December 14, 2023 | SPORTS | By Lilly Asano and Veronica Bianco
Note: Co-author Veronica Bianco is a member of the women’s soccer team. To avoid any conflicts of interest, she did not contribute any writing or reporting to the section on her team.
The fall of 2023 was memorable for Colorado College’s athletic programs. Men’s soccer made a run to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight, women’s volleyball finished second in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, men’s and women’s cross-country qualified for nationals for the first time in several years, women’s soccer beat both the reigning Mountain West Conference champions and tournament champions, swim and dive swept in multiple meets and men’s ice hockey had their best start to the season in 11 years.
The new kids on the block have played a part in each team’s successes, their coaches say, and their stats and honors make it clear.
The CC men’s soccer team, headed by Coach Scott Palgutta, competed in the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years and finished the year ranked No. 6 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches poll. They were untouched in conference play, sweeping aside bitter rival Trinity University 3-2 and nationally ranked University of St. Thomas 1-0 in the process.
The Tigers dominated the conference’s postseason awards, taking home three of the four major honors. Captain Curtis Hale ’25 was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season, and Palgutta took home his second Coach of the Year award.
Several newcomers were recognized as well. Jack Hilliard ’27 was named conference Newcomer of the Year, after a campaign during which he started in all 21 games, scored four goals and had three assists. The center midfielder from San Antonio, Texas, finished fifth on the team for points and sixth for minutes played. He was one of five players to start every game.
The Tigers had a strong showing on the all-conference newcomer team, with Wyatt Linggi ’27, Dylan Rich ’27, Dylan Stapley ’27 and Hilliard all getting nods. Linggi scored five goals and Rich netted four while Stapley started eight times at center back, playing 87 minutes on average when he was one of the first 11 players on the field.
Palgutta also highlighted freshman outside back Zeke Lubin’s contributions. Lubin scored twice and notched two assists, playing over 600 minutes in total in his first year.
Palgutta says the class was a key part of the team’s success this year. “Without question, our Elite Eight run would not have been possible without the strong impact of our first-year players,” the coach says.
All 11 first years finish their inaugural season with the experience of reaching a national quarterfinal and coming within inches of being in the final four. “This group has the experience of a deep NCAA tournament run, which should prove valuable as they navigate their CC soccer careers,” Palgutta says.
Established in 1975 as a club sport, the women’s soccer team rose to success in the ’70s and ’80s, earning NCAA Division I status in 1982. One of Colorado College’s two Division I programs, the team welcomed seven first-year students this fall.
“This group specifically brought a new level of competitiveness, technical ability, and soccer ability,” head coach Keri Sanchez says, “[The freshmen] helped push and elevate all of our training sessions, which drove our team to be better.”
When the team’s season began in early-August, Sanchez was thrilled with the potential the first-years showed on the field. With each game, they gained confidence and experience, quickly integrating into the speed and intensity of their conference.
Goalkeeper Reagan Wallace played nearly 1,380 minutes, and her presence was integral on the field. Following a shutout against Air Force at the City for Champions Cup on Oct. 26, Wallace received the Mountain West Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week recognition.
Due to a hip injury, midfielder Ava McCormick ’27 redshirted for the season, but the remaining six newcomers saw significant playing time throughout the fall. Their fresh energy propelled their success, and Sanchez says she’s optimistic for what’s to come.
“The freshmen play with passion and love of the game,” Sanchez says. “We’re excited to see them continue to grow.”
Guided by an experienced coaching staff and upperclassmen, CC’s volleyball team celebrated an incredible season. Izzy Lipacis ’24 logged her second All-American Honorable Mention title, head coach Sharon Dingman notched her 600th career win and the team finished second at the conference tournament.
Eight players joined the roster this fall, and their impact on the team was felt immediately. Middle-blockers, Brooke Brilliant ’27 and Coco Barton ’27, became starters alongside libero, Meghan Gannon ’27.
The three totaled 334 total sets played, only sitting five sets out between them. Brilliant consistently led in kills throughout the season, opening the year with a career-high 16 kills in her first collegiate series against Hardin-Simmons University.
