Seniors commit a lifetime’s worth of experiences to memory as the 2024-2025 school year comes to an end. From senior sunrise to spring formal, homecoming float builds to Friday night lights, these events pass by in a flash. The Feather Online captures each memory, freezing them in writing and pictures like the final remnants of a dream. Fresno Christian students and staff wave goodbye to the 44th graduating class. In Fresno Christian’s most historic athletic year, five teams earned CIF Central Section Championship titles, including Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Boys Basketball, Girls Soccer and Boys Tennis. 

Fall Sports

Girls Volleyball

Under the guidance of Head Coach Steve Guglielmana, the Fresno Christian Girls Volleyball team finished an incredible season with a record of 9-0 in league and 39-14 overall. The team defeated the Immanuel Eagles 3-0 in the DIV CIF Central Section Championships, Nov. 7. As it was their third consecutive CIF win, the victory was extra special to the so-called “E-Gals.” From there, the girls moved on to state championships, losing in the State Semi-finals to the Hilmar Yellowjackets. This is the farthest any Fresno Christian Girls Volleyball team has ever advanced, making school history.

Girls Tennis

Entering into the new season with the loss of five beloved seniors, the Girls Tennis team worked twice as hard to pull out an undefeated league season. Head Coaches Robert Foshee and Daniel “Bulldog” Jessing worked with the girls to develop ther. skills throughout season. With an overall record of 18-4, the Eagles capped off their season with a DV CIF Valley Championship win against Madera High School. 

At the Northwest Sequoia Tournament, K’lanna McArn, ‘26, and Abby Herren, ‘25, placed first in the doubles category, with Delaney Meyers, ‘26, and Naomi Eritzian coming in second. The two pairs played each other in the finals after dominating the bracket. Georgia Karlson, ‘26, and Lyla Hinton, ‘25, also took home 6th place, leaving all three teams in the top six. 

Football

Head Coach Mick Fuller led the FC Football team in an independent season apart from a defined league. After three years of an undefeated league record in the CIF 8-man division, the Central Sequoia League disbanded and left the Eagles to fend for themselves with game scheduling. FCS was too powerful for the 8-man league, but too small for an 11-man. These circumstances led to some exciting games, including the team’s journey to Catalina Island to play Avalon High School, Oct. 25. Although the team lost 16-34, they bonded over the experience. 

Quarterback Tycen Ramirez, ‘26, led the team to a record of 7-5, ending the season with a chance to win the CIF 8-man Central Section Championships. The team travelled all the way to Mammoth; they fought long and hard, but lost 30-56.

Cross Country

The Cross Country team competed in the CIF Cross Country State Championships, Nov. 30. Blake Bay, ‘27, finished 6th overall in Division 5 with a time of 15:12. This time broke the 10-year-old Sophomore Central Section Course time. Jeremiah Valorosi, ‘27, finished 12th for Division 5. For the girls team, two freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and one senior qualified for state championships as a team, finishing with their fastest time of the season at the Woodward Park 5K course. These six girls took second place behind Immanuel High School.

Times:

• Lacy Smith, ‘28, 20:55
• Chloe Ledieff, ‘26, 21:00
• Madison Siebert, ‘28, 22:03
• Hailey Higton, ‘27, 22:18
• Giada Gilmore Young, ‘27, 24:05
• Laina Penland, ‘25, 24:35

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball

Head Coach and Athletic Director Jon Penberthy led the Boys Basketball team to an astounding league record of 9-0 and an overall record of 30-7. Seniors Aden Millwee and Noah Coulton received awards for making over 1,000 points throughout their basketball careers at Fresno Christian. 

Beating the Ridgeview Wolfpack 59-39, the Eagles secured a place in the final round of CIF playoffs. Fresno Christian received the opportunity to play the Monache Marauders in the Selland Arena, winning the CIF Central Section DIV Championship 73-50, Feb 28. Along with this win, senior Aden Millwee was awarded the DIV Fighting Spirit Award for his efforts in the game. 

