Linfield University

Linfield University is pleased to release its newest list of graduates. Sixty-four students completed their degree programs following the fall 2025 semester. The newest graduates represents students from Linfield's two physical campuses located in McMinnville and Portland, Oregon, and its online e-Campus. Out of the graduating students, three earned a master's degree, five earned a Bachelor of Arts, 13 earned a Bachelor of Science and 43 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The students earning a BSN from the Linfield School of Nursing participated in the Pinning Ceremony in December 2025. All students earning their degrees this semester will be honored at the 2026 Spring Commencement in May. Honors were determined following the submission of a student's final grades. For undergraduate students, these include summa cum laude (3.9-4.0 cumulative GPA), magna cum laude (3.8-3.89 cumulative GPA) and cum laude (3.65-3.79 cumulative GPA). Graduate students earn honors or high honors for earning a GPA of 3.8-3.89 and 3.9-4.0, respectively. Congratulations to Linfield's newest graduates!

First-year Wildcat Hudson Holzhauer set a new Linfield indoor record in the 35-pound weight throw at the Beat the Freeze Up Invite hosted by Eastern Oregon University. The sophomore placed third with a heave of 52 feet, 9 inches (16.08 meters). Holzhauer, a transfer from Northern Arizona University, surpassed the standing record of 49-3 set by Matt Metcalf at the 2019 Lauren McCluskey Memorial Invitational in Moscow, Idaho. Read the full story at: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/12/16/track-field-holzhauer-sets-new-school-mark-in-linfield-debut.aspx

The Northwest Conference office announced their annual men's soccer All-Conference teams on Tuesday afternoon, with Linfield men's soccer earning two honorees to the Third Team. Senior Aedan Carroll earned his first All-NWC honor of his career, while junior Ross Vargo makes the third team for the second time. Read the full announcement at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/11/18/mens-soccer-carroll-vargo-earn-nwc-all-conference-honors.aspx.

Linfield women's soccer earned six All-Northwest Conference honorees for the 2025 season, as announced by the Northwest Conference office on Wednesday afternoon. It marked the most Wildcats to be named to the All-Conference teams since the 2014 season. It's also the first time a Wildcat has earned First Team honors since 2019 when Sydney Kuehn and Kristen Burke were selected. Senior midfielder Mia Curtaz led the way, earning First Team All-NWC honors as the Wildcat's captain. Read the full announcement at: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/11/19/womens-soccer-curtaz-highlights-six-womens-soccer-all-conference-honorees.aspx

On Monday afternoon, the Northwest Conference announced their annual Volleyball All-Conference honorees, with Linfield University's Nora Myre and Naia Alefaio-Foifua being recognized as some of the top volleyball student-athletes in the conference. Myre led the way, earning First Team honors for her stellar season offensively and defensively. Freshman Alefaio-Foifua made a huge impact for Linfield at libero in her first season, ranking amongst the best in the conference in digs per set, earning her Third Team honors. Read the full announcement at: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/11/10/volleyball-myre-and-alefaio-foifua-earn-volleyball-all-northwest-conference-honors.aspx

Junior quarterback Luke McNabb successfully defended the Northwest Conference's Offensive Player of the Week honor, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. After a dominant performance at home against the Lewis & Clark Pioneers two weeks ago, securing the Wildcat's 69th consecutive winning season, Scappoose, Oregon, native Luke McNabb rolled the momentum into a road game at Puget Sound last Saturday. The junior quarterback had a near-perfect first half, going 19/23, throwing for 313-yards and seven touchdowns. He added 30 more yards on the ground, for a total of 343 all-purpose yards. His seven touchdowns through the air tied the most in a single-game in Division III this season, and the highest mark by a Wildcat since the 2021 season. Read the full announcement at: https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/11/10/football-mcnabb-defends-weekly-nwc-offensive-player-of-the-week.aspx

Linfield University presents Shakespeare's "Macbeth," opening this week on the Marshall Theatre stage in Ford Hall. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 1, 6-8, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Nov. 9. Directed by Lindsey Mantoan, this fast-paced production blends medieval and modern design to explore ambition, prophecy, and power. With iconic lines like "Double, double, toil and trouble" and "Out, out, damn'd spot," "Macbeth" reveals how greed and violence can destroy communities and self. Fog, haze and flashing lights create an immersive experience. More information at https://news.linfield.edu/macbeth-2025-tickets/.

