Under the direction of coach Ralph Perez, the Bulldog men’s soccer team turned a shaky start into the program’s 12th conference championship garnering four All-SCIAC accolades, including the SCIAC Athlete of the Year in forward Charles Izydorek ’15 (Redlands, Calif.). In addition, he landed on the NSCAA All-West Region First Team, while forward Matej Kustura ’15 (Las Vegas, Nev.) gained a spot on the Third Team.
The Bulldog women’s soccer team also shined by winning the SCIAC Postseason Tournament as the fourth seed and earning a second-round appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships. Among the team’s five All-SCIAC honorees, midfielder Savannah Laursen ’16 (Boise, Idaho) also received First-Team All-West Region accolades, while defender Sam Keary ’16 (Mission Viejo, Calif.) gained Second-Team All-West Region recognition.
Culminating in a spot among the nation’s top 10 in four statistical categories, Bulldog football battled through a challenging slate of opponents deemed the toughest schedule in the SCIAC and ranked 27th among all NCAA Division III teams. Although the Maroon and Gray just missed out on defending its coveted conference title, the team orchestrated a solid 6-3 overall record to go along with a 6-1 showing in SCIAC. Fourteen players landed on the All-SCIAC teams, with five representing Redlands on the First Team.
Della Lyle ’15 (Buffalo, Wyo.) headlined the cross country season with her first-place finish at the SCIAC Championship meet. As a result of her unmatched performance, she was named the SCIAC Athlete of the Year. Overall, the women’s team took third at the regular-season finale and finished third in the conference standings. The Bulldog men came in sixth at the meet but held onto their fifth-place spot in the final standings.
After taking on formidable foes like USC, Stanford University and UCLA throughout the early part of the campaign, the Bulldog men’s water polo team rallied late in the season for a 5-6 showing in conference that included a semifinal appearance at the SCIAC Championship Tournament. Overall, the Maroon and Gray put together a 9-21 record with nine of those losses coming by two goals or less amidst incredibly tight competition. Center David Sekula ’15 (LaGrange, Ill.) and center Matthew Shippen ’18 (Santa Maria, Calif.) landed on the All-SCIAC First Team, while goalkeeper Chris Sekula ’17 (LaGrange, Ill.) corralled Second-Team honors.
The women’s basketball team took fourth in the conference with a 9-7 mark to go along with a 12-14 overall record. The Bulldogs advanced to the SCIAC Postseason Tournament for the eighth consecutive time, appearing at the event every year since its inception. Guard Kaity Lykins ’15 (Simi Valley, Calif.) and forward Victoria Fakalata ’15 (East Palo Alto, Calif.) collected Second-Team All-SCIAC honors.
The men’s basketball team battled through a year of development as numerous younger players learned the ropes under the guidance of the Bulldogs’ veterans. Redlands put together a 7-18 record en route to an eighth-place showing in the SCIAC. Among the successes of the challenging year, the Bulldogs upset No. 22 Chapman University, 62-59, on February 17, in a total-team effort. Aljosa Bjekovic ’16 (Maribor, Slovenia) represented Redlands on the All-Conference Second Team.
The Redlands swimming and diving teams enjoyed plenty of success throughout the season. During the SCIAC Championship meet, SCIAC Athlete of the Year Jeff Depew ’15 (Naperville, Ill.) led the Bulldog men to a third-place finish at the regular-season finale, as multiple swimmers reached NCAA B-cut times in the process. While relying on a versatile roster that included dedicated veterans, talented youth and great depth, the Bulldog women finished third at the SCIAC Championship meet while breaking school records and firing off various NCAA B-cut times. Jessica Kolsky ’17 (Red Wing, Minn.) and Lindsay Nichols ’18 (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) qualified for the NCAA Regional Diving Meet for the first time.
