The Case Western Reserve University Spartans kicked off their 2025 fall athletic season this past weekend, with some teams opening strong and others facing early challenges.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
The CWRU men’s and women’s cross country teams entered the weekend ranked sixth in the Great Lakes Region in the USTFCCCA preseason polls and started their season in commanding fashion at the Bill Sudeck Invitational. Both squads defeated John Carroll University by a decisive 15–50 margin.
For the women, first-year standout Halina Tomkins set the tone by crossing the line in 14:42.39, breaking the previous course record of 14:43.6 set in 2017. She was followed by fourth-year captain Lauren Iagnemma, who clocked a 14:55.56, and five more Spartans before the first JCU runner finished. The victory marked the women’s first Sudeck Invitational title since 2022.
The men’s team matched that success, led by third-year captain Jacob Slater, who won the race with a time of 18:59.45, surpassing the course record of 19:04.6 set in 2022. Close behind were second-years Donovan Crowley (18:59.58) and Brendan Bradish (19:09.90). The Spartans have now produced the top finisher at the Sudeck Invitational in seven of the last 10 years, and this year’s win marked their second straight team title at the event.
CWRU will take a two-week break from intercollegiate competition before hosting their annual Alumni Meet on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the University Farm. The following weekend, the Spartans will compete at the All-Ohio Classic on Sept. 19 and the Pre-National Meet in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Sept. 20.
Men’s Soccer
The CWRU men’s soccer team returned from the road with back-to-back victories over Franciscan University of Steubenville and Juniata College this past weekend.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans earned a 2–0 win against Franciscan, highlighted by goals from third-year midfielder Ohta Kamiya in the 34th minute and second-year forward Amir Awais just before halftime in the 45th. First-year defenders Gavin Trosch and Alex Eby both made their collegiate debuts in the match, with Trosch logging 85 minutes and Eby playing the full 90. The contest also marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
CWRU carried the momentum into Sunday, Aug. 31, defeating Juniata 1–0. Second-year walk-on midfielder Mitchell Fein delivered the game-winner in the 74th minute, while fourth-year co-captain and goalkeeper Bradley Winter tallied 3 saves to secure his second consecutive shutout of the season. With the win, the Spartans improved to 3–0 all-time against Juniata since 2006.
The Spartans will return home to host Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. in DiSanto Field.
Women’s Soccer
The CWRU women’s soccer team delivered a dominant showing this past weekend at DiSanto Field, piling up 13 goals across two shutout victories.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans rolled past Franciscan 7–0. Fourth-years forward Maggie Farra and co-captain and midfielder Jamie Goldfarb stole the spotlight, each recording a hat trick and combining for six of the team’s goals. They became the first pair of teammates in CWRU history to score hat tricks in the same match. First-year forward Emily Callanen added the seventh goal, the first of her collegiate career.
The match also featured several long-awaited and first-time appearances. Fourth-year defender Emma Struck and third-year midfielder Angelee Rodriguez, both sidelined by multiple season-ending injuries in previous years, finally made their collegiate debuts. Joining them were first-years Callanen, defender Mia Modrovich and forward/midfielder Izzy Probst.
The Spartans carried their momentum into Sunday, Aug. 31, with a 6–0 win over Allegheny College. This time, six different players found the back of the net. Fourth-years Ceci Dapino and Goldfarb, along with Probst, scored in the first half, while co-captain Mackenzie Mueller, Farra, and Molly Shamah sealed the victory in the second. The defense was equally commanding, holding Allegheny without a single shot over the full 90 minutes.
CWRU now heads into a five-game road stretch, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3, with a matchup against John Carroll University at 7:05 p.m.
Volleyball
The CWRU volleyball team opened its 2025 season at the Pacific Coast Classic in Claremont, California, but came away winless after four hard-fought matches.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Spartans fell in straight sets to both Whittier College and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Fourth-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo led the effort across the two matches with 20 kills and 5 blocks, while second-years defense specialist Sophia Datto and setter Avery Basinger stood out defensively and offensively, Datto posting 39 digs and Basinger tallying 33 assists. The loss to Whittier marked the first time CWRU has dropped its season opener since 2019.
The team returned to the court on Saturday, Aug. 30, to take on Chapman University and the University of La Verne. In a tightly contested five-set battle against Chapman, fourth-year outsider hitter Kalli Wall delivered a career-high 23 kills, the most by a Spartan since Sept. 13, 2024. However, the Spartans fell just short before later dropping their match against La Verne in three sets.