The UTA volleyball team swept the Bradley Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois. In the tournament, the Mavericks took a 3-1 win over Quinnipiac University, a 3-2 win over Bradley University and a 3-2 win over Western Illinois University. These games were the first of the regular season for UTA, and the Mavericks began with a 3-0 record. Across the first two games, senior outside hitter Jalie Tritt led the way with 27 kills, followed by Sophie Ocampo, redshirt junior outside hitter, with 17 and freshman middle blocker Sophia Krichev close behind with 16. Also in the first two matches, Krichev had the most blocks of any Maverick, with 2 solo blocks and 8 block assists, followed by Alexis Bull, redshirt sophomore middle blocker, with 1 solo and 6 assists and junior setter Mira Ledermueller with 5 assists. Junior libero Samantha Glenn got 41 digs, the most for UTA, followed by 22 for Tritt and 19 for Ledermueller in the first two games. In the final match, the Mavericks took the lead early against Western Illinois University, winning the first set 25-17 and the second set 25-15. The Leathernecks mounted a comeback, winning both the third and fourth sets 25-23. UTA pulled out with a 15-11 win in set five to clinch the tournament sweep. The Mavericks continue their nonconference slate at the Cowgirl Classic starting Sept. 4 at Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where they’ll play the University of Louisiana Monroe, McNeese State University and Alcorn State University. @TyRoland06 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Maverick Stadium will host high school football games for Arlington ISD on Friday nights and select Thursday nights from Aug. 29 through Nov. 6. The decision to host the games comes as UTA continues its efforts to support and connect with the Arlington community, according to a UTA press release. "We are thrilled to open Maverick Stadium to Arlington ISD this fall," Jon Fagg, UTA Athletic Director, said in the release. "High school football is a cornerstone of Texas culture, and we want to give players, families, and fans an unforgettable experience while showcasing our beautiful campus." AISD features six high schools, three of which are scheduled to play at the campus' recently updated stadium, including Martin High School, Bowie High School and Arlington High School. Arlington is slated to be the first team to play in Maverick Stadium as they take on Mesquite High School in their season opener at 7 p.m. Aug. 29. With high school football being a cornerstone of Texas, Fagg said he hopes hosting AISD games will inspire young athletes and strengthen UTA’s connection to the city of Arlington. Game attendees will also get to experience Maverick Stadium’s recently upgraded scoreboard, which was installed in February. This isn't the first time AISD has used Maverick Stadium for events. In 2024, the stadium hosted the Dean Corey Marching Extravaganza, which was previously held at Lamar High School until it could no longer seat all guests. The Maverick Stadium’s uses have come and gone, but it has stood firm as the home of UTA’s track and field team since its opening in 1980. Along with the scoreboard, the track itself also received a renovation. @diegocllazo sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From gospel yoga to full-body workouts, Arlington residents can attend Epic Fit Fest 2025, a weekend experience filled with fitness and wellness from Friday to Sunday at the Loews Arlington Hotel. Black Girl Fit is hosting its second annual Epic Fit Fest, which invites attendees of all ethnicities and sizes to work out in a safe and comfortable environment, co-founder Kristi Andrew said. Attendees can choose from one of three passes, ranging from a one-day pass to a three-day VIP option that includes exclusive amenities, according to the event website. Andrew said attendees aren't limited to a certain schedule or workouts. Guests can build their own experience by choosing when to arrive and what classes to take, allowing them to train in a way that fits their lifestyle. “We actually do curated fitness events, so we're not just trying to do workouts. We’re trying to do fun workouts in fun and different places to make people enjoy exactly what they're doing,” Andrew said. This year's event is expected to feature 16 instructors, who will lead a variety of classes across different fitness zones, including cycling, yoga, strength training, glutes, dance and high-intensity interval training, according to the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Alongside the workouts, more than 60 vendors will showcase health and wellness products. The event will also feature Epic Conversations, a mental health panel with New York Times best-selling author Sarah Jakes Roberts. As a pharmacist, Andrew said she believes mental health is as important as physical well-being and wanted to set aside time to have a conversation about mental health and the role it plays in a person's health journey. “We’ve been focusing on health as a whole, and that of course starts with the fitness journey, but of course it also encompasses being internally healthy,” she said. “Not just physically, but spiritually and mentally.” Andrew and