By beating Grenada Hills in the CIF DIV Southern Regional Championship on March 8, the Eagles secured their spot at the CIF DIV State Championships. The team placed second in CIF DIV State Championships, losing to Priory 66-83 at the Golden 1 Center, March 15.

Girls Basketball

The FC Girls Basketball team experienced a transitional year after the loss of key players. Under the new management of Head Coach Maesyn Rix, the girls were 6th in their league with a league record of 4-5 and an overall record of 12-14.

Girls Soccer

Head Coaches Matt Markarian and Garrett Markarian and Assistant Coaches Morgan Markarian, Chloe Burrow, and Kyndel Carrington led the FC Girls Soccer team to a spectacular overall record of 19-3. The final game for the team ended with a win of 6-0 against the Porterville Panthers, earning the girls the DIV CIF Central Section Championship, Feb. 27.

The team clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2025 NorCal Girls Soccer Championship for the first round of State Playoffs. The Eagles continued advancing, competing in the State Championships against the Sacred Heart Prep Gators In the last three minutes of the game, the Gators scored one more goal, snatching away the Eagles’ victory. The Eagles finished second in the North State Championships, ending a historic season.

Boys Soccer

Senior captains Samuel Rieker, Nathan Bridges and Ohan Topjian, and Head Coach Jacob Bynum led the FC Boys Soccer team in a frustrating season, encouraging the boys throughout and boosting morale when needed. With an overall record of 4-14, the outcome of the season does not reflect the work that was put in. The boys lost their final game to Riverdale High School 0-9, ending the season with no playoff bid.

Due to a sickness that had spread throughout their team before the game against Caruthers, previous players were recruited to fill in for their old teammates. The new recruits included Ian Palsgaard, ‘25, and Joshua Kubota, ‘25. This experience brought a refreshing change of pace to the team.

Cheer

Head Coach Hope Villines and Assistant Coach Ashley Sciacqua led the FCS Cheerleaders in a competitive season. Making a change to the usual competition category, the whole team competed in the “Game Day” division, while a smaller team of 15 competed in the “Traditional” category. The team experienced many injuries throughout their competition season, leading Villines to pull the girls out of the CIF Championships in the best interests of her team. 

This rest allowed the team to compete strongly in the FCC Game Day Division at Azusa Pacific, Feb. 22. The Eagles received second place overall, missing first place by a hair.

Filled with excitement, seniors Rynna Silva and Zoe Blanchfield and sophomores Parker Bagley-Tew and Anna Pascual were awarded the opportunity to perform with the FCA All-American Cheer team for the 2024 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, December 30 – January 2, 2025. 

Colorguard

Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, the Colorguard was invited to march with the Fresno Christian Band in the 105th Veterans Day Parade, Nov. 11. This experience was special to the team and boosted their excitement for their Winterguard season.

Colorguard’s 2024-2025 routine came with many challenges, especially with the use of a multi-part iceberg platform. Under the coaching of Vanessa Hinojosa and Band Director Lindsey Clarno, the FC Colorguard finished third with a score of 76 out of 100 at the Regional A Division Championships at Lemoore College, March 29. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by FC Athletics (@fresnochristianathletics)

Spring Sports

Boys Tennis

The Boys Tennis team finished the league season with a league record of 6-0 and an overall record of 17-4. Head Coaches Robert Foshee and Daniel “Bulldog” Jessing led FC Boys Tennis in their third consecutive CIF victory. Ending the season with a 7-0 win against Atascadero, the team received the CIF Central Section DIII title. 

Bek Jett and Jacob Pimentel served as team captains, driving the team to play competitively. This win contributed to Fresno Christian’s historically most successful athletic year, taking home several Valley Championships, including Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, Boys Basketball, Girls Soccer, and an individual win for Blake Bay, ‘27, in Cross Country.

