Sports
2025-26 Big West Championships Sites, Dates and Formats Revealed for All 21 Conference-Sponsored Sports
The Big West Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships – Oct. 31, 2025
Championships Central >>>
Location: Queen Kapi’olani Regional Park | Honolulu
Championship Format: Eight men’s teams (8K race) / Ten women’s teams (6K race)
Defending Champions: Cal Poly (men) / Cal Poly (women)
Notable: Cal Poly swept the men’s and women’s championships for the third straight season. The Championships are set to be contested on O’ahu for the first time since 2016 and the third time in history.
Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 31
Men’s 8K
Women’s 6K
(awards ceremony to follow after the conclusion of the women’s race)
The Big West Women’s Soccer Championship – November 2, 6 & 9, 2025
Championship Central >>>
First Round Location: Hosted by higher seeds at campus sites
Semifinals and Final Location: Hosted by regular-season champion
Championship Format: Top six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye)
Defending Champion: UC Santa Barbara
Notable: No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara earned its third Big West crown after outlasting No. 5 seed Cal State Bakersfield 8-7 in penalty kicks.
Schedule
First Round – Sunday, Nov. 2
Game 1 | No. 5 seed at No. 4 seed
Game 2 | No. 6 seed at No. 3 seed
Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 6
Game 3 | Game 1 winner at No. 1 seed
Game 4 | Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 seed
Final – Sunday, Nov. 9
Championship Match
The Big West Men’s Soccer Championship – November 5, 8 & 14, 2025
Championship Central >>>
Location: Hosted by higher seeds at campus sites
Championship Format: Top six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye)
Defending Champion: UC Davis
Notable: 2024’s trophy-hoisting campaign for No. 4 seed UC Davis was their first ever, downing second-seeded UC Santa Barbara for the title. Both the Aggies and Gauchos earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament brackets for their efforts on the season.
Schedule
First Round – Wednesday, Nov. 5
Game 1 | No. 5 seed at No. 4 seed
Game 2 | No. 6 seed at No. 3 seed
Semifinals – Saturday, Nov. 8
Game 3 | Game 1 winner at No. 1 seed
Game 4 | Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 seed
Final – Friday, Nov. 14
Championship Match (highest seed hosts)
– schedule subject to change, based on final seedings –
The Big West Men’s Water Polo Championship – November 21-23, 2025
Championship Central >>>
Location: Anteater Aquatics Complex | Irvine, Calif.
Championship Format: Six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye)
Defending Champion: Long Beach State
Notable: Fifth-seeded Long Beach State outlasted No. 3 seed UC San Diego, 10-8, for their third Big West title and a first since 1975.
Schedule
Quarterfinals – Friday, Nov. 21
Game 1 | No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Game 2 | No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Semifinals – Saturday, Nov. 22
Game 3 | No. 1 seed vs. Game 1 winner
Game 4 | No. 2 seed vs. Game 2 winner
Final – Sunday, Nov. 23
Game 5 | Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
– schedule subject to change, based on final seedings –
The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship – November 26, 28 & 29, 2025
Championship Central >>>
Location: Walter Pyramid | Long Beach, Calif.
Championship Format: Top six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye)
Defending Champion: Hawai`i
Notable: Hawai`i claimed their 31st straight post-season appearance in 2024 after defeating top-seeded Cal Poly in the championship finale.
Schedule
First Round – Wednesday, Nov. 26
Game 1 | No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Game 2 | No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Semifinals – Friday, Nov. 28
Game 3 | No. 1 seed vs. Game 2 winner
Game 4 | No. 2 seed vs. Game 1 winner
Final – Saturday, Nov. 29
Game 5 | Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
– schedule subject to change, based on final seedings –
The Big West Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships – February 11-14, 2026
Championships Central >>>
Location: CRWC Natatorium | Houston, Texas
Championship Format: Six men’s teams / seven women’s teams
Defending Champions: UC Santa Barbara took home the men’s and women’s team titles in the sport’s first year back since 2010.
Notable: Three affiliate members are set to make their Big West debut, splashing down in Houston. GCU (men), San Diego (women) and Seattle U (men & women) are set to join the fray from the CRWC.
Schedule
Day 1 – Wednesday, Feb. 11
Day 2 – Thursday, Feb. 12
Day 3 – Friday, Feb. 13
Day 4 – Saturday, Feb. 14
The 2026 Big West Basketball Championships presented by Credit Union 1 – March 11-14, 2026
Championship Central: Men | Women
Location: Lee’s Family Forum | Henderson, Nev.
