2025-26 Athletics Year in Review

The inaugural year of LeTourneau Athletics in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference is now complete. The 2025-26 athletic season provided memorable moments, historic performances, and numerous achievements both on and off the field.

LeTourneau captured a number of prestigious academic awards throughout the year from both the conference and national levels. LeTourneau earned four SCAC Elite 19 Awards, which tied for most in the league. David Dugan earned the honor in both men's cross country and track and field. Hannah Newell was the recipient for women's golf, and softball's Maddie Flanery rounds out the winners. Newell also became the first YellowJacket to receive the NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete award, while Flanery was the 11th athlete in school history to be named a CSC Academic All-American. 

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball officially introduced LeTourneau into the new era with the schools first SCAC win coming in a 3-0 sweep of Centenary on Sep. 23. It proved to be an eventful year for LeTourneau's volleyball team, as its 19 wins marked an NCAA-era record. Additionally, head coach Alison Williams became the program's winningest coach after defeating Austin College on Nov. 1. Nora Lockhart and Emma Smith were named All-SCAC honorees, with Lockhart collecting second team honors. Maddy Hirneise was named SCAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 and Emily Mullin not only earned Setter of the Week on Nov. 10, but turned in the program's first triple-double in the NCAA-era (Oct. 5 vs. Concordia Texas). Volleyball was also the first of five SCAC Tournament qualifiers for LeTourneau.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Women's soccer followed suit in the fall, completing one of the biggest turnaround seasons in the country. After a one-win 2024 season, the YellowJackets turned in an 8-7-2 record under the leadership of first-year head coach Karrigan Falber. Falber's squad produced the program's best goal differential since 2018, and tallied six All-SCAC honorees, highlighted by Kinsey Fulks being named First-Year Player of the Year. Fulks was twice named SCAC Defensive Player of the Week, with Clarissa Martinez receiving the nod once and Chanel Kemball-Cook collecting Offensive Player of the Week honors as well. 

MEN'S SOCCER

Men's soccer rounds out the Fall 2025 success. The YellowJackets earned the school's first SCAC postseason win with Bridge Mwamburkiri's 100th minute golden goal over No. 3-seeded Concordia Texas to send LeTourneau to the SCAC Tournament semifinals. LeTourneau placed six men on All-SCAC teams, headlined by Henry Shore's first team nod. Shore was named SCAC Offensive Player of the Week after recording a hat trick – the first for LeTourneau since 2019 – in a 3-1 win over St. Thomas (Oct. 12).

MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Men's hoops captured the SCAC Blue Division title with an undefeated 8-0 record in divisional play. The YellowJackets recorded their three biggest wins versus NCAA opponents during a three-game stretch in February, winning by 58, 49, and 50 points in games against Hendrix and Ozarks. Men's basketball placed three on All-SCAC teams – including first-teamer Jackson Mayes – and women's basketball had a pair of selections in Kylie Weeks and Mariana Espinosa. Teigan Edwards and Logan Brinkoeter were each twice named SCAC Defensive Player of the Week for the men.

MEN'S GOLF

Men's and women's golf were the first LeTourneau programs to bring home SCAC Championships. Men's golf took their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Championships, finishing 12th in the nation and making the cut for the first time in program history. LeTourneau placed all five members of the conference tournament squad on All-SCAC teams with Brody Holmlund, Owen Prewitt, and Rafa Torres being first team. Torres finished runner-up at the SCAC Championships and was named First-Year Player of the Year, while Prewitt was an All-Region selection. LeTourneau had five different golfers selected as SCAC Golfer of the Week, including All-SCAC selections Torres, Kaiden Schneider, and Trey Cates.

WOMEN'S GOLF

Women's golf turned in a dominating card at the SCAC Championships. LeTourneau posted a 52-over, 722, finishing 31 shots ahead of second-place St. Thomas and capturing the first conference championship in program history. Kinley Pessel produced the most dominant season in program history, capturing five tournament wins and smashing the single season scoring average record. Pessel was named SCAC Golfer of the Year, captured the SCAC individual title at the conference tournament, was an All-Region selection, and was named SCAC Golfer of the Week five times. Pessel was one of four All-SCAC members, joining Hannah Newell, Emerson Swanner, and Elena Jurado. Head Coach J. Paul Leslie III swept the SCAC Coach of the Year honors for the men and women.

MEN'S & WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Calvin Mason captured the hammer throw title at the SCAC Championships as men's track and field had six All-SCAC finishes. Mason went 3-for-3 on All-SCAC in his events, finishing runner-up in the discus and shot put as well. Overall, men's track had nine All-Region selections and broke a dozen program records on the year. Women's track had a pair of All-SCAC finishers – Madi Williams and Hannah Dunster – and three named to the USTFCCCA All-Region teams, with 10 program records falling throughout the year.

MEN'S and WOMEN'S TENNIS

Both men's and women's tennis qualified for the SCAC Tournament. The women's team set a program record with six wins in conference play, and had three All-SCAC selections: Kylie Weeks and Chloe Tesser was first team All-SCAC in doubles, with Weeks earning first team singles, and Tesser second team singles. Weeks – including her third team nod in women's basketball – collected three All-SCAC honors this year. Men's tennis had a pair of second team All-SCAC doubles in Zach Farris/Timothy Black and Andrew Reiman/Fernando Vazquez with Farris earning first team singles and Reiman collecting second team singles.

SOFTBALL

LeTourneau softball turned in one of the best offensive seasons in program history. The YellowJackets set a program record for hits, batting average, and on-base percentage on year, led by All-Region selection Rylie Shipp. Shipp collected the single season hits record and was second team All-SCAC alongside Maddie Flanery and Jenna Carter. LeTourneau had four All-SCAC honorable mentions. On April 11, Laynie Davis fired the fifth no-hitter in program history, holding Dallas to just one baserunner in the five-inning run-rule victory. 

BASEBALL

Baseball rounds out the team success for the 2025-26 year, with its season being capped with a trip to the SCAC Championship game. LeTourneau rolled its way into the SCAC Tournament, ending the regular season on a program record nine-game win streak. After dropping the first game of the SCAC Tournament, the YellowJackets then won four straight – including eliminating regular season champion Texas Lutheran – en route to Monday's title game. 11 YellowJackets earned All-SCAC honors, led by Clayton Holt's first team starting pitcher selection. LeTourneau baseball set a flurry of program records throughout the year, including All-Region selection Cruz Cox's single season and career saves record.

ATHLETIC ACCOLADES

Overall, LeTourneau had 60 All-SCAC selections, 15 All-Region selections, 34 Athlete of the Week honorees, and took home five SCAC superlative awards.

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES

LeTourneau dominated just as much in the classroom as it did on field. YellowJacket athletes again produced a record-setting GPA with an average at 3.49 during the semester and 144 individuals were named to the Athletic Honor Roll, which requires a 3.5 semester GPA. Of the 144 students on the Athletic Honor Roll, 62 had a perfect 4.0 GPA in the semester. All 15 athletic programs had a team GPA of 3.0 or better during the semester. 46 Athletes were named CSC Academic All-District honorees.