Sophia Muller will graduate this spring with a degree in exercise science. She aspires to become a physical therapist, helping athletes overcome injuries—a cause close to her heart. Photo: Logan Bury |
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Drive, determination led senior back from devastating knee injury |
By Kyle Jorrey To appreciate Sophia’s journey, one has to start at the beginning, on a windy autumn evening in late October 2022. It was Senior Night against Redlands, and Sophia and the Regals were riding high. Winners of eight out of 10, the team had already earned a bye and a home game in the conference tournament. Sophia, too, was at the top of her game. |
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| Devon Lewis Fifth-year senior | Men’s Basketball
Devon Lewis’ decision to return for a fifth year is proving bad news for opposing defenses. The Kingsmen’s sweet-shooting guard has come out firing in his final campaign, averaging 21.4 points a game through the first month of competition. The Pasadena native, who led Cal Lutheran in scoring the past two seasons, was Mr. Everything at the season-opening Jack Sikma Tournament in Illinois, pacing the team in points, assists and steals in an upset of No. 9 ranked Calvin University. Head coach Russell White said of his dynamic playmaker: “He’s a guy we know we can count on.” The business major and defending Scholar-Athlete of the Year put up 26 points in an 81-65 drubbing of UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 30.
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| Aliya DiMuro Fifth-year senior | Women’s Basketball
When you’re the coach’s kid, the pressure to perform is even greater. Through five games, Aliya DiMuro doesn’t seem to mind. The 6-foot-2 center out of Simi Valley’s Grace Brethren High School has played a key role in the Regals’ 3-2 start, earning SCIAC Player of the Week honors for the first time. Trailing by six late in the game against UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 22, the Ventura County native caught fire, scoring nine straight points, including an emphatic and-one, to catapult Cal Lutheran to a 60-56 victory. “I’m noticing she has more confidence, and a better understanding of how to create her own shots,” head coach Kelli DiMuro said. “She’s got a few more moves in her pocket, that’s for sure.”
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| Olivia Suarez Junior | Women’s Soccer
Despite an early exit from the NCAA Tournament, the Regals may have found a budding star in Olivia Suarez, who led the team in goals (6) while starting only 13 of 20 contests. After missing the entire 2023 season recovering from an ACL tear, the Santa Clarita native earned All-SCIAC First Team honors alongside seniors Avery West and Savana Durr. Head coach Frank Marino said the midfielder will join Tessa French, Kelsey Slaugh, Kira Kasarda, Ashley Escamilla and Brynn McMahon as the program’s top returners in 2025. “We knew how good she was, we just needed her healthy,” Marino said. “She did an incredible job getting herself back and exceeded expectations.”
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| Cormac Flanders Senior | Men’s Water Polo
Cormac Flanders helped lead a resurgent Kingsmen squad this fall. The Los Angeles native tallied 55 goals, second only to fellow senior Lincoln Hall (62), including four in the team’s playoff-clinching win over Occidental on Nov. 13. Though Cal Lutheran bowed out in the first round of the SCIAC Tournament, the program’s 14 wins represent double their total from 2023. “He’s so deceptive with his shooting, he makes it really difficult for goaltenders to read him,” first-year head coach Tim Settem said. “His consistency and his competitiveness really kept us in a lot of games.” A gifted cartoonist, Flanders will graduate in the spring with a degree in multimedia. Check out his work on his Instagram, cflanders_art.
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Senior forward Desi Burrage applies pressure against Whitworth on Nov. 21. Photo: Logan Bury |
Headlines often celebrate offensive stars, but basketball insiders know it’s the defense that separates pretenders from contenders. For the Kingsmen basketball team, that defensive anchor is Desi Burrage. The reigning SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year, Burrage is one of nine talented seniors on a team that returns the bulk of its roster from last year’s 23-5 campaign. His versatility is unmatched; as head coach Russell White puts it, “He can guard five positions. He’s strong, physical and tough. He can guard anyone we need him to guard.” A standout on and off the court, the Scottsdale, Arizona, native was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team in 2023.
