Indiana University Kokomo athletes will be in the national spotlight this weekend, competing in NAIA championships.
Senior Leslie Sprankles runs in the NAIA National Cross County Championships Friday (November 21) in Florida, while the #13-ranked women’s volleyball team takes on Reinhardt University at 1 p.m. Saturday at home in the Student Activities and Events Center.
Heather Hayes, director of athletics and volleyball coach, encouraged fans to attend Saturday’s volleyball game, and watch for updates on the cross country livestream to support Cougar student-athletes.
“It is an amazing accomplishment to earn a place in the nationals,” she said. “These students have brought significant positive attention to our campus, and we are proud of their achievements.”
Hayes said while this is the volleyball team’s 11th consecutive year qualifying for the National Championship, they don’t take it for granted, having replaced seven graduating seniors from the 2024 team. Their growth has been extraordinary, she said.
“From the outside, it might just look like another year — another conference title, another national tournament,” she said. “But this team’s story is completely different. Out of 18 players, 11 are freshmen and sophomores. Early in the season, we struggled to even recognize our own style of play. They’ve transformed themselves into a group playing the best volleyball of the year at exactly the right time, and they’ve earned the highest seed our program has ever had. That journey is what makes this team special.”
The Cougars play their opening round game at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Student Activities and Events Center, on the east side of campus off Rebecca Lane. Admission is $10.
“With just 48 teams left in the nation, hosting the first round puts a national spotlight on our campus,” Hayes said. “It’s a huge opportunity for our community and our volleyball program.”
In cross country action, Sprankles, from Bluffton, competes in the NAIA National Cross Country Championship at 8:30 a.m. Friday at Apalachee Regional Park, in Tallahassee, Florida.
“Making nationals as an individual is an outstanding accomplishment,” Hayes said. “Leslie has earned this through determination, resilience, and a strong commitment to her training. She’s a great representative of our cross country program and our campus.”
Coach Josh Colvin said qualifying for nationals is the cap to a phenomenal senior season for Sprankles, who is now the fifth woman in IU Kokomo history to achieve this milestone.
“She is running the best she ever has,” he said. “She loves running and her teammates and that has been a huge factor in her motivation to run well.”
Sprankles is chasing additional records as part of the field, which includes 36 teams and 84 individual qualifiers. If she sets a personal record, she will be third in the 6K in IU Kokomo records. A top 100 finish would make her the second-highest finisher in campus history.
Fans can watch live at naia.org/watch/index.
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