byLuke Lawhorn
Austin’s soccer popularity can be seen through the sold-out crowds for its Major League Soccer team, Austin FC, and the strength of its high school soccer programs. Austinites also have a thriving network of pickup games running in parks. In a country where medical experts report people are losing fitness and a sense of community, Vanta Athletics is striving to keep the two together.
Vanta is Austin’s first and only rooftop soccer facility, available for memberships for anyone 18 or older. The field, which sits on top of a parking garage at 300 San Antonio St., was built in two days by its founders, Sam Clark and Tanner Friesen, last August.
byLuke Lawhorn
Bob Bowman took over for longtime Texas swim coach Eddie Reese last April after nine years at Arizona State and winning the men’s national championship last season. Though his primary role is the men’s head coach, Bowman is serving in a newly created position as the director of swimming and diving, meaning he oversees the women’s side as well.
Veteran swimmers like Sticklen have felt his influence across both teams.
“Having Bob here and having his energy and competitiveness and the fire that he brings, it does seep over in our side,” Emma Sticklen said. “I always think that we are a better team when both teams are having fun.”
byLuke Lawhorn
Chris Plonsky, UT’s executive senior associate athletics director, is set to be inducted this month into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco for her 48 years in college athletics, including 37 at Texas.
byLuke Lawhorn
Westlake High School senior Lily Davis could see how close the Chaparrals were to finally getting over the hump. They had won two of the first three sets over Cibolo Steele on Tuesday night at Lehman High School and were on the verge of advancing to the Texas UIL Class 6A Region IV volleyball final.
Before the fourth set, the University of Texas volleyball recruit gathered her teammates in a huddle to remind everyone of the work they had put in over the last three years.
For Davis, the all-time Westlake kills leader and gold medal winner in the FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships, the victory showed just how far she and her teammates had come in their high school careers.