The Year in Sports: 2025-2026

Men’s Soccer 

It was a year of transition for the men’s soccer team in 2025. After going 16-2-4 last year, losing in the NESCAC tournament to Connecticut College, only to come back and beat them to win the National Championship, the team looked quite different this fall, going 8-6-3 after losing 13 seniors. Highlights of the year include a thrilling 2-0 win against Connecticut College early on, and a pivotal 1-0 win against Colby mid-season. The team lost 3-2 to Wesleyan in the quarterfinal of the NESCAC tournament before crashing out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round, losing to Catholic University 1-0 in overtime. Goalkeeper Juan Perez ’26 was named to the NESCAC Fall All-Sportsmanship Team, while forward Michael Cherico ’28 and winger Mohammed Nuhu ’27 earned All-Region I recognition. Meanwhile, Jacob Dinzeo ’28, Trey Sheppard ’28, and Riley Priddy ’27 were all named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections. With only six seniors graduating this spring, the team anticipates less turnover and greater continuity moving forward.

Women’s Soccer 

The women’s soccer team had a successful season, going 11-5-2. After losing 12 seniors last spring, the team faced high expectations and significant roster turnover. Despite the challenge, they quickly found their rhythm, opening the season with an impressive three-game winning streak that included tightly contested victories over Connecticut College and Smith. Other pivotal victories included a late-season 2-1 victory over Bowdoin and a 3-0 win against Trinity to end the regular season. Despite losing 2-0 in the quarterfinal of the NESCAC tournament to Colby, the team made the NCAA Tournament and beat SUNY Cortland 2-0 before losing 1-0 to Messiah University in the next round, ending their season. Defender Ella Johnson ’25, midfielder Brooke Ingemi ’25, and forward Emma Darling ’28 all earned New England Sports Writers Association honors. Six Mammoths earned College Sports Communicators Academic All District Honors, and Johnson was named a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American. The team graduates eight seniors this spring.

Field Hockey 

After a strong 2024 campaign, in which they finished 9-7, field hockey remained pretty consistent in 2025, finishing the season with a 9-9 record and making the NCAA tournament. Their biggest wins came in the form of a few overtime thrillers, including a 4-3 victory against Connecticut College in September, a 2-1 victory against Worcester Polytechnic Institute just days later, and a first-round double-overtime NCAA tournament victory against the Stevens Institute of Technology. After the win over Stevens, Amherst’s season ended with a 1-0 loss to Bates. Offensively, Justine Liguori ’26 led the team with five goals and three assists for 13 points. On defense, goalkeeper Kate Grady ’28 anchored the back line, posting a 1.42 goals-against average and 37 saves across 11 starts. Meanwhile, Maya Harrington ’27 and Katie Savino ’28 both earned All-NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) Region I Second Team and All-NESCAC Second Team honors. Nine seniors graduate this spring.

Football 

The football team posted a winning record for the first time since 2021, going 5-4 and beating Hamilton, Tufts, Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Williams. Their 14-13 Homecoming victory over Williams to cement their season was a game to remember, with Hudson Fulcher-Melendy ’28 making the game-winning field goal with just under three minutes to play. Eight Mammoths garnered All-NESCAC honors, with Kemit Fisher ’26 and Luke Harmon ’26 also receiving D3football.com All-Region nods for their stellar defense. On the offensive end, Demetrius Smith ’27 led the team in rushing, while Carter Jung ’26 posted a team-high 79.33 average yards per game as a receiver. Three of their four losses were by a touchdown or fewer, demonstrating great promise for the program’s future trajectory, as they look to build on this year. The team says goodbye to 18 seniors this spring, but will return starting quarterback Marek Hill ’28, setting the stage for a strong 2026 campaign.

Men’s Cross Country  

Top-end depth and quality defined the season for the men’s cross country team. An early highlight was a stellar second-place finish at the Paul Short Run, where first-year Carter Bengston ’29 ran to an individual fifth-place finish to lead the team. He was a part of the tightly packed top cluster of runners for Amherst, a group which also featured juniors Stan Craig ’27 and Harrison Dow ’27 as well as senior Henry Dennen ’26 — a group that consistently registered strong times without suffering from dropoff across the scoring ranks this season. In the end, Amherst finished third at the NESCAC Championships and placed 11th at the Division III NCAA Championships. Seven Mammoths, as well as the team as a whole, were recognized with All-Academic distinctions. Though six seniors depart, the team’s young core should keep the squad highly competitive moving forward. 

