COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2025 calendar year was another bountiful year for the Capital University Athletic Department which saw several big wins from our various teams, dozens of awards won in the conference, in the region and even in the nation, and many other exciting moments both on and off the playing surface. 

As we look to turn the calendar to 2026, Capital Athletics has plenty to celebrate in 2025. To be honest, there are too many things for us to count from 2025 that are worthy of celebration, but we did our best in selecting 25 moments that stood out. 

Below is a list of our 25 Capital Sports Moments from 2025 (listed in chronological order). 
 

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Men's Basketball Pulls Off Comeback Win Over Wilmington (January 15)

The men's basketball team hit the road for Wilmington College in a critical OAC match-up on January 15th. The Comets found themselves behind 38-33 at the half to the Quakers, who entered the game winless in conference play. Playing from behind to start the second half, Capital needed to get back into it quickly. It took just 2:30 of the second half to level the score after a pair of free throws by Se'Ron Calloway-White tied it at 40-40. From there, both teams traded their opportunities in front, but neither side could pull away until Wilmington led 61-53 with 9:20 left. It was at that moment, the Comets embarked on a 15-6 run to end the game and capture the narrow 68-67 win. Late in the game, a crucial jumper by Ryan Suever and a made free throw from Dom Moegerle with four seconds left were enough to put Cap in the win column. 
 

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Women's Basketball Retains the Oar (February 22)

The Comets women's basketball team retained the oar for the third consecutive season, defeating crosstown rivals Otterbein in commanding fashion, 73-54 in the final regular season game of the year. Capital started cruising from the get-go as a made layup from Kenzie Weiland put the team ahead early and what proved to be for good as the Purple and White led the rest of the way. In the dominating victory, senior guard Bri O'Connor led the team with 32 points which included a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line. Junior forward Samaree Perkins helped lead the way as well with a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. What made the night even more special for the Comets were the celebration of the team's four seniors – O'Connor, Maddi and Kenzie Weiland, and Laney Murphy. 
 

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Kolin Brake Breaks 56-Year Old School Record in 1,000-Meter Run (February 22)

The Capital University track and field team had been in the midst of a stellar and much improved 2025 indoor season as they looked to put forth one more competition prior to the OAC Indoor Championships. In that final tune-up for conference, Capital went to the Wittenberg Invitational and there, the highlight of the day and one of the many bright spots of the season was a 56-year old record being beaten. Kolin Brake snapped the 1,000-meter run school record with a time of 2:30.86, which beat the previous record of 2:31.07 set by Rick Mettle in 1969. The record was the oldest in the Capital indoor track and field record books. Additionally, the moment proved to be just the start for a brilliant 2025 year for Kolin Brake and the Comet runners as Brake would later go on and become the first All-Region finisher for Capital since 1998 during the cross country season. 
 

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Men's Lacrosse Beats Shenandoah on the Road in Strong Defensive Effort (March 1)

The Capital men's lacrosse team was tasked with playing one of their more difficult seasons in program history, playing several teams from high-level lacrosse conferences. After already capturing a big 5-4 win over Sewanee earlier in the season and dropping a pair of tight contests, Capital traveled to Shenandoah in Virginia where the team outlasted a very good Hornets team in an 8-2 win.  The Comets jumped all over the hosts in the first quarter, scoring five goals with Shenandoah netting just once. At the half, the score read 5-2 in favor of Capital before the Purple and White added three more in the second half while keeping the Hornets off the scoreboard. The game proved to be a strong team win for the Comets, led offensively by a three-goal effort from Mason Spaulding. Jacob Poole also scored twice. Gino Nave also led the team with five ground balls and three caused turnovers, while goalie Ty Carney made a solid 14 saves in the cage. 
 

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Bri O'Connor Named WBCA All-American (March 19)

Senior guard Bri O'Connor capped off an outstanding senior campaign that had already seen her capture OAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year Awards, by being named a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. O'Connor became just the 10th unique player and 17th overall All-America selection in program history and the most recent since Danielle Sanna in 2009. On the court in 2024-25, O'Connor finished with 21.3 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per contest, 3.4 steals per game and 0.4 blocks per game. She shot the ball extremely well at 42% from the floor, 32.3% from three-point range and 87.9% from the free throw line. With the honor, O'Connor became the 137th All-American in Capital University Athletics' history. 
 