Championship Format: Top eight men’s and women’s teams competing (3-4 seeds receive a bye to the quarterfinals, 1-2 seeds receive a bye to the semifinals)
Defending Champions: UC San Diego (men) / UC San Diego (women)
Notable: The Tritons took home both the men’s and women’s titles in their first year of Division I eligibility. UCSD became the first school ever with both genders earning qualification into the NCAA Tournament in their first possible season.
Schedule
First Round – Wednesday, March 11
Game 1 (women) | No. 5 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 2 (women) | No. 6 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Game 3 (men) | No. 5 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 4 (men) | No. 6 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Second Round – Thursday, March 12
Game 5 (women) | No. 4 seed vs. Game 1 winner
Game 6 (women) | No. 3 seed vs. Game 2 winner
Game 7 (men) | No. 4 seed vs. Game 4 winner
Game 8 (men) | No. 3 seed vs. Game 3 winner
Semifinals – Friday, March 13
Game 9 (women) | No. 1 seed vs. Game 5 winner
Game 10 (women) | No. 2 seed vs. Game 6 winner
Game 11 (men) | No. 1 seed vs. Game 7 winner
Game 12 (men) | No. 2 seed vs. Game 8 winner
Final – Saturday, March 14
Game 13 | Women’s Championship
Game 14 | Men’s Championship
The Big West Women’s Water Polo Championship – April 10-12, 2026
Championships Central >>>
Location: Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center | Long Beach, Calif.
Championship Format: Eight team, single-elimination bracket
Defending Champion: Hawai`i
Notable: Hawai`i claimed consecutive conference crowns and its sixth overall Big West title after edging No. 2 Long Beach State in a defensive struggle, 8-6. Shining on the national stage, the Rainbow Wahine would go on to advance to the National Collegiate Championship semifinals for a second-straight season.
Schedule
Quarterfinals – Friday, April, 10
Game 1 | No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 2 | No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Game 3 | No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Game 4 | No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Semifinals – Saturday, April 11
Game 5 | Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 6 | Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Final – Sunday, April 12
Game 7 | Championship
– schedule subject to change, based on final seedings –
The Big West Women’s Golf Championship – April 19-21, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: Ka’anapali Golf Course | Maui, Hawai’i
Championship Format: Nine teams competing in 54 holes of stroke play
Defending Champion: Cal State Fullerton
Notable: Led by individual medalist Kaitlyn Zermeno Smith, the Titans claimed their first-ever Big West Championship trophy and then became the first 10th-seeded team in the NCAA’s six-region era to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Schedule
Round 1 – Sunday, April 19
Round 2 – Monday, April 20
Round 3 – Tuesday, April 21
The Big West Men’s & Women’s Tennis Championships – April 21-25, 2026
Championship Central: Men | Women
Location: Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, Calif.
Championship Formats: Seven men’s teams competing / 10 women’s teams competing
Defending Champions: UC Irvine (men) / UC Santa Barbara (women)
Notable: The UC Irvine men won their sixth overall Big West title and third in the last four year. UC Santa Barbara used a comeback effort to claim their 11th overall title and their third in the last five seasons. Both men’s finalists were joined by the UCSB women in the NCAA Championship brackets in 2025.
Schedule
Tuesday, April 21 – women’s first round
WOMEN – No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed
WOMEN – No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed
Wednesday, April 22 – women’s quarterfinals/men’s first round
WOMEN – No. 1 seed vs. No. 8/9 winner
WOMEN – No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
WOMEN – No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
WOMEN – No. 2 seed vs. No. 7/10 winner MEN – No. 6 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Thursday, April 23 – women’s semifinals/men’s second round
WOMEN – No. 1/8/9 winner vs. No. 4/5 winner
WOMEN – No. 2/7/10 winner vs. No. 3/6 winner
MEN – No. 1 seed vs. No. 5 seed
MEN – No. 3 seed vs. No. 6/7 winner
Friday, April 24 – women’s championship/men’s semifinals
WOMEN – Championship Match
MEN – No. 1 seed vs. No. 4/5 winner
MEN – No. 2 seed vs. No. 3/6/7 winner
Saturday, April 25
MEN – Championship Match
– Subject to change –
The Big West Beach Volleyball Championship – April 23-24, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex | San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Championship Format: Seven teams competing in modified pool play before a six-team single-elimination bracket
Defending Champion: Long Beach State
Notable: The top two seeds from each pool met in the Championship match, where Long Beach State secured a 3-1 victory over Cal Poly. Both programs advanced to the National Collegiate Championship, with the Mustangs making a run to the Semifinals.
