Ryan McKenna

Jan 9, 2025 | psucollegian.com | Ryan McKenna

No. 8 Penn State will kick off its 2025 season with a road battle against No. 12 Loyola Chicago at 8 p.m. Friday. The top-15 matchup will be the first time the two teams have since Penn State swept the Ramblers in 2020. Historically, however, Loyola Chicago has a slight edge with an 11-8 record against the Nittany Lions. The blue and white have a chance to change that number behind the leadership of coach Mark Pavlik, who’s entering his 31st season as the lead man in Happy Valley.

Dec 5, 2024 | rhodycigar.com | Ryan McKenna

Everyone at some point in their life experiences change, and University of Rhode Island third-year outside hitter Aerin Bowman has seen more than her fair share of change throughout her collegiate volleyball career. Bowman was born in Darien, Connecticut, where she attended Darien High School. There, she was coached by Laurie Laruso, who is a Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame and Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee .

Nov 21, 2024 | rhodycigar.com | Ryan McKenna

The average American male can run a mile in nine minutes and 53 seconds, according to healthline.com , but University of Rhode Island second-year student Garett Hartline can run over two miles in that time. Hartline grew up in Lake Forest, California, approximately 2,950 miles from URI. Hartline grew up with two older brothers who did cross country and track and wanted to follow in their footsteps. Before he began running, he was a competitive swimmer from age eight until eighth grade.

Nov 14, 2024 | rhodycigar.com | Ryan McKenna

The University of Rhode Island volleyball team hosted George Washington University for its last home series of the regular season over the weekend, where the two teams split the series. Rhode Island came into Friday night with a record of 8-19, and 3-11 in Atlantic 10 play, and had its sights set on getting back to the A-10 tournament for the first time since the shortened 2020 season. The Rams jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the first set of Friday’s match, and later pushed the lead to 21-11.

Nov 14, 2024 | sportsbusinessjournal.com | Ryan McKenna

I was recently having a conversation with friends as summer drew to a close about the NHL and its place among the Big Four sports leagues (NFL, NBA and MLB being the other three). One of my friends told me about a webcomic that resonated with him about the topic. “Imagine kids suddenly start playing catch literally all the time. Everywhere they go, they throw balls back and forth, toss them in the air, and hurl them at trees and signs -- nearly every waking hour of their lives.