Fall 2025 marked one of the most memorable semesters in recent Whitman College athletics history, defined by postseason breakthroughs, cultural transformation and standout performances. From historic championship runs to emerging young talent, Blues teams delivered a season that blended competitive growth with deep team identity.
Men’s Soccer: A Season for the Record Books
The Whitman College men’s soccer team capped a landmark season with historic postseason honors and a spirited NCAA Tournament debut, solidifying what players call a new era for the program. Three Blues — senior attacking midfielder Lucas McAllister, senior defender Adrian Valencia Alcaraz and first-year attacking midfielder Remy Marcks — earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors, the first such recognition in program history, following an undefeated Northwest Conference campaign that delivered the program’s first outright league title since 1981.
Whitman (14-1-6) clinched its NCAA tournament berth with a 3-1 win over Pacific Lutheran on Nov. 9. Junior attacking midfielder Riki Kobayashi said the team’s mentality carried them to new heights.
“[Our mindset] was different since day one of preseason,” Kobayashi said. “Everyone was there for one goal only – to win the conference and make the national tournament.”
He credited the group’s resilience for defining the season.
“No matter how many goals we went down by, everyone believed the comeback was going to happen,” Kobayashi said.
That resolve resurfaced in the NCAA first round, where the Blues nearly erased a 3-0 deficit before falling 3-2 to Texas Lutheran. Despite the loss, an expectation has been set.
“The new standard [is] to become a championship team and defend the NWC title,” Kobayashi said.
Women’s Soccer: Culture Shift Fuels Competitive Rise
The Whitman College women’s soccer team closed out a season marked by competitive growth and cultural renewal with significant postseason recognition. It was led by junior defender Kiki Glorioso, who was named Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Glorioso, former NWC Rookie of the Year, earned her second straight first-team nod after anchoring a back line that allowed fewer than one goal per conference match. She was joined by junior midfielder Leah Barnes, junior midfielder Ellie Cortes-Muniz and junior midfielder Emoree Lash on the second team and junior defender Katherine Sand on the third team. Barnes and Cortes-Muniz earned honors for the second straight year, while Lash and Barnes led the team in scoring with three goals each. The Blues finished 5-6-9 overall and 4-5-7 in conference play.
Veteran players said the season’s biggest strides came off the stat sheet.
“[The program] has grown a lot in the past few years,” senior defender Anika Patel said. “The group is very supportive, competitive and connected and is focused on building something sustainable and positive.”
Senior defender Gracia Larson said the transformation was evident daily.
“When I first got here, the team chemistry and morale were pretty low,” Larson said. “We’ve made a lot of adjustments that created a really cohesive group.” Larson added that even players with limited minutes “still enjoy coming to practice,” something she called “a huge shift from my first year.”
Larson said Senior Weekend — an eight-goal outburst across two matches — captured the team’s breakthrough.
“Everything just clicked,” Larson said. “It felt like the perfect reward for all the culture work we’ve done. It showed who we’ve become.”
Volleyball: Youth Movement, Milestones and Momentum
The Whitman College women’s volleyball team closed its 2025 campaign with two All-Conference honorees and a late push for postseason contention. Senior middle blocker Lilli Thompson and first-year outside hitter Addie Belt earned Second Team All-Northwest Conference honors, with Thompson ranking sixth in hitting percentage (.250) and ninth in blocks, and Belt finishing seventh in the league in kills per set (2.89).
Whitman ended the year 10-13 overall and 9-7 in conference play, its best conference finish since 2017. The Blues narrowly missed the NWC Tournament after back-to-back losses to top opponents. The season finale featured a four-set battle against Puget Sound, highlighted by senior libero Jamie Bartok recording her 1,000th career dig in her final match with the Blues.
Players said the team’s youth and chemistry shaped the season. Junior outside hitter Bella Vickers commented on the group’s growth.
“[We] had a younger team, which pushed us to grow and build trust quickly,” Vickers said. “[Our strong opening week] showed our discipline as a team.”
She pointed to the reverse sweep of Linfield as a defining moment.
“Coming back from down two sets is not easy; it takes a lot of grit and teamwork,” Vickers said. “These qualities are a part of our team core values that we work on every day in practice. [We] can’t wait to get back to work this spring.”
Cross Country: Consistent Running and A Breakout Star
Whitman’s cross-country team turned in consistent results across the board in a season of competitive meets with occasionally haywire conditions.
While the men’s and women’s squads finished middle of the pack in the NWC Championship meet, they came out of the NCAA West Regionals happier about their results. The men’s team came in 12th out of 23 teams in the 8K race, and the women’s team placed 13th out of 21 teams in the 6K. The women’s team enjoyed particular success this season, achieving their highest conference and regional finishes since 2019.
That success was due in part to the meteoric rise of newcomer sophomore Ella Harrington, who capped off her historic season with a 186th-place finish out of 290 runners at the NCAA Division 3 National Championships — 40 spots higher than her starting position.
Golf: Dominance Across the Board
The men’s and women’s golf teams successfully closed out the fall portion of their season on Oct. 19 and 20 in the Confluence Classic, finishing first and second, respectively.
Sophomore Grady Brown captured the men’s individual crown, and senior Beatrice Archer captured the women’s individual crown.
The Blues will look to continue their success once action resumes in the spring.
Looking Ahead
The momentum these fall programs have generated arrives just in time. With basketball, lacrosse, baseball, tennis and golf preparing to open their seasons this winter and spring, Whitman enters the next stretch of the athletic calendar energized by a fall that raised expectations across the board. The coming months promise the chance for more Whitman athletic programs to build on the foundation that the fall teams have laid.
