16 BETHELUNIVERSITY.EDU/MAGAZINE WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Junior Anna Enderle represented the Women’s Cross Country program at NAIA Nationals, placing 87th in a field of 331 athletes for the 6K event. The junior also placed 15th at the Crossroads League Championship for the 6K. MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY The Bethel Men’s Cross Country team won its home Bethel Invite for the first time in program history on October 10. Senior Aaron Douglass won the 6K race with a personal best time of 26:19.6 to beat out the second and third place finishers from Southwestern Michigan College. WOMEN’S SOCCER The Pilots advanced to the NCCAA D1 National Tournament, defeating Warner University, University of Northwestern, Asbury University, and Southwestern Christian University to claim the 2025 National Championship Title. Leena Thomas ’25 was recognized as the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and SELECT Golden Ball Award Winner. Seniors Karly Harfouche and Thomas, and graduate student Grace Beck '24, were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Harfouche and Thomas achieving NCCAA All-American First Team status. MEN’S SOCCER Men’s Soccer was ranked in every NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll this season, ranking No. 3 in the nation October 15. In the Crossroads League, they won both the regular season title and the tournament title (with a 1-0 win over No. 20 Grace College in double overtime). After defeating Olivet Nazarene 2-0 in the NAIA Second Round on Morey Field, the Pilots fell 1-0 to Indiana Tech in the NAIA Round of 16 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. Graduate forward Julian Vargas Talamantes won Crossroads League Player of the Year, receiving NAIA Second-Team AllAmerican recognition with graduate student Eduardo Pedroza and junior Fernando Laserna. Freshman goalkeeper Maarten Schouten was named to the NAIA All-American First Team. MEN'S BOWLING Freshman Zachary Morrison was named the Crossroads League Men’s Bowler of the Week twice in his first season (Oct. 13-19, Jan. 19-25). Morrison placed 20th at the first Ohio Bowling Conference (OBC) Tournament on October 18, and finished 16th at the third OBC Tournament on January 22. WOMEN’S BOWLING Junior Alexandra Burkholder was named the Crossroads League Women’s Bowler of the Week (Oct. 13-19) for her performance at the first Ohio Bowling Conference Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. She placed ninth out of 72 varsity bowlers. WOMEN’S GOLF The Pilots won their fourth NCCAA Championship Title in five years (2025, 2023, 2022, 2021) on October 22 at the Hammock Beach Resort’s Conservatory Course (Palm Coast, Fla.). Senior Selah Unwin was awarded the Dan & Kelly Wood Award, an NCCAA honor presented to a student-athlete who demonstrates the values of love, integrity, faith and excellence. The Pilots were ranked No. 24 in the nation in the NAIA Preseason Rating (Aug. 22) and took home three All-American finishes (freshman Ellie Webster, sophomore Izabela Aigner, and Unwin). MEN'S GOLF The Bethel men's golf team earned an at-large bid to the NCCAA Nationals where junior Earl Williams and freshman Amaury Wouters both earned a spot on the All-American team. Williams shattered the school record for 36- and 54-hole scoring at the Pretty Lake Intercollegiate, shooting 67-69-67, finishing 13 under par and winning by 9 shots. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL The Pilots defeated four NAIA-ranked teams in the 2025 regular season, including No. 8 IU Kokomo (Aug. 20), No. 15 Aquinas College (Aug. 29), No. 15 Mount Vernon (Sept. 3), No. 23 Spring Arbor (Sept. 24), and No. 21 Taylor (Oct. 1), before making an NCCAA D1 Tournament Run. SPORTS UPDATES Continued on p. 18. Izabela Aigner Men's Swim & Dive Anna Enderle #5 Austin Cripe #15 Hailey Biedenbach Men’s Soccer
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