By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
Basketball
Both Red Leafs basketball teams played for just over a month before the winter break. Despite starting the season 4–8, the men’s team has rebounded from a 2023–24 campaign that saw them hold an overall record of 6–23. The women’s team are in much better shape, boasting an 8–3 record through the 2024–25 season so far. Both teams have only played against Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents twice. The men’s team dropped games against Central Washington (91–65) and Northwest Nazarene (73–68). The women’s team took the win against Seattle Pacific but suffered a close 69–66 loss to Montana State Billings.
Golf
The fall portion of the Red Leafs golf season finished in late October, when the men’s team finished eighth of 19 and the women’s team finished sixth of 15 at the Hawaii Pacific Sharks Shootout. Their campaigns resume next month, with the men’s team participating in the California State San Marcos Fujikura Invitational from February 10 to 11, and the women’s team returning to the California State East Bay Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout from February 23 to 24. Both teams sit atop the GNAC team standings, the men’s with an average team score of 288.2 and the women’s with an average of 300.8. Red Leafs junior Izzy Ferguson leads the individual average for GNAC women’s golf with 74.5, while redshirt sophomore Denby Carswell is third in the GNAC men’s standings with a 71.6 average.
Swimming
SFU’s swim teams wrapped up their fall campaign in late November, with both the men’s and women’s teams earning first place at the Puget Sound Logger Invitational. Through individual meets against a variety of NCAA and non-NCAA competition, the Red Leafs swim teams have 5–3 (men’s) and 2–5 (women’s) records respectively. Both teams head south of the border this month with meets in Florida, Washington, and California, before their final meet against the University of Victoria ahead of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship in mid-February.
“Red Leafs junior Izzy Ferguson leads the individual average for GNAC women’s golf with 74.5, with redshirt sophomore Denby Carswell is third in the GNAC men’s standings with a 71.6 average.”
Wrestling
Both the men’s and women’s wrestling teams started their seasons placing first in the SFU Open on November 2. Since then, the men’s team has hit a slump, registering only two individual titles prior to the winter break — Patrik Leder at the Spokane Open and Sam Pereira at the Clackamas Open. The women’s team has only lost once, dropping a duals round against Wartburg in Las Vegas on December 21. They’re ranked ninth nationally within tournaments and duals, and have six nationally-ranked wrestlers; Kelsey Loeun (ninth, 110), Maddie Mackenzie (14th, 117), Jade Trolland (seventh, 138), Lene-Marie McCrackin (sixth, 160) Paige Maher (15th, 180), and Julia Richey (eighth, 207). This weekend, the men’s team travels to Colorado for duals with Colorado State Pueblo, Western Colorado, Adams State, and Colorado Mesa, while the women’s team makes a trip to the University of Alberta.
Softball
The Red Leafs softball team looks to improve their results from the 2024 season. The team went 6–18 against GNAC competition, while holding an overall record of 11–31. There will be six freshmen added to the roster, including Langley’s Lauren Lugtigheid, who was part of Team Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation Americas U18 Pan American Women’s Championships. The Red Leafs start their non-conference campaign at the end of January in New Mexico, with their GNAC competition beginning when they host Northwest Nazarene at Beedie Field on March 7.
Indoor track and field
SFU’s track and field team begins their indoor season this January, with their first preview event taking place at the University of Washington on January 17. The team will compete across American indoor meets ahead of the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in mid-February, with the ultimate goal of the indoor season being the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in mid-March. SFU track and field star and Canadian Olympian Marie-Éloïse Leclair will be heading into her final season with the Red Leafs. She looks to break more records after being named GNAC Female Athlete of the Year for the 2024 season. At the end of last season, the women’s indoor track and field team was ranked 16th nationally, which they also look to improve upon as the meets go on.