Here are some questions to get to know Cal Lutheran’s super stopper from the Valley of the Sun: |
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A touchdown for Regal sports: New program plants flag at Cal Lutheran |
Women’s flag football will be university’s 23rd intercollegiate sport |
In spring 2027, California Lutheran University will debut its 23rd intercollegiate athletic team: women’s flag football.
Athletic Director Howard Davis called the school’s decision a “no-brainer” given the game’s exploding popularity.
“The demand in our area and throughout the state is unmistakable,” Davis said. “Very quickly flag football will be ubiquitous in the college athletics landscape. I’m proud that CLU is an early adopter and excited to add what I believe will be another elite athletic program for us.”
Almost exclusively a club sport 10 years ago, flag football is now a sanctioned girls’ varsity high school sport in 11 U.S. states. At the collegiate level, 25 NAIA schools and several NCAA Division III institutions currently offer flag football scholarships. At the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, flag football will make its debut as an Olympic event. According to USA Football, there were over 230,000 girls ages 6 to 17 playing flag football in the United States in 2023, up 44% since 2014. The sport is played in 100 different countries.
Flag football’s growth has been fueled by the NFL, which sees the game as a means to expand its influence around the globe. Because it requires very little equipment―just a football and flags―and only seven players to field a team, it’s considered much more accessible than traditional tackle football.
CLU is the second SCIAC member school after the University of Redlands to announce its intent to add women’s flag football. Other institutions are expected to follow. The future team will practice on Memorial Field in the center of campus and play games at William Rolland Stadium, mirroring the Kingsmen football team. Women’s flag football will kick off as an intramural sport next month. Student-athletes interested in competing can fill out an interest form here. “We’ve very confident that we’ll be able to build a schedule come spring and, in the coming years, recruit some of the best student-athletes around,” Davis said. |
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Kira Mortensen simply owned the middle for the Regals in 2024. The fifth-year senior from Butte, Montana, led the team in kills (225) and broke the Cal Lutheran single-season record for blocks with 128, besting the prior mark of 120 set by Sarah Pappas in 2015. Mortensen, who was named AVCA First Team All-Region and All-SCIAC First Team, averaged 1.51 blocks per set, leading all of Division III. “It is a testament to her work ethic, determination, and her belief. She deserves every accolade,” head coach Kellee Roesel said.
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Jackson White made the most of a challenging year for the Kingsmen. The senior defensive lineman was the 2024 recipient of the John Zinda Award, given each year to the senior player who best exemplifies the characteristics of performance, leadership, sportsmanship, integrity, positive attitude and academics. It is one of the highest honors a SCIAC football player can receive. The Encino native finished his Cal Lutheran career with 11 sacks and 92 tackles, appearing in 27 games for the Kingsmen.
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Defending NCAA qualifier Madi Bodhidatta is off to a dominant start, winning nine races ― five relays and four individual ― in the Regals’ last two contests. The junior from Bangkok secured victories in the 200-yard medley relay, the 400-yard freestyle relay, the 50-yard free and the 100-yard butterfly, helping Cal Lutheran dominate a Nov. 9 dual against Whittier, 222-58. Bodhidatta followed that up with wins in the same events, plus an additional victory in the 200 free relay, at the Oxy Invite. “She’s faster, she’s stronger, she’s right where she needs to be,” head coach Barry Schreifels said.
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The new face of Cal Lutheran distance running is Summer Gelman. A junior transfer from Cuesta College, Gelman came in 20th at the NCAA Division III West Regionals in Portland, Oregon, becoming the first Regal to earn All-Region honors in five years. Her time of 21 minutes, 55 seconds in the 6K race was a personal best and narrowly missed securing her a spot at nationals. Expect the Agoura Hills native to contribute in a big way to the track and field team this spring, competing in the 1,500-meter, 5K and steeplechase.
