The 2025-26 winter season brought unforgettable moments, breakthrough performances, and historic achievements for Spartan Athletics. As we close the chapter on winter competition, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the postseason highlights and accomplishments from each of our programs. For continued coverage, photos, and updates, follow @spaspartanathletics on Instagram.
Nordic Ski
The Spartan Nordic ski program delivered a historic 2025-26 season, highlighted by championship performances at every level. The girls’ team captured IMAC Conference and Section 3A titles before claiming the program’s first-ever team Class A State Championship, marking a milestone moment for SPA Nordic.
Individually, Maren Overgaard ’26 and Alyda Overgaard ’28 raced to a State Championship in the sprint relay after winning both the Conference and Section titles. The victory marked Maren’s second consecutive sprint relay state title. On the boys’ side, Darien Hull ‘28 and Sam Hilton ‘27 made history as the first Spartan duo to qualify for the boys state sprint relay, earning Conference and Section championships and finishing sixth at the Class A State Meet. | Team Page
Postseason Honors
All-Conference: Paloma Good ’27, Elisabeth Hilton ’30, Sophie Kannapiran ’29, Isla Kim ’30, Eleanor Mody ’27, Alyda Overgaard ’28, Maren Overgaard ‘26, Aldegundo Brenneman ’27, Sam Hilton ’27, Darien Hull ’28
All-Conference HM: Grace Berger ’29, Doralice Brenneman ’30, Tove Wing ’30
All-State: Paloma Good ’27, Eleanor Mody ’27, Alyda Overgaard ’28, Maren Overgaard ’26
Head Coach: Max Lundgren
Alpine Ski
The Alpine ski team turned in a strong 2025-26 campaign, highlighted by standout individual performances and steady team growth. Sophia Wenberg ’29 led the way, capturing the Conference title before placing ninth at the Class A State Alpine Meet. On the team side, the girls put together a consistent season and finished second at the Conference Meet.
On the boys’ side, the season was defined by resilience during a rebuilding year. Following the graduation of state champion Caden Burns ‘25 and amid key injuries, younger skiers stepped into higher race-start positions and embraced expanded roles. Their growth throughout the winter laid important groundwork for the program’s future. | Team Page
Postseason Honors
All-Conference: Sophie Ferrer ’28, Juliette Smith ’27, Sophia Wenberg ’29
All-Conference HM: Ingrid Colberg ’31, Evy Sachs ’26, Pike Marthaler ’28, Donek Marthaler ’29
Head Coach: Corey Marthaler
Girls Hockey (Co-Op)
Competing as a co-op hosted by The Blake School with Minnehaha Academy and Providence Academy, the Bears delivered an outstanding 2025-26 season. The team finished 18-6-0 overall and placed second in the IMAC before entering the postseason as the No. 1 seed in Section 4A.
The Bears captured the Section 4A Championship with an overtime victory over Holy Angels to earn their first state tournament appearance since 2017. Their postseason run continued at the Class A State Tournament, where they competed among the state’s best and ultimately placed fourth, falling to Dodge County in the third-place game.
Individually, Ella Bond ’26 was named the 2026 Class A Herb Brooks Award recipient by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), recognizing excellence in hockey, academics, and community involvement.
State Tournament Bracket | Team Page | Blake Hockey Page
Head Coach: Kristi King
Boys Hockey (Co-Op)
The Boys Hockey program, co-op with Nova Classical Academy, St. Agnes, Minnehaha Academy, Twin Cities Academy (TCA), and Great River School, faced a challenging 2025-26 season against a tough slate of opponents. The team finished 1-24-0 overall, placing fifth in conference play and earning the No. 10 seed in Section 4A.
SPA opened section play against No. 7 seed Simley, battling in the opening round before concluding its postseason run. With a young roster stepping into key roles, the season was defined by resilience and growth against experienced competition.
As shared in the midseason check-in, “The team has not achieved the results we would have liked; however, the young players are improving. We will continue to work hard and hope the results come with our hard work.” That mindset remained consistent through the final game. | Team Page
Head Coach: Bill McClellan
Boys Basketball
The Spartans delivered a standout 2025-26 campaign, finishing 20-8 overall and placing third in the IMAC. SPA carried strong momentum into the postseason, closing the regular season on a nine-game winning streak and earning the No. 3 seed in Section 4AA.
