Women’s Basketball
Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball kept its postseason run alive last week with two thrilling wins in Rio Grande, Ohio, for the first and second rounds of the NAIA National Tournament. The Wildcats first defeated the 7-seed Cumberlands (Ky.) in a dramatic 76-69 overtime victory at Newt Oliver Arena. After trailing early and battling back throughout the game, IWU tied the score at 58-58 late in the fourth quarter before pulling away in overtime by outscoring the Patriots 18-11 in the extra period.
Ayla Krygier delivered a standout performance, finishing with 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Wildcats used a late overtime run, sparked by Krygier and capped by back-to-back layups from Addi Hovey (8 pts, 7 reb) to secure the victory. With the win, Indiana Wesleyan advanced to face the host 2-seed Rio Grande for a spot in the NAIA Round of 16.
The Wildcats followed with a major upset, defeating the RedStorm 86-80 to punch their ticket to the Round of 16 for the sixth consecutive season. Indiana Wesleyan leaned heavily on its bench production, which accounted for 43 points, while Mattingly delivered a career performance with 29 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.
After Rio Grande tied the game late in the fourth quarter, IWU responded with an 11-5 closing run, highlighted by a clutch three-pointer from Myla Browning to extend the lead the four with 1:18 to go. The Wildcats sealed the win at the free-throw line and as a result took a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, to face Dakota State NAIA Round of 16.
The Lady Wildcats’ season concluded with a 73-65 loss to the Trojans. The first three quarters were tight, resulting in a two-point deficit for IWU heading into the fourth quarter, but Dakota State outscored the Wildcats by six in the final period. Despite Ayla Krygier’s 36-point double-double, free throw woes hurt the Wildcats in the long run, as the team only converted 10-22 (45%) attempts from the free throw line.
The Lady Wildcats conclude their season with a record or 19-14, their lowest win total since the 2016-17 season. They return everyone on the roster (barring transfers), with the exception of Jayd Hovey, who will be returning in the form of a graduate assistant coach. The Lady Wildcats also bring in a stout recruiting class, highlighted by Indiana All-Star Vanessa Rosswurm (Norwell), and Homestead High School standout Carley Moellering.
Men’s Basketball
Indiana Wesleyan Men’s Basketball also had a strong week in the NAIA National Tournament, advancing to the Round of 16 after two wins at Luckey Arena. The Wildcats opened tournament play with a 71-60 victory over the 15-seed St. Francis (Ill.), using a strong defensive effort and dominant rebounding performance to control the game. IWU outrebounded the Fighting Saints 39-25 and converted 19 of 26 free throws in the win.
Caedmon Bontrager led the way with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds, while Marcus Ankney added 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Indiana Wesleyan built its momentum in the second half, stretching the lead to as many as 19 points to secure the victory and advance to the second round.
The Wildcats followed with an 89-70 win over 10th-seeded Dalton State, shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range while recording 23 assists. Bontrager once again led the offense with 28 points and eight rebounds, while Ankney contributed 14 points. DJ Moore dished out 10 assists as IWU pulled away in the second half.
The Wildcats then headed to Kansas City, Missouri, to face Hope International (Cal.) in the NAIA Round of 16 on Thursday. The Wildcats fell down 9-1 early and trailed by as many as 16 points. The Wildcats cut the deficit to two points with just over a minute left in the game, but a three-pointer by Addy G’Bye with 15 seconds to go stretched the Royals lead to five and sealed the victory for Hope International. Caedmon Bontrager led the team with 18 points and 7 rebounds, but it was freshman Kevin Šacas who sparked the Wildcats offense when they were behind. Šacas contributed 15 points and 9 rebounds off the bench in 24 minutes in his best performance of the season.
The Wildcats finish their season with a record of 28-6.
Baseball
Indiana Wesleyan baseball had a record-setting week at Crandall Family Field last weekend, highlighted by a 29-4 victory over Saint Francis in the opening game of a doubleheader. The 29 runs set a new program record for runs scored in a single game as the Wildcats exploded offensively with 31 combined hits in the doubleheader sweep.
Braxton Brosmer led the offensive charge with a massive performance, going 3-for-6 with three runs, seven RBI, and two home runs. Greg Vineyard added four hits, four runs, and four RBI, while Nick Wiley contributed three hits, four runs, and a home run. Indiana Wesleyan followed the record-breaking win with a 10-7 victory in game two, powered by another strong outing from Brosmer and three RBI from Jay Tomes.
The Wildcats returned to action later in the series, splitting another doubleheader with Saint Francis. IWU dropped the first game 8-6 despite outhitting the Cougars, but rebounded with an 11-2 victory in the nightcap to secure a 3-1 series win, marking the team’s second straight series victory.
Greg Vineyard led the offense in the finale with three hits and three runs, while Ben Seitzinger drove in four RBIs and Tarick McGlothin earned the win on the mound, allowing just two earned runs across six innings. Indiana Wesleyan will return to Crandall Family Field on March 20 to host Goshen College.
