College of DuPage sophomore Will Kallas of Riverside defended his National Junior College Athletic Association Division III outdoor pole vault national title with a historic performance.
The 2024 Riverside Brookfield High School graduate cleared a finals-record 5.03 meters (16 feet-6 inches) to win the event May 7 and help the Chaparrals capture the national team title for the sixth year in a row May 7-9 in Utica, N.Y.
In breaking a 24-year-old meet record, Kallas cleared 5.03m on his first attempt and then missed at 5.15m/16-10 3/4. He entered at 4.67m/15-3 3/4, needing two attempts, and then cleared 4.82m/15-9 3/4 on his third and final try. Second place was 4.52 meters, slightly better than Kallas’ 4.50m/14-9 that won the 2025 national outdoor title.
The previous DIII pole vault finals record from 2004 was 4.96m/16-3 1/4.
On the track, Kallas was second in the 400-meter dash with a personal-best 49.59 seconds and part of the fourth-place 4×400 relay (3:25.73).
DuPage freshman Matthew Torrens was sixth in pole vault at 3.92m/12-10 1/4. The 2025 RBHS graduate from LaGrange Park cleared the height on his first attempt, passed at 4.07m/13-4 1/4 and then missed 4.22m/13-10, the height that earned fourth place.
Kallas again broke his school record with an all-time best 5.10m/16-8 3/4 indoors at the Chicagoland Intercollegiate Indoor Invitational Feb. 13-14 at North Central College. Kallas was fourth at the NJCAA Indoor Championships March 6-7 (4.78m/15-8 1/4) with the best performance among Division III athletes after finishing seventh in 2025 (4.62m/15-2 1/4).
Torrens’ pole vault bests this season were 4.28 m/14-0 1/2 indoors and 4.25m/13-11 1/4 outdoors.
Sam Levinson
Springfield (Mass.) College junior Sam Levinson previously reached significant men’s or boys volleyball championship matches with the Pride in 2025, his club team and as a senior with Lyons Township in 2023.
For the first time, Levinson was on the championship team.
On its home court, Springfield captured the NCAA Division III title with a 29-27, 25-21, 25-16 sweep of Carthage April 25.
“I always get there and just can’t seem to win it. I tried to push (that history) off to the side but when we finally did it, it was like a real lift, a jubilation that it finally happened,” Levinson said.
“I’ve been on the other side of the net most of the time. I’m so glad I’ve had the experience to get to the top of the mountain. I’m just grateful I finally got one.”
The 6-foot-1 right-side hitter contributed eight kills and three blocks in the championship match and finished third on the team in points scored (216.5) and kills (269) and fourth in blocks (39) and service aces (25). Levinson was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s All-Region I team for the third straight year.
Springfield (25-3) seemed on track for its sixth DIII national men’s volleyball title but first since 2018. The Pride were ranked No. 1 in Division III at the start and end of this season and had several key returnees from the 2025 lineup that reached the national finals but lost to Southern Virginia in three sets. Levinson was named to that All-Championship Team after a season-high 16 kills in the title match.
“That (loss) was tough to get through but this year we knew we were hosting. When we got there (with our fans), I don’t think there was a chance we were going to lose,” Levinson said. “I think I’ll remember that team specifically. We’ve always had tight teams, but that particular team, it’s hard to match that.”
Maryssa Zielinski/Marie Bedford
Freshmen Maryssa Zielinski and Marie Bedford helped the College of DuPage women’s golf team not only make its first team appearance at the NJCAA Division III nationals June 2-5 in Chautauqua, N.Y., but also capture the team championship convincingly.
The Chaparrals (1,420) claimed the four-team, four-round championship by 36 strokes over second-place Rock Valley. Zielinski and Bedford are 2025 Nazareth Academy graduates.
Zielinski was sixth individually with a four-round 340 on the par-72 course with a first-round 83 and among the Chaparrals’ three All-Americans with top-six finishes. Bedford tied for 22nd (414) as the team’s No. 4 finisher with a first-round 99.