The Scots went on to compete in one of their coldest track meets this season with extreme wind that made many events harder. High jump being one of them, usually the bar is set at a height, and the athlete has three individual attempts to clear it but because of the heavy wind the bar was consistently knocked over before athletes could attempt to clear it. “I think the team did good,” said Damone Johnson.

The throwers were the first to compete in these conditions. Kayla Braun moved into the top 15 nationally as of Saturday, April 18th with a throw of 13.48 meters in shot put. Two of the men throwers cracked into the top 10 in school history for hammer throws. Gunner Bryant broke his PR by 3.41m in the hammer by throwing 51.13m, and Blake Orwig threw 51.80m, breaking his previous record by .82m.

“It’s not the best conditions, I mean it has its benefits with some of the running events but, competing in the cold makes a lot of events harder,” said Johnson. Numbers agree with Johnson because the Scot saw 23 PRs.

Logan Morse attempts to jump 1.85m. Photo by Patrick Curry Jr

A lot of athletes overcame the cold and used it to their advantage. When running in heavy wind, the direction you’re running can help or hurt your time. If the wind is at your back pushing you, then you have a positive wind which make running easier, but if you’re running against the wind it’ll be a negative because it is going right into your face.

“We have Tashawn in the finals for triple jump. Our freshman Maddox Clark made finals in the 100 and ran 22 in the 200,” said Johnson.

There were three PRs in the 200m dash from Jerry Reed 22.83 seconds, Johnny York 22.68s, and Maddox Clark 22.71s. Clark also had a PR in the 100m dash with a time of 10.86 seconds.

The Rams took the first game 7-1 while the Scots emerged victorious in game two, 8-6. These results lift the Scots to 11-18 overall and 7-7 in MWC play, sitting in fourth place between Beloit and Lawrence.

The Fighting Scots baseball team confers between games. Photo by Billy Lopatto

Cornell dominated game one, finding their way onto the scoreboard first in the third inning when a throwing error by the Monmouth defense allowed two Rams to score. In the fifth inning, Cornell smacked a solo home run out to right field, growing the Rams’ lead to 3-0 after five innings. The Cornell defense held firm from there and earned a 7-1 victory in the opener. Cornell’s winning pitcher was Nate Pacetti, who tossed a complete game and fanned 10 Scots. Roy Ralston took the loss for Monmouth despite also fanning 10 Rams.

Game two saw a much better start for the Scots when Aidan Parkins responded to an early Cornell score by launching a 2-RBI double to right-center field that also let shortstop Hunter Wheat run home on an errant throw. Both teams traded scores in the next three innings to make the score 6-3 after seven frames. After a three-run surge by Cornell tied the game at six, two hits were all the Scots needed to take the game: a single by Eric Campen and a game-ending, two-run missile hit to right field by Jace Wilkerson.

The Scots will host the first-place Grinnell Pioneers for a three-game series next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 25th and 26th. Saturday’s first pitches are at noon and 2:30 p.m., and Sunday’s single game kicks off at noon.

After a season of improvement under head coach Michelle DeCoud. In the 2025-26 season, the team won three more games than they did in the 2024-25 season. The team seemed to be headed in the right direction.

Izy Todd coaching for U. North Dakota in a game at UW-Green Bay in Nov 2015 Photo by Ricky Bassman

But one of the key concerns was if they’d be able to build off their improvement heading into next season because they are losing so much of their core with eight seniors graduating this May. It seems like the Scots will have other questions headed into next season, “what new ways we can play together as a team?, and with us being a young team I know there’ll be some challenges so I’m excited to see how our coach is going to deal with that,” said Tiah Riggs.

This change has caught some by surprise, but Riggs had an inside track being part of the interview process. “It’s been really nice that we’re allowed to see everything going on and it’s cool that we get to have a say,” said Riggs.

Riggs isn’t the only one. “Having our opinion really matters because we’ll be the ones playing in the games,” said Jamaica Walker.

