Built to Grow: The Loyalist Lancers’ 2025 Season in Review  

Some years are defined by wins. Others by growth. For the Loyalist Lancers, 2025 was about both — and about the culture that made those moments possible. 

More Than a Season 

On the court, women’s basketball delivered a season the program will remember for years to come. During the 2024–25 season, the team earned a home playoff win against the St. Clair Saints in February 2025, a milestone moment that reflected growing confidence and fan support. That momentum carried forward into the start of the 2025–26 season, when the team opened the year with a perfect 7–0 first half — the first undefeated start in program history — and climbed to third in Ontario and eighth in the country, marking the highest provincial and national rankings the program has ever achieved.  

Balancing Competition and Coursework 

But ask anyone in Athletics what mattered most this year, and the conversation quickly moves beyond rankings. 

Academics remained a defining strength of the Lancers experience. During the winter semester, 45 student-athletes earned National Scholar honours, with teams posting an average GPA of 77.95 per cent and five teams achieving collective averages above 82 per cent. That consistency reflects Loyalist’s small-college environment, where student-athletes are known by name, supported early and empowered to put their studies first. Coaches play a key role, recruiting athletes who are serious about school and ready to balance competition with the demands of college life.  

What It Means to Be a Lancer  

One of the most visible shifts happened before the season even began. For the first time, Loyalist Athletics hosted a Lancers Athlete Onboarding Week, bringing varsity athletes to campus ahead of the semester for leadership sessions on mental health, well-being, goal setting, team-building activities and healthy meal planning, and conversations about what it means to be a Lancer. Instead of easing into the year alone, students arrived already connected, both to their own teams, but to each other. 

The impact showed up in small but powerful ways. Athletes from different sports walking to class together. New friendships forming across teams. A stronger sense that wearing a Lancers jersey means belonging to something bigger.  

That sense of responsibility extends beyond campus. Throughout the year, Lancers athletes gave back through their sports by helping coach local teams, supporting youth programs and representing Loyalist at competitions across Ontario. Whether in classrooms, community gyms or on the road, the expectation is simple: Lancers lead by example. 

Campus Rec: Connection Beyond Varsity 

Campus Rec continued to play an important role in student life this year, creating low-barrier ways for students to connect, unwind and try something new. In the fall, students headed to Fort Fright for a low-key group outing, followed by rock climbing at The Boiler Room in Kingston, turning off-campus adventures into shared experiences. With a ski trip planned for the winter semester and more activities on the horizon, Campus Rec remains a key part of building connection and community beyond the game schedule. 

A Strong Foundation for the Seasons Ahead 

As 2025 wraps up, the story of the Lancers isn’t just about a standout season or a strong academic year. It’s about momentum built the right way: through connection, leadership and a culture that continues to grow stronger with every cohort.