Baseball

FC Baseball had a rocky season, finishing the league season with a record of 6-7 and an overall record of 12-17. The 2024-2025 season was the first year with Aaron Penberthy as the new head coach. 

Under this new leadership, the baseball team hosted two clinics for community kids at The Well Community Church during March. This opportunity was presented to encourage the team to give back to the community that supports them and share their love for baseball with up-and-coming generations.

Softball

Head Coach Brandon Bishel led the FC Eagles through a transitional, difficult season. With a league score of 3-11 and an overall score of 4-16, the season didn’t equate to the girls’ hopes for the season. The team is ready to double down this coming season and work even harder to improve their skills and scores.

Track and Field

Head Coaches Shawn Young and Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young led a group of students in Track and Field for an incredibly successful season. Notably, there were 20 or more members than the team last year. Senior Laina Penland served as team captain, offering encouragement throughout the season. 

The season came with many achievements and broken records. Lacy Smith, ‘28, held the previous record for the 1600-meter and broke her own record by 4 seconds with a time of 5:26.24. Chloe Ledieff, ‘27, broke her own record in the 3200-meter by 12 seconds with a time of 11:53.50. Laina Penland, ‘25, broke the 12-year-old 400-meter record with a time of 1:00.39. Ian Palsgaard, ‘25, broke the 800-meter record at the track season opener at the Buchanan Distance Classic. Two weeks later, Blake Bay, ‘27, broke that record at the Central Valley Christian Invitational. Then in the fastest Varsity Boys heat, Palsgaard broke the record again with a time of 2:00.99. Relay team Laina Penland, ‘25, Kayla Castro, ‘27, Giada Gilmore-Young, ‘27, and Madison Seibert, ‘28, competed at Clovis North and finished with a time of 4:23.52, breaking a 19-year-old record and earning themselves a spot on the FCS record board in the school gym. 

At league championships on May 6, the girls team finished second behind Liberty High School. During this meet, Laina Penland broke her own 400-meter record with a time of 60.26, and Sarah Guglielmana beat her shotput record by a whole foot, totaling 35 feet. Chloe Ledieff, ‘26, Lacy Smith, ‘28, and Madison Siebert, ‘28, took the top three spots in the girls 3200-meter. The boys team took 5th in the league overall, improving from their 9th place spot in 2024. The team broke 6 records overall.

Boys Volleyball

FC Boys Volleyball, led by Head Coach Steve Guglielmana and Freshman Coach Justin Williams, had a tough start to the season after the loss of crucial senior players. Through perseverance and hard work, the team came out of the league season with a record of 5-3 in league and 16-23 overall. Tyler Hamm, ‘25, served as team captain of the boys volleyball team, leading with strength and determination.

Golf

The Fresno Christian Golf team is coached by Student Liaison James Garcia and Pete Howell. After working all year to improve upon their skills, the team qualified for the Division II CIF Championship. While they didn’t win, they were able to gain the experience needed to begin preparations for next season.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Benson Elbert

Student section runs to join girls volleyball after the Division 4 championship win.

Student Activities

Homecoming 

After weeks of preparation, Fresno Christian introduced the royal candidates for the 39th Annual Fresno Christian Homecoming. From eating suspicious foods to playing aggressive bubble soccer, the freshman, sophomore and junior princess candidates participated in trying challenges that tested their commitment to the competition process. Time went by quickly as senior queen and king candidates prepared to show off their best moves in the traditional Royal Battle, earning points to go toward the final crowning. 

