The 2025 state runner ups, the Jesuit men’s basketball team is looking to return to state in the 2025-26 season. Going into the 2025 OSAA playoffs ranked the #11, the Crusaders were the Cinderella of the state, defeating strong teams like the #6 Nelson Hawks, the #3 Central Catholic Rams, and the #7 Westview Wildcats. In the state championship, the Crusaders fell just short of a banner to the #1 ranked Barlow Bruins, losing 55-61. 

“I think the biggest difference between this year’s team and last year is that we have the experience and we have the guys that were on the court last year on Saturday night at Chiles Center and that’s really what you need. We have experience and leadership and so I think we have a good chance to make a run this year in the playoffs,” senior Ryan Barone said.

Coached by Gene Potter, the 8th most winningest coach in Oregon history and having 7 championships under his belt, Potter is familiar with the pressure that comes with competing for a state championship.

This year, the team is led by a strong group of seniors including Sam Curvy, Ryan Barone, and Joe Stimpson, followed by a great group of juniors which include Major Williams and Penny Harrison. 

“This year the team has a strong set of seniors that have been together for many years and we are connecting with the younger guys in the offseason. We have been working on coming together and staying positive as well as keeping the standard high coming off of such a heartbreaking loss,” Curvy said.

Aside from winning state, another goal for the team is competing well in the Les Schwab Invitational, where they will possibly face the #2 nationally ranked Sierra Canyon Trailblazers led by Brandon McCoy Jr and Maximo Adams, the #7 and #26 ranked players in the country respectively. The other teams they will possibly face include the #3 Columbus Explorers and the Rainier Beach Vikings led by #1 ranked player in the country, Tyran Stokes.

“We know the teams we’re facing are nationally ranked, but that just fuels us. At LSI, we prepare like we belong on that stage. Every drill, every rep we’re building to compete with anybody” junior Penny Harrison said.

The Crusaders are hoping to set the tone for the season on December 5th and 6th, where they will be competing in the Sherwood Tournament at Sherwood High School.

The Jesuit women’s basketball ended their season ranked #15 with a 13-12 record finishing with a loss in the second round of the playoffs against the Willamette Wolverines. 

The Crusaders had a successful preseason finishing 6-6 with big wins against Barlow, Central Catholic, and Mountainview. They also took part in the POA Holiday Classic. Metro League play went well with the Crusaders finishing 6-5. 

The Crusaders went on to play the West Salem Titan’s in the first round of playoffs. The Titan’s were ranked 18th with a record of 13-11. Jesuit slid by West Salem with a 55-41 win. In the second round the Crusaders sadly lost to the #2 ranked Willamette Wolverines with a score of 70-53. 

With a hard loss in the playoffs the team has been working hard in workouts and in practice. 

“We have good team morale, we have been working really hard and been focused, I am excited to see how it transfers into the games,” senior Lauren Reding said.  

The  Crusaders are led by seniors Sophia Costarella, Amani Lubrano, Lauren Reding, and Reese Filkins. They also have strong underclassmen with sophomore Ceanna Forney, and freshman Sam Harris. The team this year is looking for another great preseason and another successful Metro League stretch. 

With many weapons on the team senior Sophia Costarella said,“We have strong additions to the team that will help us build on last year, along with a lot of returners who know how we execute, and know what we need to do to perform our best.” 

With the new addition of freshman Sam Harris, the team has a lot of players that will contribute. The Crusaders will go into this year hungry and aggressive for great Metro League play, and make it back where they belong, the Chiles Center.  

Senior Amani Lubrano has a big leadership role this year and knows that the team can be successful. 

“This year we can be more aggressive offensively and defensely with our deep bench,” Lubrano said. “We are playing some of the top teams who will prepare us for the Metro play. Metro will be competitive with Beaverton and Southridge, but I think with our preseason we will get ready, and hopefully make it to Chiles.”     

The Crusaders are hoping to have a strong start to their season where they will host Seton Catholic on December 5, at 7:00 PM. 

Coming off an impressive run last season as the 2024 Metro league champions, the Jesuit men’s ski team enters their season with a strong determination to continue their success from last season. As the snow starts to cover the mountain and with conditioning practice underway, the team is looking to keep their momentum from last year with a fresh roster of skiers. 

The teams main competition in league play is going to be Sunset this year as they ranked 3rd in state in the 2025 season. Dryland workouts have already begun for the men’s ski team with a strong focus on preparation, resilience, and community. 

Senior Geoff Burke is excited to start his last season.

“Personally, I’m most excited to get back on the snow and start skiing again,” Burke said. “I’m a senior so it’s my last time to go up to the mountain and ski, and I’m just excited to do it with my friends”

While the team has a strong focus on winning and success, they also focus on creating a supportive team culture, which they believe is essential in a sport that can often feel individualized.

