Panthers shine through ups and downs in 2025 fall sports
Graphic by Caleb Otte, Managing Editor
Chapman’s 2025 fall sports season had it all — from thrilling matchups and impressive accolades to gut-wrenching defeats.
Throughout the fall season, Panther athletes showcased their talents and demonstrated their discipline, looking to turn their hard work into results. From a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship win in football to a cross country nationals appearance from runner Brenda Daza, Chapman athletics delivered standout moments across every program.
Football
Chapman football might have had its best season ever — an undefeated SCIAC record, a 27-17 SCIAC Championship victory against California Lutheran University and a first-round 18-16 win in the NCAA Division III tournament against Whitworth University.
This took the Panthers on a trip to snowy Wisconsin to face the No. 6-ranked University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the second round of the DIII playoffs, where their remarkable season came to a close in a 58-7 loss.
The 2025 Chapman football season was the definition of strength in numbers. The Panthers had nine players named to the First Team All-SCIAC and six more named to the Second Team All-SCIAC team. Senior quarterback Tyler Pacheco earned SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year, senior linebacker Tate Zimmerman won the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year and Interim Head Coach Casey Shine was recognized for Coaching Staff of the Year.
In SCIAC play, the Panthers’ top-ranked offense averaged 31.4 points per game, almost 10 more than any other team in SCIAC, along with 387.5 yards per game, 90 more than the next SCIAC team. They also had the number one ranked defense, holding opposing teams to 14.6 points per game and 213 yards per game.
Pacheco threw for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns with only two interceptions on the season, and he rushed for 429 yards and four touchdowns. Seven of those touchdowns and 617 of those yards were caught by senior Kade Zimmerman. Chapman’s rushing attack was also a major highlight of the season, led by juniors Fischer Huss and Andrew Latu, who combined for 1,119 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
On the defense, Tate Zimmerman led the team with four sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries. His fellow junior linebacker Andrew Buck led the team with 46 total tackles, and sophomore defensive lineman Tyler Boynton racked up three sacks and eight tackles for loss. Junior defensive backs Caleb Padrid and Miles Grossman led the team in passes defended, with ten and five respectively, and junior Jacob Gaudi brought in two interceptions and 41 total tackles.
Chapman solidified itself as the team to beat in SCIAC, a narrative the Panthers hope will persist next year.
SCIAC record: 8-0
Overall record: 9-3
First Team All-SCIAC:
QB Tyler Pacheco
WR Kade Zimmerman
RB Fischer Huss
TE Jackson Muzzy
OL Gavin Scott
OL Teddy Buettner
S Jacob Guadi
LB Tate Zimmerman
LB Andrew Buck
Second Team All-SCIAC
OL Lane Forti
OL Zack Miller
LB Kyle Sieben
DL Tyler Boynton
K Carson Nichols
KR Brendon Manzano
Volleyball
Chapman started the season 5-1 in nonconference play. But the team then suffered three straight 3-0 losses to close out nonconference play, and they went on to finish the season with a SCIAC record of 6-10, just one spot short of the playoffs.
But even in a season where they fell short of their goals, there were plenty of highlights and standout performances. Senior middle blocker Olivia Harrison notched 20 kills in a comeback win against Occidental College, and she finished the season with the second-highest hitting percentage in SCIAC. Sophomore Ava Bradbury set a school record with 12 blocks in the team’s first game against Pomona-Pitzer, finishing the season first in SCIAC with a total of 87.
Harrison led the team in kills with 163 in SCIAC play, followed by senior Olivia Sampson with 159, senior Kiera Sarni with 106, senior Brooke Leslie with 97 and senior Emma Derksen with 80. Junior Sammy Chambers finished the season with 313 assists, the third-most in all of SCIAC, and 29 service aces, the second-most in the conference. Junior Lia Ono led the team with 302 digs, fifth overall in SCIAC, followed by Chambers with 153 and junior Clara Cronin with 135.
With five crucial seniors graduating, the team will have some big shoes to fill. Still, with promising young players and longtime head coach Mary Cahill leading the program, the goal for next season remains the same.
SCIAC record: 6-10
Overall record: 11-14
First Team All-SCIAC
MB Olivia Harrison
Second Team All-SCIAC
MB Ava Bradbury
Men’s Soccer
Chapman men’s soccer was a breath away from a perfect game in their SCIAC first-round matchup against the University of La Verne. The Panthers did not allow a single goal and had a season-high 24 shot attempts. But they just couldn’t get the ball in the net, and narrowly lost 8-7 on penalty kicks.
Chapman started out SCIAC play with three big wins, all with a score of 2-1. The third of that stretch was a dominant performance, getting 19 shots off and keeping Cal Lutheran to five shots.
But from that point until their last matchup, the Panthers went 1-4-3, meaning their playoff chances depended on their game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the team that beat Chapman 5-1 in the SCIAC Championship last year.
Claremont went up early, but sophomore Evan Crownfield answered with a goal of his own late in the first half. The game stayed 1-1 until the 75th minute, where senior Dylan Paine managed to draw a penalty. He knocked in the shot, putting the Panthers up 2-1, where the score remained for the rest of the game. While they went on to lose in a thriller against La Verne, the Panthers put together an entertaining year with plenty of highlights.