Women’s Cross Country 

A youthful core bounced back from injuries to lay down a gritty, successful season for women’s cross country. Sophomore sensation Hannah Stephenson ’28 paved the way early for the squad, racing to individual first-place finishes in the first two meets of the year. Stephenson earned NESCAC Runner of the Week and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Athlete of the Week distinctions for her efforts, only the third athlete in program history to do so. Though Stephenson was unable to finish the season, teammates stepped up around her, with a large sophomore contingent filling her shoes. The team capped off a hard-fought season with a 16th-place finish at Nationals, led by Flora Biro ’28, Ava Thomas ’28, and Katie Greenwald ’29. Five runners and the team as a whole were recognized with All-Academic distinctions. Only three seniors graduate, and a young, healthy, and talented Amherst squad should return to the race course next season.

Volleyball

The volleyball team went 7-10 this year, going only 2-8 against NESCAC opponents. The team did not make the NESCAC or NCAA tournaments. Among the squad’s best moments, they beat Mount Holyoke 3-1 in their second matchup of the season and Wellesley College 3-0 on Senior Day. Addison Lau ’29 tallied 117 kills and 143.5 points with a .209 hitting percentage, while Charlotte Rasmussen ’26 contributed 107 kills and 122 points. Abby Nichols ’28 posted a team-best .307 hitting percentage, and Sofia Camilo ’28 added 106 kills and 127.5 points. On defense, Allie McLaughlin ’27 anchored the back row with 48 digs in just 16 sets for a team-best 3.00 digs per set, while Chideraa Ngwadom ’27 led the team at the net, recording 33 total blocks at a rate of 1.22 blocks per set. Camilo, Rasmussen, Bailey Reid ’27, and Zosia Teraszkiewicz ’28 were all named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Only two seniors will graduate this spring, providing stability and a strong foundation for the team to build on next season.

Men’s Ice Hockey

The men’s ice hockey team finished the season with a 12-11-2 record, 7-10-1 against conference opponents. During the regular season, the team notched key wins over Trinity, Middlebury, and Williams, but ultimately lost to Bowdoin in the NESCAC Championship quarterfinal. Josh Burke ’26 led the team with a career-high 26 points (12 goals and 14 assists) while Oliver Flynn ’27 recorded the highest face-off percentage of 0.579 (second highest in the NESCAC). On the defensive side, Caden Olenczak ’29 and Ray Hou ’28 led the team with 26 blocked shots each. Burke was named to the All-NESCAC first team, and captain Ryan Corcoran ’26 was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team. Amherst will graduate six seniors this spring. 

Women’s Ice Hockey

The women’s ice hockey team recorded another successful season with an overall record of 21-3-6. The Mammoths won key games against Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Hamilton during the regular season and beat Colby to defend their NESCAC Championship title (allowing only one goal in all three NESCAC tournament games). For the fourth consecutive year, the Mammoths competed in the NCAA tournament, beating the College of Saint Benedict and Elmira College to reach the Frozen Four. However, the team ultimately fell to 3-1 to the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in the championship semifinal. The Mammoths led the conference in both shots per game and goals allowed per game. It was a historic season for goaltender Natalie Stott ’26, who broke the Division III record for most shutouts (45) and wins (86). Stott’s career save percentage of 0.96 is also a record for any level of collegiate hockey. Gretchen Dann ’26 and Maeve Reynolds ’26 were both named to the All-NESCAC first team, while Stott was named to the second team. The three also received All-American, Division III Hockey News All-East, and NEHWA (New England Hockey Writers Association) honors. Dann was also named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Stott was named the NEHWA Most Valuable Player. Maleigh Tittel ’26 was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team. Reynolds led the team with 32 points, solidifying her place in the 100-Point Club. The Mammoths will graduate seven seniors this spring, all of whom will be missed dearly.