“One goal is to create a positive environment, where everyone feels welcome and  supported in their skiing,” Burke said. “The wins will come as long as we prioritize that environment. Along with consistent training on and off the mountain”

Even though ski racing is about individual time, Jesuit’s ski team understands the important connection between the athletes. This strong culture was a key factor in last year’s metro championship. The coaching staff is pushing for constant improvement on and off the mountain. 

With experienced seniors and promising young skiers, the Crusaders are a well positioned team to win again this year. As the season draws near the men’s ski team is embracing the tiring practices and ready to elevate their performance to defend their Metro league title.

https://www.jesuitportland.org/athletics/teams-and-schedules/~athletics-team-id/48

The Jesuit High School women’s ski team enters the upcoming season with confidence after finishing first in Metro League last year. The team continues to build on a strong foundation, and both athletes and coaches expect to stay competitive once racing begins.

This season comes with an unusual challenge. A lack of early snow on Mt. Hood has delayed the start of on mountain training for teams across the area. Light snowfall has only recently returned, and the mountain has not set an opening date. Coaches are hopeful that training can begin in early or mid December, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Despite the delay, Jesuit has kept a strong routine. Before any snow arrives, the team trains three days a week at Jesuit for dryland practice. Their plan is to shift to two dryland sessions and two mountain practices each week once the mountain opens, including a mountain practice held during the school week.

Jesuit returns three top varsity racers who are expected to lead the way: Lucia Crespo, Lucia Dausz, and Ellie Ping. Their times often set the team’s scoring, and with only the top three times counting toward final placements, their performance will be crucial to the team’s success. The varsity squad includes five racers and one alternate, giving the team depth.

The coaching staff includes head coach Ryan, with coach Tanya and coach Speedy working on the mountain. Dryland training is led by Mr. Shoultz and Ms. Fischer.

The team expects strong competition from OES and Sunset, two programs that consistently perform well in the Metro League. 

Senior skier Lucia Crespo spoke to the excitement around the team.

“This season I am especially excited to be back on the mountain and improve with my team after missing last season due to an ACL injury.”

Even with a delayed start, the women’s ski team seems well-prepared for another promising season once the snow arrives. Jesuit women’s ski opens their season at Mt. Hood Meadows on January 2nd. For more information check out the Jesuit website.

Coming off of three straight OSAA state championships, the men’s swim team under coach Bryan Butcher is returning with a strong senior class, looking to get a historic four-peat. 

This year’s team is led by captain Peter Chan and the seniors returning from last year’s championship team include Suiyao Li, Julien Lee, Hewitt Hu, and David Barkley. Notably, Lee is committed to Boston College and holds a top 50 time in the breaststroke in the country, while Li has the school record in the 50m freestyle with a time of 21.24 seconds. Li and Hu also have a 200m freestyle relay record. The team wants to continue breaking records, setting a list of goals for the year.

“Some goals in mind are definitely winning that state title which would bring us to a four-peat, and winning the Metro league again,” said Lee. “We would also like to bring down some more school records, like lowering the 50m freestyle record and the 200m freestyle relay record, as well as breaking the 100m freestyle and breaststroke.

Although the main goals are to win championships and set new school records, the seniors recognize that they must build a strong community to both achieve their aspirations and inspire the underclassmen.

“Though we would like to win states, the most important thing is that we need to create a tight community within the team, a place where people can rely on others knowing they have their back. Community is a core value of our team, we want to create a safe environment and create role models not just currently, but to establish that theme through future years,” said Li. 

The Men’s Swim team will embody two quotes throughout the season. This includes “Keep your expectations low and you will never be disappointed,” as well as a Bible verse from 2 Timothy 4:7, which states, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

With key seniors returning and a strong motivation to break more records, the Men’s Swim team is looking to start the season off strong this Thursday, December 2nd against the Beaverton Beavers at Beaverton High School.

Coming off of an impressive run of three straight OSAA State Championships, the Women’s Swimming team led by coach Bryan Butcher is returning with a promising roster, looking to continue their streak with a historic four-peat state championship win.

Looking ahead, the team aims to win at district and state levels while maintaining a positive attitude. When asked about players who could make a significant impact this year, Freshman Natalie Pop is identified as a key player to watch out for as the season approaches. 

Senior Stela Sufuentes was proud of last year’s results. , 

“We didn’t lose any of our meets, we did well at state and district, and we built a good community. The team was really strong overall.”

Senior Addison Farley is looking forward to the goals for this season based on the team’s preparation.

”With the upcoming season, we hope to win districts and state again while keeping up the positive attitude. The team has been preparing all year, practicing every day.”

Sufuentes builds on that adding, ”We are all really dedicated to preparing for meets. We practice everyday, sometimes twice a day which is really beneficial to the team.”

 The Women’s Swim team is ready to achieve a historic four-peat starting this Thursday, December 4th against the Beaverton Beavers at Beaverton High School at 3:00 p.m.