by Logan Smith, Director of Athletics Communications
With the sports season now complete, there were plenty of highlights across all athletic disciplines for the Wilson Phoenix. Every team had a postseason appearance and most had a major record broken or milestone reached. The Blue and White didn’t just get the job done in the field of competition. They also did so inside the classroom with a record number of scholar-athletes following the fall semester and fall sports. (Winter and spring sport scholar-athletes have not been announced as of this writing.)
The United East Conference named 63 of Wilson’s student-athletes as scholars. This number is a new record for fall sports and surpassed the previous mark of 60 set last year. It continues an upward trend for the Phoenix, who have set program marks, or performance records, in three of the last four years.
In athletic competition, field hockey recorded its eighth consecutive winning season after going 11-4 and reaching the United East Championship semifinals. It’s the third time in the past four years that the Phoenix have recorded double-digits in the win column. Field hockey also excelled in the classroom as the Phoenix led the United East with 15 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFCHA) National Academic Squad selections. Seven were named Scholars of Distinction and Wilson as a team was named a National Team Academic Award recipient.
The women’s soccer team had the best start to a season in program history after going undefeated through the first nine games with a 7-0-2 record. Defense was a big reason for this success as the team was eighth in the nation in shutout percentage with 14 shutouts during the season. Halley Shaffer ’26 led a potent offensive group
as well with 18 goals and three assists to become the first player in program history to record over 100 points in a career. As a rising senior, she’ll be able to add to her record in the fall of 2025. In addition, Jade Wolfe ’25 was recognized by the United East as the Senior Scholar Athlete Award winner for the fall. This award recognizes a senior who truly represents the student-athlete model by performing in competition, in the classroom, and around the community.
The women’s volleyball team returned to the postseason led by senior Deah Menedis ’25 who had the best season of her Wilson career. She racked up 262 total kills to give her 801 in her career … the most in program history.
The men’s soccer team increased its win total by four from the previous season which culminated in the first postseason win in program history. Just 11 days after falling to St. Elizabeth College 2-0 on Senior Day, the Phoenix traveled to Morristown, New Jersey, for the first round of the United East Championship. With 20 seconds left in overtime, Andrew Bailey ’27 scored on a free kick to give the Phoenix the victory and a new program record for wins in a season.
Moving on to winter sports, women’s basketball recorded a winning record in conference play for the fourth consecutive season. The Phoenix were one of the most effective teams at getting to the free throw line, ranking third in the nation in not only attempts, but makes as well.
The men’s basketball team also posted a winning record in conference play for the fourth year in a row and now have had at least a .500 record in league play for seven-straight seasons. After a United East Championship first round win at home against St. Elizabeth, the Phoenix were upended by eventual conference champion and top seed Bryn Athyn College in the quarterfinals. Gary Robertson ’25 also became the fourth player in program history to join Wilson’s 1,000 Point Club and did so in just three seasons with the Blue and White.
Men’s volleyball had a record-setting year with its first winning season and the most wins in program history. The Phoenix overcame a slow start to the year by going 14-8 down the stretch to do so. The team’s hard work resulted in another postseason appearance, and the first home playoff match in program history. That match resulted in a 3-2 victory in the semifinals over third-seeded Cairn University. Jackson Wolfe ’28 received Rookie of the Year honors while alumnus and head coach Aaron Hoke ’19, ’21MH was named Coach of the Year by his United East peers.
Softball remained a beacon of consistency with a return to the postseason for a 16th-straight season. A major milestone was reached during the year as Head Coach Brett Cline achieved his 400th career win after the Phoenix defeated Lancaster Bible College 7-5 at home on March 22. Wilson went on to host a playoff game and defeated Rosemont College. Among many bright spots for the team this year was the addition of first year player Katelyn Keller ’28, who leads the nation as of this writing with 12 triples. As a result, the Phoenix are eleventh in Division III in total triples and fifth in triples per game.
Women’s lacrosse got better as the season progressed and was rewarded with a spot as the second seed in the United East Championship semifinals. Sage Lague ’25 led the team with 33 goals and eight assists for 45 points as well as 51 draw controls, making her the first player in program history to reach both 200 points and draw controls. She graduated as the most decorated player in program history.
The baseball team returned to the postseason after playing a rugged schedule and were paired up with St. Elizabeth in the first round of the United East Championship. As was the case with men’s soccer and men’s basketball, the baseball team gave Wilson another postseason win against its New Jersey neighbors.
The men’s golf team capped its season by hosting the United East Championship at the Chambersburg Country Club and finished in eighth place. Individually Tristan Worlock ’25 and Robert Kozicki ’26 both broke program records for best rounds. Kozicki knocked Worlock, who held the previous mark, from his perch for a single round only to see Worlock reclaim it one week later with a 77 at Black Rock Golf Course in Hagerstown, Md. Worlock added to it with a score that gave him the best two-round total in program history.
In the equestrian world, both the Hunt Seat and Western teams saw continued success. The Hunt Seat team was loaded with nine riders who qualified for regionals, which resulted in the Phoenix being named the reserve high point team of the region behind only Pennsylvania State University and ahead of Dickinson College. Of the nine riders, Samantha Gilley ’26, Tess Hairston ’28, and Emily Breighner ’27 all qualified for the Zone 3 finals.
The Western team qualified for the regional championship as well as came away with a third-place finish behind regular season champion Delaware Valley University and second place Penn State. After winning the national championship the previous year, Julie Warnick ’26 had another incredible season with a reserve championship and qualified for the semifinals where she finished 12th.
In addition to our riders’ successes, three Wilson horses were selected to compete in the finals, where they were paired with riders from across the country, and Ned won a national championship in the Western discipline.
Esports showed improvement throughout the spring and ended up qualifying for end-of-the-year finals in four games. Fortnite Duos had the best finish of the four with a fifth place result in Grand Finals. Rocket League finished eighth, Overwatch 2 was in the top 16, and Fortnite Trios finished 18th.
Brett Cline’s 400th Win Marks a New Era for Wilson Softball
Softball coach Brett Cline has been one of the main fixtures at Wilson College for a quarter of a century, guiding the Phoenix to unprecedented heights. Since joining the Blue and White in August of 2000, he has led the team to two conference championships with NCAA tournament appearances, secured two division championships, and finished 16 seasons with a winning record. One of those winning seasons came this year, along with another milestone as Cline recorded his 400th win as head coach after the Phoenix downed Lancaster Bible College by a score of 7-5 on March 22.
With only one senior, Payton Kendall, graduating this year and a roster loaded with young talent – two first year players Katelyn Keller and Carleigh Magers were All-Region selections – the future looks promising, and the Phoenix appear on track to reach their next milestone.
