LA GRANDE, Ore. – With the 2026-27 season just around the corner, we take a look back at the 2025-26 season – one of the most accomplished seasons in Eastern Oregon University Athletics history. From conference championships and national appearances to record-breaking performances and academic excellence, Mountaineer student-athletes continued to raise the standard of success both on and off the field.

As a department, EOU Athletics compiled an impressive 173-90-8 overall record while producing countless memorable moments throughout the year. The Mountaineers captured seven Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) championships, highlighted by volleyball's ninth regular-season and fourth tournament titles. The men's cross country team captured its 14th Cascade Collegiate Conference championship, while men's soccer claimed the first CCC title in program history. Men's track & field added its 10th conference championship overall and sixth consecutive title, with the men's and women's programs also combining to win three relay championships and five individual conference titles. On the hardwood, men's basketball won its third CCC championship and first since 2013, while women's basketball captured its 13th conference championship.

Team success translated to the national stage as eight programs earned NAIA National Championship appearances: Volleyball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Basketball, and Softball. In addition, Eastern qualified 38 individual national championship competitors across Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field and Men's and Women's Wrestling.

The success of Eastern Oregon's teams was matched by the achievements of its student-athletes and coaches. The Mountaineers earned 16 NAIA All-America honors, 100 All-Conference selections, multiple West Region awards, 44 CCC Player of the Week honors, two CCC Team of the Week recognitions, and seven NAIA National Player of the Week awards.

Several Mountaineers also earned top conference honors. Eamon Monahan and Siena Salazar were named CCC Newcomers of the Year, while Kate Stidham earned Setter of the Year honors. Anthony Lemus was named Goalkeeper of the Year, Kelsie Siegner earned Defender of the Year, and Lizzy Grandle was recognized as both Most Outstanding Performer and Meet MVP. Conference Player of the Year honors went to Jace Nagler, Hope Burke, Kiauna Mack, and Grandle, while Grandle capped her remarkable season by being named the CCC Female Athlete of the Year.

National and regional coaching associations also recognized Eastern's excellence. Justin Krabbenhoft, Reuben Manzer, Riley Morris, and Lizzy Grandle earned USTFCCCA West Region Athlete of the Year honors, while Kiauna Mack was selected as the AVCA West Region Player of the Year. On the sidelines, Ben Welch, Anji Weissenfluh, Chris Kemp, Jessy Watson, and Kaki McLean Moorehead each earned CCC Coach of the Year honors. Welch and Moorehead were additionally recognized as West Region Coaches of the Year, while Conner Bracken was named West Region Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year.

The Mountaineers finished the year atop the CCC All-Sports Trophy standings and ranked No. 19 in the final Learfield Directors' Cup standings, reflecting the department's broad-based success. Volleyball highlighted the season by holding the No. 1 national ranking in five of six regular-season polls before advancing to the NAIA National Semifinals and finishing the year ranked No. 3 nationally. Softball also made program history by earning the first No. 1 ranking in program history during the second regular-season poll and ultimately finished the season ranked No. 13 nationally. Nine additional Mountaineer programs either earned Top-25 rankings or received votes in national polls throughout the year. 

Eastern athletes continued to etch their names into the record books during the 2025-26 season. Volleyball standout Kiauna Mack reached the milestone of 500 career blocks, while teammate Keira Vaughn recorded her 1,000th career kill. Women's basketball senior Kelsie Siegner surpassed 1,000 career points and broke the program's 40-year-old career blocked shots record with 103 career blocks. On the diamond, Mario Landeros collected his 200th career hit, while Hope Burke rewrote portions of the softball record book, setting a new single-season record for total bases (107) and tying the program's single-season home run record with 14. Raygun Klippert established new program records for single-season runs scored (57), single-season stolen bases (48), and career stolen bases (71) as just a sophomore. 

Track & Field athletes continued to raise the bar throughout both the indoor and outdoor seasons, combining to break numerous school records. During the indoor season, Keaton Moore set a new school record in the 60 meters, while Sara McKen broke the women's 60-meter record and Sydney Peck established a new mark in the 60-meter hurdles. Riley Morris added her name to the record books in both the mile and 1,000-meter run. The women's 4x800 relay team of Peck, Carlee Jensen, Mattie Woodbury, and Morris set a new program record, while the women's 4x400 relay team of Hallee Hisler, Taylor Joyce, Nora Roscoe, and McKen and the men's 4x400 relay team of Reuben Manzer, Keaton Moore, Osman Osman, and Peter Daniels also established new school records.

During the outdoor season, the men's 4x100 relay team of Peter Bartley, Bryson Spears, Moore, and Nick Robinson and the men's 4x400 relay team of Manzer, Moore, Bartley, and Daniels each broke program records. McKen added another record in the 100 meters, while the women's 4x100 relay team of Joyce, Melanie Boatman, Roscoe, and McKen and the women's 4x400 relay team of Joyce, Hisler, Peck, and Roscoe also set new school marks. Peck broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles, Daniels established a new program record in the 400 meters, and Lizzy Grandle capped off the season by setting a new school record, CCC Championships meet record, and taking home the NAIA National Championship title in the heptathlon. These performances highlighted a remarkable year for the Mountaineers, as athletes consistently raised the standard across both the men's and women's programs. In addition to these records, athletes across nearly every program climbed into Eastern's all-time record books through their performances during the year. 

Success extended far beyond competition as Mountaineer student-athletes continued to excel academically. Eastern earned 129 NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete selections, 167 Cascade Collegiate Conference All-Academic honors, 33 Frontier Football All-Academic honors, 37 CSC Academic All-District selections, and four CSC Academic All-Americans.Cross Country and Track & Field combined to produce 26 USTFCCCA All-Academic honorees, while both the men's and women's programs earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team recognition. Volleyball received AVCA Team Academic Honors, Men's Basketball earned NABC Team Academic Honors, and Men's Wrestling led the NWCA Scholar All-America Team awards for the third consecutive year with eight individual Scholar All-Americans.

The department finished the academic year with an impressive 3.377 cumulative GPA, with 75% of Mountaineer student-athletes earning Academic All-Conference recognition. Eastern also once again achieved CCC Presidents' Cup Academic Excellence status. The Mountaineers further demonstrated their commitment to the NAIA Champions of Character initiative by earning the Five-Star Institution Silver Award, recognizing excellence in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion. Together, these accomplishments reflect Eastern Oregon's unwavering commitment to developing student-athletes who strive for excellence in competition, in the classroom, and as leaders of character.

As the curtain closes on a remarkable 2025-26 season, Eastern Oregon Athletics looks forward to building upon this momentum in 2026-27. With returning talent, rising stars, and a culture of excellence that continues to grow, the future remains bright for the Mountaineers. More records will be broken, more championships will be pursued, and more student-athletes will continue to represent Eastern Oregon University with distinction in competition, in the classroom, and throughout their communities.