College Sports

Crusader Quarterly with Kit Hughes | June 2025

Story Links Dear Crusaders, I hope you are well and excited to recharge during the (very) slow approaching weeks of summer. As I reflect upon a year of incredible progress for Crusader Athletics, I am filled with gratitude for the dedication of our coaches and staff, skill and determination of our students, […]

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Dear Crusaders,

I hope you are well and excited to recharge during the (very) slow approaching weeks of summer. As I reflect upon a year of incredible progress for Crusader Athletics, I am filled with gratitude for the dedication of our coaches and staff, skill and determination of our students, and incredible support of our Holy Cross community. 2024-25 marked the most competitively successful year for Crusader Athletics in the last decade, while also setting new highs in several areas including department GPA, community service, and event attendance among others. Simply put, our programs are getting it done here on The Hill, all while remaining true to our core values, mission and commitment to serving others. I am so proud — as I am sure you are as well — but as you already know, the best is yet to come!

Over the past five weeks, we celebrated 158 graduating student-athletes at Commencement. We made stops in Washington, D.C.Boston and New York City for our third annual Coaches Road Show. We welcomed our alumni during Reunion Weekend and our fourth annual Coaches Home Show. Our Crusader family traveled far and wide as our athletes represented Holy Cross in Chapel Hill, N.C.Jacksonville, Fla.Camden, N.J. and Amherst, Va. throughout the spring postseason. During each of these moments, it has been incredible to witness the togetherness of our community, and the tenacity and pride of our student-athletes.

Just as remarkable is the generosity of our loyal alumni, fans, and families, whose contributions have been critical to our success. This support empowers our Crusaders to excel in the classroom and in competition. As of today, we have raised over $2.72 million with $980,000 remaining to reach our goal of raising $3.7 million through the Crusader Athletics Fund before June 30. Your partnership is essential in providing a co-curricular athletic experience that is truly world-class, sustained by our Jesuit, Catholic identity. This experience is central to the education our students receive on Mount St. James. Join with over 4,200 supporters and make your gift before the June 30 deadline. Your support is essential as we continue to reach for even greater heights!!

Below, you will read about more recent highlights and some ways to continue connecting with us in the coming weeks and months. Whether at an upcoming game or golf tournament, our Crusader Community Festival, or during an unexpected trip back to campus, I look forward to seeing you all soon! 

Go Cross Go! 

Kit Hughes

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics


Feel free to reach out — any time — with your thoughts, questions or concerns on our “Be Heard” page!

Three Things To Know

 






1. All summer long, many of our teams will be hosting youth clinics — visit goholycross.com/clinics to learn more about all of our options! 
2.

Let’s work together to Pack Fitton this fall — and also raise money for your group, charity or organization! Starting this year, we’re offering the opportunity for groups to fundraise by selling single-game tickets for any of our four home games at Fitton Field. Visit goholycross.com/groupfundraising for more information.

3.

The last day to make your gift to the Crusader Athletics Fund to count for this year is June 30. Gifts can be designated to any of our 27 varsity sports, and every gift gets us closer to our $3.7 million goal! With any questions, please contact the Crusader Athletics Fund team at crusaderathletics@holycross.edu.


NEWS AND UPDATES

Athletic Highlights
















•  Baseball junior CJ Egrie earned Patriot League Player of the Year honors, while junior Jaden Wywoda was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year.
•  First team All-Patriot League honors were earned by senior Chris Baillargeon (baseball), junior Giavanna Ciaravino (women’s track & field), freshman Abby Desmarais (women’s track & field), freshman Danielle DiEsso (women’s track & field), junior CJ Egrie (baseball), senior Jimmy King (baseball), senior Ella Kittredge (women’s lacrosse), junior Racheli Levy-Smith (women’s lacrosse), senior Haley Murphy (women’s track & field), senior Isabela Miller (women’s lacrosse), senior Molly O’Connor (women’s track & field), junior Jaden Wywoda (baseball) and senior Sally Zinsner (women’s lacrosse).
•  Second team All-Patriot League selections included junior Anna Brait (softball), freshman Ezequiel De la Plaza (men’s tennis), senior Brian Fennelly (men’s track & field), junior Celia Kulis (women’s track & field), sophomore John LaFleur (baseball), junior Danny Macchiarola (baseball), senior Connor Peek (baseball), sophomore Gianni Royer (baseball) and senior Maura Switzer (women’s track & field).
•  All-Northeast Region honors went to senior Ella Kittredge (women’s lacrosse), junior Racheli Levy-Smith (women’s lacrosse) and senior Isabela Miller (women’s lacrosse).
•  Baseball won the Patriot League regular season and tournament championships, to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Junior Danny Macchiarola was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP while seniors Jimmy King and Chris Baillargeon and sophomore Gianni Royer joined Macchiarola on the All-Tournament Team.
•  Baseball competed at the Chapel Hill Regional, taking on No. 5 overall seed and D1Baseball.com‘s No. 1 nationally-ranked North Carolina on May 30 and Nebraska on May 31.
•  Junior Liam Lyons placed 42nd in the 1500m with a time of 3.46.63 at the NCAA East Regional First Round hosted by UNF in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 28.
•  Holy Cross hosted the Patriot League Championship in both baseball and track and field.
•  The men’s golf team finished in second place at the Patriot League Championship, with senior Nolan Schuermann becoming just the second player in program history to win the league individual title. Schuermann went on to finish in a tie for 49th place at the NCAA Amherst Regional, firing a strong 74-74-71-219 (+9) performance.
•  Track and field picked up seven medals and broke eight women’s school records at home for the Patriot League Outdoor Championship from May 2-3. Haley Murphy took home gold and set a new school and Patriot League Championship meet record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 59.08. The following weekend at the New England Outdoor Championship (May 10), the Crusaders brought home 10 medals and three new school records.
•  The men’s rowing team qualified for the IRA National Championship for the first time since 2015, finishing in 20th as a team.
•  Women’s lacrosse finished in fourth place in the Patriot League and earned a home game in the tournament quarterfinals, where they defeated Colgate 19-13 to advance to the semifinals for the second straight season.
•  Women’s rowing achieved their highest national ranking since 2015 and placed seventh at the Patriot League Championship.