One win. Two records. Endless history. Linfield University's football program reached rarefied air on Saturday, securing its 69th consecutive winning season and setting an all-divisions college football record for most consecutive wins over one opponent with its 47th straight victory over Lewis & Clark College. The 2025 Wildcats extended "The Streak" - the longest run of winning seasons in all levels of college football - with a decisive 29-21 home win that also made history in their century-old rivalry. The triumph broke a record that had stood since 1913, when Yale concluded a 46-game winning streak against Wesleyan (Conn.). See full game story on GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

Linfield University staff and students played a visible role at the 2025 NAFSA Region I Conference, held Oct. 19-22 at the Embassy Suites in Portland. The conference, hosted by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, brought together international education professionals from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia to advance global learning and exchange. Megan Moonfall, associate director of Linfield's International Programs Office, served as conference planner and presented a session titled "Beyond Barriers: Athletics, Anxiety, and More!" Linfield students also made a strong showing at the event. Senior Zharyck Lopez and junior Taila Patterson co-presented a poster titled "From Office to Action," while Isabella Dixon '25 presented "Study Abroad: Thriving Abroad." See the full story at https://news.linfield.edu/linfield-nafsa-2025/

Linfield football leaned on the veteran presence of senior kicker Gavin Dalziel in last weekend's 23-6 win over Pacific at Maxwell Field. Dalziel's three field goals and two extra points not only made him the program's new leader in field goals made, but also earned him the Northwest Conference's Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors. The Brier, Washington, native made field goals of 34, 35, and 26-yards helped the Wildcats stay ahead of the Boxers from start to finish. The 26-yarder at the midway point of the fourth quarter moved Dalziel into sole possession in the top spot of the Linfield football record books for field goals made; the 36th of his career. He passed Garrett Wales (2002-2005) and Willy Warne (2016-2018) who previously led with 34 in their careers. Dalziel also added two successful point-after attempts on Saturday, bringing his career total to 184. The son of Mindy and Don Dalziel, the 'Cats kicker is currently majoring in Exercise Science and Secondary Education. Dalziel and the team look to keep their three-game winning streak rolling into Family Weekend on campus, set to face the Whitworth Pirates at 1 p.m. on Maxwell Field.

Last Saturday, junior cornerback Reid Gray showcased his speed on special teams, returning a Bruins kickoff early in the fourth quarter 94-yards to the house, giving Linfield a two-score lead late in the game. Gray's return notched him the Northwest Conference's Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors, as announced by the conference office on Monday. Read the full announcement at GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

Linfield University congratulates the 65 students who earned Dean's List honors during the summer 2025 academic term. The Linfield University Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who earned a GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (at least a 3.65 GPA) in a given semester or summer term. To be eligible, a student must have earned at least 12 credits in courses with differentiated grades (A-F) and have received no incomplete (I) or in progress (IP) designations. Eligibility is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. See the full list at: https://news.linfield.edu/summer-2025-deans-list/

Linfield University student Jadey Holcomb '26 is earning national recognition for her creative writing. Her poem, "I Wish I Was a Riot Grrrl," was recently published in the third issue of Magpie Zine, a national literary magazine that highlights up-and-coming writers. The poem is available to read online at Magpie Zine: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/magpie-zine-issue-three#page/62.

Linfield University congratulates the 604 students who earned Dean's List honors during the spring 2025 academic term. The Dean's List identifies undergraduate students who earned a GPA at least equivalent to a cum laude (3.65) while taking at least graded 12 credits. It is computed following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. Students from Linfield's three locations - McMinnville campus, Portland campus and eCampus - are eligible. See the full list on Linfield News.

