing bottom of the division, but they received a reprieve from being demoted after Blackburn Rovers withdrew from the league over financial concerns. That saw Sheffield United reinstated to the second tier to ensure the league had 12 participating clubs this season.

Formerly a coach at Leeds, Thompson had been in charge of Sheffield United since the summer of 2024. That came after three years working within the clubâ€s youth academy, including a spell as their under-21s manager.

Turner, who has been working for the club since 2020, has had three previous spells as interim manager between 2022 and 2024.

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The transformative effects that Englandâ€s hosting of the 2022 Womenâ€s European Championship had on its domestic game are well known in Australia. The country got its version of this phenomenon when it co-hosted the 2023 Womenâ€s World Cup and its domestic competition, the A-League Women, basked in the reflected haloâ€s light as it grew to 12 sides, secured a new collective bargaining agreement increasing spending limits and became the first Australian football code to introduce a full home-and-away womenâ€s season. There were record crowds and TV ratings.

Come the start of 2025-26, however, on the eve of Australia preparing to host its own continental showpiece, the 2026 Womenâ€s Asian Cup, and those heights feel increasingly bygone. Most of the news dominating the buildup for the new year has been less than ideal, the coming campaign seeing the league – a closed competition without promotion and relegation – contract in size for the first time since Central Coast went on hiatus before 2010-11. It will do so after Western Unitedâ€s teams were placed into a period of “conditional hibernation†amid their embattled attempts to stave off collapse.

Gripped in financial turmoil, United, based in Melbourneâ€s west, had their parent companies placed into liquidation in August after a petition from the Australian Tax Office. That came weeks after the unexpected stripping of their A-League licence by the first instance board of Football Australia – which still maintains regulatory oversight of the top flight under the terms of its independence. A protracted series of appeals, which remain ongoing, commenced but with the season scheduled to kick off on Halloween, the hibernation decision came in early September to allow some certainty and for fixtures to be released.

To some, stating a club stripped of its licence and the subject of a winding-up order from tax authorities to be in “hibernation†might carry the same energy as John Cleese stating that a parrot is simply pining for the fjords. But United, who will nominally continue to run their boys and girls academies over the coming year, insist that they will return “revitalisedâ€.

Revitalisation notwithstanding, though, United wonâ€t be part of the A-League Women for the coming season; shrinking it to 11 sides and reducing its weekly games from six to five. While their menâ€s and womenâ€s players were able to secure releases from their contracts, the imminent start of the campaign means that many of Unitedâ€s players will be unable to find new homes before the season begins. And despite proposals from the players†union the PFA for temporary roster spots and salary-cap exemptions, it has already been signalled that no allowances will be made for clubs to sign former United talent. Players, thus, face losing a year of their professional careers, with most facing no competitive minutes until the start of semi-professional, state-based NPL competitions in 2026.

“The dragged-out process and poor timing have left me in such a vulnerable position – suddenly without the opportunity to play A-League and facing the uncertainty of what comes next,†Maja Markovski, now a free-agent striker, says. “On top of that, Iâ€m rehabbing a knee injury on my own, without the support and structure that a professional environment brings. Itâ€s been isolating and incredibly difficult, trying to stay strong mentally while feeling like the rug has been pulled from under me.â€

The troubles at United, who last season were led by Kat Smith, also ensure that only one of the leagueâ€s 11 sides will be coached by a woman heading into the season. And with that coach, Bev Priestman, at the helm of the New Zealand-based side Wellington Phoenix, it means that just over two years on from a home World Cup in which development for female coaches was a key legacy goal for Football Australia, there will be no female coaches leading an Australian A-League Womenâ€s side.

Adding to the melancholy air, this is all taking place against a sweeping program of austerity across the league and its clubs – a program that is reportedly behind the decision to not bring in Auckland as an expansion franchise until the 2027-28 season. A much celebrated silver lining of these cuts is improved opportunities for young players to play, but this invariably is paired with a squeezing out of established talent who, while maybe not destined for overseas, guide youngsters and raise the standard of the on-field product.

With a home Asian Cup looming, a crossroads is being approached. The PFA is calling for the event to become a launching pad for a pathway towards the implementation of full-time professionalism and the launch of a deliberate strategy to convert supporters of the Matildas into fans of A-League Womenâ€s clubs, lest Australia get left behind. Years of strategic blunders, however, have left the leagues emphasising consolidation and financial repair.

The Asian Cup is the last major tournament, the last sugar hit, that can be realistically banked for a while. It increasingly feels like a Rubicon moment.