Schedule
Pool Play – Thursday, April 23
Bracket Play – Friday, April 24
The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2026 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship – April 23-25, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
Championship Format: Six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye)
Defending Champion: Hawai’i
Notable: The Big West has had a team in each of the last seven National Collegiate Championship finales, with Long Beach State hoisting the program’s fourth trophy in 2025. A national powerhouse in men’s volleyball, The Big West has been home to the last Five National Players of the Year.
Schedule
First Round – Thursday, April 23
Match 1 | No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Match 2 | No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Semifinals – Friday, April 24
Match 3 | No. 1 seed vs. Match 1 winner
Match 4 | No. 2 seed vs. Match 2 winner
Final – Saturday, April 25
Match 5 | Championship Match
– schedule subject to change, based on final seedings –
The Big West Men’s Golf Championship – May 3-5, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: La Quinta Country Club | La Quinta, Calif.
Championship Format: Ten teams competing in 54 holes of stroke play
Defending Champion: Long Beach State
Notable: Long Beach State won their third-straight Big West men’s title and fourth in the last six years. 2025’s title run came in record-breaking wire-to-wire fashion.
Schedule
Round 1 – Sunday, May 3
Round 2 – Monday, May 4
Round 3 – Tuesday, May 5
The Big West Softball Championship – May 6-9, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: Anderson Family Field | Fullerton, Calif.
Championship Format: Top six teams competing (top two teams receive a first-round bye) in double-elimination format
Defending Champion: UC Santa Barbara
Notable: After dropping its first game of the inaugural championship, UC Santa Barbara secured a win in six straight elimination games to capture the first-ever Big West Softball Championship crown. The Gauchos would continue to make history by dramatically clinching their first pair of NCAA Championship victories while advancing to the Los Angeles Regional Final.
Schedule
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 6
Game 1 | No 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Game 2 | No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Game 3 | Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (elimination game)
Day 2 – Thursday, May 7
Game 4 | No. 1 seed vs. Game 1 winner
Game 5 | No. 2 seed vs. Game 2 winner
Game 6 | Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser (elimination game)
Day 3 – Friday, May 8
Game 7 | Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Game 8 | Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 winner (elimination game)
Game 9 | Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game)
Day 4 – Saturday, May 9
Game 10 | Championship Game
If-necessary game to follow
The Big West Men’s & Women’s Track & Field Championships – May 14-16, 2026
Championships Central >>>
Location: Jack Rose Track | Long Beach, Calif.
Championship Format: 10 men’s teams / 11 women’s teams competing
Defending Champions: Cal Poly (men) / UC Irvine (women)
Notable: The Cal Poly men went back-to-back for the crown and UC Irvine’s women edged out the Mustangs by a slim 1.5 point margin to capture the program’s first-ever title. New in 2026, The Big West Championships are set to be contested on three consecutive days of competition rather than split between two weekends.
Schedule
Day 1 – Thursday, April 14
Day 2 – Friday, April 15
Day 3 – Saturday, April 16
The Big West Baseball Championship – May 20-24, 2026
Championship Central >>>
Location: Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark | Irvine, Calif.
Championship Format: Top five teams competing. Seed Nos. 4 and 5 play a single-elimination game before meeting the No. 1 seed in the four-team, double-elimination bracket.
Defending Champions: Cal Poly
Notable: After forcing the if-necessary game, No. 2 seed Cal Poly secured a 6-4 triumph over top-seeded and 20th-ranked UC Irvine to claim the title. Both the Mustangs and Anteaters earned bids to the national postseason and both advanced to the regional final before bowing out.
Schedule
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 20
Game 1 | No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed (elimination game)
Day 2 – Thursday, May 21
Game 2 | No. 1 seed vs. Game 1 winner
Game 3 | No 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed
Day 3 – Friday, May 22
Game 4 | Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner
Game 5 | Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser (elimination game)
Day 4 – Saturday, May 23
Game 6 | Game 4 loser vs. Game 5 winner (elimination game)
Game 7 | Championship Game
Day 5 – Sunday, May 24
If-necessary game
Men’s Volleyball | 1/9/2026 10:41:00 PM
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Sam Lane led the Red Flash with six kills and a .667 kill percentage.
>> Nicholas Lynch protected the net with three blocks.