The annual Lacroute Prizes in Poetry and Prose highlight the best student writing from across Linfield University. This year's contest honors the work of nine students, including Elana Gatien, the Lacroute Prize in Poetry winner, and Jadey Holcomb, the Lacroute Prize in Prose winner. The winning entries, along with the work of all finalists, were published in the spring issue of Camas: A Journal of Art & Literature. The winners in each category also receive a $500 prize. Creative writing faculty chose finalists from dozens of submissions, with final winners selected by acclaimed writers Justin Gardiner and Rose McLarney. The pair visited the Linfield University McMinnville Campus in the spring for a reading and classroom discussion. McLarney has four collections of poems, is co-editor of "A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia" and the "Southern Humanities Review." Gardiner is the author of three books, including the long-form lyric essay, "Small Altars." See the full list of finalists at https://news.linfield.edu/2025-linfield-student-writing-prizes-announced/.

A total of 10 track and field student-athletes - five women and five men - have been singled out to represent Linfield University as part of the 2025 College Sports Communicators Division III Academic All-District X team, as announced Tuesday by the national association. Named to the women's CSC Academic All-District X team from Linfield are heptathlete Kira Hawaaboo, javelin thrower Kieryann Mattson, sprinter Paige Kasso, sprinter Rachelle Silis, and hurdler/horizontal jumper Jordan Roberts. The list of CSC Academic All-District X men's honorees from Linfield include high jumper Andrew Troeh, distance runners Conner Dooley and Alex Oathout, decathlete Durham Huson, and thrower Shyson Cachuela. Read the full announcement at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/6/24/ten-cats-named-to-csc-all-district-x-track-field-team.aspx

Linfield University is pleased to release its newest list of graduates. Following the spring 2025 semester, more than 470 students earned an undergraduate degree, master's degree or certificate from Linfield. The commencement ceremony and pinning ceremony for the School of Nursing were held on June 1. The university also celebrated nine members of the Wildcat Softball team at a mini graduation ceremony in Illinois on June 2, the site of the NCAA Division III National Championships.

"Aubade Featuring a Worm," a poem by Linfield University student Madeline Chandler, was among those selected for publication in "The Tributary." A student-run literary journal organized by Lycoming College, "The Tributary" features a collection of undergraduate-created poetry and prose. Chandler is a creative writing and theatre arts double major from Spokane, Washington. "I'm planning to get my master's and doctoral degrees after finishing my degrees at Linfield, so there's a long road ahead of me, and getting published through 'The Tributary' felt like assurance that I'm on the right path," Chandler said. "Signing my first professional writing contract has had me on cloud nine for weeks." The Spring 2025 edition is the third "The Tributary" has released on a national scale. Chandler is one of twelve authors featured and one of only two from the western part of the United States. "The poem they published ('Aubade Featuring a Worm') is one I wrote while in a class here at Linfield, and I'd been editing it on and off for nine months when 'The Tributary' picked it up," Chandler siad. "The poem is so close to my heart, seeing it go further than my desk drawer has meant the world to me." Read "Aubade Featuring a Worm" at https://thetributaryjournal.com/2025/04/25/aubade-featuring-a-worm/ .

Junior Kira Hawaaboo has been named Linfield's 2024-25 Female Athlete of the Year, capping a historic season that solidified her as one of the most accomplished multi-event competitors in school history. "Kira is without question the best athlete I've coached in my 27 years at Linfield," said track and field coach Travis Olson. Read the full announcement at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/5/27/general-interest-kira-hawaaboo-named-2024-25-female-athlete-of-the-year.aspx.

Four members of The Linfield Review's editorial team won five awards in the 2025 Collegiate News Contest held by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Congratulations to: - Jake Downing '25, photography editor, who earned first and third place in the Best Sports Photo category for OSAA 5A basketball championships and Linfield football v. Lewis and Clark. - Amelia Solt '26, sports editor, who earned first place in the Best Sports Writing category for "NBA veteran CJ McCollum made his Linfield debut." - Mariah Johnston '25, managing editor, who earned third place in the Best Feature Writing category for "Nail Check: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Connection." - Kenny McMillen '26, staff writer, who earned third place in the Best Columnist category for "Leaf Blowers Harming Students."