LaTosha Duffey, a former UTA basketball player, co-founded Black Girl Fit and created Epic Fit Fest to combat the health disparities people of color face, which Andrew said often stem from lack of access and inclusion. “We wanted a place where people feel comfortable letting their hair down, maybe not necessarily being a size two, maybe being able to take their wig off and to basically have no barriers to get in the way for their health,” she said. Last year's event drew 500 participants as a one-day event at The Epic Grand Lawn in Grand Prairie, Texas. With the expansion to three days and a new venue, attendance is expected to more than double. “I think people had a really good time last year. They came out and understood and saw what we’re about and we’re doing. Also, this year it’s a lot more,” she said. @diegocllazo sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Fans erupted into repeated chants of “Beltré!,” reminiscent of those he drew during his playing days, as the Texas Rangers unveiled Hall of Famer Adrian Beltré’s honorary statue Friday at Globe Life Field. The figure, depicting Beltré in his iconic kneeling follow-through, puts the former third baseman in a select group of Rangers legends to be forever memorialized in bronze, including fellow Hall of Famers Ivan Rodriguez and Nolan Ryan. The statue, located outside the ballpark near the Northeast Plaza entrance, was designed and sculpted by Mike Tabor and recognizes a career defined by many unforgettable moments. The announcer for the Texas Rangers, Chuck Morgan, introduced Beltré as not only a great player in Rangers history, but as one of the greatest to ever play the game, with Beltré’s statistics and accolades backing that sentiment. In 21 Major League Baseball seasons, Beltré racked up five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, four All-Star appearances and is one of 33 players to be part of the elusive 3,000-hit club. Despite reaching heights many players can only dream of, when it came time to give a speech, Beltré remained humble and thankful for the opportunity to play in a Rangers jersey. “I don’t know if I’m worthy of this. One thing is for sure, I know I’m grateful and I’m glad to always be a Ranger,” Beltré said. Ray Davis, managing partner and majority owner of the Rangers, recalled the effect Beltré had on the winning culture the team was working to cultivate day after day. “Adrian was a tremendous ballplayer, but on top of that, he was a tremendous leader,” Davis said. “Today I see Ian [Kinsler] and Elvis [Andrus] here, but I used to call it the Beltré stare. Beltré was a leader because all he had to do was look at somebody if they messed up, and they knew they messed up, and they changed.” As a testament to the person he was, former teammates of Beltré’s were present to support him, including Shin-Soo Choo and Rangers Hall of Famer Elvis Andrus. Andrus rubbed the statue’s head, paying homage to their playing days when Beltré would avoid getting his head rubbed at any cost, going as far as running away or playfully telling Andrus off, similar to how an older brother would. Beltré’s impact extends further than Arlington. While leaving the unveiling, Beltré stopped to greet fellow co-founder and CEO of Baseball United, the first professional baseball league in India, Kash Shaikh, who said it felt surreal to see Beltré get a statue. Shaikh said he and Beltré were in a board meeting over Zoom joking with each other when he took a moment to reflect on how iconic Beltré is as a player and how great he is as a person. “I had the honor of watching him get inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame, and now to see this statue was pretty special,” he said. This unveiling meant a lot to many, but for lifelong Rangers fan and Arlington resident Colton Benge, it’s more than bronze — it’s a reminder of the joy Beltré brought to Arlington and the Rangers. “He was a great captain and a role model for the team, and on top of that, he just brought a lot of laughter and fun to the teammates and to the fans, which made it really easy to root for him and root for the team,” Benge said. Along with the funny moments, Benge said his favorite Beltré moment was when he hit a walk-off homerun in 2013 to complete a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels. Benge said if he had the opportunity to speak with Beltré, he would ask him about that game and thank him for all the memories. @diegocllazo sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The UTA women’s golf team finished third in the Jayhawk Invitational on Aug. 25 at The Jayhawk Club in Lawrence, Kansas. The team combined to post scores of 309-305-299 and finish 49-over-par. The meet, hosted by the University of Kansas, was the first of the 2025-26 season for the Maverick golf program. In the summer, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association named sophomore Tarini Bhoga and senior Nitisha Manikandesh to the All-American Scholar Team. This was Manikandesh’s second time receiving the recognition, according to a UTA press release. Bhoga led the way as she shot 71-76-75 on her way to a 6-over-par for the weekend and a sixth-place overall finish in the competition. In round three, she