Academic Highlights








•  Seventeen of our teams achieved a perfect score of 1,000 in the NCAA’s academic performance standard, the Academic Progress Rate (APR), tying for the third-most in the nation out of 362 Division I schools.
•  Senior Nolan Schuermann of men’s golf was selected as the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
•  Academic All-Patriot League selections included senior Ginger Berry (women’s rowing), senior Brian Fennelly (men’s track & field), senior Ella Grey (women’s track & field), senior Jimmy King (baseball), junior Danny Macchiarola (baseball), senior Haley Murphy (women’s track & field), sophomore Gianni Royer (baseball), senior Nolan Schuermann (men’s golf), junior Ali Sniegocki (softball), senior Maura Switzer (women’s track & field) and senior Sally Zinsner (women’s lacrosse).
•  College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors went to senior Caroline Carlson (women’s tennis), senior Caroline Fredey (women’s tennis), sophomore Ava Gambichler (softball), junior Maddie Hamm (women’s tennis), sophomore John LaFleur (baseball), senior Ahana Nagarkatti (women’s tennis), sophomore Emma Pietrzak (softball), sophomore Gianni Royer (baseball) and junior Ali Sniegocki (softball).
•  A number of our student-athletes presented at the College’s annual Academic Conference.


Staffing Highlights

Other Highlights











•  Our student-athletes and teams were honored for their outstanding achievements on May 5 during the annual Crusader Awards. The award winners were highlighted by Crusader of the Year selections Christo Kelly (football) and Haley Murphy (women’s track & field).
•  The Patriot League formally announced the addition of both William & Mary and Villanova as associate members for football beginning in the 2026 season.
•  We retired the jerseys of five Crusader Baseball Legends on April 27: Jack Barry (Class of 1910), Owen Carroll (Class of 1925), Jim O’Neill (Class of 1952), Ron Perry (Class of 1954) and Louis Sockalexis (Class of 1897).
•  The Holy Cross Varsity Club announced its Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which includes Maureen Connolly (Class of 2018, field hockey), Jerry Dickinson (Class of 2009, soccer), Ed Kutschke (Class of 1986, football), Megan Orr (Class of 2007, lacrosse), David Puloka (Class of 2001, football, track and field) and Ann Zelesky (honorary).
•  Luke Newman ’24 was selected in the sixth round of the National Football League draft by the Chicago Bears.
•  Stacey Hochkins ’12 was named the 2025 USA Hockey Adult Player of the Year.
•  Bill McGovern ’85, an All-American defensive back for the Holy Cross football team and a member of the Varsity Club Hall of Fame, returns to the 2026 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
•  Men’s tennis junior Patrick Ling attended the NCAA’s Career in Sports Forum, a four-day event in Indianapolis that brought together over 150 student-athletes from around the nation.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug. 22 | Men’s Ice Hockey Golf Outing

Aug. 30 | Football Season Opener at Northern Illinois

Sept. 13 | Football Home Opener vs. Rhode Island

Sept. 14 | Crusader Community Festival | Women’s Soccer vs. Rhode Island at 2 p.m.

Oct. 4 | Football vs. Harvard | Homecoming

Oct. 25 | Football vs. Colgate | Hall of Fame Dinner

Nov. 1 | Football vs. Lafayette | Family Weekend

Nov. 22 | Football vs. Georgetown at Fenway Park

2025 Season Ticket Membership deposits are open now!

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow all things Crusader Athletics on social media!
Twitter – @goholycross

Instagram – @goholycross

Facebook – Holy Cross Athletics

YouTube – GoHolyCross





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