Men’s Swim & Dive

The men’s swimming and diving team capped off another successful season. The team placed third in the NESCAC Championship for the second year in a row. The Mammoths also set multiple program records. Ethan Van De Water ’26, Cameron Aryanpour ’28, Tom Conaty ’27, and Roan Haney ’29 set a new school record in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Jonah Luetke ’26, Aryanpour, Nadel, and Jack Goepfrich ’28 set a record in the 400-meter medley relay. In the individual events, Fynlan Nadel ’26 set a new record in the 50-meter breaststroke, Goepfrich in the 200-meter freestyle, Eric Albers ’27 in the 100-meter breaststroke, Benjamin Robins ’29 in the 1,000-meter freestyle, and Owen Vale ’29 in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter (also a NESCAC record) individual medley. At the NCAA Championships, the team finished 22nd, its highest ranking since 2019. Three Mammoths also earned All-American honors: Goepfrich was named to the 200-meter freestyle first team, Vale was named to the 400 individual medley first team, and Robins was named to the 1,650-meter freestyle first team. JP Giglio ’29 was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team, and Vale was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. The team graduates nine seniors this spring.

Women’s Swim & Dive

It was another strong season for the women’s swimming and diving team. The Mammoths finished fourth in the NESCAC Championship and 14th at the NCAA Championship. The team also set multiple new program records. Sydney Thompson ’28, Paige Arnold ’27, Diane Koo ’26, and Lucy Smith ’27 set the record in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Katy Niziol ’29, Joline Fong ’26, Smith, and Thompson set the record in the 200-meter medley relay. Thompson, Smith, Arnold, and Maeve Kelly ’27 set the record in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Arnold also set the program record in the 100-meter individual medley. Many Mammoths also received All-American honors. Thompson was named to the 50-meter freestyle second team, Kelley was named to the 100-meter butterfly second team, and the 200-meter butterfly first team. The 200-meter medley relay team and 400-meter freestyle relay team were both named to the second team, and the 800-meter freestyle relay team of Ava Insteness ’29, Kelley, Penny Lazar ’29, and Arnold was also named to the second team. On the diving board, Brooke Ronan ’29 and Donna Zhang ’26 were named to the 1-meter second team and the 3-meter first team. Zhang was also awarded the NESCAC Co-Diver of the Year, and Thompson was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team. Five seniors will graduate from the team this spring.

Men’s Basketball 

The men’s basketball team had one of its strongest campaigns in years. After bowing out of the NESCAC tournament in the quarterfinals, they earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Facing off against Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the Mammoths dominated before dropping their final game to the University of Mary Washington in the second round of the tournament. The team was led by first-year K.J. Neville ’29, who averaged 10.8 points per game, earning him NESCAC Rookie of the Year and D3Hoops.com Regional Rookie of the Year Honors. Guard Elias Chin ’28 and forward Chris Hammond ’26 were named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. Noteworthy wins on the season include a 61-45 win over NESCAC rival Williams, a narrow 65-64 victory over Colby, and a dominant 73-54 win over Connecticut College. The Mammoths complete the season with a 19-8 record, graduating two seniors who will be dearly missed. 

Women’s Basketball 

The women’s basketball team posted an impressive 18-8 record this year. Led by senior guards Annie McCarthy ’26 and Laura Mendell ’26, they went 6-4 in the conference, beating teams including Wesleyan, Trinity, and Middlebury. Their NESCAC postseason path began with a dominant 77-55 victory over Connecticut College, before they fell 68-80 to eventual champion Bates in the tournament semifinals. Although they did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, McCarthy and Mendell were both named to the All-NESCAC second team, while McCarthy, Anna Tranum ’26, Brielle Renwick ’27, and Elizabeth Cain ’28 received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors. The Mammoths lose five of their seniors, but look to build on a strong 2025-2026 season as they head into another year of high-level basketball.

Men’s Track and Field  

The men’s track and field team finished first in the New England Division III Indoor Championships, 20th in the NCAA Indoor Championships, and first in the NESCAC Championships for the first time in program history. Jordan Harrison ’26, Keason Ky ’28, Michael Abbey Jr. ’27, Parker Boyle ’27, and Cody Pierce ’26 set new program records in the indoor 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, triple jump, 1,000-meter run, and 200-meter dash, respectively. On the field, Alec Kuzyk ’27 set a new record in the outdoor pole vault, Manav Bhatia ’29 in javelin, and Gavin Schmidt ’28 in discus throw. Eighteen Mammoths earned All-NESCAC honors, and the team graduates 14 seniors this spring.

