Holy Cross student-athletes continued to raise the bar for academic excellence during the Spring 2025 semester, with a department semester grade-point average of 3.43 during the term — the highest department GPA on record. 

The mark bests the previous high set last semester, when Crusader student-athletes averaged a 3.40. 

This is also the second consecutive semester in which every Holy Cross team has recorded a 3.0 GPA or better; last semester was the first time since 2016 that every Holy Cross team recorded a GPA above 3.0 during a single semester (excluding a COVID-impacted Spring 2020). 

Additionally, 14 teams finished with a 3.5 GPA or better. The women’s tennis team had a 3.79 GPA to lead all programs; the men’s soccer team (3.66) had the highest GPA of any men’s team. 

For 30 consecutive semesters, Holy Cross student-athletes have averaged above a 3.1 GPA. 

In total, 577 student-athletes had a 3.0 or better; 371 posted a 3.5 or above while 55 student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA during the semester. 

Seventeen Holy Cross programs achieved a perfect score of 1,000 in the NCAA’s academic performance standard, the Academic Progress Rate (APR), that was released in May, which is tied for third in the nation. According to the Graduation Success Rate Report released last November by the NCAA, Holy Cross’ athletic teams tied for sixth in the nation with an overall graduation rate of 98 percent. This marks the 18th consecutive year in which the Crusaders have posted a Graduation Success Rate of at least 97 percent.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS 

The College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts — the second-largest city in New England  — is among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Holy Cross is one of a select group of colleges that meets 100% of each admitted student’s demonstrated financial need. Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society since its founding in 1843 by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 

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• Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork knows “the atmosphere can be better” at Value City Arena.
• The future of the arena, as well as that of St. John Arena, are long-term questions for the athletic department.

There is work to be done to get Ohio State men’s basketball to where the program believes it should be, and it’s not strictly tied to the on-court product.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

2025 Patty Kaz Winner O’Brien Taken With Third Pick

Colgate graduate forward Kristýna Kaltounková was selected first overall by the New York Sirens on Tuesday at the 2025 PWHL Draft in Ottawa, beginning a run of 12 straight college hockey players to begin the draft.

In all, 45 of the 48 players selected during the six-round draft came from NCAA Division I hockey, including all eight first-round picks. Kaltounková was the first overall choice after closing out her decorated collegiate career with a 26-goal, 48-point season and a second-team All-America nod. She was also a finalist for the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey.

Wisconsin forward Casey O’Brien, who captured this year’s Patty Kazmaier Award, went third overall to the Sirens. A pair of Clarkson defenders, Haley Winn (Boston Fleet) and Nicole Gosling (Montreal Victoire), went second and fourth overall, respectively.

Cornell captain Rory Guilday rounded out the top five when she was drafted by the host Ottawa Charge.

Twenty-two different schools had at least one former player drafted, led by Ohio State (six) and Minnesota Duluth (five). Minnesota, Penn State, Quinnipiac and Wisconsin each had four alumnae selected, while Clarkson and St. Cloud State had three each.

Also of note:

• New York drafted a PWHL-leading nine NCAA alumnae, following by Boston (six), Montreal (six), Seattle (six), Montreal (five), Toronto (five), Ottawa (four) and Vancouver (four).
• Expansion franchises Vancouver and Seattle both used their first-ever draft picks on former NCAA stars, taking Michelle Karvinen (North Dakota) and Jenna Buglioni (Ohio State) seventh and eighth overall, respectively.
• At least six NCAA alums were taken in all six rounds, including four rounds in which all eight picks came from college hockey: the first, third, fourth and fifth.
• The positional breakdown of NCAA players drafted included 28 forwards, 12 defenders and five goalies.

For a complete list of NCAA alumnae selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft, visit CollegeHockeyInc.com.

Name: Tate Outman
School/grade: Rising junior, Lowell High School
Passion: Gymnastics

Lowell — Tate Outman gets asked the same question over and over by his peers at school: Will you do a backflip?