In the same weekend, Barton attempted six kills with no errors. She reached a career-high on Sept. 30 at Centenary College after executing 10 total kills.
Megan Gannon was recognized as conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26 after the Tigers went undefeated at an away tournament. Gannon, on the way to reaching 556 total digs, averaged 5.27 per set.
“Our first years had some remarkable moments. They helped us win 18 matches, finishing as conference Runners-up, sweeping a Top 10 team, and beating another Top 20 team,” Dingman shares.
For the first time since 2017, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams received bids to the NCAA Division III National Championship in Pennsylvania. The men’s team finished in 26th place, their best result since 2009, when they finished one place higher.
Will Shuflit ’27 had an impressive inaugural season, earning all-region honors at the West Region Meet in which his team finished fourth. He went on to compete at nationals in Pennsylvania.
Shuflit also helped the Tigers to their fifth straight conference championship, finishing in sixth with a time of 26:15.97 to earn conference Newcomer of the Year honors.
The women’s cross country team ended their season with a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Championships. Newcomer, Charlie Flint ’27, made her first national appearance, finishing 285th.
Flint was consistent all year long. Willow Lott ’27 and Mary Cate Kiser ’27 also competed at Nationals. The three were electric on the course and earned All-Conference titles in late October.
Lott, a Colorado native, drove her teammates to success early in the season. She finished first overall in the Ted Castaneda Classic and led the team to a second-place overall finish. The Tigers were the only Division III team in the meet, propelling women’s cross country to the No. 13 ranking nationally, the highest ranking in program history. In mid-September, Lott was named conference Co-Runner of the Week after the Metro State Invitational.
Men’s and women’s swim and dive brought in 16 first-years in 2023, its largest cohort of freshmen ever. Head coach Anne Goodman James says, “Our first-years are a significant part of our team chemistry, culture and success.”
Four of the 16 freshman are divers, and they wasted no time finding success this fall. Wyatt Wellehan ’27 broke the CC varsity record in one meter diving and was named conference Diver of the Week twice. Nico Rimer ’27 of Cambridge, Massachusetts, collected his own weekly honor after a strong showing at the University of Texas Permian Basin Diving Invite in early December.
When it comes to swimming, Goodman James says that Tomas Gonzalez ’27 has emerged as the men’s team’s top butterfly competitor. Other freshman standouts include Miles Nordling, who has scored for CC in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 freestyle events.
Seven new female swimmers have burst onto the scene for the women’s team. Goodman James says that Alyssa Tunggal ’27and Pilar Pagni ’27have proven themselves as top butterflies, and that Adeline Turner ’27has had a large impact on sprint freestyle events and relays for the Big Cats.
Goodman James says that each member of the class of 2027 brings something important, whether that be work ethic, versatility, or competitive spirit.
Colorado College hockey has had a successful start to the 2023-2024 campaign. 17 of the rostered 29 players are underclassmen, and the young team is tearing up NCAA Division I hockey.
The class of 2027 boasts two NHL draftees (Zaccharya Wisdom ’27, Seattle Kraken, and Klavs Weinberg ’27, Tampa Bay Lightning) and multiple top point producers in the U.S. Hockey League; expectations were high for the incoming Tigers.
In the Tigers’ opening series against Union College, five freshmen scored their first career goals, and Drew Montgomery ’27’s performance earned him National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Week honors. Montgomery tallied four points in the opening weekend.
First-years Evan Werner, Max Burkholder, Bret Link, Riley Stuart and Montgomery have all found the back of the net multiple times. Werner currently sits No. 4 overall for the Tigers with eight points. All five first-years fall within the team’s top 10 in the category.
With four months until playoffs, the team is proving to be a serious title contender. In an August statement to Rink Live, head coach Kris Mayotte said, “it’s the right class at the right time.”
After sweeping formerly No. 1 ranked University of North Dakota last weekend, CC was ranked a top-20 team in the nation for the first time in 11 years. While the team may be young, results suggest that youth is no obstacle.
As winter break approaches and the Class of 2027 finishes their first four Blocks, they’ve become a force to be reckoned with. The newcomers are pushing CC Athletics to new heights; they are the beginning of something big.