Five members of the Linfield University baseball team have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District list, recognizing student-athletes for their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom. Sophomore pitcher Zack Hampson, junior first baseman Nick Holm, junior outfielder Trent Wainfeld, senior catcher Tyler Marr and senior pitcher Camden Oram were each selected for the honor. Read the full announcement at GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

Linfield University sophomore right-hander Jake Swenson has been named to the D3baseball.com All-Region 10 Third Team following a breakout 2025 campaign. Swenson served as the Wildcats' ace throughout the season, compiling a 6-5 record with a 3.76 ERA across 12 starts. In 76.2 innings pitched, the Camas, Washington, native allowed just 63 hits and 32 earned runs while striking out 94 batters, ranking first in the Northwest Conference. Read the full announcement at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/5/27/baseball-swenson-named-to-d3baseball-com-all-region-10-third-team.aspx.

Senior defensive back Chance Sparks has been named the 2025 Vern Marshall Award winner for male student-athletes, the Linfield University athletic department announced Tuesday afternoon. Presented annually since 2002, the Vern Marshall Award honors Linfield's top male and female athletes who compete with exemplary tenacity. The award was created in memory of Vern Marshall Sr., a 1957 Linfield graduate who was a standout athlete and longtime college and professional referee. Read the full announcement on GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

Linfield tennis standouts Emma Tuttle and Alexander Rosenquist have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District teams, recognizing their excellence both on the court and in the classroom. Read the full story at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/5/15/mens-tennis-linfields-tuttle-and-rosenquist-earn-csc-academic-all-district-honors.aspx.

Linfield Baseball's Jake Swenson was named the Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Year and five total Wildcats received all-conference honors. Swenson made the first team while Luke Porter and Camden Oram were selected to the second team. Tyler Marr and Trent Wainfeld round out the selections, making the honorable mention list. Read the full announcement at GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

After securing the program's most wins (eight) under head coach Sarah Dalsey, five Linfield players have been selected to the All-Northwest Conference teams. Gabby Crist and Grayce Miller received first team selections while Savannah Irwin, Maizri Chandler and Tenley Hodge were selected to the honorable mention list. Read the full story on GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

After strong performances in the NWC Championship tournament, Linfield's Douglas Bailey, Ryder Ng and Zach LaPlaca have been named to the All-Northwest Conference teams and Ng has also been named the conference's Rookie of the Year as announced by the conference. Read the full announcement at https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2025/4/24/mens-golf-three-wildcats-named-to-all-nwc-teams-ng-wins-rookie-of-the-year.aspx.

Five Linfield University students competed on a national stage at the National Forensic Association's National Championship Tournament in Detroit, Michigan, April 17-21. They entered the speech and debate tournament against hundreds of other university competitors, after qualifying for the competition by ranking at the top of regional tournaments in their respective speech events.

Linfield senior Jonathon Fagen, who was injured and missed participating in the NCAA regional tournament last month, came back to win three out of four matches and place sixth at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials on Saturday. Read the full story on GoLinfieldWildcats.com.

The Linfield University dance team earned national recognition with a fifth-place finish in the Division III Hip Hop category at the 2025 College Classic National Championship, held April 12-13 in Orlando, Florida. The two-day competition featured collegiate teams from across the country, with Linfield making its national debut at the event. The Wildcats earned a fifth place finish during the preliminary round on Saturday afternoon, with a score of 80.78. The team advanced to Sunday's finals, where they scored 82.66 and earned a top-five spot in a competitive field. "This was such an exciting opportunity for our team," said Head Coach Gina Regalado. "In the dance world, competition is where we get to show off our skills and hard work. Our program has grown in both numbers and talent over the last year. We're now attracting dancers with both the technique and passion to compete - and represent Linfield at a high level." Read the full announcement on Linfield News.