SPRING 2021

Westmont Magazine Warriors Overcome Challenging Seasons to Find Historic Success

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Track and Field's highest finish in program history, even with only five athletes competing at the championships.
Ajay Singh
Cade Pierson
Madison Morrison
Morgan Bienias
Nick Ruiz
Savannah Scott
Alex Stufft
Seth Wilmoth
Sydney Marr
Teagan Matye
Ethan Ha
Zola Sokhela, the first Westmont athlete to win two track events at the same NAIA National Championship
Zach Godeck
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Fall sports teams waited four months to play their delayed seasons, but they rose to the challenge of COVID-19 and their foes on the field. Undefeated against members of the Golden State Athletic Conference, they claimed GSAC Championships and hosted prestigious NAIA National Tournament Opening Rounds.

MEN’S SOCCER (7-2-1, 5-0-1 GSAC) won the GSAC West Regular Season Championship and the GSAC Tournament Championship, beating Ottawa (Ariz.) 2-1 but ultimately falling 2-1 to Corban (Ore.) in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Tournament’s Santa Barbara Bracket. Four Warriors made the All-GSAC team: Nick Ruiz, Zach Godeck, Jona Romero and Samuel Tuscano.

WOMEN’S SOCCER (7-5, 6-0) swept through the GSAC West undefeated and earned a GSAC Tournament Championship after COVID-19 protocol prevented Ottawa (Ariz.) from playing. The Warriors lost their NAIA Opening Round semifinal game 2-0 to Oregon Tech on Thorrington Field. Brynn Howard, GSAC Freshman of the Year, Teagan Matye, Savannah Scott, Gabi Haw and Karly Kingsley made the All-GSAC team.

Westmont VOLLEYBALL (15-2, 10-0) entered the NAIA National Championships ranked No. 3. They beat Benedictine (Ariz.) 3-0 in the NAIA Opening Round on Kammerer Court before heading
to Sioux City, Iowa, where they won 3-0 over Ottawa (Kan.). The Warriors fell to No. 14 Grand View (Iowa) 3-1. Sophomore Lexi Malone was named an NAIA First Team All-American. Malone, Madison Morrison and Jessie Terlizzi were named to the All-GSAC team. Ruth Mc- Golpin is GSAC Co-Coach of the Year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (7-4, 4-2) won a Co-GSAC West Regular Season Championship but lost the tiebreaker to Vanguard, which held the head-to-head record advantage. Junior Cade Roth made the All-GSAC team.

Sophomore All-American Morgan Bienias took second place overall in the 1650-yard freestyle at the Pacific Collegiate SWIM Conference Championships. Chloe Van Bogelen (500-yard freestyle) and Rian Lewandowski (200-yard individual medley) both improved their times, and Bienias broke her own school record in the 200-yard backstroke (2:11.50).

The distance medley relay team of Jarad Harper, Daniel Rubin, Jason Peterson and Zola Sokhela finished as NAIA National Runner-ups (10:09.96) at the NAIA INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Championships in Yankton, South Dakota. Pole vaulter Seth Wilmoth also earned NAIA All-American honors; he tied for sixth place (15 feet, 5 inches). The men’s 4x800-meter relay team of Sokhela, Peterson, John Baker and Danny Rubin placed sixth in the finals (7:47.84). Two women from the indoor team earned NAIA All-American honors: Madden Hundley finished fifth overall in the mile (5:08.85); and Sydney Marr finished eighth in the 25-pound weight throw (54-10). Both the men and women’s track and field teams finished second at the GSAC Championships on Thorrington Field. Marr was named Women’s Performer of the Meet (Field) and Sokhela was named Freshman Performer of the Meet and Performer of the Meet (Track).

At the NAIA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Westmont came in fourth, its best finish ever. Sokhela became the first Warrior to earn two National Championships in track at one event, winning the men’s 1500 (3:54.29) and the men’s 800 (1:50.08). Becky Collier (heptathlon, high jump in 2017) and Jim Howard (shot put, discus in 1976) both won two National Championships in field events. Wilmoth won his second National Championship in pole vault (16-8 3/4). The 4x800 men’s relay team of Adam King, Baker, Peterson and Sokhela finished second (7:32.71), the third fastest time in Westmont history. Marr earned her fourth All-American title by finishing sixth in the women’s hammer throw (173-10). Before Nationals, the U. S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Sokhela the NAIA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the West Region.

Three athletes represented MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY at the NAIA Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sophomore Madden Hundley earned All-American honors by finishing 32nd four weeks after achieving All-American in the mile at Indoor Nationals. First-year students Anneline Breytenbach and Mitch Groff finished 107th (19:15) and 128th (26:33), respectively. All three qualified for Nationals at the GSAC Cross Country Championships in November.

Westmont BASEBALL (30-22, 20-12) won two games of the NAIA Baseball Opening Round Santa Barbara Bracket but were unable to sweep through the loser’s bracket to get to the World Series.

WOMEN’S TENNIS (7-10, 4-4), with All-GSAC athletes Cade Pierson and Rachal Jackson, lost in the semifinals of the GSAC Tournament Championship in San Diego. Pierson earned All-American honors again this year and is a former NAIA second team All-American. She has won All-GSAC hon¬ors four times as well as the 2017 GSAC Newcomer of the Year. Ellie Johnson was named GSAC Coach of the Year for the second time.

A young MEN’S TENNIS team (5-8, 2-4)—no seniors and only one junior—also lost in the semifinals of the GSAC Tournament Championship. Freshmen Ethan Ha and Logan Thompson were named to the All-GSAC team.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF teams competed in their first GSAC Championship at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Arizona. Freshman Mason Mancasola finished 23rd (+23) to lead the men and sophomore Kat Bevill finished 31st (+22) for the women.