Softball
Indiana Wesleyan softball opened Crossroads League play in dominant fashion this week, sweeping Grace College on the road by scores of 9-2 and 13-4. The Wildcats extended their hot streak to six straight wins, with five of those victories coming by seven runs or more.
The offense was powered by Brylee Bilger, who launched three home runs and drove in eight RBI during the doubleheader while extending her streak to four consecutive games with a home run. Whitney Waddell also had a strong performance, recording five hits, three runs, and three stolen bases as the Wildcats controlled both games offensively.
Indiana Wesleyan’s scheduled Crossroads League home opener against Spring Arbor was postponed due to weather. Still, the Wildcats returned to Sue Bowman Field on Saturday and picked up another sweep against Mount Vernon Nazarene. IWU won 13-6 in game one and 9-1 in game two, continuing their strong offensive stretch.
Bilger remained red-hot at the plate, hitting another home run to extend her streak to five straight games with a long ball, while also adding three doubles across the two games. Two more wins against Goshen on Friday put the Wildcats at 13-5 overall and 6-0 in Crossroads League play as they continue conference action next week.
Bowling
Indiana Wesleyan Bowling had a historic week at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Sectionals, highlighted by a milestone performance on the men’s side. Competing in Addison, Illinois, the IWU women sent five bowlers to the sectional tournament, with Amanda Kouros narrowly missing a spot in the national championships. Kouros finished 14th out of 244 bowlers with 1,194 pins and a six-game average of 199, falling just 13 pins short of advancing. Lauren Sherman also placed inside the top 50, finishing 36th with 1,148 pins and a 191.33 average, while Ashley Johnson, Reagan Parmley, and Gracie Pearson rounded out the Wildcats’ competitors. The sectional tournament marked the end of the women’s season.
The men’s team saw program history made in Smyrna, Tennessee, as freshman Camden Malott became the first bowler in IWU history to qualify for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships. Malott finished 4th out of 172 bowlers with 1,343 total pins and a 223.83 average, posting game scores of 212, 183, 256, 244, 246, and 202.
Head Coach Chris Karlin praised the freshman’s achievement, saying, “I couldn’t be more proud of Camden Malott for advancing to the Intercollegiate Singles Championships. His hard work, dedication, and passion for the game keep paying off, and it’s exciting to see him earn the opportunity to compete at that level.”
Malott will compete in the National Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 13-18, where only 24 bowlers nationwide will take part.
Indiana Wesleyan’s men’s team also competed in the USBC Intercollegiate Team Sectionals in Pittsburgh, finishing 5th out of 20 teams to close out the team portion of the season. The Wildcats started strong, sitting in 1st place after 32 baker games with 6,447 pins, just three pins ahead of second place. After two days and 64 baker games, IWU totaled 12,717 pins, narrowly missing the cut for the national championships.
Despite the close finish, Coach Karlin emphasized the significance of the season.
“This season was truly historic for our program. Finishing 5th at the ITC in Pittsburgh is a testament to the hard work they’ve put in all year and the way they compete against the best teams in the country.”
While the team season has concluded, Malott will represent Indiana Wesleyan at the USBC Singles Championships in April.
Tennis
Indiana Wesleyan women’s tennis moved up one spot to No. 20 in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll this week and backed up that ranking with an impressive performance at the Missouri Baptist Invite. The Wildcats defeated Missouri Baptist, a team receiving votes in the national rankings, 6-1 in St. Louis, to improve their season record to 10-5. After dropping the opening doubles match, IWU responded with wins from Sofia Munoz and Nicole Puga at No. 1 doubles and Katie Parr and Maria Oliveria at No. doubles to claim the doubles point.
The Wildcats continued their momentum in singles play, beginning with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory from Lauren Dick at No. 6 singles. Sofia Munoz, the reigning NAIA Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, secured another point at No. 1 singles, while Katie Parr, Nicole Puga, and Maria Oliveria each earned straight-set victories to seal the 6-1 team win.
Head Coach James Gleghorn praised the team’s effort after the match.
“Women played amazing tennis and beat a team receiving votes in the ranking 6-1. Excellent effort today all the way around!”
On the men’s side, Indiana Wesleyan faced a tough challenge against No. 13 Missouri Baptist, falling 6-1 in St. Louis. The Wildcats picked up an early highlight with Matheus Lima and Michail Klinkov winning at No. 1 doubles, but Missouri Baptist secured the doubles point and eventually claimed the match. Lima continued his strong play in singles, winning a third-set tiebreaker at No. 1 singles to earn IWU’s lone point of the day. Despite the result, Coach Gleghorn saw positives from the match against a ranked opponent.
“The match was much closer than the final score, and the boys played really well,” he said. “Battled everywhere. Big win against a ranked opponent at 1 doubles and 1 singles.”
With winter sports now concluded, spring sports are in full swing as we near the end of the academic year.
