It was another highly-successful fall season for the Fighting Saints across the board. Conference titles, big wins, and plenty of individual honors highlighted a memorable semester. The newly-expanded Frontier Conference brought with it fresh competition and new challenges, but our Carroll student-athletes performed well throughout.
In competition, in the community, and in the classroom - the Fighting Saints continue to raise the bar. One year removed from Carroll seeing 78 Fall Sport honorees, the institution saw a new school record for Fall Sport Scholar-Athletes, as 83 Fighting Saints were recognized as NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes - an honor reserved for sophomores or above who carry a 3.5 GPA or higher. Of the 172 Carroll student-athletes who were eligible for nomination, an astonishing 48 percent met the qualifications for the NAIA's top academic honor - speaking to the true quality of Carroll's student-athlete population.
GOLF:
A young group of Saints on both the Men's and Women's side of the action competed in three different tournaments as part of their wrap-around schedule. The fall portion of the season was a learning experience, and featured plenty of growth. Ellie Stastny (Murtaugh, Idaho / SO) had the best individual performance of the fall, with a third place finish at the Argo Invitational back in September. Both teams will continue to get indoor work done throughout the winter before a handful of spring events resume in March/April.
WOMEN'S SOCCER:
Several injuries to key upperclassmen led to a slow start in the early portion of the season, but the Saints rallied, found their footing, and made a run to once again clinch a spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship. The Saints were unbeaten over their final five games of the regular season, picking up four key wins and a tie to secure the eight-seed at the postseason tournament where they battled No. 10 College of Idaho before ultimately coming up just short in a 1-0 overtime loss. The 2025 season will be a memorable one, as Head Coach David Thorvilson picked up win No. 200 in his Carroll career. Avery Lambourne (Billings, Mont. / JR) was named a Second Team All-CCC Defender, while three Saints earned an Honorable Mention All-Conference nod - Maria Ackerman (Billings, Mont. / JR), Rachael McAllister (Brier, Wash. / SO) and Hayley Smith (Woods Cross, Utah / JR).
MEN'S SOCCER:
Following the most successful season in program history last year, the Carroll Men impressed again. They finished second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference table, and ended the season with 14 total wins - just one shy of last year's 15-win campaign. After falling in overtime of the CCC Championship match, they earned their second-straight trip to the NAIA Championship with an at-large selection. At the national championship, they picked up the school's second NAIA win, topping Wiley University in the First Round before falling to No. 14 Cumberland University in the second round. A pair of Saints were named First Team All-CCC - Justus Herrmann (Weil am Rhein, Germany / SO) and Alan Gutierrez (Reno, Nev. / SR), while four Saints earned Second Team All-CCC honors - Juan Muniz Navarrete (Hermiston, Ore. / GR), Felix Billard (Mallorca, Spain / JR), Alfie Snow (Middlesbrough, England / SR), and Sam Loughton (East Yorkshire, England / JR). Joseph Satterthwaite (Las Vegas, Nev. / SR) rounded out the accolades with an Honorable Mention All-Conference nod.
VOLLEYBALL:
The Carroll Volleyball team enjoyed their best season since 2018, finishing with a 17-14 record while going 12-10 in Frontier Conference play, including a Homecoming weekend sweep of Montana Western and Montana Tech. The Saints cracked the NAIA Top-25 for the first time since the 2022 season at No. 24 in October, and spent the vast majority of the year just outside the ranks in the receiving votes portion of the poll. With the expanded Frontier, Carroll hosted the new eight-team postseason championship at the PE Center in November. As the sixth seed, the Saints ultimately saw their season come to a close in an epic five-set thriller that went into extra points. Four Saints earned All-Conference honors, led by McKaila Balcom's (Pasco, Wash. / JR) first career First Team All-Conference selection. Elizabeth Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / R-SR) and Sidney Gulick (Kalispell, Mont. / SR) each capped their outstanding careers with Second Team All-Conference honors, while Lauren Heuiser was named an Honorable Mention All-Frontier selection.
CROSS COUNTRY:
Even with the additional competition, the Carroll Cross Country teams were as impressive as ever in the fall of '25. The Carroll Women won the Frontier Conference Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons, while the Men finished runner-up in their bid for a fifth-straight league crown. Both teams were selected for the NAIA Championship - the Women earning an automatic bid, and the Men earning an at-large selection. At the national championship, the teams combined for their best finish since 2015, with the Men placing 16th and the Women 20th. Head Coach Shannon Flynn was named the Frontier Women's XC Coach of the year, and eight Saints earned All-Conference placement - Ryah O'Dell (Helena, Mont. / FR), Annie Emmerich (Bozeman, Mont. / FR), Madalen Shipman (Dillon, Mont. / GR), and Jada Boonstra (Kenai, Alaska / JR) on the Women's side, as well as Oliver Morris (Kirland, Wash. / JR), Brycen Gardner (Spokane, Wash. / SR), Zack Gacnik (Conifer, Colo. / SR), and Jack Jenson (Bigfork, Mont. / SO) on the Men's side.
FOOTBALL:
The Carroll College Football team made a triumphant return to the Postseason for the first time since 2022 after finishing with an 8-2 record, and going 5-1 in Frontier play. With one of the nation's top defenses, and a passing attack that accrued more yards and touchdowns than any team in a decade, the Saints were selected to host an opening round game in the NAIA Football Championship Series for the first time since 2014. They made good on the opportunity, picking up a 42-35 win over (17) St. Thomas (Fla.), the first postseason victory since 2014. While their season came to an unfortunate close in the second round, the 2025 Saints set the stage for continued success moving forward. Seven Saints were named First Team All-Frontier-West selections - Andrew Devine - OL (Wasilla, Alaska / R-SR), Wyatt Sandford - OL (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / R-JR), Carson Ochoa - TE (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SR), Chris Akulschin - WR (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-SR), Forrest Suero - DL (Helena, Mont. / SR), Brett Tommasini - LB (Eagle, Idaho / R-SR), Braeden Orlandi - DB (Valley Springs, Calif. / R-SO). Four were named Second Team All-Conference - Kaden Huot - QB (Helena, Mont. / JR), Denavion Ali - DL (Denver, Colo. / R-SR), Eli Aby - LB (Laurel, Mont. / R-SR), Gunner Giulio - DB (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / R-JR), and two earned Honorable Mention - Henry Gross - LB (Helena, Mont. / R-SO) and Connor Sullivan - KR / Kalispell, Mont. / R-JR). Defensive Back Braden Orlandi was named the Frontier Conference - West Defensive Player of the Year, and also garnered Second Team AFCA NAIA All-American honors after leading the nation in tackles. Standout Carson Ochoa solidified himself as the nation's best tight end, earning First Team AFCA NAIA All-American honors for the first time in his career. The two All-Americans were the 72nd & 73rd in program history, extending Carroll's lead for the most All-American selections in NAIA history.