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Our rundown of the can’t-miss action at home |
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Men’s Basketball vs. Redlands |
Backdrop: Fresh off the program’s first SCIAC regular season title, the Kingsmen (3-2) appear poised to make another history-making run. Following a 76-66 home win over Pomona-Pitzer on Wednesday, the team welcomes rival Redlands (5-1) for a showdown fans absolutely won’t want to miss. The Kingsmen have won their last four against the run-and-gun Bulldogs, who come in averaging a ridiculous 97 points a game and having just defeated Caltech, 118-37. Head coach Russell White said: “I think we can make an argument that this is the best the conference has ever been.” We’re invoking Lawler’s Law: the first team to 100 wins. Photo: Josh Cruz
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Women’s Basketball vs. Whitworth |
Backdrop: Considered by many to be the SCIAC’s team to beat, the Regals return all five starters from a squad that went 19-7 and lost in the conference championships last year. Sophomore forward Alline Ballard and junior guard Janna Holley lead a versatile offense and aggressive defense that have Cal Lutheran off to a 3-2 start. Whitworth (3-2) could put the Regals to the test; the visiting Pirates will be out for revenge following a 66-47 throttling in 2022. Look for multiple players to contribute for Cal Lutheran, and not just the starters. “We have a talented, deep bench this year so we’re excited to see what they can do,” head coach Kellie DiMuro said. Photo: Kaitlyn Gill
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Men’s Volleyball vs. Calvin University |
Backdrop: Mark your calendars, purple and gold faithful. Before the 3 p.m. start of the CLU Invitational, the Kingsmen will host a ring ceremony to commemorate their 2024 national title. Nearly all ring recipients will suit up for the season-opening match against Calvin, making the Kingsmen strong contenders for another successful run. Top returners include outside hitters Jordan Cooper, Michael Stahl and Ben Weber. Three players are vying to fill the shoes of All-American setter Taylor Marks, who transferred during the off-season. “They’re all talented setters and all bring something to the game,” head coach Kevin Judd said. “We’re just waiting to find out that last piece: chemistry.” Photo: Emile Adlfinger
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Chris Knorr Invite (Swim/Dive) |
Backdrop: Swimming and diving is poised to make a big splash this year. Fans can see for themselves next month when Cal Lutheran hosts the 10th annual Chris Knorr Invitational. The competition is named for former Kingsmen swimmer Christopher “Sunshine” Knorr, who died from brain cancer in 2013 at the age of 24. Keep an eye on senior Kendall Moffitt, who just set a new program record in the 1,650-yard freestyle, as well as freshman diver Brooke Blaylock, who is impressing early. “It’s an emotional event,” head coach Barry Schreifels said of the Knorr Invite. “Chris’ parents come out. We give out leadership awards. It’s a really cool way to kick off the second half of our season.” Photo: Kaitlyn Gill
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The official Instagram account of Kingsmen water polo had a lot of fun this season, as evidenced by the series of photos posted below. |
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A member of the Cal Lutheran basketball program for three seasons (1987-90), David Rowlands learned a lot about leadership under head coaches Larry Lopez and Mike Dunlap. Today, Rowlands is putting that experience to use guiding a different kind of team: city government. This month, the former Kingsmen guard takes over as city manager of Santa Maria, having left Fillmore after serving in the same role there for more than a decade. As head of Santa Barbara County’s largest city (pop. 110,000), Rowlands will lead an organization with a $291-million budget and 700 employees. The third-generation city manager said he wasn’t looking to leave, but, after consulting with former Cal Lutheran teammate Mike Demeter, who grew up in Santa Maria, decided the chance was too good to pass up.
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“I’m excited for the next chapter in my career,” he said. During his time at Cal Lutheran, Rowlands played alongside Steve deLavega, who remains the program’s all-time leading scorer. “He was a great teammate and the hardest worker on his game I ever met,” he said of deLavega. “The night Steve set the school scoring record was special. He just lit up the player guarding him after that player started chirping at him.”
Rowlands’ wife of 32 years, Kristen, played basketball and softball at Cal Lutheran. Today, the couple has three grown children and three grandchildren. He remains an ardent supporter of the purple and gold, attending several basketball games a year and streaming others. Rowlands said of sixth-year head coach Russell White: “He is the right coach for the program and the proof is in the pudding. He has his recruits and the program is in great hands.” |
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© 2024 California Lutheran University |
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