Women’s Track and Field 

The women’s track and field team finished third at the NESCAC Championships and fifth at the New England Indoor Championship this year. During the indoor season, three Mammoths set new program records: Zoë Marcus ’27 in the 800-meter run, Héloïse Hughes ’27 in the 200-meter dash, and Lily Meadows ’28 in weight throws. Rachel Hubley ’27, Madison Rabb ’26, Halle Hanna ’26, and Camilla Lash ’27 also set a new school record in the 4x200-meter relay. Twelve Mammoths earned All-NESCAC honors, and after a successful season, 10 seniors will graduate this spring.

Men’s Squash 

Men’s squash orchestrated a 12-8 campaign, with strong in-conference performances defining the season. The team’s best win came in the Little Three championship against Williams, whom Amherst had not beaten since 1999. The Mammoths stormed back from a 3-4 deficit to steal a 5-4 win, with Devon Osborne ’29’s marathon victory at the second singles spot being crucial in securing the match win. Set up by Osborne’s performance, sophomore Graeme Herbert ’28 broke the deadlock with a match-winning triumph at the fourth singles spot. The Mammoths went on to beat Wesleyan in the Little Three championship match three days later, securing the mid-season title. At the end of the season, Roman Parisi ’29, Joseph Toth ’27, and Osborne were recognized with All-NESCAC team honors, with Parisi also winning the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. With five seniors departing, the team will look to harness its young core next year to build on this season’s strong performance. 

Women’s Squash

The women’s squash team compiled a perfect regular season in-conference record, surging to a top ten national ranking before being unable to gain much traction in the postseason. Amherst started the year 15-1, only dropping a match against third-ranked Princeton. They steamrolled NESCAC competition, bulldozing their way to a third consecutive Little Three championship with authoritative 7-2 and 9-0 wins over Williams and Wesleyan, respectively. Veteran leaders combined with young talent drove the squad, with first years Anastasiia Krykun ’29 and Kenzy Elkaliuoby ’29 receiving All-NESCAC honors to match those of junior Quincy Cline ’27 and senior Alexandra Brown ’26. The women’s squash team will look to repeat the successes of the regular season next year, with four seniors not returning. 

Men’s Golf 

After winning the NESCAC title last year, the men’s golf team continued to find success in the 2025-2026 season. The team finished first in the Duke Nelson Invitational, Bowdoin Invitational, and Skidmore Invitational, and tied with Williams in the Little Three Championship. Andre Zhang ’28 and Jan Ebbinge ’28 also won individual titles at the Tim Brown Invitational and FSC Spring Invitational, respectively. Zhang, Ebbinge, and Thomas Zhang ’29 were all named to the All-NESCAC first team and received All-Region One selections. This spring, the team graduates three seniors.

Women’s Golf 

It was a banner year for the women’s golf team. In the fall, the Mammoths finished with two first-place finishes at the George Phinney Classic and the Williams Fall Invitational. This success continued in the spring when the team claimed the NESCAC title for the third time in program history. The team also competed in the NCAA Championship. On the individual leaderboards, four Mammoths won titles: Emma Lindemoen ’29 at the George Phinney Classic, Renna Chang ’29 at the Williams Fall Invitational, Grace Zhan ’29 at the Jack Leaman Invitational, and Mekhala Costello ’28 at the NESCAC Championship. Lindemoen, Costello, and Joelle Kim ’28 were named to the All-NESCAC first team while Chang was named to the second team. Lindemoen was also named the NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year. The Mammoths will look to continue their success next season with the same team. 

Baseball

After ending their 2025 campaign with a nearly even 18-16 record, the Mammoths took a step up this year, finishing 26-14 at the end of the NESCAC Tournament. The team claimed several big wins throughout the regular season, including a 24-7 win in just seven innings against Williams in April, and a thrilling 13-10 victory over Trinity in the NESCAC semifinal. Unfortunately, after losing to Tufts 16-10 in the NESCAC final, the team narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament, ending their season. Charlie LaFreniere ’27 led the team on the offensive end, hitting .379 with a .975 OPS, while breakout rookie pitcher Saahi Jetti ’29  put together one of the greatest campaigns of any player in any sport this season, maintaining a 2.39 ERA and throwing a no-hitter against Colby in early May. The team graduates four seniors this spring.

