Brennan Ford, Sports Editor–

As the fall athletic season comes to a close, Denison’s winter sports are beginning regular season play. Teams across campus are back in action, ready to compete, and determined to build on the successes they all experienced last season. 

Men’s Basketball:

Sitting in first in the NCAC Preseason Poll with six first-place votes, Denison’s men’s basketball looks to build off the momentum from their 2024-25 season. The Big Red ended the season with a 24-4 overall record, their fourth winning season with head coach Chris Sullivan. 

They also took home the NCAC conference championship for the first time in program history, achieving an NCAA tournament appearance. Men’s basketball has started its 2025-26 season with a statement win in its home opener against No. 12 Calvin 61-59. They continued their success with an 88-66 win against Alma College. 

Women’s Basketball:

Women’s basketball started its season with a dominant 104 – 48 home victory against Muskingum University. Sitting second in the NCAC pre-season rankings, the Big Red looks to secure their third straight winning season. In the 2024-25 season, Denison’s offense ranked in the top three in the conference in points (69.5) and field goal percentage (42.2). 

Abby Cooch ‘27 aims to make an impact for the third year in a row, as she ended last year’s season with an average of 12.7 points per game, 4.9 assists per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, Cooch played 939 total minutes and earned her second consecutive First Team All-NCAC honors. 

The Big Red kick off their season with four-straight home games, with their next matchup being against Wilmington College on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.

Men’s Swim and Dive:

After winning the NCAA Division III Championship, Denison’s men’s swimming and diving hopes to replicate their title-winning 2024-25 season. The Big Red are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by CSCAA after their victory over Kenyon College on Nov. 8. The team also won 168 – 94 over Xavier University on Oct. 25.

Nick Fogle ‘26, Jack Hill ‘27, George Goins ‘28, and Nick Hensel ‘28 all return after earning First-Team honors in the 2024-25 season. The Big Red have their next meet against John Carroll University on Nov. 15.

Women’s Swim and Dive:

After finishing fourth at the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships, Denison’s women’s swimming and fiving looks to build upon that success. The Big Red started their season with a 153 – 108 win against Xavier  University on Oct. 25. The team also has a strong returning presence, highlighted by six athletes who earned First-Team honors in the 2024-25 season: Quinn Brown ‘26, Phoebe Ferguson ‘26, Emily Harris ‘26, Jassy Park ‘27, Drue Thielking ‘26 and Riley Tofflemire ‘27. The Big Red will compete against John Carroll on Nov. 15 for their next meet.

Women’s Fencing:

Denison Fencing enters the 2025-26 season following an impressive 2024-25 campaign, where the team compiled a winning record in all three weapon classes. With nine NCAA Regional qualifiers returning to their lineup, the Big Red look to continue from their past successes.

 Corvus Endo ‘27 broke the program record for most Sabre wins in a season with 97, and finished with the highest win percentage for a single season in program history (.764). In their first team meet of the year, the Big Red concluded the Drew Invitational with a 9-2 record, defeating four Division I teams. Dension fencing competes in the Western Invitational hosted by the U.S Air Force Academy on Nov. 22-23. 

Mens Squash:

Denison men’s squash begins its fourth season, having finished the 2024-25 season with an 8-9 record and a 1-2 conference record.  Juan Felipe Hernandez ‘26 has already been named Liberty League Performer of the Week for his play against No. 6 University of Virginia and the No. 19 University of Rochester. 

Hernandez was named First Team All-Liberty League for the third consecutive season last year, and looks to end his Denison career with impact. The Big Red play their next match against Franklin College on Dec. 6.

Womens Squash:

Women’s Squash currently ranks no. 21 in the country according to the College Squash Association. Coming off their best season to date, the Big Red went 13-7 with a 5-1 home record. 

The 2024-25 season marked a record for most wins with 13, and was the first time in program history that the Big Red reached double-digit wins. Charlotte Jones ‘28 and Amelia Keng ‘28 return for their second season after earning First-Team honors. Denison squash has their next matchup against Franklin College on Dec. 6.