Westmont Magazine Champions Once Again: Fall Season's Success
Men's Soccer
In Head Coach Dave Wolf’s 32nd and final regular season, the Warriors offered a dramatic final act for the winningest coach in program history. Overall, the men posted a record of 9-4-2, while playing their most impressive soccer (8-1) on Thorrington Field. Fortunately for the Warriors, their final two matches of the regular season took place on their home turf. In the final weekend of GSAC play, the Warriors needed to win both matches to grant Wolf a final postseason experience. On the penultimate day of the regular season, junior Aldo Becerril scored a season-saving 90th minute goal to defeat William Jessup. On the final day of the regular season, Westmont’s lone senior, Michael Palmer, scored a match-winning and season-saving goal to help the Warriors defeat Menlo 1-0, clinching the club one of the final spots in the GSAC Tournament. Erik Guerrero, Braeden Pryor and Daniel Tuscano made the All-GSAC team.
Women's Soccer
For the first time since 2013, the Warriors (12-0-3) completed their regular season undefeated. The women stormed through their GSAC schedule, winning seven of eight matches while posting just one tie, en route to their fourth consecutive GSAC Championship. With the stellar regular season, the Warriors earned the right to host the GSAC Tournament and entered the postseason ranked the No. 16 team in the NAIA. The Warriors beat The Master’s and Ottawa (Ariz.) to win the GSAC Tournament. They traveled to Lakeland, Florida, for the NAIA Opening Round Tournament, defeating Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and the hosts Southeastern (Fla.) to advance to the NAIA Championship Final Site in Orange Beach, Alabama. Individually, Westmont was well-represented on the All-GSAC team, as Reese Davidson, Karly Kingsley, Ande Siegel and Taylie Scott received All-Conference honors. Davidson, a senior striker from Rancho Santa Margarita, was also named the GSAC Player of the Year, the first Westmont women’s soccer player to earn the honor since Bri Johnson in 2019. During the regular season, Davidson scored a league-leading 16 goals — more than the GSAC’s third-place team scored the entire season. As a unit, Westmont outscored its opponents 47-10 during the regular season.
Volleyball
Westmont volleyball returned to the top of the GSAC for the third time in four years under Head Coach Ruth McGolpin, winning 13 of their first 15 GSAC matches. Overall, the Warriors won 20 of their first 24 matches going into the final week of the regular season, clinching the No. 1 seed in the GSAC Tournament. After dropping the GSAC Tournament in the championship game, the Warriors began the NAIA Opening Round in frigid Butte, Montana. Undeterred, they swept Montana Tech and clinched a trip the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa. Keelyn Kistner, Lexi Malone and Phoebe Minch were named to the All-GSAC team. Nine Warriors earned a GSAC Player of the Week honor, including Kistner, who led the Warriors with three. Libero Kaili Hashimoto received a pair of Defender of the Week awards.
Cross Country
The men’s and women’s cross country teams finished their seasons ranked No. 8 and No. 9 respectively after finishing 17th and 15th in the NAIA National Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. Zola Sokhela earned his 13th career NAIA All-American honor, finishing 36th overall. The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Sokhela the 2022 NAIA Cross Country West Region Men’s Athlete of the Year after he had won GSAC Runner of the Month awards in both September and October. Both teams claimed second place at the GSAC Championships in Rocklin. Sokhela won the individual GSAC Cross Country Championship while Danny Rubin and Garrett Miller joined him on the All-GSAC team. The women were led by Annie West, who earned All-GSAC and GSAC Freshman of the Year honors. Madden Hundley, Landon Torres and Kari Anema also won All-GSAC awards for the women.
Swimming
Westmont’s first three meets of the season saw consistent improvement and individual honors. Twice, reigning All-American Ella Chaisson was named Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Athlete of the Week. As a team, Westmont hosted Alaska Fairbanks (AFB) in a two-day meet October 28-29, and on both days, the Warriors defeated AFB. On day one, the Warriors defeated AFB 110-94, and on day two, the Warriors won 104-99. In January, Westmont makes the much-anticipated trip to Fairbanks, where the Warriors will compete for the first time in the Nanooks’ home pool.
Golf
Westmont golfers made history during the fall. Freshman Mallory Hopper became the first golfer in program history to win an event, shooting 82 (+10) on September 29 at the Shootout at Rustic Canyon. Weeks later, the women’s team continued to make headlines, winning a playoff en route to being crowned champions of the Danish Classic. The men made history in September, winning both the GSAC Battle at El Dorado and the Shootout at Rustic Canyon. During the Battle at El Dorado, freshman Peyton Hendricks won the individual championship with a score of 69 (-3), and at Rustic Canyon, Hendricks once again led Westmont with a score of 75 (+3).