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Women's Lacrosse Wins 10th Straight vs. Otterbein (March 22)

The Capital University women's lacrosse team continued their dominance over crosstown rivals Otterbein University by winning for the 10th consecutive time over the Cardinals, this time by a final score of 19-6. The Comets blitzed the Cards in the first quarter, establishing the running clock early by moving in front 11-1 at the end of the first 15 minutes of play. That lead allowed the Comets to cruise the rest of the way, leading to the eventual 13-goal victory. Notably in the game, Grace Osborn became the NCAA all-division point leader surpassing the Division II record after already establishing a new Division III record earlier in the season. Osborn accomplished her feat on six goals and three assists. Andi Henry was the game's leading scorer with 11 points on four goals and a career-high tying seven assists. Dylan Smith and Amber Street each scored four times while Leah Leno rounded out the scoring. 
 

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Softball Sweeps Heidelberg in OAC Play (April 1)

The Comets softball team evened their record to an even 10-10 overall and their OAC mark to an important 3-1 early in the conference season as the Purple and White secured a convincing sweep over Heidelberg. The Comets took the opening game by a final score of 7-3 before edging the Student Princes, 8-7 in the night cap. In the first game Capital was led by Kyleigh Kirby's three hits while Autumn Bridges and Lyndi Hemmelgarn each had two hits, with one of Hemmelgarn's clearing the outfield fence for her second career home run. In the second game, Capital was forced to battle the entire way as the pesky Student Princes failed to go away. The eventual game-winner came as Reagan Irons collected a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead to the eventual 8-7 win. Michelle Brumfield had three hits in the game, with McKenzie Kennedy adding two hits. 
 

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Grace Osborn Becomes First Collegiate Lacrosse Player to Hit 600-Points (April 5)

Senior midfielder Grace Osborn had already etched her name into the record books of Capital, the OAC and even the NCAA, but she had yet to establish something no one else has ever done in either men's or women's collegiate lacrosse at any level. On her senior day, she did just that as she became the first collegiate lacrosse player to record 600 career points. The monumental milestone proved to the country the generational talent Capital has been so fortunate to witness over the past four years of women's lacrosse. Osborn accomplished the 600th point on her 10th goal of the game in a 16-12 win over Baldwin Wallace. Fellow senior Andi Henry finished with two goals and six assists, while Ava Vendetti (2), Heather Stoner and Brenna Todd each scored once. Osborn went on to be named OAC Midfielder of the Year and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American at season's end, while also finishing with 651 career points on 517 career goals and 134 career assists. 
 

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Baseball Rallies With Six-Run Ninth in Walk-Off Win Over RV Ohio Northern (April 18)

After recently earning doubleheader splits with two receiving votes teams in the form of Muskingum and Mount Union, the Capital baseball team secured their third doubleheader split with yet another team receiving votes in the national polls. This time, the split came with Ohio Northern at Clowson Field which saw the Comets rally in dramatic fashion to defeat the Polar Bears on a walk-off in the 10th inning to win 11-10. The game came full of drama as the Comets entered the ninth inning trailing 10-4. There, the Purple and White rallied for six runs and even thought they had won it on a hit from Bryce Kyees. Despite the hit not playing out as initially witnessed, the Comets were forced to hit again in the 10th, but this time, the team got the job done as Kielan LaMarr delivered a walk-off single down the left field line to score Ryan Brophy, winning the game 11-10. LaMarr and Robby Harrison had two hits each and both accounted for three RBIs each to lead the way in the dramatic come-from-behind effort. 
 

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Cheik Souare Beats 55-Year Old School Record in 100-Meter Dash (April 18)

As had become a theme in 2025, the Capital University track and field team saw yet another lengthy school record fall, this time on the outdoor track circuit. At Otterbein's annual Twilight meet, Cheik Souare ran an astounding 10.68-second 100-meter dash to set a new outdoor record in the event, beating Randy Pfeiffer's time of 10.69 seconds run at the 1970 OAC Championship meet. The record was the second 55-year old or older record broken in 2025 after Kolin Brake knocked off a 56-year old indoor record earlier. Souare also added his name to his second school record of the season as he had also established a new indoor 200-meter dash record earlier in the season. In that run, Souare clocked a time of 22.03 seconds at the Akron Invitational in late January. 
 

