DePauw Stories

It was a triumphant fall for DePauw athletics, with four different teams claiming conference championships and making a splash in postseason competition. From the soccer pitch to the cross country course to the football field, DePauw’s student-athletes demonstrated a winning combination of team unity and competitive excellence.

Women's Soccer

Heading into the first round of the NCAC tournament, the DePauw women’s soccer team faced a daunting task: squaring off against the same team they had just played – and lost to – a mere four days earlier. But the second-seeded Tigers were up to the challenge, defeating Wooster in the semifinal match before going on to claim the conference title later that week with a convincing victory over Wittenberg.

In addition to earning a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament, the NCAC championship proved the grit and determination of a team that had learned to believe wholeheartedly in its own potential.

“I’m incredibly proud of the way this team showcased its character,” says head coach Cristin Allen. “As in any season, there is always adversity, and the way the players responded was a true testament to their belief in themselves and each other. When we reached the tournament, I saw a level of resilience that had been building all season long. The team showed its determination and mental toughness, and we also proved that we can figure out how to win games, no matter the circumstance.”

A vital part of the team’s identity was its shared commitment to a unifying purpose. “Our team culture and chemistry were the key to our success,” says Macy Happe ’26. “The community we have built on this team has helped us pull off big wins at the right time. Everyone on our team has common values and came together to achieve one common goal.”

The team’s chemistry this season was no accident. A central tenet of Allen’s coaching philosophy is what she calls being a “First Teammate,” and it’s how she’s continuing to build a winning culture at DePauw.

“The foundation for success has always been a part of the DePauw women's soccer program,” Allen explains. “This year's success continues to solidify that foundation, and it gives us the confidence to know we can win championships again and again. I couldn’t be more proud of this program, and I could not be more excited about what the future holds for this team.”

Individual Highlights:

• Jayla Logan ’26: NCAC Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-NCAC, United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region
• Macy Happe ’26: First Team All-NCAC; United Soccer Coaches First Team All Region
• Aubree Empie ’27: Second Team all-NCAC
• Sydney Calisto ’25, Eva Lynch ’27, Sophia Patrey ’27: Third Team all-NCAC

Men's Soccer

The day after the women claimed their conference championship, it was the men’s turn to battle for a trophy of their own. Having already knocked off top-seeded Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC tournament semifinal, the Tigers returned to Ohio to take on Denison in the final. It was a hard-fought match that remained tied after extra time, but DePauw ultimately prevailed in penalty kicks, ensuring that their return trip to Greencastle would not be without hardware.

“It was a massive accomplishment for the program,” says head coach Steven McCarthy. “This was our first conference championship in 12 years. Being able to get the program back to winning championships and onto the national stage was a huge accomplishment for our players, coaches and alumni.”

Ethan Webster ’25 believes that the achievement was made possible by the mindset the team was able to develop when facing frustrations earlier in the season.

“In the regular season we played well against the high-ranked opponents that we came up against, but things never quite seemed to go our way to get the big results,” he recalls. “That could've weakened us mentally, but it honestly did the exact opposite. It gave us the assurance that we had what it took to give those teams a good game. We maintained a strong sense of belief and confidence throughout the squad.”

Webster sees this year’s conference championship and the team’s qualification for the NCAA Division III tournament as evidence of the impact his fellow seniors have made during their time on campus. He also sees it as a source of confidence for the future.

“I hope the younger guys know that they certainly have what it takes to continue to push the program forwards,” says Webster. “But nothing is guaranteed. It's a sport of fine margins where one goal and game can completely change your year for the better or worse, so the level of intensity and work rate that we’ve insisted on has to be maintained and elevated.”

Individual Highlights:

• Alec McCarty ’25: Second Team All-NCAC; NCAC All-Tournament Team; Academic All-American
• Braden Murphey ’27: Second Team All-NCAC
• Matthew Fogo ’27, Harrison Engel ’28: Third team all-NCAC
• Sam Ortner '27: NCAC All-Tournament Team; Tournament MVP
• Ethan Webster '25, Harison Engel '28, Julian Bell '28: NCAC All-Tournament Team

Women's Cross Country

The women’s cross country team entered the fall with high expectations and a desire to take care of unfinished business.

“Going into this season, we hadn’t won a championship since we’d been in this conference,” notes Kori Stoffregen, head coach for the women’s and men’s cross country and track and field teams. “And then last year, the women tied for first in the regional meet but lost the tiebreaker. We were kind of mad about all that.”

The Tigers transformed their frustration into motivation, using it to help inspire a season of historic accomplishments. After picking up a pair of invitational wins early in the season, the women successfully captured the program’s first NCAC team championship, led by individual conference champion Lily Monnett ’25. Just two weeks later, they followed it up with their first NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship, punching their ticket to nationals and beating 38 other teams in the process.

