It was a packed week across Indiana Wesleyan athletics, highlighted by National Championships, record-breaking performances, and multiple conference honors as the Wildcats continue to build momentum heading deeper into the spring season.
The biggest headlines came from the track in Gainesville, Florida, where Indiana Wesleyan made a major impact at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. The women’s 4×800-meter relay team of Elizabeth Barrett, Makena Cruse, Sophia Haslett, and Sydney Liddle captured a national title with a program-record time of 9:00.62. The women’s team finished fourth overall in the national standings, the highest finish in program history, while also collecting several All-American honors. Liddle finished third in the mile, and Barrett added a third-place finish in the 3,000 meters.
The men’s team also delivered strong performances, finishing sixth overall. Ridge Willard highlighted the weekend by winning the NAIA National Championship in the pole vault with a mark of 5 meters. Braden Sweet earned All-American honors with a runner-up finish in the 1,000 meters, while Trenton Sweet placed third in the 3,000 meters and helped the distance medley relay team claim another All-American finish.
In the pool, Indiana Wesleyan women’s swim and dive wrapped up its season with an 11th – place finish at the NAIA National Championships. Chloe Rhodenizer earned All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in the 200 fly, while Macy Schmidtgall also secured All-American status with an eighth-place finish in the 1-meter dive.
On the diamond, Wildcat softball returned from its spring break trip in Arizona with a surge of momentum. Indiana Wesleyan went 6-2 on the trip, including 4-0 in their last four games, highlighted by dominant run-rule wins over Dakota Wesleyan and Providence. The Wildcats exploded for 13 runs in one inning against Providence in a 15-0 victory. Isabelle Beidelschies anchored the pitching staff with multiple strong outings, while Whitney Waddell powered the offense throughout the week. Both players were rewarded on Monday as Waddell earned Crossroads League and National Player of the Week and Beidelschies was named Pitcher of the Week. Once back from Arizona, the Wildcats took care of business on the road, taking both games of a doubleheader against Grace on Tuesday. Their next doubleheader will be at Sue Bowman Field on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Spring break success extended to the tennis courts as well. Both the men’s and women’s teams swept Truett McConnell 7-0 in Georgia. The women’s victory was led by senior Sofia Munoz, who also earned Crossroads League Player of the Week after recording four combined wins at No. 1 singles and doubles during the week.
Indiana Wesleyan men’s golf also delivered a championship performance, winning the Currahee Club Invite in Georgia with a three-round score of 881. Sam Dykema led the Wildcats with a runner-up individual finish at five-under par and was later named Crossroads League Golfer of the Week.
Back on campus, Indiana Wesleyan basketball continued to collect postseason recognition. The men’s program earned six Crossroads League honors, highlighted by Caedmon Bontrager’s selection as Crossroads League Player of the Year. DJ Moore joined him on the All-League First Team and earned All-Defensive honors, while Isaac Andrews and Julius Gizzi also received league recognition. On the women’s side, Ayla Krygier led the way with First Team All-Crossroads League honors, while Addi Hovey and Emily Mattingly also earned postseason recognition.
Competitive Cheer had a strong showing at the Crossroads League Championships, finishing second overall after leading the preliminaries. The Wildcats now await the NAIA selection announcement to see if they will receive an at-large bid to nationals.
More recently, postseason basketball is taking center stage. The Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball team is hosting the NAIA National Championship Opening Rounds at Luckey Arena. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats defeated 15-seeded Saint Francis of Illinois on Friday 71-60. Caedmon Bontrager led the way with 26 points in 24 minutes. They will now face the No. 10 seed, Dalton State of Georgia on Saturday at 4 p.m. The No. 10-seeded women’s basketball team upset the No. 7 seed Cumberlands of Kentucky 76-69 on Friday. Freshman standout Ayla Krygier dropped 30 points in the win. They are slated to face the No. 2 seed host team Rio Grande of Ohio on Saturday at 7 p.m.
With national champions, conference awards, and postseason opportunities across multiple programs, the Wildcats are riding strong momentum into another exciting week of Indiana Wesleyan athletics.
