Spartan Winter Preview 2025-26: Basketball, Hockey, Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Swim & Dive, Fencing

The 2025-26 winter athletics season is here! Here's a preview of our varsity winter teams--check out Team Pages for full schedule information and plan to join us to cheer on our winter Spartans!

Boys’ Basketball

Boys’ Basketball finished fourth in the conference and advanced to the second round of the Section 4AA Tournament before falling to St. Croix Lutheran. The team returns standout talent, including All-Conference honorees Ezra Cunningham ‘26 and Ben Sieben ‘26, as well as All-Conference honorable mention recipient John Grimsrud ‘27. Captains for the 2025-26 include returning leaders Cunningham, Sieben, along with new captain Grimsrud. Their season officially starts Monday, November 17. They open at home on Tuesday, December 2 vs. Mounds View at 7 p.m.

Girls' Basketball

Girls’ Basketball enters the 2025–26 season with a new varsity coaching staff: Head Coach Natalye James and Assistant Coach Nicki Schneider. Last season, the Spartans received the #11 seed in Section 4AA before falling in the second round to St. Croix Prep. The team also returns All-Conference honorable mention players Amaya Obi-Walker ‘30 and Clare Ryan Bradley ‘26. Captains for the season are Devyani Nelson ‘26 and Nijah Johnson ‘26. Their season officially begins on Monday, November 10, with their first tipoff on Thursday, November 20 at SPA vs. Trinity School at River Ridge at 7 p.m.

Boys' Hockey (Co-Op)

Boys’ Hockey, a cooperative program with Nova, St. Agnes, Minnehaha, TCA, and Great River School, is looking forward to a fresh start after finishing last season as the #4 seed in Section 4A with an overall record of 8-18. The SPA captain for this season is Bennett Sauer ‘26. The season kicks off on Monday, November 10, with the first competition on Thursday, November 20, vs. Breck at 7 p.m. at Drake Arena.

Girls' Hockey (Co-Op) 

The Bears, a cooperative program hosted by The Blake School with SPA, Minnehaha Academy, and Providence Academy, are on the prowl for another successful season. They received the #3 seed in Section 4A and made it to the semifinals before falling to South St. Paul in a close 2-3 loss. The team is returning All-Conference honoree Ella Bond ‘26 and All-Conference honorable mention Yi Salonek ‘30 to the roster. The SPA captain for the season is Bond. The season officially started on Monday, October 27, with their first game of the season coming up on Saturday, November 8 vs. Hutchinson at 1 p.m. at Blake.

Alpine Skiing 

Alpine Ski had an impressive season last year with an individual State Champion and Star Tribune Athlete of the Year, Caden Burns ‘25. While they lost big talent, Alpine is returning three All-Conference honorees, Liam Burns ’28, Sophie Ferr ’28, and Sophia Wenberg ’29. The 2025-26 captains include Ella England ‘26, Juliette Smith ‘27, Pike Marthaler ‘28, and Evy Sachs ‘26. Their season officially kicks off on Monday, November 10, with their first scoring meet set on Wednesday, January 7 at 4 p.m. at Buck Hill Ski Area.

Nordic Skiing

Nordic Ski ended the 2024-25 season with a first-place finish at the Minnesota State Nordic Championships in the sprint relay with the team of Maren Overgaard ’26 and Inga Wing ’25. The Spartans return state champion, All-State, and All-Conference honoree Overgaard, as well as All-Conference recipient Eleanor Mody ’27. The 2025-26 captains are Overgaard, Mody, Sam Hilton ‘27, and Aldegundo Brenneman ‘27. The season officially begins on Monday, November 10, and they head to their first meet on Thursday, December 11 at 4:15 p.m. at Elm Creek (weather permitting).

Boys' Swim & Dive (Co-Op)

Boys’ Swim and Dive, a cooperative program with Highland Park, finished an impressive regular season as the 2025 St. Paul City Conference Champions. Despite earning multiple personal bests, no student-athletes advanced to the state meet. The SPA captain for the season is William Hanna ‘26. The Trojans begin their 2025–26 season on Monday, December 1, with their first conference preview meet on Friday, December 5, at 5 p.m. at Humboldt High School.

Fencing

Fencing earned multiple podium finishes in last season’s Minnesota High School Fencing Championships. In individual events, Yassin Mokbel ’26 and Rowan Moore ’26 each placed 3rd in men’s and women’s saber. In team competition, the women’s saber team won the State Championship, and the men’s saber team placed 2nd. Overall, the men’s team finished 2nd and the women’s team 3rd in the state standings. Captains for the season are Mokbel and Moore. Their season starts on Tuesday, November 24, with the first competition being the Blake Novice Tournament on Saturday, December 13.