General 7/9/2026 12:52:00 PM Nathan Lozoya

Year in Review: Winter 2025-26

MONTREAT, N.C. — Below is a look at some of the biggest athletic highlights, noteworthy achievements and awards won from 2025-26 winter sports season.

Men's Basketball

Drained 20 3-pointers on Nov. 15, 2025 versus Georgia Gwinnett College, the program's most in a single game since at least 2003-04
Amare Elshoush's eight made 3-pointers versus Georgia Gwinnett College were the most by a Cavalier in a single game since 2020
Scored a season-high 105 points during wins versus Milligan University (W 105-84) and Bluefield University (W 105-99)
Shot 65.5 percent versus Milligan University, the program's highest single-game field goal percentage since 2015
Won four consecutive road games from Nov. 19, 2025 through Dec. 6, 2025
Won five consecutive home games from Dec. 13, 2025 through Jan. 14, 2026
Aden Taylor scored the 1,000^th point of his collegiate career during an 82-73 win over Columbia International University
Owen Stewart picked up the Montreat College men's basketball program's first national player of the week award since at least 2011
Clinched a spot in the AAC Tournament Quarterfinals by securing the No. 6 seed
1 NAIA Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
2 AAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week (Mike Wade on 1/5/26, Owen Stewart on 2/16/26)
3 AAC Men's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week (RJ Manginello on 11/17/25, 2/16/26; Aden Taylor on 12/15/25)
1 AAC Men's Basketball Newcomer of the Year
3 Second Team All-AAC
1 AAC All-Defensive Team
2 AAC All-Freshman Team
2 CSC Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team
4 NAIA Scholar-Athletes
11 AAC All-Academic Team
1 AAC Champions of Character Team

Women's Basketball

Men's Indoor Track & Field

Women's Indoor Track & Field

Set six new indoor track & field school records
Rated as high as No. 32 in the USTFCCCA NAIA Women's Indoor Track & Field Rating Index
Finished third at the 2026 AAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
Tied for 36^th out of 68 scoring teams at the 2026 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships
NAIA Scholar Team
3 AAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Week (Heather Murphy on 1/26/26, 2/9/26; Aubrey Bahner of 2/2/26)
2 AAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Week (Emma Barnes on 1/19/26, 2/2/26)
1 Indoor NAIA All-American
1 Indoor NAIA All-American performance
2 Indoor NAIA National Qualifiers
3 Indoor AAC Event Titles
11 Indoor All-Conference Performances
9 Indoor All-Conference Athletes
1 AAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year
1 Cavalier of Excellence Award recipient
6 CSC Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team
12 NAIA Scholar-Athletes
16 AAC All-Academic Team
1 AAC Champions of Character Team

Men's Wrestling

Women's Wrestling

Received votes in the NAIA Women's Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 for the first time since Nov. 9, 2023
Dinayah Vazquez notched the highest NAIA individual ranking in program history
Received a program-record 23 points and rated a program-best 24^th in the NAIA Women's Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 on Nov. 6, 2025 and Dec. 11, 2025
Program-record four wrestlers individually ranked in NAIA Women's Wrestling Coaches' Top 20
Went 6-0 at The Strong & Courageous Duals, marking the most team dual wins at a single event in program history
Notched the largest team dual margin of victory in program history versus Lourdes University
Began the year 9-0, marking the best start to a season in program history
Won the program's first ever team dual inside McAlister Gymnasium on senior night against Brewton-Parker Christian
Tallied 14 team dual wins during the campaign, the most in a single season in program history
Placed seventh out of 13 squads at the 2026 Mid-South Conference Women's Wrestling Championships
Morgan Repasky, Audrey Gribble and Sheyla Ochoa Salgado placed in their respective weight classes at the Mid-South Conference Women's Wrestling Championships
Morgan Repasky and Daniela Espinal punched their tickets to the 2026 NAIA Women's Wrestling Championships, marking the first time in program history in which the Cavaliers sent multiple wrestlers to nationals
Tied for 34^th out of 37 programs at the 2026 NAIA Women's Wrestling Championships
Daniela Espinal and Sheyla Ochoa Salgado both set the program record for most wins in a single season with 26 triumphs
NAIA Scholar Team
2 NAIA National Qualifiers
2 CSC Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team
3 NAIA Scholar-Athletes
6 MSC All-Academic Team
1 MSC Champions of Character Team

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Players Mentioned

Daniela Espinal: 124; 5' 2"; Freshman

Sheyla Ochoa Salgado: 117; 5' 6"; Freshman

#55 RJ Manginello: G; 5' 10"; Junior

#2 Mike Wade: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#5 Owen Stewart: G/F; 6' 5"; Freshman

#15 Aden Taylor: G; 6' 3"; Junior

Aubrey Bahner: 5' 3"; Graduate Student

Emma Barnes: 5' 3"; Senior

Heather Murphy: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Ryan Stade: 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Daniela Espinal
: 5' 2"; Freshman
: 124

Sheyla Ochoa Salgado
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: 117

#55 RJ Manginello
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

#2 Mike Wade
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#5 Owen Stewart
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: G/F

#15 Aden Taylor
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

Aubrey Bahner
: 5' 3"; Graduate Student

Emma Barnes
: 5' 3"; Senior

Heather Murphy
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Ryan Stade
: 6' 2"; Senior