“She (Todd) was on the women’s team here a few years ago and said she experienced playing under multiple coaches. So, she knows what it’s like for us here on campus,” said Riggs.

Aidan Parkins led off the game with a walk and moved to second on a 1-out wild pitch. Clayton Matkovic put the Scots on top with a single and Eric Campen singled with two down. However, the Scots left two on base and Brandon Coats kept Knox off the board in the first.

Aidan Parkins yells out in celebration after big play. Photo from Monmouth College Athletics page by Caiden Crites

Zach Almaguer led off the second with a single. He moved to third on a sac bunt and flyout. Parkins walked again and as he stole second, Almaguer came home on an errant throw. Midwest Conference Player of the Week Jace Wilkerson walked but the Scots again left two on base.

Knox got on the board with a leadoff solo homer. They tied the game in the second with two walks, a ground out and sacrifice fly.

Hunter Wheat walked in the fourth and with one out, Parkins singled to put runners on the corners. With two down, Matkovic doubled home both runners for a 4-2 lead. He stole third and scored on a single by Aiden Scott for a 5-2 lead.

Leading 5-3, Jacob Blunck doubled and moved up on a grounder. Wheat put the Scots up 6-3 with a single before Knox got out of the inning.

Coats hit two batters in the bottom of the seventh and Knox tied the game with a 2-out, 3-run homer. Coats walked the next batter and gave way to reliever Owen Alford who got out of the inning.

Neither team scored in the eighth before the Scots left two runners on base in the top of the ninth. Dane Keeven took over on the mound for the Scots and gave up a lead off single before picking the runner off and getting out of the inning.

Parkins led off the 10th with a walk and Matkovic walked with one out. They pulled off a double steal but a strikeout and groundout ended the inning. Knox also left runners on in the bottom of the inning as the game moved to the 11th.

Blunck started the 11th by reaching on an error and Almaguer singled. Knox changed pitchers and pinch-hitter Logan Straube walked with one out. Parkins doubled to right-center to clear the bases and he also scored when the relay through was wild for a little league grand slam.

Knox loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a hit batter, single and walk. With two outs and the tying run at the plate, Keeven got a strikeout looking to end the game.

Coats took a no-decision as he allowed six runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings while hitting three, walking three and striking out five. Alford allowed one hit over 1 1/3 shutout innings. Keeven (3-0) picked up the win with three shutout innings. He allowed four hits, struck out three and walked two.

Due to a forfeit Monday, March 30th, “Winntrench” got their first loss of the season, bringing them to 1-1. But they matched up against “The Randoms” on Monday April 13th and marched their way to victory in a blowout win.

The “Deucebags” were the last undefeated team heading into Monday’s game but a loss to “Put a K on it” brought them down to 2-1. After the win Coach York said, “you know we have a lot of track athletes out here, and we just needed to take this serious, and you saw what happened after we took it serious.”

“Put a K on it“ lines up at the end of their game to celebrate in front of “Winntrench’s KJ Perry” with playera Damone Johnson, Rofael Jackson, Jaliek White, and Tyrek Tripp

Coach York is looking forward to a potential rematch in the championship against “Winntrench” who beat his team during week one in a game that went into sudden death during overtime.

43-42, “Is close good enough, did y’all win?” said KJ Perry (Winntrench player) towards coach York taunting them because of the week one loss.

A couple players are unhappy with their current role and have expressed interest in “hitting the portal.” “They’re not giving me enough love. I’m a two player... like Travis Hunter,” said the anonymous player that was concerned about only being used on defense.

The regular season comes to an end next week and currently there is a three-way tie between Winntrench, Deucebags, and Put a K on it. As of right now these are the favorites to go into the championship game but, two teams that could potentially make a push are the “Futballers, and the Swasswholes.”

Next week’s matchup will decide who gets to enter the championship game and with rivalries brewing it’s safe to say Monday, April 20th, is a date to remember.

In game one, the Scots were the first to find the scoreboard when Clayton Matkovic smacked a double to left center field in the first inning, scoring teammates Aiden Scott and Eric Campen. After the RedHawks scored a run on an RBI single in the second inning, Zack Almauger raced home on a wild pitch in the home half to give Monmouth a 3-1 lead at the end of two frames.