>> Saint Francis fell to BYU (25-22, 25-20, 25-18).
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
After a media timeout, the Red Flash was down 15-8 halfway through the first set. However, BYU made back-to-back errors that gave Saint Francis an opening to go on a 7-1 run. Brady Stump collected three aces in a row to force a timeout call by the Cougars. Kyle Charles ended the run with a clean kill assisted by middle blocker Lane. Although, BYU continued to strike the ball to win all three sets.
FLASH MOMENTS
Saint Francis started the second set with a 3-1 lead. Charles assisted both Lane and Cole Dorn for a kill each. The Red Flash went on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 13-8. BYU created four errors to increase the score gap. Nathan Zini and Lane both threw down kills that were passed up by Charles.
Lane claimed the first kill of the set thanks to an assist from Charles for the Red Flash. They quickly went on a 5-1 stretch with help from a kill by Dorn and service ace from Lane. BYU continued to make errors as they had another three alone in the run.
FLASH NUGGETS
Stump finished the late night with five kills and three aces.
Lane collected six kills, a hitting percentage of .556, and a kill percentage of .667.
Dorn registered five kills and two assisted blocks.
Lynch recorded three blocks and two kills.
Richard Kaminski had a team high five digs.
Charles tossed in 18 assists during the match.
NEXT ON TAP
The Red Flash will continue round two against the Cougars tomorrow in Utah at 9 PM.
LEXINGTON, Va. – Jan Hathorn, Washington and Lee University’s Michael F. Walsh Director of Athletics, announced that 427 student-athletes earned the W&L Scholar-Athlete Award for achieving a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher during the recently completed fall term in December.
The university’s 603 student-athletes combined for an outstanding 3.643 GPA while completing 9,813 credit hours, with 31 student-athletes studying abroad during the fall term.
In the department, 98 Generals earned a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester. A table featuring these individuals is included below, alphabetized by sport first then last name.
To view a complete listing of the 2025 Fall Term Scholar Athlete award winners, click this link.
| Last Name | First Name | Sport | Grad Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cimballa | John | Baseball | 29 |
| Lagges | Nick | Baseball | 26 |
| Teague | Camdyn | Baseball | 28 |
| Turner | John | Baseball | 26 |
| Brickner | Amanda | Field Hockey | 26 |
| Dreany | Charlotte | Field Hockey | 28 |
| McDonald | Julia | Field Hockey | 26 |
| Zoota | Lauren | Field Hockey | 28 |
| Bodnar | Cip | Football | 29 |
| Cigelske | Burke | Football | 26 |
| Johnson | Henry | Football | 29 |
| Shallcross | Carter | Football / Lacrosse | 28 |
| Hobson | Ari | Men’s Basketball | 28 |
| Ransom | Jackson | Men’s Basketball | 28 |
| Amare | Davis | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 28 |
| Benjamin | Wyatt | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| Cooper | Robert | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| Kodenski | Jackson | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| Mehendale | Raja | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 28 |
| Rush | Keaton | Men’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 26 |
| Blanton | Matt | Men’s Lacrosse | 28 |
| Bryant | Jack | Men’s Lacrosse | 28 |
| Kallen | Gray | Men’s Lacrosse | 29 |
| Lehman | Andrew | Men’s Lacrosse | 26 |
| Reiter | Gabe | Men’s Lacrosse | 28 |
| Smink | Eli | Men’s Lacrosse | 29 |
| Cordova | Aaron | Men’s Soccer | 27 |
| Furman | Miles | Men’s Soccer | 28 |
| Furman | Spencer | Men’s Soccer | 27 |
| Hall | Willy | Men’s Soccer | 26 |
| Jenkins | Matthew | Men’s Soccer | 27 |
| Joseph | Will | Men’s Soccer | 26 |
| Ordway | Christopher | Men’s Soccer | 29 |
| Peterson | Trey | Men’s Soccer | 28 |
| Gray | Aiden | Men’s Swimming | 27 |
| Murphy | Patrick | Men’s Swimming | 26 |
| Pharr | Rhodes | Men’s Swimming | 26 |
| Ramos | John | Men’s Swimming | 27 |
| Tinsley | Cooper | Men’s Swimming | 28 |
