Author: OLLUNewsletter

Saints Have Stellar Performance At Bobcat Invite & Texas Relays

The Our Lady of the Lake Saints women’s track and field continued its outdoor season with a competitive two-meet stretch, opening at the Texas Relays before returning to action at the Bobcat Invitational.

At the Texas Relays in Austin, the Saints were led by freshman Alex Wells, who posted a time of 12.11 in the 100 meters against a deep collegiate field. In the distance events, senior Liliana Hernandez turned in a top-10 finish in the 1500 meters, placing eighth in 4:59.59.

OLLU also saw solid relay performances, highlighted by the 4×100-meter relay team of Nataley Doka, Wells, Sa’Nya Auguste, and Jadae Freeman, which ran 49.01 in preliminary competition. The 4×800-meter relay squad of Monica Sanchez, Mia Curiel, Hernandez, and Madison Perez added a 10th-place finish with a time of 9:36.30.

In the field events, Lawren Tanner delivered one of the team’s top marks of the meet, placing 12th in the long jump with a leap of 5.57 meters (18-3.25). Jeslynn Flores also competed in the high jump.

The Saints carried that experience into the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, where they produced a number of steady performances across multiple event groups. Samantha Solis led the team in the 100 meters with a time of 13.63, while Morghan Neely and Brianna Rodriguez competed in the 200 meters, posting times of 26.00 and 28.33, respectively.

Rodriguez returned in the 400 meters with a time of 1:03.74, while freshman Sadie Romero led the team in the open 400 with a 59.08 performance. In the middle-distance events, Daylah Vega and Claudia Lopez recorded times of 2:31.41 and 2:33.29 in the 800 meters.

The Saints showed depth in the 1500 meters, led by Mia Curiel‘s 4:58.07, followed closely by Zaddie Santacruz (5:01.54) and Vega (5:10.31). Leilani Leza and Lopez rounded out the group with times of 5:24.34 and 5:35.47, respectively.

Kymberli Cavazos represented OLLU in the hurdles, running 18.25 in the 100-meter hurdles and 1:11.33 in the 400-meter hurdles.

OLLU Continues Outdoor Season with Strong Showings in Back-to-Back Meets

The Our Lady of the Lake Saints men’s track and field put together a competitive stretch of performances across two meets in early April, opening at the Texas Relays before continuing their outdoor campaign at the Bobcat Invitational.

At the Texas Relays in Austin, the Saints faced one of the nation’s deepest fields and delivered several notable efforts. Freshman Deven Langston led the sprint group with a wind-aided 10.49 in the 100 meters, while senior Sean Lin followed with an 11.18. Langston also teamed with Jesus Riefkohl-Delgado, Lin, and Isaiah Huerta in the 4×100-meter relay, where the group clocked 42.49 in preliminary action.

In the middle-distance events, Isai Moran recorded a strong seventh-place finish in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:01.67. He later returned to anchor the 4×800-meter relay squad of Joseph Gonzalez, Jose Perez, and Joshua Veliz to a fifth-place finish in 7:43.64, marking one of the team’s top relay performances of the meet. Freshman Damian DeLeon added a qualifying mark in the 110-meter hurdles, running 14.41 to meet the NAIA B standard, and contributed to the 4×400-meter relay alongside Edgar Zuniga, Huerta, and Julian Verastegui, which posted a time of 3:19.16.

The Saints carried that momentum into the Bobcat Invitational, where they showcased depth across sprints, distance, and field events. Houston Ifah led the team in the 100 meters with a time of 10.89. In the 200 meters, Joseph Gonzalez turned in an impressive 21.26, while Riefkohl-Delgado followed with a 22.05. Verastegui added a solid performance in the 400 meters, clocking 48.98.

OLLU’s distance group continued to produce steady results, with Jose Saucedo and Anthony Alaniz finishing back-to-back in the 1500 meters in 4:06.70 and 4:06.87, respectively. Diego Moran delivered one of the top distance finishes of the meet, placing eighth in the 5000 meters with a time of 15:12.59. Saucedo also doubled in the 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing eighth in 10:01.78.

In the field events, freshman Damarian Alfred cleared 1.91 meters (6-3.25) in the high jump to lead the Saints.

OLLU Baseball Closes Series Strong with 11-2 Statement Win

Our Lady of the Lake put together a resilient and competitive series against Louisiana Christian, closing it out with an emphatic performance that highlighted the Saints offensive firepower, pitching depth, and ability to respond to adversity.

The series opened as a pitcher’s duel, with the Saints held to three hits despite a perfect day at the plate from Benjamyn Hovda, who accounted for all of OLLU’s offense. Even in a 3-0 setback, the Saints remained within striking distance throughout, thanks to a steady outing from Donovan Gamez and key defensive plays, including a momentum-shifting double play turned by the infield. The result did not reflect the competitiveness of the Saints, who showed discipline and flashes of offensive potential.

That potential came to life in the second game, as OLLU’s lineup delivered a breakout performance with 15 hits. Jack Kalisky paced the offense with four hits, while Drew Saucedo and Aiden Gonzalez each contributed multi-hit efforts to keep pressure on Louisiana Christian pitching. Jacob Cueva drove in two runs, and the Saints consistently created opportunities through aggressive baserunning and situational execution, including multiple sacrifice bunts that kept innings alive. Despite the offensive surge, the game turned on a late swing from Louisiana Christian, but OLLU’s ability to adjust and produce at a high level was evident.