Stoffregen sees this year’s success as a reflection of the positive culture the senior class has built during their time on campus. “The senior group was a special group,” he says. “This is a team that has been working hard for four years, but they were always making it fun. They looked forward to coming into practice, and they were really supportive of each other.”

Brynn Urban ’25 had a pivotal role in nurturing that positivity. “Our team chemistry this year was the best it’s ever been,” she says. “We obviously all want to run fast and perform well individually, but regardless of the race results, our team has done a great job of staying positive and enjoying the process. I’m really proud of the way that the girls on our team respect and support one another while also maintaining a competitive environment.”

Teammate Sophie Porter ’25 agrees. After finishing 2nd at the NCAC meet and leading the Tigers with a 5th place finish at regionals, she appreciates the way the entire team tackled its objectives. “We had big goals this season, but they never felt like stressful goals. This team had such a positive and fun attitude towards running, which made it so much easier to want to work hard, driving us towards success. Especially after falling just short last season, it was so rewarding to come back stronger as a team and finally get those titles.”

Individual Highlights:

• Lily Monnett ’25, Sophie Porter ’25, Brynn Urban ’25: First Team All-NCAC
• Kendall Mann ’25, Grace Flores ’27, Amzie Maienbrook ’26, Grace Thomas ’27, Emma Jacobs ’25: Second Team All-NCAC
• Morgan Tharp ’26, Rowan Hering ’27: Third Team All-NCAC

Football

Jonathan Bruder ’25 isn’t shy about the lofty objectives he and his football teammates established prior to their 2024 campaign. “We had a mission before the season started to be the best football team in DePauw history,” he explains. It was an ambitious goal requiring hard work, cooperation and focus. But after a historic season that rewrote the DePauw record books, it’s hard to argue with the results.

In addition to achieving their second consecutive undefeated regular season, the Tigers convincingly held onto the Monon Bell for the third consecutive year while cruising to their fourth consecutive outright NCAC championship. Throughout the season, they steadily climbed in the national polls, finishing with a top-ten ranking from both the AFCA coaches and D3football.com.

But this team’s success didn’t stop in mid-November. The momentum they had built throughout the fall continued deep into the postseason as DePauw hosted two playoff games and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in program history.

Although the season was punctuated by an impressive list of individual records, achievements and accolades, the players credit this year’s success to the team’s strong sense of unity and its shared commitment to a common purpose.

“Part of what made this team so special was our chemistry and our ability to prioritize and appreciate collective success over individual wins,” says Jake Comer ’25. “The amount of trust we had in each other’s abilities allowed all of us to put 100% of our focus and attention into our individual role. It was a recipe for success.”

Not only did this team secure its place within DePauw’s rich legacy of football excellence, but it also left its players with memories that will last a lifetime. “This season has been one that I will never forget,” says Bruder. “Hopefully it has been able to leave a lasting impact on the entire DePauw community.”

Individual Highlights:

• Gabe Quigley ’25: Walter Camp Division III All-American, D3football.com First Team All-American and First Team All-Region, AP First Team All-American; AFCA First Team All-American; First Team All-NCAC
• Robby Ballentine ’26: CSC First Team Academic All-American; D3football.com Second Team All-American and First Team All-Region; First Team All-NCAC
• Nathan McCahill ’25: D3football.com Fourth Team All-American and First Team All-Region; NCAC Mike Gregory Award; First Team All-NCAC
• Jonathan Bruder ’25: CSC First Team Academic All-American; D3football.com Fourth Team All-American and First Team All-Region; NCAC Hank Critchfield Award; First Team All-NCAC
• Matthew Coons ’25: D3football.com First Team All-Region; First Team All-NCAC
• Zach Kerr ’27, Tommy Martin ’25, Ethan Lowry ’25, Joey Roland ’26, Nolan Tully ’25: D3football.com Second Team All-Region, First Team All-NCAC
• Caden Whitehead ’26, Bennett Smith ’27: D3football.com Third Team All-Region; First Team All-NCAC
• Luke Nolan ’26: D3football.com Third Team All-Region; Second Team All-NCAC
• Aidan McCormick ’25, Jake Comer ’25, Luke Marsh ’25: First Team All-NCAC
• Lleyton Lukowski ’26, Rylan Watkins ’26, David Guhl ’25, Christian Troupe ’25, Matthew Berry ’27: Second Team All-NCAC
• Ben Gomez ’26, Carson Johnson ’27: Third Team All-NCAC

Look for an adaptation of this story in the Spring 2025 issue of the DePauw Magazine, coming soon.