Aidan Parkins slides to safety. Photo by Kent Kriegshauser

Ripon did not stop there. In the fourth inning, Redhawk infielder Alex Ramus scored on a sacrifice fly ball by shortstop Raidan Shibayama. Back-to-back home runs, first a grand slam by Jack Anderson followed by a solo shot to left field by Gabriel Kennedy, boosted the RedHawks to a 7-3 lead at the middle of the fourth. The visitors tacked on another run with a Kyle Hickman sacrifice fly to grow the lead to 8-3 in the sixth.

From there on out, however, it was all Monmouth. The Scots rallied for three runs in the sixth inning, exploded for five runs in the seventh, and never looked back to shut the door on the RedHawks in the opener. The winning pitcher for the Scots was freshman Dane Keevan, who pitched the latter four innings in relief for starter Roy Ralston, fanning two RedHawks. Ralston pitched the first five frames and sat down three batters.

The momentum the found by the Scots didn’t carry over into the second game. The RedHawks took victory in the nightcap by a score of 8-0. With these results, both sides start conference play at 1-1 and are in a four-way tie with Cornell and Lawrence.

The Scots will travel to Beloit, Wisconsin to face the Beloit Buccaneers on Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4. The Scots then return home on April 7th to play a twin bill with the Illinois College Blue boys with the first pitch at 1.

The game did not start in Monmouth’s favor, when the Scots quickly fell behind 0–2. However, they responded right away. The first two hitters earned singles, putting runners in scoring positions.

With runners on second and third, Aiden Scott stepped up and blasted a three-run home run, giving the Scots the lead. “It’s such a great feeling getting the go-ahead home run for the team; it gave us a lot of momentum for the rest of the game,” Scott said.

Not fast enough for Aidan Scott. Photo by Kim Fornero

The Scots kept the momentum going when Jace Wilkerson followed with a solo home run, extending the lead.

On the mound, Brandon Coats played a key role. After allowing a couple of runs early, he settled in and began to dominate. “I came out shaky in the first after allowing a few runs, then I got into a groove - focusing on not trying to be too perfect,” Coats said. Coats threw several strikeouts, keeping Ripon from scoring again.

Monmouth added a few more runs in the middle innings while continuing to play strong defense.

Ryan Garofoli came in to pitch the final three innings and didn’t allow a single run, securing the Scots’s victory.

The Fighting Scots showed strong hitting, pitching, and defense. With a performance like this, its looking like a promising season ahead.

The visitors were the first to find the scoreboard in game one when catcher Dana Skorich smacked an RBI double to right-center field. A two-run home run by Kiya Steger and an RBI-single by Ellie Baker extended the Loras lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of the third inning, a hit from Monmouth third baseman Mackenzie Gerard flew out to center field, allowing catcher Gracie Guenther to tag up from third base and score on a sacrifice.

The Scots and Duhawks each plated a run in the next two innings to make the difference 5-2 at the end of five, but it was all Loras from there. The Duhawks plated two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to close the door on Monmouth.

The winning pitcher for the opener was Loras’s Kaili Henning, who pitched the latter four innings in relief for starter Abigail Cortez. Cortez pitched three innings of work, allowing four hits, one earned run, and hitting one batter. Henning, in her four innings, allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out six. The pitcher for the record for the hosts was Alyssa Hefflefinger, who fanned two batters in six full innings of work.

Throughout the game, the Scots struggled to string hits together, stranding 12 runners throughout the contest.

The Duhawks emerged victorious again in the closer by a score of 6-2. The hosts’ only runs came off an RBI-single by second baseman Karliegh Ashby in the fourth inning that scored Savannah Powers, and a sacrifice fly by Ashby in the sixth that brought home Liz Waymire. Loras’s winning pitcher was Rachel Peat, who fanned four Scots in six innings pitched. For the Scots, Lydia Overcash was the pitcher of the record, sitting down two batters in six innings pitched.

