Sweet Home graduates continue to compete quite successfully in various sports at various universities and colleges around the nation. Here’s our latest roundup of achievements by ex-Huskies in the college world.
Volleyball
Bailee Hartsook, a 5-10 senior outside hitter in volleyball for Western Oregon, was named All-GNAC Honorable Mention when the conference released the awards following the close of the season at the end of November.
Hartsook, an All-GNAC First Team honoree in 2022, was 18th in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.238) while finishing third on the team in kills per set (2.16) and points per set (2.38).
Western Oregon finished on Nov. 23 with a loss to GNAC leader Central Washington to close out the 2024 campaign, finishing 15-12 overall, 7-11 in GNAC.
In their third year under Head Coach Kaiao Nahale-a, the Wolves’ 15 wins were the best since the program went 21-6 in 2012 – and the most wins in conference play since 2016 at seven.
Hartsook was also named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week in September.
College of Idaho senior middle blocker Shelbey Nichol has been named to the NAIA Third Team All-American for her standout performance during the 2024 season. The 5-foot-11 Nichol earlier was named to the Northwest All-Region First Team.
Also at the College of Idaho, Savannah Hutchins was the team’s primary setter, amassing an impressive 728 assists, averaging 5.43 assists per set, alongside 287 digs and 31 service aces. Hutchins was one of four Yotes named to the 2024 Academic All-District Team. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 and participate in at least 90% of the team’s games.
Nichol, one of four players to compete in every match this season, was a pivotal force for the Yotes, contributing 311 kills and 124 blocks while tallying an impressive 375 total points. Her ability to rise to the occasion in crucial moments solidified her reputation as a game-changer throughout the season. Nichol’s consistent excellence also earned her First Team All-Conference honors from the Cascade Conference and a spot on the AVCA All-Northwest Region First Team.
College of Idaho finished the season with a 22-14 record 14-8 in conference. The Yotes kept their postseason hopes alive, battling to a 3-1 victory over Aquinas College (Michigan) in the NAIA Volleyball National Championships. A win by Corban (which finished in the semifinals) ended their season after they finished 1-1 in pool play in the playoffs.
Wrestling
Travis Thorpe, a senior 149-pounder at Southern Oregon, where he is ranked 23rd in the nation. Thorpe did not place at the Reno Tournament of Champions for the Raiders on Dec. 22, but in his last match before heading to Reno he scored a 22-0 tech fall over Montana State-Northern’s Caleb Ishmael as No. 8-ranked Southern Oregon scored its most lopsided win in 13 years, 32-16, over the 15th-ranked Lights on Dec. 19.
Marissa Kurtz is a senior 117-pounder at Southern Oregon, where she took third at the Battle of the Rockies in early November for the now-No. 8-ranked Raiders. She has been in and out of the lineup since, but is ranked 11th nationally at that weight. Southern Oregon’s schedule runs through the NAIA nationals, March 14-15.
Other former Huskies who are competing at the college level are:
– Kyle Sieminski, a freshman 125-pounder at Southern Oregon State University.
– Kobe Olson, a senior 149-pounder for Eastern Oregon University, ranked 14th in the NAIA.
– Jayce Miller, a freshman at Southwestern Oregon Community College, where he put on “an offensive show” in the Lakers’ season-opening “teammate vs. teammate” dual competition, tech falling teammate Chito Barerra 18-3.
– Kelsie Rush, a 124-pound sophomore at Linfield College.
Swimming
Chloe Tyler is a junior backstroke specialist at Illinois State, where she was named All-MVC after finishing fifth in the 100-yard Backstroke (55.48) at the conference championships, the second-fastest time in program history for the Redbirds.
Tyler also ranks third in program history in the 50-yard Back (25.89) and the 200-yard Back (2:00.69), all times she set during the 2023-2024 campaign. This year’s MVC championships are Feb. 26-March 1.
Malia “Josie” Hewitt is a junior breaststroke specialist at Colorado College, where, after earning “Rookie of the Year” honors as a freshman in 2022-23, she placed second in the SCAC conference meet and earned an NCAA ‘B’ time standard in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:20.57, setting a new school record. She earned All-SCAC Honors in the 200- and 100-yard breaststroke events and in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay events at the SCAC Championships.
This year’s SCAC championships will be held Feb. 12-15.
Hewitt won the 200 Individual Medley Nov. 16 in a 182.5-31.5 rout of Division II Adams State (Colorado College competes at the NCAA Division III level) and helped the Tiger women to a third-place finish Nov. 24 in the three-day Speedo Midseason Invitational at Centre College in Danville, Ky.
Megan Hager finished her college career at Colorado State last spring, scoring in all three of her races at the Mountain West Championships, and graduating with 11 scoring swims at the meet in her career. She had the Rams’ second-fastest times in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. Hager also swam legs on the school-record breaking 400 and 800 free relays at conference. She earned Academic All-Mountain West and Scholar-Athlete honors.
Track and Field
Casey Tow, a senior at Grand Canyon who specializes in multi-event competition, posted a personal best of 42 feet 8¾ inches in the shot (16 pounds) at the Spokane Invitational on Dec. 14, his indoor season opener.
Tow competed in the NCAA Division I decathlon championships last spring in Eugene after placing first in the decathlon at the WAC championships. His best decathlon score, coming into this season, is 7493 points.
Bethany (Gingerich) Schmidt (2018) competed her final season at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., where she was third in her specialty, the 400 Hurdles, at the PacWest Conference, then finished with a personal best of 1:00.68 at the Azusa Pacific University Last Chance meet.
Rowing
Torree Hawken has been named a member of the women’s rowing coaching staff at Oregon State University after competing for four years in that sport for the Beavers.
After competing in soccer, swimming and track and field at Sweet Home High School, Hawken walked on as a freshman at OSU and helped the third eight to a fourth-place finish at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships before spending her sophomore and junior seasons with the second eight and varsity four.
During her four years at Oregon State, she competed in 19 regattas, including with the varsity eight in all five spring regattas. Hawken and the Beavers beat Miami and Washington State during the season-opener last year and placed fourth at the Pac-12 Championships, finishing just behind a trio of opponents ranked in the top 10.