Sometimes he humors them and does one, and sometimes he doesn’t. He’s not one to talk much about the fact that he is a Level 10 gymnast who recently earned bronze in men’s vault at the 2025 USA Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Development Program National Championships.

“I try to be humble about it,” said Tate, who will begin his junior year this fall.

After school each day, Tate heads to Empowered Athletics in Wyoming where he trains, coached by Joe Swineheart and Emily Bell. He spends the next four hours working on skills like the hand front layout half vault that earned him bronze and other high-level gymnastics skills. He competes in all six events.

After nationals, Tate had a two-week break. SNN caught up with him to chat about his passion for the sport.

How old were you when gymnastics became something you wanted to pursue, and what’s the story there? “I started when I was 2. We did a a ‘mommy and me’ class at a little cheerleading gym.

As he grew from toddler to young child, he kept tumbling and started competing locally at age 6.

“It gave me something to do, and I have a lot of energy, so it really helps me get my energy out.”

Notable accomplishments: Tate has been to nationals five times since sixth grade. Most recently, he earned fifth all-around at the state competition and 12th all-around at regionals to qualify for nationals, where he got his bronze medal.

Tate said there’s a lot of thrill in competing, though he tends to be low key about it.

“It’s definitely exciting and encouraging for you and the whole team, because your team wants you to do well, too. A lot of people flex and scream when they stick it or do it well. When I do something well, I don’t really do much. I kind of shrug it off and move on to the next thing.”

It’s Tate’s second year competing at a Level 10.

“It feels like I have kind of a big role, and I’m also a big role model for all the younger kids in the gym because I’m the highest level.”

Do you plan to pursue this professionally? Envision yourself 10/20 years from now.

“The next step is to hopefully go to college, and then international meets and possibly the Olympics.”

He said he hopes to compete in college at University of Michigan or University of Oklahoma.

International competition would involve competing in Europe and South America and at the World Championship.

“As for a career, I have thought about coaching and starting my own gym. I’m starting coaching at (Empowered Athletics) over the summer.”

What are some of your favorite skills? “One of my coolest would be the triple back off the high bar. (Another is) the tippelt on parallel balls.”

Do you ever feel scared? “I do get scared when I have to do a big skill or new skills. That’s one of the things that I’m working through now: Doing it even if I am scared.”

Other hobbies/interests/little-known talents: “I go fishing a lot outside of school. I stay active. I play some basketball in the gym and at home.”

The biggest lesson you have learned from your involvement in gymnastics is “to push through it. How when you don’t want to do something and you’re having a bad day already you’ve got to push through it, because you know it’s going to produce something that you want. Also, to push through it when you’re scared.”

Read more from Lowell: 
• His eyes are on the skies, thanks to Aviation Electronics
• More meals, more options make for busy days for this lunch crew

The 2025 NHL draft could be a banner one for Michigan’s hockey program.

The Wolverines’ record for most players selected in a single draft is seven, and there is a chance they could tie or break it this year. The draft begins with the first round Friday in Los Angeles, with rounds 2-7 taking place Saturday.

The ban on Canadian Hockey League players competing at the NCAA level has been lifted beginning this season, creating a larger pool of prospects for schools to recruit. Michigan has been among the most active pursuing CHL players, who had previously been barred because of the NCAA’s amateurism rules.

The three incoming Wolverines who played in the Ontario Hockey League last season – forward Malcolm Spence, goalie Jack Ivankovic and defenseman Henry Mews – are all considered NHL prospects. Mews was a third-round pick of the Calgary Flames last year, but Spence and Ivankovic are projected to be early-round picks this year.

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Spence, who totaled 32 goals and 73 points in 65 games last season for the Erie Otters, is the best bet to extend the Wolverines’ streak of producing a first-round pick to nine straight years.

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler projected Spence to the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 25 in his latest mock draft released Tuesday. ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie ranks him as the 23rd overall prospect in the draft, while TSN’s Bob Mckenzie has him No. 25. Chris Peters of FloHockey also has him 23rd.