| Imorde | Henry | Men’s Tennis | 29 |
| Rao | Sanjheev | Men’s Tennis | 27 |
| Clark | Schuyler | Men’s Track & Field | 26 |
| Heinze | Luke | Men’s Track & Field | 29 |
| Jakubowski-Lewis | Danny | Men’s Track & Field | 26 |
| Capuzzi | Brooke | Riding | 27 |
| Condrell | Jade | Riding | 26 |
| Csatlos | Sophie | Riding | 29 |
| Ghostine | Sarah | Riding | 29 |
| Hammer | Kate | Riding | 29 |
| Martin | Kate | Riding | 26 |
| McClure | Henry | Riding | 28 |
| Miranda | Kaycie | Riding | 29 |
| Sinclair | Ryon | Riding | 29 |
| Debiec | Riley | Volleyball | 26 |
| Mitchener | Grace | Volleyball | 27 |
| Natwick | Caroline | Volleyball | 26 |
| Pierre-Louis | Diane | Volleyball | 26 |
| Trainor | Turi | Volleyball | 27 |
| Lawson | Katie | Women’s Basketball | 26 |
| McGuinness | Quinn | Women’s Basketball | 26 |
| Prechel | Elka | Women’s Basketball | 26 |
| Adams | Hannah | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| Brown | Reese | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| Engle | Josie | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 29 |
| Harvey | Lydia | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 27 |
| King | Sally | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 29 |
| Nastopoulos | Lily | Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field | 29 |
| Bhatt | Toral | Women’s Golf | 29 |
| Wong | Ella | Women’s Golf | 27 |
| Taylor | Carleigh | Women’s Lacrosse | 28 |
| Andrews | Calla | Women’s Soccer | 27 |
| Bowman | Shay | Women’s Soccer | 27 |
| Espinosa | Julia | Women’s Soccer | 29 |
| Gabriel | Chrysoula | Women’s Soccer | 29 |
| Green | Mary Parrish | Women’s Soccer | 29 |
| Hecker | Ava | Women’s Soccer | 26 |
| McEnroe | Katherine | Women’s Soccer | 28 |
| Mellides | Maura | Women’s Soccer | 29 |
| Watson | Abigail | Women’s Soccer | 27 |
| Attar | Clara | Women’s Swimming | 26 |
| Brame-Goldthwaite | Sophia | Women’s Swimming | 29 |
| Bredehoeft | Celia | Women’s Swimming | 28 |
| Fenton | Frances | Women’s Swimming | 29 |
| Hackman | Dani | Women’s Swimming | 26 |
| Jellig | Maria | Women’s Swimming | 26 |
| Lathrop | Virginia | Women’s Swimming | 29 |
| McBoyle | Paige | Women’s Swimming | 26 |
| Donnelly | Sarah | Women’s Tennis | 28 |
| Kach | Jordan | Women’s Tennis | 26 |
| Long | Lauren | Women’s Tennis | 26 |
| Cholewa | Abigail | Women’s Track & Field | 27 |
| Morante | Mackenzie | Women’s Track & Field | 27 |
| Sawicki | Elizabeth | Women’s Track & Field | 29 |
| Wood | Katie | Women’s Track & Field | 28 |
| Rubin | Ben | Wrestling | 28 |
| Santowski | John | Wrestling | 26 |
| Svetanant | Tharun | Wrestling | 27 |
| Wright | Jacob | Wrestling | 27 |
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
NEW YORK – Columbia track & field opened the 2026 indoor season with multiple podium finishes, personal bests, and program marks at the TCNJ Lions Invitational on Friday inside the Armory.
FIELD EVENTS
Columbia turned in a strong showing across the field events. In the women’s pole vault, Jessica Thompson led the Lions with a third-place finish after clearing a personal best mark of 3.80m and is currently at the 64th spot in the nation. Seraiah Bruno and Lucy Markow each cleared 3.50m, with Bruno recording a season best.
On the men’s side of the pole vault, Liam Wright delivered a runner-up finish with a clearance of 4.55m, while Gavin Holcombe placed fifth at 4.40m.
In the high jump, Collin Moore led Columbia with a third-place finish in the men’s competition after clearing 1.95m. On the women’s side, Norina Khanzada and Fiona McKenna each cleared 1.50m, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Zayna Flynn represented Columbia in the women’s shot put, placing ninth with a mark of 8.17m. In the men’s shot put, Adam Jaros finished 10th with a throw of 10.27m.
RUNNING EVENTS
Columbia delivered a strong performance on the track. In the men’s sprints, Matthew Mazero captured the 200m title with a time of 21.85, earning the 84th spot in the nation while Zach Willen followed closely in second at 21.98. The duo returned to the track in the 60m finals, where Mazero placed third with a time of 7.02, and Willen added a personal best with a 7.12 race effort.