In section play, the Spartans advanced to the Section 4AA Semifinals, where they faced the No. 2 seed, St. Croix Lutheran Academy, before falling in a competitive 66-73 matchup. The team finished with a 10-4 section record and capped off one of the most successful seasons in program history. | Section Bracket
Throughout the winter, the Spartans established themselves as one of the top three-point shooting teams in Minnesota. On February 17, the varsity squad set a new SPA school record with 21 made three-pointers in a single game. The 20-win season also marked the program’s second time reaching this milestone in the past three years and ranks among the winningest teams in SPA history.
Individually, Ezra Cunningham ‘26 reached a major career milestone, scoring his 1,000th career point during the season. Ben Sieben ‘26 also earned statewide and national recognition for his shooting performances, being named Prep Hoops x Dr. Dish Player of the Week in late December. | Team Page
Postseason Honors
All-Conference: Ezra Cunningham ’26 and Ben Sieben ’26
All-Conference HM: John Grimsrud ’27 and Magarsaa Mullataa ’28
Head Coach: Kevin Keto
Girls Basketball
The Spartans concluded the 2025-26 season with a 7-18 overall record and 1-5 in IMAC play, finishing sixth in the conference. Competing in Section 4AA, SPA entered the postseason as the No. 14 seed and opened tournament play against No. 11 seed Nova Classical.
In a tightly contested first-round matchup, the Spartans battled from start to finish but ultimately fell in a one-point thriller, 36-37.
| Team Page
Head Coach: Natalye James
Boys Swim & Dive (Co-Op)
Competing as a co-op with Highland Park Senior High School, the Trojans turned in a strong 2025-26 season, highlighted by record-setting performances and academic achievement. Several swimmers posted times that now rank among the program’s top twenty performances over the past two decades.
Notable performances included the 200 Medley Relay team of Kaya Cayci ’28, Sam Galarneault ’27, Ben Lee ’26, and Matti Halloran ’27, whose time of 1:47.15 ranks No. 10 in program history. Ben Lee’s 55.63 in the 100 Butterfly sits fourth all-time, while the 200 Freestyle Relay team of Galarneault, Lee, Halloran, and Elijah Johnston (HP) posted a 1:34.89, ranking sixth. Additional top-ten marks included Cayci’s 1:05.98 in the 100 Backstroke (No. 10) and Galarneault’s 1:06.14 in the 100 Breaststroke (No. 7). Lee also led the team in scoring this season with 294.5 total points.
The team also excelled in the classroom, earning the Section Academic Silver Award, which recognizes the top academic team GPA in the state. Individually, Ben Lee ’26 received the prestigious Rosene Award from the St. Paul City Conference, honoring outstanding athletic and academic achievement. | Team Page | HPSPA Page
Postseason Honors
All-Conference: Ben Lee ’26, Mattias Halloran ’27
All-Conference HM: Kaya Cayci ’28, William Hanna ’26
Academic All-State: Ben Lee ’26, William Hanna ’26
Head Coach: Stacy Overgaard
Fencing
The SPA fencing team delivered a standout performance at the 2026 Minnesota State Championships, highlighted by a repeat individual state title and multiple podium finishes.
Captain Rowan Moore ’26 successfully defended their women’s saber state championship and also helped lead the women’s saber team (with Aurelia Kidder ’30 and Kate Gao ’30) to a second-place finish in the team relay. On the men’s side, captain Yassin Mokbel ’26 earned second-place in men’s saber, finishing runner-up by just one touch, and led the men’s saber squad (with Jeremiah Chi ’27, Ethan He ’26, and Phillippe Cristobal ’26) to a second-place team finish. The women’s foil team, Noukou Asha Nepal ’30, Annika Kim, and Maggie Roy ’30, also placed second, marking the program’s best result in that event in a decade. | Team Page
Head Coach: Dong-Ying Sasha Pai
