Boxer Athletes Claim Personal & Team Victories

Pacific’s 24 intercollegiate sports programs made the most of their moments in 2024 with conference trophies, All-American awards and winning records punctuating a successful year for the Boxers on the courts and fields.

Basketball

For the fourth straight season, the Pacific women’s basketball team advanced to February’s Northwest Conference Tournament after tying for second in the NWC regular-season standings at 12-4. The Boxers advanced to the championship game for the third straight year, ending the season with a close 61-57 loss to Puget Sound. The Boxers finished at 17-9 overall, the team’s fourth straight season with 15 or more wins. Brilie Kovaloff ’24 was named First Team All-NWC after ranking third in the conference in scoring at 14.7 points per game.

This year, the women’s basketball team was not alone. The Boxer men’s basketball team qualified for the NWC Tournament for the first time since 2000, finishing tied for third in the regular-season standings at 9-7. The program’s 15-10 record marked the first season with 15 or more wins since 2013-14. The men were led by Luke Winkler ’25, who earned First Team All-NWC honors after finishing third in the conference in scoring at 16.4 points per game.

Tennis

The tennis dynamic duo of Sydnie Binder ’22, MFA ’24 and Cassidy Binder ’25 closed their career on the tennis courts together on a high note. The duo led the women’s tennis team to its best finish in the NCAA Division III era, placing second at April’s NWC Championships. Cassidy Binder became the first Pacific player to be named NWC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year, compiling a 14-2 record at No. 1 singles and a 17-0 record at No. 1 doubles with her sister. Sydnie was a First Team All-NWC selection with a 16-0 record at No. 2 singles and both sisters received Division III All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

While Sydnie closed her career with graduation, Cassidy is off to a hot start for her senior season. At September’s ITA Pacific Northwest Championships, Cassidy swept the trophies, winning both the regional singles title and combining with Stella Nishimura ’27 to claim the doubles championship. Cassidy Binder and Nishimura represented Pacific in the 2024 ITA Cup, which took place in October in Georgia.

Baseball

Pacific baseball continued its run of excellence, amassing its sixth straight winning season with a 25-16 record and qualifying for May’s NWC Championships for the fifth straight season. The Boxers finished fourth in the NWC standings, securing their playoff spot with five wins in their final six regular-season games. CJ Colyer ’24 was named the Northwest Conference Player of the Year and a consensus Second Team Division III All-American, leading Pacific with a .357 batting average and a Pacific single-season record 23 home runs.

The season experienced a bittersweet end with Brian Billings’ resignation as head coach. In 10 years, Billings finished with 223 wins at Pacific, six seasons with 25 or more wins, five NWC Tournament appearances and three NCAA West Regional appearances. Jacob Upwood was named the new head coach in August.

Track & Field

Henry Tierney ’26 brought home another outdoor track and field All-American trophy for Pacific, earning Second Team All-America honors with a 13th-place finish in the men’s 800 meters at May’s NCAA Division III Championships. Tierney won both the 800 and 1,500 meters at April’s NWC Championship and broke Pacific’s 48-year-old record in the 1,500 meters with a season-best time of 3:49.55. Tierney led Pacific to a fifth-place team finish at NWC Championships, which also included Pacific’s first title in the 4x100-meter relay since 1976.

Pacific’s women’s track and field finished third at April’s NWC Championships, the team’s best finish in the Division III era. Emily Rutkowski ’24 repeated as conference champion in the 400-meter hurdles, winning in 1:04.60. Cris Brethower ’25 won the steeplechase in a time of 11:18.24.  Ally Hammond ’26 broke her own school records in the 100 meters (12.44 seconds) and the 100-meter hurdles (14.53 seconds).

Golf

On the links, Bead Boonta ’27 was named the NWC Women’s Golf Rookie of the Year after finishing in fourth place at April’s NWC Spring Classic. She led the Boxers to a fourth-place finish in the tournament and fourth overall in the conference’s women’s golf standings. Boonta’s sophomore season is off to a strong start, finishing third at October’s NWC Fall Classic.

Rowing

The Pacific women’s rowing team placed third at the NWC Championships, posting the best conference regatta finish in program history. The performance led former head coach Charlotte Copp to selection as the NWC and Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division III West Region Coach of the Year.

Football

The 2024 Pacific football campaign ended with a 5-5 record, the eighth season with a .500 or better record since the program’s 2010 reinstatement and the third five-plus win season in Ian Falconer’s five seasons as head coach. The Boxers led the NWC in rushing, averaging 194.6 yards per game. Much of the ground game came at the feet of Brody Bantolina ’26, who finished the regular season ranked second among Division III players with 1,533 rushing yards and 153.3 rushing yards per game.

Soccer

Pacific men’s soccer amassed its first winning season since 2016, finishing with a 9-8-3 record in 2024 and in fifth place in the NWC standings. The program was led by Garrett Heuett ’27, who earned Second Team All-NWC honors as a defender. 

For more on Pacific Athletics, including schedules, recaps and statistics, visit GoBoxers.com.