FALL 2021

Westmont Magazine Warriors Reach the Pinnacle of Competition

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Zola Sokhela
Jessie Terlizzi
Anneline Breytenbach (815)
Grace Duckens
Nate Meithof
Kat Bevill
Laila Saenz
Kassy Gregory
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With extensive COVID-19 protocols in place, Westmont’s fall and winter sports teams have competed at the highest level, making history in the process. The women’s soccer team beat William Jessup in a double-overtime thriller Oct. 30 to earn a Golden State Athletic Conference Regular-Season Co-Championship, the 100th GSAC Championship in college history.

Both the MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY teams competed at the NAIA National Championships together for the first time since 2016. The men’s and women’s teams both earned at-large berths to compete in nationals Nov. 19 on the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Wash. On the women’s side, the team finished 17th overall, with Anneline Breytenbach leading the way, while the men finished 23rd, with Zola Sokhela at the head of their pack. Breytenbach, a sophomore, earned NAIA All-American honors, as did Sokhela, who in just two semesters at Westmont has won four NAIA All-Americans.

Both the men’s and women’s teams took second place at the Golden State Athletic Conference Championships in Santa Clarita, where six Warriors earned All-GSAC honors. Breytenbach finished second (17:43.1) in the women’s 5,000 meters with Kari Anema, a freshman from Lodi, placing fifth. Finishing second in the men’s 8,000 meters was Sokhela (25:00.8), who was joined by Garrett Miller, Daniel Rubin and Adam King on the All-GSAC team.

For the third straight year, the Westmont WOMEN’S SOCCER team (13-2-5) hosted an opening round of the NAIA National Championship Tournament on Thorrington Field. The second-seeded Warriors beat third-seeded Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 2-1 on Nov. 18. The Warriors then easily beat Marymount (Calif.) 5-0 on Nov. 18 to advance to the 10-team, single-elimination Women’s Soccer National Championship in Orange Beach, Ala. They prevailed 3-1 over Cumberlands (Ky.) before falling in the quarterfinals to top-ranked and undefeated William Carey (Miss.) 3-1.

The Warriors won the GSAC Tournament Championship Nov. 13 in dramatic fashion in shootouts with The Master’s and Hope International. In both games, Westmont prevailed 5-4 in penalty kicks to advance to tournament play. The Warriors have been led by junior Grace Duckens, who has 11 goals in 17 games she’s played. Reese Davidson and Teagan Matye both have five goals on the season.

The season came to an end for Westmont MEN’S SOCCER (5-8-1, 3-4-1 GSAC) in the GSAC quarterfinals. Graduating seniors include Samuel Tuscano, Wyatt Babineau, Memo Mendoza, Kevin Smith and Zach Godeck. On Sept. 15, the Warriors defeated Bethesda, giving head coach Dave Wolf, who completed his 31st season at the helm, his 350th career win.

The Westmont WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL team (20-11) earned an automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament by finishing as regular season runner-up in the GSAC. The team traveled to Klamath Falls, losing 3-0 to Oregon Tech (24-6) on Nov. 20 in front of an energized crowd. Junior Lexi Malone led the Warriors with nine kills, while redshirt senior Patty Kerman added seven of her own. Junior setter Keelyn Kistner tallied 14 assists, while senior setter Sydny Dunn added 12. This is the sixth year in a row the Warriors have earned a national championship berth. 

MEN’S BASKETBALL won its first nine games, taking down No. 6 Arizona Christian 82-80 on the road. Previously, the Warriors defeated and No. 17 The Master’s in convincing fashion 78-66 before a boisterous crowd in Murchison Gym. The Warriors had lost nine consecutive games to the Mustangs over the past five years. The undefeated Warriors were led by junior guard Jared Brown (21 points), sophomore guard Jalen Townsell (21 points), senior forward Ajay Singh (13 points) and freshman guard Nate Meithof (12 points).

Prior to the men’s game against Arizona Christian Jan. 22, 2022, the Warriors will honor John Moore for his 27 years of service as head coach, finishing his career with a record of 558-278 (.667). During halftime, the team will honor the 1971-72 team and the legacy of Tom Byron, 50 years after what many consider the most remarkable season in Warrior history (see page 85)

The top-ranked WOMEN’S BASKETBALL team (6-1), which won its first five games, dropped its first GSAC contest against No. 20 The Master’s 74-68 on Nov. 20. The Warriors also played exhibitions against the Pac-12’s Oregon and the University of California, Berkeley, leading the Cal Bears by 8 points at halftime. The Warriors are led by senior guards Iyree Jarrett and Stefanie Berberabe, redshirt freshman guard Laila Saenz, senior forward Gabriella Stoll and redshirt junior forward Sydney Brown. Head Coach Kirsten Moore, in her 17th season at Westmont, is looking to repeat last year’s National Championship.

The WOMEN’S SWIM team has had a full schedule this fall with the goal of qualifying as many swimmers as possible for the National Championship March 2-5, 2022, in Columbus, Georgia. At the La Verne Invitation, Nov. 19-21, everything seemed to click for the Warriors who set 11 school records and qualified several swimmers for nationals. Olivia Garrison, Morgan Bienias, Kassy Gregory, Ella Chaisson, Rian Lewandowski and Bridget Hoth shattered school records while posting provisional qualification times.

The Warriors also qualified for nationals in three relays. The 200-yard medley relay team of Ellie Muench, Chaisson, Lewandowski and Hoth (1:50.73) finished with the seventh fastest time in the NAIA. The quartet of Bienias, Gregory, Garrison and Hoth qualified in the 800-yard freestyle (7:56.44), the fourth fastest time in the NAIA this year. Hoth, Garrison, Gregory and Lewandowski teamed up to notch another automatic qualification time in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:40.26).

The MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF teams played in three preseason tournaments and are showing promise under the guidance of new head coach Joshua Ault. Westmont freshman Andy Knight posted a 7-over-par 149 after the second of two rounds to tie for third at the Pacific Coast Highway Invitational Nov. 1-2 at Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel-by-the-Sea. In the women’s tournament, junior Kat Bevill tied for ninth place with a two-day total of 167.

Knight and women’s golf freshman Charlie Bloom led the way at the season opening tournament Sept. 3-4 at Olivas Links in Ventura. Knight finished with a 1-over-par 217 to tie for 18th place in the tournament. Bloom followed up her first round of 79 with a 76, giving her a two-day total of 155 (11 over par) in her first collegiate tournament.

The Warriors host the Warrior Invitational Feb. 7-8 at La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc. The event is intended to be a precursor to the GSAC Championship that Westmont will host at the same course April 25-27.