Softball 

It’s been an up-and-down couple of seasons for the softball team, and this season was no different. After finishing 2024 with a disappointing 7-28 record, the team bounced back in 2025, improving to 17-19. However, it remained one step forward and two steps back for the Mammoths, as the squad finished 2026 with an 11-25 record. Highlights of the year include a thrilling 9-7 victory away at Bowdoin in March and a strong 3-0 victory against Wesleyan in early April. Due to their losing record, the team failed to qualify for the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments. Lulu Leppard ’28 led the team offensively, posting an absurd .446 batting average and mindboggling 1.217 OPS; meanwhile, Gwen Religa ’29 emerged as the team’s leading arm, recording a 3.63 ERA in 86 innings of work. The team says goodbye to four seniors this spring. 

Men’s Lacrosse 

The men’s lacrosse team finished its 2026 campaign with an 8-8 record, posting a 6-4 winning record in the NESCAC. It was a sporadic season for the Mammoths, whose longest winning streak was four games, marked by victories over Colby, Connecticut College, Williams, and RPI. Two senior defensemen — Thompson Lau ’26 and Matthew Sheinberg ’26 — collected First Team All-NESCAC honors, while goalie Brooks Catlin ’26 ranked fourth in the NESCAC in saves per game and goals against average. The Mammoths earned a top-four seed in the NESCAC tournament but lost to Bates in the quarterfinals, then saw their season end in the first round of the NCAA tournament with a heartbreaking 14-13 loss to the Stevens Institute of Technology. Despite their season being cut short, the team looks forward to returning their second- and third-leading point producers on offense, Brendan Reilly ’27 and Ben Wick ’28. With 13 seniors set to graduate this spring, a strong core of underclassmen promises a bright future for the Mammoths.

Women’s Lacrosse 

The women’s lacrosse team continues its strong 2026 season, currently sitting at 13-4. Critical regular-season wins against Pomona, Pitzer, Tufts, and Williams landed them a hosting spot in the NCAA tournament, where they dispatched Stevens 11-8 in the Round of 32. They look forward to a Sweet 16 showdown with The College of New Jersey as they continue their best season since 2019. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Mia Raven ’27 and Emily Petersen ’26 were tabbed First Team All-NESCAC, while Kate Becker ’26 picked up Second Team honors. Three players offensively have over 40 points, while defensively Jordan Kauftheil ’29 leads the way with 26 caused turnovers behind the 2025 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Lily Samoska ’28 in goal. While their season continues, the Mammoths will graduate nine impactful seniors by the end of it.

Men’s Tennis 

The men’s tennis team navigated a 13-6 campaign and bested rival Williams in the NESCAC tournament before falling to Tufts in the semi-finals to end their season. The team ranked in the top 20 for most of the season, finishing the regular season by sweeping Connecticut College on Senior Day to cap off an 11-2 run. Standout individual performers dotted the roster sheet, as George Chaidemos ’26, Andreas Sillaste ’27, and Lukas Frangenberg ’29 were all awarded All-NESCAC selections. Frangenberg also took home NESCAC Rookie of the Year as the sixth Mammoth to do so, and Sillaste earned a bid to the NCAA Singles Championships, where he will continue his individual season. Chaidemos is the team’s only departing senior, and the Mammoths will look to continue the program’s rise next season. 

Women’s Tennis 

Women’s tennis made noise with semi-final and Sweet Sixteen runs in the NESCAC and DIII tournaments, respectively, crowning a 13-8 campaign with postseason wins. Amherst hosted Manhattanville in the first round of the NCAA tournament and dispatched the Valiants in a dominant 4-0 victory. Commanding Tina She ’27 and Sophie Diop ’26 performances in both doubles and singles matches on the match day were representative of the strong seasons each athlete compiled as the team’s two leaders. Though the team’s season is over, She will compete at the NCAA Singles Championships. Marking the end of an era, women’s tennis head coach and Amherst icon Jackie Bagwell announced her retirement at season’s end. Bagwell’s six doubles championships are the most in DIII history, and she built Amherst into one of the nation’s most successful programs over her 37-year career in the Pioneer Valley. The program, which also loses four seniors, will begin another chapter next fall.