Westmont Magazine Fall Athletics Report
All fall Westmont athletic teams were heading to national competition at the time of publication.
The Westmont women’s swim team, competing in its inaugural event as a member of the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, qualified all five relay teams to compete in the NAIA National Championships in March in Knoxville, Tennessee. First-year Bailey Lemmon, the PCSC NAIA Athlete of the Week on Oct. 25, became the first Warrior swimmer to qualify for the national championship as an individual in the 50 yard freestyle. Westmont’s 13 athletes started the season at the PCSC Relays held at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center.
Westmont volleyball (25-6), GSAC Regular Season Co-Champions, hosted the Opening Round of the NAIA National Tournament November 23, the Warriors’ 14th appearance in the nationals. They won the GSAC Tournament Championship outright November 16 in Atherton, defeating Vanguard in five sets in a semifinal showdown and then sweeping Menlo in three sets for the title later that evening. Senior opposite hitter Cassidy Rea (pictured) made the All-GSAC Team for a third straight year after earning GSAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2016.
Running for the fifth time in his collegiate career on the cross country course at Central Park in Santa Clarita, senior Michael Oldach not only finished first at The Master’s Invitational, but did so while setting a course record of 24:51.8. “Michael was at 25th place at one mile and gradually worked his way to the front of the race,” said Westmont Head Coach Russell Smelley. “He didn’t get to the lead until mile four. He was running abreast of two UCLA runners with 500 meters to go. Then he made a move and ran away with it from there.” Michael, who earned GSAC Runner of the Month twice this season, competed at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships November 22 on the Fort Vancouver Race Course in Washington.
No. 4 Westmont Men’s Soccer (13-2-1), seeded third in the 46-team NAIA National Championship, earned a bye before opening play December 3 the Great Park in Irvine. The Warriors went undefeated in conference play (7-0-1) for the first time since 1989. Tim Heiduk, a central defender, is the GSAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Year and head coach Dave Wolf is GSAC Coach of the Year. Goalkeeper Edward “Lalo” Delgado, midfielder Francisco “Panchito” Castro (pictured), forward Tyler Young and defender Zach Godeck were also named to the GSAC All-Conference team.
No. 8 Westmont women’s soccer (14-3-1), GSAC Regular Season Co-Champions, earned an at-large berth and the seventh seed in the NAIA National Tournament. The Warriors hosted the Santa Barbara Bracket November 22-23 at Thorrington Field and faced the winner of the opening match between No. 24 Oregon Tech (13-3-3) and Marymount (10-9-1). Warrior forward Bri Johnson was named GSAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Year and first-year head coach Jenny Jaggard earned Coach of the Year. Goalkeeper Gabi Haw, defender Kira Nemeth (pictured), forward Maddi Berthoud, midfielder Savannah Scott and midfielder Teagan Matye also made the GSAC All-Conference Team.