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Another vision will be realized for promoter David McLane when WOW- Women Of Wrestling takes over the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas. The WOW Superheroes will perform under the iconic canopy for shows October 14 and 15 and October 21 and 22.  McLane has always championed all-female presentations going all the way back almost 40 years with the trailblazing Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW).Â

In many ways, WOW picked up where the beloved brand left off and evolved to the syndicated series we see today. With the show recently starting its fourth season, McLane isnâ€t one to rest on past successes. He has a big goal in mind to take WOW to the next level.

“Weâ€ve got to go live. Weâ€ve got to get WOW live,†he said. “Any of you fans, weâ€ve got to rally for WOW Live. We have to go live versus taped programming and syndication only.â€

For the go-getter businessman, eventually transitioning to a live format would maximize the audience and elicit engagement. He continued, “everything from social media to merchandise to marketing the Superheroes has been hampered in the fact itâ€s not live. Weâ€ve got to go live. I was at another wrestling event, and when I flew in, I even went to a WNBA game in Vegas. Iâ€m watching the fans interact with their phones in realtime. Itâ€s just a great experience. Itâ€s an engagement and family environment through your phone with technology. And to take part in that, weâ€ve got to get live.â€

Conversations have been ongoing with one network that has interest in testing a live format, but McLane doesnâ€t just want any network. He recalled meeting with executive Jeanie Buss when he was doing World Roller Hockey League.

McLane added, “I remember when I was launching that with ESPN and their then president Steve Bornstein, and they said, ‘letâ€s test it by putting on one or two roller hockey events on.†I came back and said we canâ€t do it unless we go all in because with one test youâ€re not going to learn anything. It canâ€t be one event. You have to see how it goes over time and be committed to it. So, weâ€re looking for that right partner right now.â€

He is also a realist when it comes to taking WOW on the road. McLaineâ€s thought process is to go live first and then think about touring. “If we did it today, weâ€d be dead meat financially,†he explained. “The cost to put it up and take it city to city would be very difficult. Weâ€d be dead meat, but that is an ultimate goal to take it out and be in different cities. The UFC has even struggled with that. They would love, I’m sure, financially to be in one location and do their UFC fights, but their president and CEO Dana White once mentioned, and I agree with him, that to grow the brand and touch the fans he is obligated to take it out into the marketplace and take it to different cities. We will need to do the same.â€

McLane credits working with Buss as a great partner. Someone who has been WOWâ€s biggest cheerleader. The controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers saw the importance of launching an all-female training facility to build homegrown talent. Under the leadership of veteran Selina Majors, the promotion continues to bring in new faces that bring the right balance of athleticism and pizazz.

“By the way, the tag line for the WOW Superheroes was created by Jeanie,†McLane revealed. “When she came to the matches prior to Jeanieâ€s engagement I was calling them the WOW girls. She said, ‘no, they are like real-life action superheroes when they fly off the ropes and do this and that. I fell in love with comic books as a kid. And these are real life comic book people who come to life, bigger than life. They should be called Superheroes. Thatâ€s how they became Superheroes through Jeanie Buss†innate genius marketing skillset.â€

When it comes to WOWâ€s early beginnings in this current run, McLane remains grateful to have had AJ Lee. Someone who came in as an executive producer and commentator during the first season.

“She took a chance with us and came to WOW,†he said. “I think she is proud of the product. Sheâ€ll be on that special with Jeanie Buss. I wanted to get her in the ring with WOW, but the timing wasnâ€t right. She wanted to make sure her body was at a 10 in conditioning and in shape.

She was writing movies and doing comic books when we were able to get her engaged. Just coming off the comic books and going into the movies. It was so fun.

“I never knew AJ until she started working with us. Now itâ€s so fun to watch her and see her prospering and do so well in the ring. I sent her a note when she was going in on the first night of her debut. I said, ‘just soak it in and enjoy it.†Iâ€m sure she did because I could see from the expression on her face. She knows she is getting a blessing of enjoying this with her husband and having fun with it one more time.â€

As for whatâ€s to come on WOW, McLane looks forward to digging a little deeper into the backstories of the Superheroes. He also teased some fiery competition to come for WOW Trio Tag Team Champions Coach Campanelli, Kandi Krush, and Gloria Glitter.

“This is Santana Garrettâ€s run,†McLane continued. “I didnâ€t realize it until we interviewed her in Florida but she has been with every wrestling organization. All the wrestling organizations including WWE and won championships everywhere. She somewhat started her career on a major level with us, with WOW.

“Her dad Kenny G participated before his passing. He was able to come to WOW events and see his daughter. This is like full circle with her back in WOW. I know she would like to make a run for that WOW title. Tormenta is back from Mexico with the championship. Paola Mayfield who was a reality show in 90 Day Fiancé and Amazonâ€s The Goat. So it’s going to be a great season and a lot of great competition.â€

For more information on how to catch WOW, visithttps://www.wowe.com/.

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