Christendom Athletics: 2025-2026 Year in Review

The 2025-26 year has come to a close for Christendom Athletics, highlighted by conference championships, national tournament appearances, and multiple All-American honors across several programs. 

Cross Country

Under coaches Sydney Binette and Dan Binette, the men's and women's cross country teams showed steady improvement throughout the season, with multiple runners setting numerous personal records as the season progressed.

Both teams finished third at the USCAA National Championships. Alex Girata and Robert Wright placed 12th and 13th in the men's race to earn USCAA Second Team All-American honors.

Volleyball

The volleyball team, led by coaches Michaela Pennefather and Claire Dotson, finished the season 5-15.

The Crusaders earned good wins over Penn State Beaver, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, and Cheney University, as well as competing hard against some of the best teams in the USCAA, despite falling short in those matches. Freshman Serenity Fedoryka was named a USCAA Second Team All-American following a strong first collegiate season.

Women's Soccer

Women's Soccer finished 10-4 under coaches Erly Moya and Courtney Nelson and qualified for the USCAA National Tournament. 

The Crusaders picked up notable regular season wins over Penn State Schuylkill, Penn State Mont Alto, and Central Penn. Christendom defeated Penn State Mont Alto in the opening round of the national tournament before falling to New Hampshire Tech, the eventual national runner-up.

Megan Lovar and Ava Hudson earned First Team USCAA All-American honors, while Maddie Lee and Theresa Hambleton received Honorable Mention recognition.

Lovar was named ESAC Player of the Year, and Moya earned ESAC Coach of the Year honors. Hudson, Lee, Hambleton, Grace Hatley, and Maria Blank also earned All-Conference recognition.

Men's Soccer

The men's soccer team finished 7-6-3 under coaches Mark LaRochelle and Danny Duca. The Crusaders earned notable wins over nationally ranked Central Penn College and Manor College while returning a young core for next season.

Michael Vander Woude earned USCAA Second Team All-American and First Team All-Conference honors. Nick Vander Woude received USCAA Honorable Mention and Second Team All-Conference recognition, while Niall Maguire earned Second Team All-Conference honors.

Rugby

The rugby program posted a 4-5 record in 15s play and an 11-15 record in 7s competition under coaches Jim Conrad, John Jakubisin, and Kolbe Castello.

The Crusaders won the Conference Tournament Plate and finished fifth in the Southern Rugby Conference.

Jimmy Coffey earned First Team NCR All-American honors and All-Conference recognition. Jacob Kristine, Luke Ethridge, and Christian DiFalco were named All-Division III performers in the Southern Conference.

Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball finished 11-7 and won the ESAC Championship under head coach Mary Minick and assistants Annie Heisler and Kate Walz.

The Crusaders earned key wins over Penn State York, Apprentice, and Washington Adventist University and earned a bid to the USCAA National Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Christendom closed the season with a consolation win over Penn State DuBois after falling to University of Maine Augusta in the opening round.

Mary Pennefather earned USCAA First Team All-American honors and was named ESAC Player of the Year. Lucy Pennefather earned USCAA Second Team All-American honors.

Georgie Snyder was also named to the ESAC All-Conference First Team and Mary Minick was named ESAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

Men's Basketball

The men's basketball team competed against the toughest schedule in program history under coaches Joe Dotson, Anthony Barbale, Brian Fox, and Philip Dotson.

The Crusaders defeated multiple NCAA Division III opponents in the same season for the first time in program history, including wins over Regent University and the University of Valley Forge. Bobby Vander Woude hit a near half-court buzzer beater against Regent and added another game-winning shot in a 92-90 win over Bucks County. Christendom finished 6-3 at home and 5-2 in ESAC play before advancing to the ESAC Championship Game.

Bobby Vander Woude and John Fowler earned First Team All-Conference honors, while Daniel Schultz was named to the Second Team.

Baseball

Under coaches Vince Amuso, Frank Scarchilli, and Pat Stein, the baseball team earned wins over Virginia State University, Williamson, Penn State Fayette, and a walk-off win over Bucks County delivered by Will Reese in the bottom of the 7th inning. 

Peter Sullivan earned USCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors and First Team ESAC All-Conference recognition. Rowland Thornberry was also named First Team All-Conference, while Edmund Thomas and Sam Romero earned All-ESAC Second Team honors.

Softball

Softball returned for its first season back after a hiatus under coaches Jim Bell, Annie Chavez, and Liz Speer.

The team worked hard and will continue to build the foundation for the future while gaining valuable experience throughout the season.

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The 2025-26 year was another successful chapter for Christendom Athletics both on the field and in the classroom.

Across all programs, Crusader student-athletes earned 12 All-American honors, 23 All-Conference selections, and 44 Academic All-American recognitions while posting a department-wide GPA of 3.477.

Christendom Athletics also celebrated 29 graduating seniors this year. Throughout their careers, those seniors helped lead the Crusaders to eight conference championships and a USCAA National Runner-Up finish while combining for eight All-American honors and 43 Academic All-American selections.

The accomplishments of the 2025-26 teams and graduating class continued to reflect the growth, competitiveness, and commitment that define Christendom Athletics.