“I think adding Malcolm Spence was a very important addition for the staff because you’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of skill on the roster, but you need to get some guys that have some of that grind to their game,” Peters told MLive. “That’s what Malcolm Spence brings in addition to having the skill and scoring ability with his size and the pace that he plays with. I think he’s gonna make an impact on the physical side of things, which is really helpful.”

There’s a chance rising sophomore Will Horcoff joins Spence in the first round. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound forward joined the Wolverines halfway through last season and immediately jumped into the team’s top nine as a 17-year-old. He registered four goals and six assists in 18 games and is expected to play a larger role this season.

Horcoff, the son of former longtime NHL forward Shawn Horcoff, is a below-average skater but has a high hockey IQ and the tools to become an impactful power forward, Peters said.

Peters has him ranked 30th on his board, while Wheeler mocked him to the Flyers at No. 31.

“I think his size is the biggest factor, but it’s what he does with it too,” Peters said. “The physicality he’s able to play with, the fact that he transitioned to college hockey, and the first few games there were a couple instances where college athletes are bouncing off of him and you’re just like, ‘Well, this is different. He’s built a little different.’

“I think the NHL pedigree absolutely helps. I think teams like his character. They like the athleticism that he displays and the strength he has. I think the offensive upside and the offensive ceiling is a bit lower, but at the same time, at the end of the first round, especially in this draft class, you’re just trying to find NHL players. I think that his physical profile and how he’s progressed so far over the last couple of years does suggest high NHL potential.”

Michigan has had more than two players taken in the first round once in program history – 2021 when it set a NCAA record with five, including four in the first five picks. Although unlikely, incoming freshman center Cole McKinney could sneak into the first round.

Peters projects he will go early in the second and ranks him No. 32 overall. Doerrie and McKenzie rank him No. 36 and No. 37, respectively, while Wheeler has him going No. 40 overall to Philadelphia.

Peters compared McKinney’s game to former Wolverines and current NHLers Dylan Larkin and Matty Beniers while noting his ceiling isn’t as high as the two top-15 picks in their respective drafts.

“I really like the way that he plays,” Peters said of McKinney, who had 61 points in 60 games last season for the U.S. National Team Development Program. “I think that he has real good two-way sense. He’s a hard-worker, does have skill. I thought he was one of the NTDP’s best players this year down the stretch.”

In net, Ivankovic is expected to be one of the first goalies selected after going 25-12-5 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .903 save percentage for the Brampton Steelheads last season. He’s undersized at 5-foot-11 but is expected to be off the board during the first three rounds because of his other traits.

On the high end, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranks him as the 36th-best prospect in the draft, while Wheeler has him mocked to the Sharks at 53rd overall. Doerrie, McKenzie and Peters all have him ranked between 36 and 53.

“There’s a bit of a quietness to his game,” Peters said. “He’s not all over the map. He doesn’t go too far one way or the other in terms of his emotions and he stays pretty composed. I like what he brings to the table. I think he’s been a winner. Is he going to be the kind of goalie that can steal you games? I think yeah, in some cases he probably will be. For him, the argument for scouts is going to be, ‘What is the overall probability of a player his size playing in the NHL?’ There are so few goalies that are sub-6-foot in the NHL. That’s why he’ll probably go second round at the absolute earliest, but we’ll see ultimately where he ends up.”

In Pronman’s seven-round mock draft, he has three other Wolverines getting selected: incoming freshman forward Drew Schock (No. 67 overall), rising sophomore defenseman Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (No. 106) and freshman defenseman Asher Barnett (No. 119).

If all seven Wolverines get drafted, it would mark the fourth time in program history – and first since 2015 – that the program has reached this milestone.

Freshman forward Aidan Park wasn’t included in the seven-round mock, but Peters said there is a chance he gets drafted late.

“I think Park is really intriguing with the high skill level that he has,” Peters said of the 6-foot-1 right-handed shot who had 33 goals and 33 assists in 55 games in the United State Hockey League last season. “It’s not a guarantee that he’s going to get drafted, but I do think that there are going to be teams that should be taking a long look at him.”