The 39th Annual Homecoming Podium

Senior King: Aden Millwee

Senior Queen: Milly Morgan 

Senior Prince: Caleb Iest 

Senior Princess: Lyla Hinton 

Junior Princess: Kyleigh Baca 

Sophomore Princess: Hailey Higton

Freshman Princess: Elle Johnson

The theme for 2024-2025 Homecoming, “Family Game Night,” allowed the float-building committees to get creative. Each float accepts donations in exchange for desserts, snacks and float-specific specialties to raise money for the nonprofit organization Honor Flight. All of the proceeds went toward the Central Valley Honor Flight branch, aiding in flying veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their service in American armies free of charge. The Feather partnered with Honor Flight flight numbers 29 and 30. Tabitha Peters, ‘26, was given the opportunity to accompany the veterans on flight number 30, utilizing her skills as a backpack student journalist to capture the essence of Honor Flight’s purpose.

Homecoming Float Themes and Placements

1st: Sophomores – Clue 

2nd: Seniors – Super Mario Bros 

3rd: Freshmen – Monopoly 

4th: Juniors – Candyland 

Fresno Christian Football faced off against the Sierra Chieftains in the Homecoming game. Though key player Joshua Kubota, ‘25, was out for the season, the Eagles emerged victorious with a final score of 49-8. 

Formal and Sadies

High school students were invited to participate in “A Night in Gatsby’s Garden,” May 9. Held at Wolf Lakes for the first time ever, the students enjoyed card games and faux gambling in search of ways to earn the most chips to win gift card prizes. From spikeball and cornhole games to line dancing and class movies, FC students were in for a night of fun and memories. The sophomore class won the class movie competition by a landslide vote with their comedic, well-filmed rendition of the classic movie “The Sandlot.” 

Fresno Christian leadership introduced the theme of “Duos Throughout the Decades” for the annual Sadies event, Nov. 16. With dancing, games and entertainment, the students were able to come up with creative costumes to complement the event theme. 

Serve Day

For Fresno Christian’s 17th annual Serve Day, the school partnered with local organizations to give back to the community, Feb. 14, 2025. With a total of twelve locations ranging from Central California Food Bank to Police Chaplaincy, students were offered a variety of options to pique their interests. Fresno Christian students served the community for just a few hours out of their Valentine’s Day, showing them that a little effort makes a big difference.

Leadership

The leadership class hosted the winter sports rally, Feb. 6. Students were encouraged to represent their favorite sports teams with jerseys and other varying paraphernalia. Competing in games such as musical chairs and four way dodgeball, the four classes waged war on each other, making for a fierce competition. The senior class emerged victorious, earning themselves a well-deserved pajama day. 

Tyler Gianakopulos is the new student leadership teacher for high school. In other news, ASB elections have returned to the FCS campus. 

Results for the ‘25-’26 school year ASB offices are as follows:

• Natalie Garcia – ASB President
• Hailey Higton – ASB Vice President
• Ethan Klassen – Secretary
• Benson Elbert – Senior Class President
• Georgia Karlson – Activities Director
• Jacob Christensen – Activities Director
• Anne Madelyn Morgan – Chaplain
• Caleb Eldridge – Chaplain
• Caleb Tuck – Treasurer

School and Arts

New Teachers

The Fresno Christian Staff received multiple new members going into the ‘25-’26 school year. Dr. Karen Walters made a vital addition to the FCS staff as the Anatomy & Physiology, Biology and AP Biology teacher, filling the role that Jacob Cantu left as he embarks on a new journey with his family. Diego Alas joined as the new year book and English 10 teacher halfway through the ‘24-’25 school year. Last but certainly not least, Tyler Gianakopulos has filled the spot of high school student leadership teacher. 

CSF

California Scholastic Federation (CSF) is a statewide nonprofit organization that motivates students academically. Academic Counselor Evangelina Escovedo advises CSF at Fresno Christian. A total of 35 members were involved in CSF throughout the ‘24-’25 school year. Natalie Sullivan was the senior CSF President, and Ava Bishel served as the senior Mart-Stuff specialist. Mart-Stuff is the snack shop open for Fresno Christian Students during break. The funds go toward the CSF banquet and scholarships. Natalie Sullivan was nominated to receive the CSF scholarship.