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Emma Konopa Secures Second Straight All-OAC Finish for Women's Golf (April 27)

For the second consecutive season, Capital women's golfer Emma Konopa finished as in All-OAC placements at the OAC Championships, this time placing T-10th across 72 holes of golf. In her four rounds, Konopa shot a combined score of 345 with 18-hole rounds of 87, 88, 90, and 80. The finish from Konopa set her in All-OAC position for the second straight year, marking the first multi-year All-OAC women's golfer since Katie Lease (2015-18). Konopa's T-10th finish also marked the highest placement by a Cap women's golfer at the OAC Championships since Katelynn Kinley placed T-4th in 2019. As a team, Capital placed eighth in the OAC standings, but did so with only four healthy golfers for the entire spring season, punctuating the resilience instilled among Coach Garcia's group during the 2025 season. 
 

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Cole Crandall Finishes All-OAC at Men's Golf OAC Championships (May 4)

Capital men's golf competed at the 2025 OAC Championships in what proved to be a weather-shortened event that only scored three rounds of play. Despite the rain and soggy course conditions all weekend long, the Comets placed fifth as a team, led by All-OAC finisher Cole Crandall. Crandall placed T-6th with a 54-hole total of 221. He scored steady rounds of 72, 74, and 75 to get the job done. While battling the conditions, Crandall also led the tournament in pars, shooting 40 pars over the three rounds. Crandall's All-OAC placement marked the seventh consecutive season in which at least one Comet placed in All-OAC standing. In those seven years, Crandall's T-6th finish marked the sixth top-10 finish. 
 

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Women's Tennis Opens Coach Stanchin Era With 2-0 Record (September 7)

The Capital women's tennis program established themselves under a new leader in the form of Taylor Stanchin as announced this past June. Under the new leadership, the Comets opened up their season with a resounding 6-1 win on the road at Mount Vernon Nazarene, thus giving Coach Stanchin her first collegiate victory as a head coach. In that match, Ashlyn Edwards and Jenny Rollins each went 2-0 to help the Comets to victory as the Purple and White won all six singles match-ups after dropping the doubles point. The very next day, Capital hosted Wooster, winning 6-1 on their home courts. Again, Rollins and Edwards were 2-0, joined by Annika Hansen at 2-0 as well. Throughout the fall season, Coach Stanchin eventually guided her team to a 4-3 record, poised for a strong spring semester upcoming. 
 

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Football Opens Up 2025 Season with Win Over Catholic (September 13)

The Capital football program secured a season-opening win over Catholic University, defeating the Cardinals, 36-20 behind a defensive outburst. In the game, the Comets trailed 20-16 at halftime, but used a dominant third quarter to pull in front. The defense came up clutch throughout, shutting out the Cardinals in the final two quarters and sacking the Cardinal quarterback 11 times in the game. Those 11 sacks marked the most in a single game this season across all divisions of college football, including the FBS. The highlight offensively in the game was Tyler Love throwing for 202 yards and three touchdowns while adding 36 yards and another score on the ground. Defensively, Declan McAdams was the leader with six tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Owen Beatty and Manny Keeling each had an interception as well. 
 

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Emma Konopa Ties 18-Hole School Record at Midwest Fall Classic (September 20)

The Capital men's and women's golf teams highlighted their fall seasons in Kansasville, Wisconsin by competing at the Midwest Regional Fall Classic – an event showcasing some of the best teams across the country and region. Despite the event being shortened to just one round due to weather, the Comets showed strongly, with women's golfer Emma Konopa recording an 18-hole score of 77. That score was good enough to place her T-11th out of 227 golfers. Additionally, the round of 77 tied her with Katelynn Kinley for the lowest 18-hole score in program history. Kinley shot her 77 at the familiar River Greens Golf Course in 2019. 
 

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Women's Soccer Beats Previously Unbeaten Kenyon, 1-0 (September 21)

Capital women's soccer started their season with a bang, beating Allegheny 4-1 in their opener, but then a stretch of difficult non-conference games ensued, finding the team with a 4-2-1 record heading into a home match-up with Kenyon. The Owls were in the midst of a much-improved season that saw them sitting at 6-0-1 entering the contest and yet to concede a goal through their first seven games of the year. Despite the Comets starting the match-up on the front foot and controlling much of the play, neither team could find a breakthrough goal as the game moved into the 79th minute. It was in that minute in which the Comets' Sofia Walton drew a foul near the corner of the field to set up a free kick opportunity. On the free kick, Taylor Marcum sent a cross in front of goal and her shot evaded all the players on the field and snuck into the near post, making the score 1-0, Capital. That goal could not have come at a better time as a lightning strike just seconds later would eventually lead to the conclusion of the game. The win was a catalyst in setting up an exciting season for the Comets. 
 