The Saints saved their most complete performance for the finale, erupting for 11 runs on 15 hits in a commanding victory. Saucedo set the tone at the top of the lineup, reaching base consistently and scoring three times, while Kalisky continued his dominant series with four more hits and three RBIs. Joshua Milton delivered a key extra-base hit and drove in two runs, and both Diego Zuniga and Cueva added two RBIs apiece as the lineup produced from top to bottom. Hovda remained a catalyst, contributing multiple hits, driving in a run, and applying pressure on the basepaths.

On the mound, Noah Ferraro anchored the Saints with a strong six-inning performance, limiting Louisiana Christian to just one run while navigating traffic with composure. Xavior Salazar and Nolan Nicholson combined to close out the game effectively, preserving the lead and securing the series finale with confidence.

Defensively, the Saints backed their pitching staff with consistent execution, turning multiple double plays throughout the series and showing strong communication across the infield. The combination of timely defense and relentless offense in the final game underscored the team’s growth over the course of the series.

Saints Rise To No. 7 In Latest NAIA Coaches Poll

Oregon Tech slides into No. 1 behind six first-place votes in the third NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll this season. The 30-4 Owls are on a three-game winning streak and sit at 13-2 in Cascade action so far this season. Madonna (Mich.) and Oklahoma City are knotted at second in the third poll with nearly identical records. The Crusaders are up three spots from No. 5, and OCU is up two spots from No. 4. Teams first through sixth all received a share of first-place votes this week, with Eastern Oregon earning five, Southern Oregon earning two, and Southeastern (Fla.) picking up the final first-place vote available.

Two teams joined the top 25 in the third installment with Coastal Georgia and Benedictine (Kan.) earning spots at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively. The top 25 continues to shift with each installment, but among the shuffle, three teams maintained from the second release with No. 6 Southeastern, No. 10 Missouri Baptist, and No. 21 Texas A&M University – Texarkana, who now holds sole possession of the 21st spot.

Message from the President

Monday, April 13, 2026

Dear OLLU Community,

Late last Friday afternoon I was distracted during my daughter’s softball game as the starting lineup was being called. In my hand was my phone, rotated horizontally, displaying on the screen the final moments of Artemis II splashdown.

The Artemis II mission was personally meaningful for several reasons, including the togetherness of the mission, the present global opportunity for kinship, dignity, and respect, and because Yvonne Villegas-Aguilera played an important role in this mission. Yvonne is a 2002 OLLUmna who during her time at OLLU was a McNair Scholar and deeply involved with campus ministry. Yvonne is the Deputy Chief Engineer responsible for the design and manufacturing of the propulsion system used in the same Orion spacecraft that splashed down Friday following the 10-day 695,000 mile mission. Friday afternoon the inner curious kid watched attentively, the mechanical engineer calculated, and the proud university president couldn’t stop thinking about the opportunities that await our students with their OLLU degree, all while thanking Yvonne and our OLLU community who made it possible for her. I am so inspired by our ongoing conversations and possibilities for our emerging unique definition of Focused Differentiation at OLLU.

Each of you is actively engaged in what Focused Differentiation will become for us. Yvonne’s success is not accidental, on the contrary, it is the result of focus, discipline, and alignment. Aligning mission, clarity, and execution will only scale outcomes like Yvonne’s.

Our institutional data reinforces the urgency of this work. We have experienced market share erosion in an increasingly competitive and constrained landscape. In Spring 2026, approximately 80% of our undergraduate semester credit hours are concentrated in just 31% of our academic programs. At the graduate level, 80% of semester credit hours are concentrated in just 19% of programs. Our students are already signaling where demand is strongest and where OLLU’s strengths resonate most clearly.

Focused Differentiation now requires that we swiftly clarify two dimensions: our narrow target market, and our unique differentiators. The sum will concentrate our efforts where we can make the greatest difference. We will sharpen our focus. We will align our energy. And we will commit to becoming distinctive in the areas where our mission and strengths will change the livelihoods of our graduates.

It is the work we are doing for our students, our legacy, together by responding to meet the needs of the time.

I am grateful to you for the opportunity of a lifetime to serve our students.

With prayer and gratitude,

Abel A. Chávez, MBA, Ph.D.
President

OLLU Community Unites to Drive Fall 2026 Enrollment Success Toward 1,800 Students

Dear OLLU Community,

As we work together to make Fall 2026 as successful as possible, our vision is clear – we want our classes filled with students and our community full of energy and opportunity. Achieving this will take all of us working together with focus and urgency. Enrollment is a shared responsibility, and every interaction we have with students matters.

As a community, we each play a role in this effort:

Recruit future students by sharing your OLLU experience

Retain the amazing OLLU students that are already here 

Engage and collaborate across campus with everyone that crosses your path

Together, we can create a vibrant, welcoming environment that makes OLLU not only a great place to study, but also a place to work, grow, and truly enjoy the college experience.

 You will see the enrollment thermometer displayed across campus each week as we track our progress together. Every registration matters, and every conversation counts. Let’s work as one community to build momentum, support one another, and reach 1,800 students for Fall 2026.