Drama

Under director Susan Ainley, the drama department thrived in their performances. For the spring musical, FC Drama performed The Sound of Music. Main characters Maria Rainer and Captain Von Trapp were played by Maggie Phanco, ‘25, and Caleb Tuck, ‘26. After months or preparation and rehearsals, the cast performed at Redemption Bible Church, May 1-4, truly showcasing the wonderful results of the time and effort put into it. There were nothing but raving reviews for FC’s rendition of the classic musical.

Choir

The Fresno Christian Schools Concert and Chamber Choirs competed with over 50 choirs, bands and orchestras at their performance at the Second Baptist Church in Anaheim, April 2. The choirs practice all year leading up to their annual Anaheim trip. Awards are announced at Hyperion Theater at Disneyland California Adventure. With the coaching of Susan Ainley and Ben Certain, the choirs took home the Choral Sweepstakes Award. Chamber choir also won the Adjudicators’ Award for the highest overall score at the competition. Maggie Phanco, ‘25, also received an individual award for her solo performance during Chamber Choir’s “Great Day” performance.

Band

Band Director Lindsay Clarno led her team in another successful year of musical growth. The FCS Band was given the opportunity to march in the 105th Veterans Day Parade, showcasing the amazing things students can do with music. The Annual Christmas Concert was held at Redemption Bible Church, Dec. 5, giving students time to gain experience before their spring showcase. The Annual Spring Concert gave the opportunity for the three separate bands to perform including Jazz Ensemble, Eagle Band and FC Band. Overall, participating students worked hard to produce good music and make events and football games more engaging.

The Feather

The Feather, an advanced digital media and student journalism program, continues to bring professionalism and work ethic skills to the Fresno Christian campus. Advisor Kori James partners with published author and writing coach Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young to help students find their voice and learn to use it constructively. 

Editors Mallory Friesen, Danielle Arndt, Julianna Briggs and Delaney Meyers along with Advisor Kori James and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Katie Reneau traveled to New York City to attend the CSPA Centennial Conference. Here, the editors were able to gain experience in student teaching the skills they have worked for years to grow and perfect. Sessions included Enhance with the ‘gram, Canva to the Rescue and Compelling Feature Writing. The Feather was awarded the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown Award for digital news, the highest achievement a student newspaper can earn. 

Remembrances

Lily Kahrimanian

Students and staff were shocked by the tragic loss of senior Lily Kahrimanian, Jan. 22. Her loss was felt deeply by friends and the extended community. Her friends shared fond memories in her honor both at school and at her Celebration of Life at The Well Community Church, March 1.

Greg Stobbe 

Previous Fresno Christian Feather Advisor and English Teacher Greg Stobbe died on March 21. A storyteller at heart with a passion for mentoring the up-and-coming generations, his eccentricity and passion for life left an indelible mark on everyone whose lives he touched. A wild spirit and proud Canadian, Stobbe brought his shining joy to the Fresno Christian campus to teach through his own travel experiences. 

Stobbe’s creativity and zest for learning led to two lifetime achievement awards from the two top national scholastic journalism organizations and a food and wine storytelling blog entitled TalesoftheCork. Wrestling with life’s big question–“How then shall I live?”–Stobbe spread joy, laughter and learning, creating a legacy and inspiring the people he impacted. His loss deeply impacted the hearts and minds of those left behind, but those who truly knew him rejoice in his memory.

Sergio Venegas

Sergio Venegas inspired many players through soccer and brought joy to the sport. His knowledge of and passion for soccer led him to contribute to the team for 31 years.

Battling health issues, Venegas stepped back from coaching with Head Coach Matt Markarian before the ‘24-’25 season began. With a never-give-up attitude, he persevered through to the end. Venegas died on June 29, 2025.

For more from The Feather visit PROMO: Girls Volleyball sets up for success or [Video] FC football defeats Avalon.