After going on a six-game road trip, the Fighting Scots softball team will return home on Good Friday, April 3, to play a twin bill with Lake Forest College, with games at 1 and 3 p.m.

Their journey truly began in the quarterfinals, where they faced the defending champion, Japan, a team widely viewed as unbeatable after an undefeated run through pool play. Japan had dominated, but Venezuela flipped the narrative with a disciplined, high-pressure performance that stunned the tournament favorite and announced itself as a contender.

That upset set up a semifinal matchup against Italy, the surprise team of the tournament. Italy jumped out to an early lead, putting Venezuela in a difficult position, but the game turned in the seventh inning. Venezuela delivered a string of timely hits, manufacturing runs rather than relying on power to complete a comeback and punch their ticket to the final, continuing its run.

On the other side, the United States took a far different path. Their quarterfinal matchup against Canada proved relatively straightforward, as Team USA’s star-studded lineup overpowered an overmatched opponent. The semifinal, however, was a grind. Facing a loaded Dominican Republic roster, the United States battled in a tense, low-scoring game that came down to the final pitch.

The ending sparked controversy. With the tying run at the plate, the Dominican Republic was called out on a strike three that appeared below the zone, an abrupt and anticlimactic finish to an otherwise intense game. Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols declined to dwell on the moment afterward, saying, “I don’t want to focus on the last pitch.”

All of this set the stage for the championship, where Venezuela’s battle-tested roster ultimately prevailed. Venezuela held a narrow 2–0 lead until the eighth inning, when star first basemen Bryce Harper, who had struggled throughout the tournament, delivered a game-tying two-run bomb, potentially redeeming himself in the game’s biggest moment up to that point.

But in the decisive moment, third baseman Eugenio Suárez delivered the go-ahead RBI double to secure the 3–2 victory. In a post-game press conference, Suárez reflected on both the doubt his team faced and the significance of the win. “Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we won the championship today,” he said. “It’s a celebration for all of the Venezuelan country.”

Freshman Kaden Foglesong delivered one of the most impressive performances of the weekend, breaking his own school record in the heptathlon with a total of 4,503 points. Competing at the Wartburg meet, Foglesong set personal records in several events, including the 60-meter dash, long jump, and shot put. His performance was consistent across both days, finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles and placing third overall in the event. His effort not only secured a place on the podium but also solidified his place in the program’s record books.

Senior Jillian Toth had a standout weekend as well. Competing in Platteville, Wisconsin, she won the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 16.86 meters, the fifth-best throw in school history. Toth followed that performance with another strong showing the next day, continuing to lead the team in throwing events.

Kayla Braun added to the team’s success with multiple top finishes. She placed fifth in the weight throw and fourth in the shot put on Friday, then improved to third in the shot put on Saturday. Braun’s consistency throughout the season has made her a key contributor for the Scots.

In addition to their performances at the qualifier meets, several athletes were recognized for their success throughout the season. Braun, Toth, and Foglesong all earned All-Region honors, with Braun receiving the distinction in two events. The recognition is awarded to the top eight athletes in each event within their region, highlighting the team’s strong presence in the Midwest.

With a huge PR in the weight throw, Braun also won the weight throw the following day, which led to a sweep in throws for her.

“Being able to win both of the throws was a goal of mine coming into the season. I’ve come as close as second in past years, but finally getting the job done in my senior year was an amazing feeling and will be another part of my track career I’ll remember for a long time.” Safe to say it became a lot more memorable when Braun was awarded field performer of the year during the award ceremony. She was made a first-time conference champ on Friday, and Saturday topped it off.. “I went into shot put with great confidence on how it would end, but the weight throw was the real shock because I threw a huge PR and was able to come away with the win in a close competition.”

Lane Grice took first in pole vault clearing 3.90m which was a new personal record. Grice was followed by teammates Matthew Bright and Kayden Fogleson for second and third place.

“First off, it was super special being able to stand on the podium with two of my teammates and share that moment with them is something I’ll never forget. All three of us combining for 24 points in the pole vault is pretty crazy. Conference championships aren’t won off solo performances — it takes a bunch of guys stepping up and stacking points together, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Lane Grice, Matthew Bright, and Kaden Fogleson stand together after sweeping pole vault. Photo by Patrick Curry Jr.

Grice switched over to pole vault at the beginning of outdoor season last year, as a way to help the team pick up a few extra points. Fast forward a couple of months, and he is the conference champion. “Even though we didn’t win the conference championship, our group left knowing that we dominated and that our effort and performance helped keep us in the picture and gave us a fighting chance as a team.”

Tashawn Ruffin also went and grabbed another conference championship in the triple jump, doing it in back-to-back indoor seasons. After Illinois College’s Jacob Kollman took the lead with a jump of 13.50m, Ruffin followed up with a jump of 13.90m to snatch the lead back, and he would keep the lead for the rest of the night, becoming a back-to-back indoor champion in the Triple Jump. The Scots also had a winner in the high jump. After clearing 1.90m, four jumpers remained in competition. But only one would clear the next height at 1.93m, Logan Morse. After clearing the bar on his third and final attempt at 1.93, Morse had solidified his spot as the High jump champion.

“I think it’s a result of the prep all year and the work that I put in during the off-season and in the fall just coming together at the conference meet,” said Morse.

With the win, the Pioneers earned their second straight conference tournament title, plus an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

Zay Brown drew first blood for the Scots, draining a free throw 16 seconds into the game to give Monmouth an early 1-0 lead. Both teams traded scores for the first ten minutes, but the Pioneers eventually found their shooting and defensive touches and took the lead for good. Throughout the rest of the first half, the Pioneers progressively extended their lead over Monmouth, and the Scots entered the locker room trailing 40-23.

In the second half, the Pioneers picked up right where they left off, gradually building their lead larger as the half went on. With under nine minutes to play, Grinnell led Monmouth by 26 points: 69-43. In those last nine minutes, the Pioneers held the line, locking down on defense and creating many offensive scoring chances to hold the Scots at bay and punch their ticket to their second consecutive NCAA tournament.

The men finish the season with an overall record of 20-7 with a 14-2 record in league play and a second-place finish in the conference. The Scots bid farewell to six seniors: Brock Card, Jason Huber, Kyle Taylor, Kamran Banks, Turner Plumer, and Max Maring.

Grinnell will face John Caroll University in the first round of the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament on Friday at Illinois Wesleyan University.

“What I always tell them is that it’s not about them [Grinnell]. We’re going to go in and execute our races,” said head swimming coach Jake Dacus. “All we can do is what we can do; we have no control over them. They’re swimming in the same water as us. If we can just focus on our lane, and focus on our race, that’s what we can do, and that’s what we can control.”

“I view it as a good opportunity,” said sophomore Caitlyn Stewart, who views swimming against Grinnell as a way to help herself improve. “A lot of them are faster than me, so I think of it as if I can keep up with a person next to me, at least, I’m beating myself as well. It’s easier to keep pace with someone you know is going faster than you.”

Stewart earned two major accolades in the meet, posting the #2 time in school history in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 19:01.00, and in the 400 IM with a time of 4:46.23. She also finished in ninth place in the 1650 freestyle and earned 12 points towards Monmouth’s final tally.

Four Scots scored points in the 200 breaststroke, led by Allie Warren placing third, Nora Collins in sixth, Addie Smith in 12th, and Lea Schmitt behind Smith in 13th. The quartet earned Monmouth 46 points in the event.

Cally Tate finished in ninth place in the 200 backstroke 93, and Nicole Fitch placed 11th in the 200 butterfly. Also cashing in points for the Scots was Addie Zamora in the 100 freestyle, and the 400-freestyle relay team of Tate, Collins, Zamora, and Fitch with a seventh-place finish.

On the men’s side, Jordan Bridgford and Luke Foster finished eighth and 11th, respectively, in the 200 freestyle. Tariq McClarty and Bucket Youvan finished 12th and 15th, respectively, in the 100 freestyle.

In the 200 breaststroke, Kody Coyne and Ethan Main placed 12th and 14th. Finishing off the scoring for the Monmouth men was the 200-yard freestyle relay team of McLarty, Foster, Main, and Youvan, which finished in sixth place.

The Fighting Scot swim teams end this season by bidding farewell to their three seniors: Cally Tate, Nicole Fitch, and Ethan Main.

“I was trying to picture a make,” said Hoy about her clutch-free-throw performance. “Every time, I tell myself ‘Make, make, make’; Try not to jinx myself out.”

The first three minutes saw great defensive efforts from both teams, as the score remained tied 2-2 through the first four minutes. The Foresters broke the deadlock with a layup, which was responded to by a three-pointer from Rangel. After both teams traded scores and a scoring microburst for the Scots, the Foresters led Monmouth 15-11 after one quarter. In the second quarter, the Scots outscored Lake Forest 22-14 and went into the locker room with a 33-29 lead.

In During the second half, the hosts caught fire, extending their lead to 16 with five minutes to play in the third quarter.

However, the Foresters cut the lead to ten going into the fourth. The closing frame saw a massive rally by the Foresters, who tied the game at 62 with a minute to play. But with the clutch three-point shot by Rangel and free throws by Hoy, Monmouth slammed the door on Lake Forest for a 69-64 victory.

Stearns led the way for the Scots in the evening with 18 points and seven rebounds. Tiah Riggs and Hoy both followed in scoring, chipping in 13 points each, and Rangel followed up with 11 points on the evening. As a team, Monmouth shot an impressive 85.7% from the line and shot 25-67 from field goal range, with 29.2% of those shots coming from three-point land.

On Saturday, the Scots closed their season with an 81-62 loss to the Illinois College Lady Blues. They bid farewell to seniors Kynlee Stearns, Mackenzie, Yarc, Hannah Peel, Allie Hoy, Kiersten Cox, Avery Rangel, Ella Goodrich, and Brooklyn Sellers.

The case is no different for the Monmouth Fighting Scots, who begin 2026 off a 19-win season. The Scots amassed a 12-9 conference record, and a postseason run that ended with losses of 16-4 and 11-4 to Beloit College in the MWC tournament championship series in Appleton, Wisconsin, but not before upsetting the #1-seeded hosts Lawrence University 12-7. This season, the Scots will look to take back series from Knox, Illinois, and Ripon, all teams, while also looking to complete the sweep against teams such as Grinnell, Lawrence, and Beloit, all teams the Scots were one game away from sweeping the series against last season.

On the offensive end of the baseball, the Scots return four players out of eight who were common appearances in the starting lineup last year. Two key returners include senior Clayton Matkovic, who boasted a batting average of .321 in the previous season, registering 43 hits, 30 RBIs, and a home run. The other key returner batting wise is senior outfielder Aiden Parkins, who racked up a .294 batting average last season, earning 32 base hits, five doubles, a triple, and a home run in the process.

On the pitcher’s mound, juniors Ethan Zaayenga and Roy Ralston. Zaayenga had an eventful season last spring, racking up a 5-3 record in 12 appearances and fanning 39 batters in 67 innings pitched. Ralston, on the other hand, comes into this season having struck out 54 batters in 50 innings the year before.

Along with returning strong arms, the Scots have an exciting addition to the pitching staff this year. Girl power, in the form of freshman Sophia Broderick. In Broderick’s senior season at Geneva High School, she pitched a total of eight innings in four relief appearances, fanning nine batters with an ERA of 3.50.

The Monmouth nine will open their season in Carlinville, Illinois, with a doubleheader against Blackburn College on February 21 at 1 and 3:30 p.m. The Scots will then go on their spring break trip two weeks later and play a stretch of games in Florida from March 7-13th before returning home for the first home game against Maranatha Baptist University on March 16 at 3 p.m.

On the field, we saw the all-time sack record go down when Anthony Cikauskas broke it on November 1st, 2025, against Uchicago in a 29-0 win. The record was previously held by Thomas Lesniewski (2015-18).

“It felt amazing to become the all-time sack record. Before my freshman year started, I told myself this was going to be a goal of mine. I was very blessed after breaking that record as I looked back at all the work I put in to accomplish such an honor. As a wrap up my senior year, I’ll be forever grateful for the multiple records I broke and memories I made through my four years here at Monmouth College,” said Cikauskas.

It’s safe to say that Cikauskas was a big part of why the Football team saw so much success. This season, the Scots went undefeated in conference play and advanced to the NCAA playoffs.

Anthony Cikauskas. Photo by Nayeli Perez.

Moving onto the court for volleyball, we saw history be made by Kaylee Celus, who picked up right where she left off after an impressive freshman campaign, which earned her a Midwest Conference first team selection. Celus made history by becoming the first Scots Volleyball player to be named Midwest Conference Player of the Year.

“Becoming MWC Player of the Year for volleyball meant so much to me. I would have never been able to earn this award without my amazing teammates and coaches. There are a lot of great players in the conference, and being named the player of the year was a huge honor. I was very surprised when I found out I had earned the award. Being a sophomore and knowing all the talent that the conference has made winning this award more exciting. My main focus is doing what I need to do for our team to be successful, so I try not to focus on the individual awards as much,” said Celus.

Kaylee Celus. Photo by Nayeli Perez.

With this only being year two for Celus, many may wonder what’s in store for the next two years. That is a question only time will tell though.

Heading over to the basketball court, Zay Brown is a name I’m sure plenty have heard here on Monmouth College campus. He holds the record for the most consecutive double-digit scoring games in Scots history.

Since coming to Monmouth, Brown has collected many awards. In his first season as a Scot, he earned First-Team All-Region, Midwest Conference Player of the Year, Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year, and MWC First-Team.

“It means a lot to be a part of Monmouth history, and it also means a lot to me knowing all the effort I put into basketball pays off, and being consistent is one of the keys,” said Brown. Brown’s statement is backed up by the double-digit scoring record that dates back to last season, which means that since January 11, 2025, Brown hasn’t scored under 10 points.

Zay Brown. Photo by Nayeli Perez.

Swinging the rock to the women’s team, we have senior point guard Kynlee Stearns, who just ended her stellar career as a Monmouth Basketball player. Stearns was the starting guard for the Scots this season, and although she’s listed as a point guard, she often led the team in scoring, putting up big numbers time and time again. If you were watching the Scots play ball, it wasn’t a rare occurrence to see Stearns get the hot hand and go off scoring the ball.

“I never once thought that I would get a triple-double in college. I hadn’t even gotten a double-double until this year, so going beyond that and getting a triple-double feels amazing. I feel like getting an accomplishment like this just highlights all the hard work that I’ve put into my basketball career,” said Stearns.

On December 29th, 2025, Stearns would get it done on all ends of the court, posting a triple-double over Eureka College to get the win 97-96. Which makes her the second player in history to record a triple-double for the women’s program. While being the first to do so in a game that didn’t go to overtime.

“The one other player to do it was my JV coach in High School, so that’s even more special to me to be alongside her. It feels good to end my career with such a huge accomplishment,” said Stearns.

Kynlee Stearns. Photo by Kent Kriegshauser.

The matches ended in a pair of losses for the Monmouth Scots, with scores of 6-1 against Illinois Wesleyan University and 5-2 against Principia College.

Freshman Chase Sims won his singles in both matches after missing the fall season due to soccer. “Well, you know, one thing that was exciting for us is we had, um, playing number six for us, the guy that won at number six in the first match, Chase Sims. That’s his first match he’s ever played for us,” said Brian Dahlstrom, tennis head coach. In the first match against Illinois Wesleyan University, Sims won in the number 6 singles with 7-5 and 6-0. In the second match against Principia College, Sims won in the number 5 singles with scores of 6-0 and 6-2.

Freshman Asher Carthan also won against Principia College in the Number 6 singles with scores of 6-0 and 6-1.

Monmouth Scots Men’s Tennis will play its next match at home on Saturday, February 28, against Webster University.

When asked to comment, Monmouth College Athletic Director Roger Haynes stated that the post was not a policy or standards change, but rather a reiteration of the attendance standards set by both the College and the Midwest Conference. “We want to show sportsmanship as hosts and provide a positive game experience for officials, visiting teams and fans; and of course, our own Monmouth fans,” said Haynes in a email response. “During the 2025-2026 season, we have been asked more often by officials to reduce inappropriate comments from the stands during the game toward those on the court. Our players benefit from a loud, supportive Monmouth crowd in Glennie Gym; we hope that the enthusiasm is strong for our teams tonight and in the future.”

With basketball season drawing to a close, both the baseball and softball teams will open their seasons on Saturday, February 28, as the baseball team travels to Indiana for a doubleheader with Wabash College at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and the softball team will travel to Carlinville, Illinois to play a doubleheader with Blackburn College, with games at 1 and 3 p.m. The baseball team will play its home opener with a single game against Maranatha Baptist University on Monday, March 16, at 3:00pm at Peacock Park. The softball team, on the other hand, will host Loras College for their home opener on Saturday, March 21, with games at 1 and 3 p.m. at the softball field next to Graham Hall.

Monmouth had a hot start right out of the gate, as two buckets by seniors Allie Hoy and Kynlee Stearns helped the Scots shoot out to a 4-0 lead in the first minute. However, the Prairie Fire responded to each Scot basket and canceled out the early run. Even scoring throughout the next few minutes put up a score of 6-7 on the scoreboard heading into the first media timeout, much to the amusement of some younger fans in the stands that evening.

Knox continued to pile on the points throughout the first two quarters, leading 20-15 after the first ten minutes and 47-37 at the intermission. The Prairie Fire picked up right where they left off out of the locker room and outscored the Scots 33-14 in the third stanza, but despite each team putting up 21 points of their own in the final ten minutes, the Knox College Prairie Fire cleared the century mark and walked away with a 101-72 victory over the Scots.

Leading the Scots in scoring on the evening was Stearns with a whopping 27 points, followed by Jamaica Walker with 17 and Hannah Peel and Brooklyn Sellers, who each chipped in eight points of their own. Monmouth went 11-26 from the charity stripe against the Prairie Fire

The Scots will close out their home campaign when they host Lake Forest College as the second half of a men/women doubleheader on Wednesday, February 18th, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m., or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the men’s game. They will then close out the regular season, traveling to Jacksonville to play the Illinois College Lady Blues with a 3 p.m. tipoff.

Sophomore Zay Brown started the game strong, with a slam dunk drawing a foul just 17 seconds into the contest. Brown drained the foul shot, giving the Scots a 3-0 lead right out of the gate. The Prairie Fire, however, did not make things easy in the first 20 minutes, as Knox kept all Monmouth leads within 10 points for the entire first half. Monmouth led 35-28 at the break.

In the waning minutes of the second half, the Scots took control of the game, building their lead to 66-55 with under six minutes to play. A few minutes later, Knox would start fouling down the stretch to gain more possessions and more points, but the Scots held their own and cemented an 82-68 victory.

Kyle Taylor attacks Knox defender. Photo by Nayeli Perez.

Brown led the Scots in scoring on the evening with 20 points, followed by Taylor with 19 and Cameron Thomas with 17. The Scots shot an impressive 18-22 from the free throw line and shot 48.3% from the field, with 36.4% of those shots coming from beyond the arc. Kyle Taylor becomes the 24th player in program history to score 1000 career points and the first Scot in eight years to accomplish that feat.

The Scots will play in Glennie Gymnasium again next Wednesday, February 18, against the Lake Forest Foresters as the first leg of a men/women doubleheader, with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m. On the 21st, Monmouth will end the regular season with a tune-up for the conference tournament against Illinois College with a 1 p.m. tip-off.