Spring/Summer 2026

ATHLETICS 2025-2026 RECORDED AS HISTORIC SEASON FOR SMWC Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College enjoyed another stellar season in the athletic realm, highlighted by a conference championship, All-American performances and a significant announcement that will help secure an impactful future for Pomeroy athletics. The sprint football team The new schedule will include NAIA Midwest standout programs such as Marian University, Olivet Nazarene University, Saint Francis Fort Wayne and Taylor University. Beyond sprint football, the men’s By Kevin Lanke Associate Vice President for Athletics

TOP 5 FINISHES

4-0 RECORD

30-6 RECORD

volleyball also hosted its first postseason conference tournament in SMWC history this season, with a top-four finish in the RSC. The track and field teams continued setting school records, led by an All-American performance for junior Jerahmia Smith. The shot-put standout recorded top five finishes at the NAIA National Championship to join Melendez as a 2025-26 NAIA All-American. The track and field teams also finished in the top half of the RSC standings as a team, led by more than half a dozen school record performances. The women’s golf team also enjoyed a standout 2025-26 campaign, highlighted by a team RSC Fall Preview championship and an individual Top 10 RSC finish by junior Renae Jaeger. Other team highlights included men’s basketball with .500 finishes in the regular season and RSC schedule; men’s soccer recording a top four finish in the RSC to secure the first home postseason game

in program history; and softball defeating the top three teams in the RSC in a season highlighted by a 4-0 record against Midway. Another successful tradition continued in 2025-26 as the equestrian team enjoyed significant success in Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competitions. SMWC equestrian won the IHSA Western Regional championship and the Hunt Seat Team captured Reserve Team Champion honors. Individually, Claire Coryell finished fifth in the nation in Individual Level II Horsemanship and Jaden Perry came home eighth in Open Equitation Over Fences at the IHSA National Championships in May. The future continues to be bright for SMWC athletics, with announcements expected in the next few weeks regarding facility upgrades and a potential new varsity sport set to launch in the near future.

and women’s volleyball teams enjoyed historic seasons once again in 2025-26. The women’s volleyball team came within one set of making its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament, falling in a 5-set thriller to Rio Grande in the River States Conference (RSC) semifinal round. The historic season included a school record 17-game winning streak, an overall record of 30-6 and the first NAIA volleyball All-American honor in school history for junior Karla Melendez. The men’s squad enjoyed school records for wins (27) and winning percentage (.750) led by NAIA National Player of the Week honoree Yammiel Martinez. Men’s

8-0 RECORD

highlighted the sports team’s accomplishments with a perfect 8-0 record, a Midwest Sprint Football League regular season championship and an MSFL Playoff championship. Saint Mary-of-the Woods College also announced that the fall 2025 campaign would be the Pomeroys last in the MSFL, with the team moving into NAIA football for the upcoming 2026 season. The move to NAIA football will increase the roster size from approximately 65 players to more than 100 players, which will have a significant positive impact on the overall SMWC operating budget.

8 tH Place

5 th in the nation

17-Game winning streak

championships

10

11