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Women's Bowling Secures Highest Finish at OBC Event in Program History (October 18)

In their second year of competition and with an expanded roster this year, the Capital University women's bowling team secured the program's highest finish yet at an Ohio Bowling Conference event as the team placed fifth out of 14 teams. The team scored 4,416 pins, being led by Samantha Jay who scored 560 and finished eighth individually. Jolen Powers placed 12th with a score of 545 for herself. Olivia Hicks, Cassidi Johnson, Sadie Bassitt and Kaitlyn Sturgell rounded out the varsity showing in the historic OBC outing for the program. The finish was a starter for the Comets as the team would continue their strong second season through December. The first half of the season finished up with a trip to Las Vegas for two competitions. There, the team set a new team record for highest single game team score of 945. 
 

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Volleyball Beats Wilmington in Conference Play (October 22)

The Capital volleyball program picked up a crucial 3-1 OAC victory over nearby foe Wilmington College. The win propelled the Comets ahead of the Quakers in the final OAC standings, proving important for the team's season. Seniors Ryann Bynyak and Samaree Perkins led the team's attack with 16 kills each – with Perkins hitting an error-free .667 on the day. Abby Reed was also busy offensively with 12 kills. The offense was guided calmly by setter Carlee Thompson who finished with 49 assists. At the service line, the team landed 11 aces, led by five from Makenna Sullivan. Abby Brunner and Chloe Preocanin each landed two as well. Defensively, it was the Abby Brunner show in the back row as the senior picked up 30 digs. She was joined in double-digits by Thompson (11), Sullivan (11) and Kenadee Winters (10). At the net, Olivia Milton led with three blocks. 
 

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Men's Soccer Defeats Muskingum to Qualify for OAC Tournament (October 29)

The Capital men's soccer team found themselves in a dog fight looking for a way into the OAC Tournament in 2025. With two games remaining, the Comets could secure their ticket to the postseason with a home win over Muskingum. It was in that game that a dramatic 85th minute goal from Christian Monzalvo lifted the Purple and White to a 3-2 victory over the Muskies and into the OAC postseason. The goal from Mozalvo was his team-leading seventh of the season and marked his second game-winner of the year. The goal was much needed after the Comets squandered a 2-0 halftime lead to find themselves tied 2-2 in the 70th minute. The team showed great resolve to regroup after the tied game and earn back the winner. In the first half, Capital goals were scored by Derrick Harris and Wassim Metatla. Harris' strike was also his seventh of the year as he shared the team lead with Monzalvo in goals scored. 
 

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Women's Soccer Secures Share of OAC Regular Season Title (November 1)

The Capital women's soccer team continued their solid play into the OAC slate after a strong non-conference test this year. That solid play eventually led the Comets to securing a share of the OAC Regular Season Championship on the final day of the season. The Comets laid claim to the Tri-Championship after tying Mount Union, 0-0 in their regular season finale. The shutout for the Comets goalie Liv Alford and backline defense – led by eventual OAC Freshman of the Year Elise Buckerfield – was the team's eighth clean sheet of the year. The OAC Regular Season title marked the program's seventh regular season title in program history and their first since 2022. 

 

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Cross Country Records Historic Finishes at OAC Championships (November 1)

The men's and women's cross country seasons for Capital proved to show much improved areas all around this season as both teams put forth high quality outings on multiple occasions. This highlight through the first portion of the season came on the men's side as Chip Smith set a new outdoor cross country 5K record at the Mike Baumer Classic. From there, both the men and the women added their names to the program top-20 lists in several areas. The hard work during the season began to pay dividends at the OAC Championships on November 1st as both teams recorded historic finishes at the event. The men recorded their highest finish since 1964 with a fifth place team finish, while the women finished sixth overall – their highest ever finish. The men were led by Mikey Arnone and Chip Smith who placed 17th and 18th, respectively to secure All-OAC honors. They would eventually be joined by Justin Rona with OAC recognition as he would later be named the conference's Freshman of the Year. The women were led by five freshmen, with Faith Michel and Laney Tarr placing in the top-30. Both teams would go on to perform well at the Regional Championships later in November, showing great promise for the young group in the future. 
 