had two birdies and 12 pars by the end of the invitational. Senior Kamri Gabel finished in 14th, six strokes behind Bhoga. Manikandesh finished in 19th, with a 14-over-par score for the weekend. Graduate student Salome Arango Marin and redshirt senior Chandler Browning rounded out the performance by UTA, with 27th-place and 34th-place finishes respectively. The team competes again Sept. 23, when the team will participate in the Red Raider Invitational at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas. The Mavericks will compete in three more tournaments: the Golf Iconic Classic starting Oct. 13 in Las Cruces, New Mexico; the Diamante Intercollegiate starting Oct. 19 in Little Rock, Arkansas; and the Bear Brawl on Oct. 28 in Waco, Texas. @TyRoland06 sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Chuck Morgan, Texas Rangers’ public address announcer, said when he came to Arlington to be a part of the Rangers, it had a great feel. “I just really fell in love with the area and fell in love with the ballpark and just thought it was the right thing to do, and it just turned out, having been here now for over 40 years, it was the right decision to make,” Morgan said. Over the years, the team has achieved monumental feats and carved its place in Major League Baseball history, including a World Series win from three appearances, six MVP awards, dozens of Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winners and has hosted two All-Star Games. As for the city, Arlington has firmly established itself as a sports hub for decades. Fans can grab a drink at Texas Live and walk across the street to Globe Life Field – all part of the atmosphere that defines a night out at the ballpark. Arlington has stood out nationally, serving as home to some of Texas’ most well-known theme parks and three professional sports venues. Since 1972, the Rangers have become a cornerstone in the city by blending innovation with tradition. One of the clearest examples of that blend is the complete repurposing of the Rangers’ former home, Choctaw Stadium, which is now strategically managed behind the scenes by REV Entertainment. The company is no stranger to the Rangers franchise. Formerly Rangers Enterprises and Rangers Events, the company has maintained a working relationship with the team for over a decade. It became REV Entertainment in 2017 and took over operations at Choctaw Stadium in 2021. “We made a promise to the city that we were going to do everything we could to continue to operate the venue and run content through there, and make sure people could still visit the stadium,” said Jared Schrom, REV Entertainment senior vice president. Updates to the facility have only ramped up since REV Entertainment took the reins of Choctaw Stadium. Following $7.8 million invested into the west side retail development, the stadium is now undergoing over $4.2 million in additional renovations, including public safety developments, parking improvements and a storefront for the Arlington Police Department. Choctaw Stadium offers a multitude of experiences outside of the sports realm, including classic stadium food, storefronts with restaurants and gift shops such as Lone Star Dry Goods and Lucchese Bootmaker. The stadium even offers private and shared office spaces with Spark Arlington. Regardless of the time of year, the stadium buzzes with an unprecedented amount of catered activities. Even when teams such as the United Football League’s Arlington Renegades are out of season, they are still in and out of the facility, Schrom said. Choctaw Stadium currently hosts the Renegades and North Texas Soccer Club, which is home to FC Dallas’ reserves. It will also host the Catholic Charity Bowl on Sept. 13. Previously, it was the home to the Dallas Jackals, a Major League Rugby team that withdrew from the stadium after it ceased operations in 2024 amid ownership uncertainty. While the Renegades’ 2026 season is slated to remain at Choctaw Stadium, North Texas Soccer Club, which won the 2024 Major League Soccer NEXT Pro Cup, will depart from Arlington following its 2025 season. The club is set to move to Mansfield Stadium, which is expected to open in the summer of 2026. Choctaw Stadium may no longer echo with the crack of a ball hitting a Rangers bat, but it still holds deep ties to its past. To many, it’s more than just a building; the stadium is a landmark of historical and personal moments. Former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene said its design was a tribute to the history of American baseball. Arlington is one of the few cities able to say it houses a Major League Baseball team, owing much of its national identity to the sport, Greene said. Even with the former mayor playing a key role in the construction of the stadium, originally known as The Ballpark in Arlington, he said it was the people of Arlington who ultimately pushed the project across the finish line. “The actual credit for all of this happening is to the forward-thinking, optimistic people of the community who, when asked to approve the partnership between the city and the Rangers, they show up in record numbers and say, ‘Yes, we want to do it,’” Greene said. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu