STORM LAKE, Iowa (Dec. 30, 2025) - Buena Vista University Athletics gave its fans so many memorable moments over the last 12 months to cheer about, so as the calendar gets set to turn over, the BVU Athletics Communications staff is taking a look back at some of their favorite memories from 2025.

Neubaum's Downtown Show

Jan. 15, 2025: Midway through the first month of the year, fifth-year men's basketball player Zane Neubaum made a career-high eight three-point shots and erupted for a season-high 39 points during a 98-75 home victory over Simpson College. Neubaum, who went on to become the program's second all-time leading scorer later in the season, finished the game shooting 8-of-13 from downtown. The eight makes were the most in a single game by any BVU player since Adam Jones buried 10 back in 2001-02 and tied for the fourth-most in DIII at that point of the season.

Schroeder's Record-Setting Day during Dennis Young Classic

Jan. 25, 2025: Competing in only her third collegiate meet, and for the first time on the home track, Buena Vista freshman Claire Schroeder set a new school and meet record in the 60-meter hurdles to highlight the team's performance during the annual Dennis Young Classic. Schroeder reached the finish line in 8.93 seconds and surpassed the previous mark held by Madison Spear in 2017 by 0.05. Schroeder didn't stop there as she also placed second in the long jump with a personal best leap of 4.88m (16-00.25) and came in third in the 200m dash in 27.40.

Women's Wrestling Lands a Trio of All-Conference Performances

Jan. 25, 2025: The American Rivers Conference held the inaugural A-R-C Women's Wrestling Conference Tournament, and Buena Vista University came away with their first-ever all-conference performances. Individuals earned the accolades by placing in the top-3 of their respective weight classes. Harley Tobin, Aurora Preston and Magalie Mogiga became the program's first three to earn all-conference honors. Tobin was a runner-up finisher while Preston and Mogiga each took third. Mogiga tallied a team-best 13 points as the Beavers placed fourth overall. 

Dance Team Takes Third, Five-Person Group Stunt Wins Title at A-R-C Championships

Feb. 16, 2025: After taking fifth in the previous two seasons, the Buena Vista University Dance Team turned in a strong overall performance during the annual A-R-C Cheer & Dance Championships and placed third. The 2025 event was hosted by Buena Vista. In the six-team hip-hop category, the Beavers took third and just 1.07 points behind champion Central. In the jazz category, BVU was also third in the five-team division before it notched a runner-up performance with its pom routine among the six-team division. In addition to the overall third-place effort, the Beavers also had a pair of First Team All-Conference selections - junior Kenna Kasel and freshman Keilie Martens.

On the same day, the Beavers 5-Person Group Stunt team would take home the conference title by scoring 34.27 points. It was the program's first-ever such title at the championships.

Devon Schultz Breaks 35-Year Old Pole Vault Record

Feb. 22, 2025 : It was a record that had stood for over three decades, but one that Devon Schultz had come close to breaking multiple times, and the sophomore finally broke through at the Solomon Butler Classic, hosted by the University of Dubuque when he cleared 4.74 meters and won the event by nearly a foot. He successfully cleared the record-breaking height on his second attempt at the mark after having cleared both 4.40 meters and 4.55 meters on his first attempt. Lewis's record of 4.73 meters had stood since 1989.

Softball Rallies for Nine-Inning Victory to Complete DH Sweep on Final Day of Spring Trip

March 7, 2025 : The Buena Vista softball team closed out its spring trip in thrilling fashion on with a doubleheader sweep at Agnes Scott College, including a 13-8 victory in nine innings to complete the day. BVU had trailed 6-0 after three innings of game two before mounting a big comeback to force extra innings. BVU used a five-run fourth inning to make it 6-5. Lindy Nelson got things started with her first career home run - a two-run shot - while Bradi Krager later added a two-run single that made it 6-5. BVU eventually tied it in both the fifth and sixth innings before scoring five times in the ninth for the win. In game one, the Beavers broke things open in the fourth with five runs and went on to win 9-2.

Two Beavers Qualify into NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships

March 9, 2025: Buena Vista senior Kyle Miller and sophomore Devon Schultz each earned bids into the DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships held at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York on March 14-15. Miller qualified for the second straight season in the 800-meter run while Schultz made his championships debut in the pole vault. He set a new school record in the event at 4.92 meters at the UW-La Crosse Last Chance Qualifier to solidify his bid. Earlier in the year, Schultz had broken Randy Lewis's 35-year record and is the first Beaver to qualify to nationals in the pole vault since Lewis in both 1989 and 1990. Schultz would finish 13th overall while Miller narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals.

Eddie Earns National Player of the Week Honors

March 12, 2025 : Buena Vista senior Mark Eddie added to his weekly recognition by landing D3baseball.com Team of the Week honors and being selected as the NCBWA DIII Pitcher of the Week.

Eddie went 2-0 on the mound during starts against Saint Mary's (MN) and Mount Union. In his first outing which came on Mar. 3 against Saint Mary's (MN), he had a no-hitter with two outs in the eighth and finished the game by pitching a career-high 7.2 innings and matching his career-high with 11 strikeouts as the Beavers went on to win 3-0. He followed that up by allowing only four hits over 7.0 innings pitched during a 3-2 victory over Mount Union on Mar. 8.

Kaleb Sander Records Hole-in-One at Loras Invite

April 14, 2025 : Kaleb Sander highlighted the final round for the Buena Vista men's golf team with a thrilling hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole. He finished the round with an 80 and came in 10th place overall.

Women's Golf Captures First Team Title in 13 Years

April 16, 2025 : The Buena Vista women's golf team secured the overall team title at the Simpson College Spring Invite which marked the program's first team title at any event since winning the Iowa Central Spring Invite back on Apr. 17, 2012. In addition to the team crown, junior Brooke Stellmaker took home the individual title and gave BVU its first such title since Megan Myers in 2013 at the Iowa Lakes Invite. BVU went out and carded a 331 overall and held off runner-up Loras College by nine strokes. Stellmaker carded a 77 and won by three shots.

Baseball Wins Wild Series in Regular Season Finale to Win A-R-C Title

May 2, 2025: It came down to a winner-take-all game three and senior Evan Taylor blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning that lifted the Buena Vista baseball team to a dramatic three-game series sweep over visiting Coe College and secure the outright American Rivers Conference regular season title. The dramatic game three was set up by the Beavers claiming a 4-1 victory in game one of the doubleheader. Senior Mark Eddie pitched a complete-game masterpiece en route to his eighth win of the year. He worked around nine hits and allowed just the one run, struck out two and walked none. After a walk by senior Tegan Bock loaded the bases in the seventh, the Kohawks made a pitching change. Taylor then stepped into the left handed batters box and launched a 1-1 pitch well over the fence in right that put the Beavers on top, 9-5, and sent the dugout and fans into a frenzy.

Miller Earns All-American Accolades at NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships

May 24, 2025: Fifth-year senior Kyle Miller capped off his collegiate career with an eighth-place finish in the 800-meter run at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Miller qualified into the finals of the event with the fastest mark and was toe-to-toe with the leaders during the opening lap of the finals race. It remained a tight race until the end, with only two seconds separating the winner from 10th place. Miller finished in a time of 1:51.51 which was only a half second behind a top-4 finish.

Beaver Legends Inducted into BVU Athletics Hall of Fame

Sept. 27, 2025: Buena Vista University Athletics inducted five individuals and one team into the Athletics Hall of Fame as its Class of 2025. Dan O’Hern ‘79, Jennifer (Einck) Irvine ‘04, Jestin Hulegaard ’08, Luke Probasco ‘11 joined the 2011 Baseball Team team as the newest members to be formally enshrined into the BVU Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming/Hall of Fame weekend on Sept. 26-27. The honorees were inducted during a formal banquet on the evening on Sept. 26, which included video presentations showcasing each athlete and team. They were then recognized during halftime of the Homecoming football game on Sept. 27.

Women's Soccer Picks up First Home Conference Win since 2012

Oct. 8, 2025 : The Buena Vista women's soccer team hosted Coe College in what was the first A-R-C home match for the Beavers this season, and after a pair of first half goals, BVU was able to grind out a thrilling 3-1 victory over the Kohawks. Freshman Macy Palmer wasted little time getting the scoring started for the Beavers as she intercepted a cross field pass by Coe around the 20-yard line and took a couple dribbles before blasting a shot to the back of the net with only 3:17 gone by to put the team up 1-0. Midway through the opening half, sophomore Megan Rowedder took a rebound off the cross bar following a shot attempt by Peyton Henricksen and knocked it home to double the score. The Kohawks cut that lead in half four minutes later, but the Beavers added on an insurance goal 17 seconds into the second half from senior Bailey Gibbons.

Stellmaker Earns All-Conference Honors as Women's Golf Places Fifth

Oct. 13, 2025 : Buena Vista senior Brooke Stellmaker saved the best for last with a par on the 54th and final hole to finish with a 79 and move up to tie for 10th, earning all-conference accolades at the American Rivers Conference Women's Golf Championships. Stellmaker, who was Honorable Mention last season after missing out on the top-10 by just two shots, had her lowest round of this year's championships and a near clean card on the back nine to close things out and move up three spots on the day to earn her first career all-conference finish. She reached the final tee box sitting one shot out of the top-10 and with her fifth straight par to wrap up the round, she was able to climb her way up. BVU has now captured at least one all-conference performer in back-to-back seasons for the first time since it did so in 14 consecutive campaigns from 1994-2007.

Volleyball Snaps Conference Winless Streak

Nov. 1, 2025 : The Buena Vista volleyball team played its final home match of the season and closed the schedule in a big way with a strong 3-0 sweep of Luther College inside of Siebens Fieldhouse. Buena Vista posted double-digit kills in all three sets while Luther combined for only 14 in the final two after turning in 11 in the opener. Freshman Keylee Gregg led all players with 15 kills and added a career-high 13 digs to register her third double-double of the year. Freshman Charley Hernandez also chalked up a double-double with 12 kills and a team-high 15 digs while sophomore Ashlyne Havermann chipped in with 12 digs from her libero spot.

Fussell Runs Wild as BVU Tops Neb. Wesleyan in Snow Game

Nov. 8, 2025: Junior tailback Adriel Fussell rushed for a career-high 259 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Beavers to a 34-21 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan in the home finale on a snowy Saturday afternoon in J. Leslie Rollins Stadium. With a couple inches of snow on the ground prior to kickoff, the Beavers went on the ground and Fussell stood up to the challenge. He entered a scoreless game on the team's third offensive series that began at its own 27-yard line and and 5:19 left in the first quarter. Fussell took his first hand off and scampered 45 yards down field to the NWU 28-yard line. Fussell went on to take the handoff on the next seven consecutive plays and single-handedly sent the team down to the Prairie Wolves three. After a two-yard loss pushed BVU back to the five, junior quarterback Zy Gravitt connected with Gavin Honkomp over the middle of the north endzone for the Beaver touchdown. Fussell went on to add three touchdown runs in the second half of 5, 2 and 72 yards as BVU broke open a 14-0 halftime score. 

Dance Team with Big Performances at ISDTA Championships

Dec. 5, 2025 : The Buena Vista University dance team competed in the college dance championships, hosted by the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association. The Beavers captured Division I ratings in every category in which they performed, bringing home trophies in two categories. Competing against other NCAA Division III schools, the BVU team placed third in hip hop and third in jazz. The Beavers were also singled out for recognition by Rebel Athletic Dance, earning the Rebel Award for collegiate teams.

These headlines were just a handful of the many outstanding individual and team performances from Beaver Athletics over the past calendar year. We are grateful for all of our teams, coaches and student-athletes, and we are super excited to create many more memories throughout 2026!