Cross Country
The Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s cross country teams delivered strong performances at the Wooster Twilight 5K Challenge on Friday night at John P. Papp Stadium in Wooster, Ohio. The meet featured an uncommon format, with runners competing on the track rather than a traditional cross country course. CWRU faced competition from Cleveland State University, The College of Wooster and Oberlin College.
For the women, second-year Becca Liaw led the Spartan women with a standout performance, finishing third overall and as the top Division III runner with a time of 18:39.5. First-year Aditi Mukundhan followed close behind in fourth place at 18:54.1. Fellow first-years Maya DiPasquale (10th, 19:57.7), Kasey Thomas (13th, 20:47.1) and Hannah Nevius (15th, 21:07.6) rounded out CWRU’s lineup. The race was won by Cleveland State’s Ana Crangle, who clocked 17:11.6.
On the men’s side, second-year Adam Joseph won the 34-runner race in 15:34.4, capturing the overall victory. CWRU dominated the top of the leaderboard, with first-years Devin Montileone placing second (15:42.5), Tyler Ginther finishing fourth (15:53.2) and Thijs Doot close behind in fifth (15:53.5). The Spartans also placed four more runners in the top 10: first-year Lowell Copps (6th, 15:58.0), fourth-year Nathan Webb (8th, 16:14.7) and first-year Caleb Guarino (9th, 16:18.8), showcasing the team’s depth. Second-years Paul Salah (12th, 16:38.9) and George Wood-Leness (14th, 16:49.5) also contributed solid efforts.
Both Spartan squads entered the meet ranked fourth in the Great Lakes Region. The competition marked the first time Liaw and Joseph finished as their teams’ top performers.
CWRU will return to action next weekend as the top-seven runners from each team travel to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2025 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship at Tom Sawyer State Park. The Spartans will look to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships or bolster their case for an at-large selection.
Football
The Case Western Reserve University football team battled hard but came up short against Grove City College, falling 28-14 on Saturday afternoon at DiSanto Field. Despite outgaining the Wolverines 338-259, the Spartans were undone by five turnovers that led to 14 Grove City points.
Third-year quarterback Sam DeTillio led the offense with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 71 yards on the ground. Fourth-year wide receiver Dylan Cave caught six passes for 76 yards and a score and second-year wide receiver Will Stack added 73 yards on five receptions. Defensively, fourth-year defensive back Osi Chukwuocha tallied eight tackles, while fellow fourth-year defensive lineman Joseph Swarm recorded three quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
The Spartans tied the game early in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from DeTillio to third-year wide receiver Beau Wolf, but Grove City capitalized on special teams plays—including two blocked punts—to regain control. DeTillio’s late connection with Cave pulled CWRU within a score, but a final interception and a Wolverine touchdown sealed the result.
The Spartans will close out the 2025 season next Saturday, Nov. 15, hosting Geneva College at 1 p.m. The game will also serve as Senior Day, honoring 26 graduating players.
Women’s Soccer
The sixth-ranked Case Western Reserve University women’s soccer team wrapped up its regular season with a 1-1 draw against No. 18 Carnegie Mellon University on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. The Spartans finished the regular season 13-2-3 overall and 3-2-2 in UAA play.
After a scoreless first half in which CWRU outshot CMU 11-1, fourth-year midfielder Ceci Dapino broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with her 10th goal of the season, a skillful strike after weaving through three defenders. The Tartans answered just two minutes later to level the match. Despite dominating possession and holding a 15-2 advantage in total shots and 5-1 edge in shots on goal, the Spartans couldn’t find a late winner.
Dapino led the Spartans with four shots, while fourth-year Alexis Sassower added three in the regular-season finale. Wrapping up an impressive campaign, Case Western Reserve University scored 57 goals in 18 games—the most in a single regular season in program history.
CWRU finished third in the University Athletic Association, marking its fourth winning conference record in five years.
The Spartans’ season will continue into the postseason as they host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, opening against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Saturday, Nov. 15, with game time still to be announced.
Volleyball
The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team finished the regular season strong with a 3-0 victory over Wooster (25-16, 25-12, 25-18) on Saturday at Timken Gymnasium. The win improves CWRU to 15-13 on the season, while Wooster ends 2025 at 5-21.
Fourth-year and co-captain Amanda Ngo led the Spartans with 12 kills on a .400 hitting percentage and added four blocks. Fourth-year co-captain and outside hitter Kalli Wall contributed six kills, five digs, two blocks and an assist. Second-year setter Elena Esquivel paced the squad with 32 assists, 13 digs, five kills and four blocks, while second-year defensive specialist Sophia Datto led defensively with 14 digs.
CWRU controlled the match from start to finish, building early leads in each set and closing out with strong service runs, including an 8-0 run in the third set sparked by first-year setter Kaitlyn Harris.
In the match, Ngo surpassed 100 total blocks for the second consecutive season, finishing with 102, Datto reached 500 digs on the year, ending the match with 501 and 14 players saw court time in the win.
Next, CWRU will compete in the UAA Championship at Brandeis University on Nov. 15-16. The fifth-seeded Spartans will face fourth-seeded Carnegie Mellon University in the quarterfinal on Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a semifinal matchup against either top-seeded University of Chicago or eighth-seeded University of Rochester later that day.
Wrestling
The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team had a strong showing at the Bob Del Rosa Open on Sunday at the Veale Convocation, Recreation, and Athletic Center, highlighted by fourth-years Art Martinez and Thomas Wagner winning their respective brackets.
Martinez went 3-0 to capture the 133-pound open bracket, winning his first two matches by technical fall and the final by a 13-8 decision. He improved to 6-1 this season and 110-33 for his career, tying for eighth in program history for career wins. Wagner also went 3-0 to win the 157-pound open bracket, earning two technical fall victories and a 3-1 decision in the final. Wagner is now 7-1 for the season and 65-43 career.
Other standout Spartans included fourth-years Aidan Gassel (2nd, 197 lbs, 2-1) and E.J. Alizio (3rd, 125 lbs, 2-1), second-year Chase Crutchley (3rd, 174 lbs, 2-1) and first-years Hunter Keane (3rd, 141 lbs, 4-1) and Alexander Goldman (5th, 197 lbs, 2-1).
Other notable performances came from first-year Christopher Bezzeg—who pinned three opponents, extending his team lead to five pins. First-year Kodi Pfeiffer earned his first career pin and technical fall.
In the Open, over 600 matches were contested among wrestlers from 18 colleges and five clubs. CWRU scored 85.5 points in the open division and 43.0 in the first-year/sophomore division. Wagner captured his first career bracket win, while Martinez claimed his first victory of the season with his fifth career bracket title.
The Spartans will next travel to Adrian, Michigan to face No. 23rd-ranked Adrian College in a dual meet on Saturday, November 15 at 2 p.m.