Coaches, players and family members gather in celebration of the 2025-26 Fresno Christian athletic programs, May 4th.
Staff and Coaches recognize their teams by giving awards to the players that stood out in character and skill throughout the season. A variety of awards were given, including the Eagle Award and two new awards: Photo of the Year and Team of the Year.
Coach recognition
- Jon Penberthy’s and the boys’ basketball had their 200th win
- Steve Guglielmana surpassed 400 wins as a coach for boys’ volleyball Team
- Michael DeRaffaele, Kip Thiesen, Tori Tarlton and James Watney 1st win as a varsity head coach at FCS in beach volleyball, baseball, girls basketball and golf
- NFHS which oversees all High School Athletics across the United States has named Hope Villines the NFHS Cheer coach of the year
Academic Achievement Award
- 14 Freshman
- 9 Sophomores
- 5 Juniors
- 15 Seniors
Girls Tennis
- Finished 15-4 overall
- 2nd place in the Northwest Sequoia Conference (NWSC)
- #1 seed in CIF Division 4 playoffs
- Led by seniors Delaney Meyers, K’Lanna McArn, Georgia Karlson, and Isabella Garza
Girls Volleyball
- 3 levels Frosh, JV and Varsity
- Frosh and JV teams both had strong, successful seasons
Varsity Highlights
- 25-19 overall record
- 2nd in league
- 1st Team: Jordyn DeGroot, Sarah Guglielmana, Petra Draper
- 2nd Team: Danielle Arndt, Tayla Tarlton
- Honorable Mention: Anna Pascual, Tatum McQuown
- Central Section All-Stars – Jordyn DeGroot and Sarah Guglielmana
Cheer
- CIF Invitational – 1st Place GameDay Division, 3rd Place Div 4 Medium Cheer
- CIF STATE Championships – Runner Up GameDay Division (First time in school history)
- UCA Regionals: 1st Place GameDay Large Division, 2nd Place in Medium Cheer
- Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders West Coast Championships – 1st Place GameDay Div (Grand Champions), 2nd Place Varsity Cheer Non-Tumbling
- Team Eagle Award Winner: Danielle Arndt
- 9 All- Americans
Football
- The 2026 Central Section Champions winning 3 of the past 4 championships, completing a perfect 12–0 undefeated season, finished 2nd in the state and #39 nationally (MaxPreps).
- Bryce Smith was named a MaxPreps All-American
- Outscored opponents 711–246
- Outscored playoff opponents 194–34
Cross Country
- Fresno Christian had the strongest Boys and Girls Cross Country teams in school history
- Both teams qualified for the California State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park (5K course) First time in school history that the Boys team qualified as a team
- Girls finished 8th in Division 5 (highest finish in school history)
- Boys finished 15th in Division 5
Tyler Zaentz and Ford Thompson Football Scholarship Award
- Outstanding Offensive Player Award given to Tycen Ramirez.
- Outstanding Defensive Player given to Braden Belmont.
Boys Basketball
- Finished with one of the best records in school history (27–2)
- Defeated 3 Top-20 teams in the section
- Finished ranked #22 overall in the section
Girls Soccer
- Completed a remarkable 23–2–1 season
- CIF Division 4 Valley Champions (Back-to-back; 4 titles in 7 years)
- Undefeated NWSL League Champions (7th straight year)
- 1st Team All-League – Meghan Connolly, Jane Higton, Trinity Bannister, Julia Gray, Hailey Higton, Kendall Higton, Lesley Roberts, Vivian Cheema
- 2nd Team All-League – Kate Antonsen, Kate Wyatt, Kennedy Schwab, Madeline Durham
Eagle Award Winners
- Tayla Tarlton
- Danielle Arndt
- Christian Martinez
- Braden Belmont
Photo of the Year
Team of the Year
- 2025/2026 Varsity Cheer team
Athletes of the Year
- Tycen Ramirez
- Sarah Guglielmana
- Meghan Connolly
- Jordyn DeGroot
For more from the Feather, visit Brock Kitchen prepares for the adventure of a lifetime or Director Susan Ainley retires after 25 years.