Including nonconference games, Paine and sophomore Evan White led the team with four goals each, followed by Adams and sophomore Reed Leidlein with three each and junior Leo Wells with two. Senior Alex Glynn had 57 saves, the fifth-most in SCIAC and three shutouts, second-most in SCIAC. Often, the ball didn’t even reach Glynn’s vicinity due to standout defensive players like senior Cormac Galvin.
This soccer season was a full team effort — with everyone from freshmen to seniors contributing. Despite losing some key starters, the 2026 team will have a great foundation to build on with a lot of young talent.
SCIAC record: 5-4-3
Overall record: 6-6-5
First Team All-SCIAC
Defender Cormac Galvin
Second Team All-SCIAC
Goalkeeper Alex Glynn
Women’s Soccer
The Chapman women’s soccer team fought hard this year, finishing 5-4-3 in conference and making it to the SCIAC playoffs first round, where their season ended in a 2-0 loss to Occidental College. In their first season under new head coach TJ Perez, the team ended with a winning record.
The women’s soccer season was full of standout moments and tight games. Three of their five conference wins came within one score, including a game-winning goal by junior Jenna Urrabazo in the final six minutes against Whittier College on senior day. The defense, anchored by sophomore goalies Bella Barreto and Sienna Gomez, had seven shutouts in conference play, allowing only 13 goals.
Including nonconference games, Urrabazo and junior Sidney Karjian led the team with four goals each, followed by Alexis Sweeney and Nikki Zokaei with three each and freshman Delaney Kitchens and junior Athena Tsakiris with two each. Sophomore Karys McKinney had 3 assists on the season, tied for 7th in SCIAC, and Baretto finished the year with 51 total saves. Senior Casey Gilligan led the defense and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team.
While their season ended in the first round of the playoffs, the women’s soccer team has a lot to build on. Close wins, strong defensive performances and key contributions from both veterans and underclassmen signal a team ready to take the next step in SCIAC competition.
SCIAC record: 5-5-3
Overall record: 8-7-4
First Team All-SCIAC
Defender Casey Gilligan
Second Team All-SCIAC
Forward Sidney Karjian
Midfielder Athena Tsakiris
Forward Jenna Urrabazo
Men’s Water Polo
After holding a conference record of 8-4 for the past two years — and making the championship game last season — Chapman men’s water polo struggled this season with a final conference record of 4-8.
The team fell by one score on senior day to Redlands, the third-ranked team in SCIAC, losing on a game-sealing goal with four seconds left. They came within two points of No. 1-ranked Pomona-Pitzer in their second conference game, and lost by three when they played again in Chapman’s final home game. They were up on No. 4-ranked Occidental going into the fourth quarter, but let in four goals in the final three minutes to lose the match.
But the Panthers still had plenty to be proud of. Junior Davin Castillo led SCIAC leaderboard in steals with 60, including nonconference games, and ranked seventh in points with 96. He finished the season fifth in SCIAC with 49 assists, followed by senior Daniel Franks with 46, sixth in SCIAC.
Senior goalie Jackson Sanders finished SCIAC play third in saves, totaling 100 on a .417 save percentage. Senior Nathan Jones led the team with 49 overall goals, followed by Castillo with 47 and freshman Rylan Takahashi with 41.
If just a few things had gone their way, the Panthers would have been atop the SCIAC standings. But on the bright side, the competitiveness Chapman showed throughout the season was commendable, and they will look to turn their shortfalls into next season's successes.
SCIAC record: 4-8
Overall record: 9-18
Second Team All-SCIAC
Attacker Davin Castillo
Cross Country
Chapman’s cross country season was record-breaking from start to finish.
The season opened at the Mark Covert Invite, where Chapman was the only NCAA Division III school. Junior Gavin White broke his own school record by 20 seconds, finishing the men’s 8k in 25:00, and junior Brenda Daza placed seventh in the women’s 6k with a time of 21:19.7.
At the Highlander Classic, Daza ran a school-record 20:56.1 in the women’s 6k, becoming the first Panther to finish a 6k under 21 minutes, giving the team some confidence heading into the SCIAC Championships.
The 2025 SCIAC Championships saw a fourth place finish from the women and a seventh place finish from the men. Daza placed seventh in the women’s race, running a 21:55 in the 6k, followed by junior Natalie Brazfield, who finished just outside the top 30 running a 23:55. White led the men, finishing top 25 with a 26:30 8k, while sophomore Shay Rodriguez and senior Lucas Turano finished 37th and 38th, respectively.
Daza continued her dominance at the NCAA West Regionals, where she placed tenth in the 6k with a time of 22:24, and qualified for the NCAA Division III Nationals in Spartanburg, South Carolina, becoming just the fifth woman in program history to do so. At nationals, Daza placed 103rd in the 6k with a time of 22:48.
With historic runs from White and Daza and solid performances across the roster, the Panthers ended a season full of milestones with plenty of promise for 2026.
First Team All-SCIAC
Brenda Daza