The men’s 40 relay quartet of Evan Singleton, Caden Cutchall, Zach Willen, and Matthew Mazero sped past the competition, finishing second with a time of 3:20.79. Cutchall also impressed in the 500m, placing third in the 50 competition with a personal-best 1:04.99, while Haydn Brotschi posted a personal best time of 33.98 to finish second in the 300m.
On the women’s side, Columbia placed third in the 4×400 relay, crossing the line in 4:10.82 behind a strong effort from Kylie Castillo, Jayla Johnson, Olivia Dada, and Roya Amirhamzeh. Castillo also added a fifth-place finish in the 200m with a time of 26.16, while Olivia Sterling finished sixth in the 60m finals at 8.00.
In the middle-distance events, Roya Amirhamzeh clocked 1:21.85 in the 500m, while the Lions continued to post solid depth performances in the 300m, led by Kylie Castillo, who ran 41.23.
UP NEXT
The Lions are heading to Yale for an Ivy competition against Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday, January 17, with field events scheduled at 11 am and running events scheduled at 2:30 pm
Stay up to date on all things Columbia track & field by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsXCTF), Instagram (@culionsxctf) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
BOULDER — Head coach Ann Elliott Whidden and her Colorado lacrosse team returned to the field inside the Ford Practice Facility on Thursday, officially marking the start of the 2026 season.
The Buffaloes enter their 13th season in 2026, all under the direction of Whidden, who has compiled a 130-75 record.
“It is great to be back with this team,” Whidden expressed. “This group is highly focused and motivated to get to work and we have had a great start to our spring practices. The intensity and competitiveness they bring everyday has been great to see.”
Colorado played seven fall warm-up games, including a pair against the team’s season-opening opponent, Northwestern. The Buffs also played exhibition games against Canada’s U20 National Team, Marquette, Denver, and Stanford before their annual scrimmage against CU alums.
The 2025 Buffs finished 8-8 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play, earning the No. 2 seed in the inaugural Big 12 Tournament. Returning defender Jess Peluso scored Nike Lacrosse Media All-America honorable mention honors last season and was the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Sophomore goaltender Elena Oh won four Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week awards last year and was selected to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. She led the Big 12 and ranked 18th in the NCAA with a 9.81 goals-against average in her freshman season. Oh was also third in the conference with a .399 save% and made 5.93 saves per game (5th Big 12).
Also returning in 2026 are All-Conference selections Maddie Shoup and Lily Assini. The offensive duo finished second and third on the team in points last season, respectively. Shoup totaled career-highs in goals (30) and assists (13) for 43 total points. Assini totaled 16 goals and a career-high 23 assists for a career-best 39 points.
Colorado scored 178 total goals in 2025 and returns 57% of its scoring from a year ago.
“We are so excited for the spring and the challenges we have on our schedule,” Whidden added. “We are looking forward to taking the next few weeks to lock in on ourselves and just focus on getting better everyday so we are prepared for those opportunities. This is a great group and I’m just really looking forwarding to seeing what we can do this season!”
Nine true freshmen will look to compete for some key roles this spring. Whidden added newcomers Rowan Edson, Georgia Rios and Sophia Yeskulsky to the attack, Charlotte Yeskulsky, Alison Stevens, Julia Etu and Parker Lemm to the middles and Hailie Abrams and Ryann McLeod to the defensive corps. Jillian Kane joins the goalie depth chart, having played her first two seasons at Colby College.
The season gets underway with a trip to Evanston, Ill., to play national runner-up Northwestern on Feb. 9. The Buffs’ first home game is set for Feb. 15 against Cornell.
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Marinkovic joins the 49ers from NC State where she spent her freshman season, appearing in one match and tallying one kill. Before college, she attended Gimnazija “Branko Radičević” Stara Pazova where she earned first team All-Region honors. Academically, she earned a diploma for excellent achievement. The outside hitter finished first in all pioneer, cadet and junior competitions while playing club.
“I really loved the energy I felt watching the games,” said Marinkovic. “I’ve heard great things about how kind and supportive the coaches, staff, and players are, and how hard everyone works. It also means a lot to me to have my former teammate, Jovana, going through this process with me.”
During the 2020-21 club season, she placed third in the Serbian Prva Liga with OK Omladinac and went on to finish first the following year. At the 2024-25 Servia SuperCup, she placed second with Jedinstvo Stara Pazova.
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