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Capital University Announces Return of Men's Tennis (November 5)

Capital University President, Dr. Jared Tice, and Director of Athletics and Recreation, Dr. Darrell Bailey Sr., jointly announced on November 5th that the men's tennis program would make a return to the court in the fall of 2026. This announcement brings Capital's athletic department up to 22 varsity sport offerings and restores the men's tennis program after a brief two-year hiatus. The program will fall under the leadership of current women's tennis head coach Taylor Stanchin who will now oversee both programs. The team is slated to open competition during the 2026-27 academic year. Any prospective student-athletes interested in Capital University men's tennis may express interest in joining the program by clicking here. 
 

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Men's Bowling Records Highest OBC Finish in Program History (November 15)

As the women's program had done earlier this season, the Capital men's bowling team secured their best-ever finish at the Ohio Bowling Conference's second event of the season as the team finished sixth out of 20 teams. Additionally, the men made some noise in the event by setting a then-program record baker game of 279. That record has since been re-set to a 299, scored at the Collegiate Shootout in Las Vegas in December. At the OBC event, the team was led by Jacob Snyder individually as he scored a 607, followed by Zac Abbott's 600 to place both bowlers in the top-30 individually. As a team, the contingent of Snyder, Abbott, Jonathan Waggoner, Baylee Becker, Robert Stegman and Caleb Kornosky scored a total of 5,344 for the monumental finish. 
 

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Football Concludes Best Season Since 2018 With a Win at Wilmington (November 15)

The Capital football team opened the year with a win and finished it with a win by beating Wilmington on the road by a final score of 28-27. The Comets stayed resilient and again had to battle back from a halftime deficit, this time a margin of 17-7. In the third quarter though, Capital got two rushing touchdowns from freshman Brandon Hambric Jr. to make a 27-21 game, setting up an exciting fourth quarter. In that final frame, the Comets got what  they needed and scored a final touchdown on a 17-yard pass from Donovan Duncan to Wesley Armstead to tie it. An Ethan Graham PAT kick was good to make the difference at 28-27 for the final. The win set up the Comets' best season since 2018, finishing with a 3-7 record while also seeing the team's first All-Region selection since that same year in the form of defensive back Diamonte Salley. Along with Salley, the Comets landed seven All-OAC selections – the most for the program in one season since 2011. The 2025 season was one marked with true promise and determination for the Comets as they now set their sights on 2026. 
 

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Men's and Women's Basketball Pick Up Doubleheader Sweep Over Marietta (December 6)

The Capital men's and women's basketball teams – like any college athletics team – enjoy winning. But what makes one win even better is when your teams pick up back-to-back wins over the same opponent on a conference doubleheader Saturday in your home gym. That was exactly what the Comets did on December 6th as the men defeated Marietta in the first game of the day, 95-87, before the women won the nightcap, 59-58. For the men, the team shot a blistering 46.8% from the floor including nearly 40% from range. Those efforts fueled five players into double-digit scoring to lead the way. McKane Finkenbine scored a career-high 25 points, while Dallas Tucker turned in a 17-point, seven assist outing to help lead the effort. For the women, Capital held off a pesky Marietta side down to the wire, led largely by dual 17-point outings by Samaree Perkins and Tahirah Ellis. Perkins added 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Ellis chipped in four boards, three assists, a block and a steal to support the efforts. Kendall Spreen also hit double figures in scoring with 11 points. 

 

 

 

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A look at 2026 for Capital Athletics…

As the calendar flips to 2026 tomorrow, the Capital University Athletic Department will be setting their sights on a path for many more moments such as these from 2025. Additionally, our teams will be looking to create new and exciting moments in the New Year. It will be a busy year for the Comets as men's tennis will make their return as the 22nd varsity sport at Capital, a new Pep Band will be established by the university in the fall to increase engagement and support of the Comets on campus and especially at athletic events, and many exciting athletic contests to take place all year long. The year will culminate with the department serving as the host institution alongside the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the Columbus Crew for the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships at Historic Crew Stadium in the month of December. As a department, Capital is looking forward to the many exciting moments yet to be made and experienced by our student-athletes and teams next year!