By Ron Smith
October 23, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont celebrated 50 years of women's athletics at Homecoming last weekend, bringing together what may be the largest gathering of Westmont athletic alumni and current athletes in school history. The weekend was full of sport-specific events and culminated in a celebration on Saturday evening of everyone coming together to honor trailblazers and legacy builders in women's athletics.
 
"It has felt magical to be back here with the nostalgia and the energy," said Karin Sullivan (soccer, 2001-03), a two-time All-American and NAIA Player of the Year. "It feels like coming home."
 
Nearly 200 people attended the event on Saturday evening in addition to 125 current student-athletes from Westmont's women's teams. Kirsten Moore, the head coach of the women's basketball team since 2004, served as the master of ceremonies.
 
Part of the evening's festivities included an on-stage interview of Kathy Perkins McGuigan by current women's basketball player Molly Garnand. McGuigan played on Westmont's first women's volleyball and basketball teams beginning in 1973.
 
McGuigan recalled some of the challenges of those early teams – having to provide their own uniforms, no athletic trainers, no money for meals, and sleeping on the gym floor at away tournaments.
 
"We got push back from students," recalled McGuigan. "They just weren't ready. There was a lot of turmoil in society, but they weren't ready for all of a sudden seeing women's sports. The men actually laughed at us and thought, 'Why are you here and what are you doing?' The women were scornful because we were running around in sweats and shorts and we were sweaty. We'd have to run back up to the dorm, to Page Hall, put on a dress, then go to chapel. Then, we'd go to another activity class and go back and forth (to change)."
 
When Garnard asked McGuigan about how those challenges helped shape her character, she responded, "Athletics is like a mini arena for life. Everything good and bad is right there, in the cauldron, at the moment. You have to deal with it and work with other people. You have the highest of highs with the togetherness of your team, but the lowest of lows when you get unfair officiating or injured, or all kinds of things you can't predict and can't do anything about. You have to deal with it right then.
 
"That carries over into real life. Often, you don't expect things and they hit you. Being resilient and bouncing back from disappointment is not found often in our society today. Kids, especially, don't deal with coming back well. People have all these mental health problems and are too up and down. In sports, you learn to handle the ups and down. It teaches you to keep an even keel in the storms."
 
The event was attended by members of every generation of Warriors.
 
Reflecting on her time at Westmont, Lauren McCoy Shafer (basketball, 2014-18), a two-time All-American and GSAC Player of the Year, shared, "Being here for the weekend has brought the memories back to the forefront. I came to faith at Westmont through basketball. When I look at the story of my life I wonder how else would that have happened. He could have found a way, but this is the way He chose.
 
"I was thinking about the rigor of academics and athletics in our basketball program specifically. People can choose to spend those formative years in a lot of different ways, depending on where they want to go or what they want to study. Putting in the effort and the work and being intentional and choosing to do hard things and choosing to do it in the Westmont Warrior way pays dividends for the person that you become. There are trade-offs and sacrifices, but being intentional in these formative years that I had at Westmont has made me who I am. It is something that I am personally proud of and I know has made me a better person for it."
 
Sandra Asimos (soccer 1984-87), the 1985 NAIA Player of the Year and a three-time All-American, chose to play at Westmont because of its, "Christian environment and smaller, more personal size."
 
Two mentors stood out to Asimos. "Crystal Jorden was an outstanding teacher at Westmont who prepared me with the tools to be successful in teaching at all levels. I graduated with a solid foundation of teaching methods and strategies. For the last 10 years, I have been able to share my knowledge and teaching experiences with new teachers in physical education at the elementary and junior high school level as a mentor for my school district."
 
"I played for Coach J.P. Verhees. His dedication to soccer – skills and knowledge of the game - as well as his passion for the game was something I enjoyed. He helped me be a better soccer player and I learned a lot about coaching from him too. I had the opportunity to start a Division I women's soccer program and knew the work it would take with the example of JP starting Westmont's program. I looked forward to the opportunity to start something for women to continue to play and experience soccer at a higher level. I knew the rewards of the positive experience that can come from what I experienced at Westmont."
 
Asimos, who still holds Westmont records for career scoring (79 goals) and assists (34), started the women's soccer program at Sacramento State, where she served as head coach from 1994-2001.
 
Also in attendance was Kathy LeSage, who played tennis at Westmont from 1984-86, earned All-American honors, and went on to coach the team for 28 years (1986-2013). As a coach, LeSage's teams won 12 conference regular season championships and her teams qualified for the NAIA National Championship 20 times.
 
"When I think about the combination of being a player and a coach, that is half of my life I spent at Westmont," noted LeSage. "In that half of my life, that was the best part. For my growth and development as a Christian, I give all the credit to God and to Westmont for guiding me along the way.
 
"I look back at the friendships and all my players. When I retired, it was the hardest thing for me to not have those relationships anymore. I miss that the most."
 
A more recent graduate that attended the event was Patty Kerman (volleyball, 2017-2021), who was there with her teammates Libby Dahlberg (2015-18) and Cassidy Rae (2016-19).
 
"My Westmont experience on such a great stretch of volleyball teams makes me feel like I am a better person now," said Kerman "I had amazing teammates that taught me what it meant to be a team. The most impactful time was when I was out with an ACL knee injury my sophomore year. Feeling the love and support from all my teammates while healing and going through the recovery process showed me so much of how to be loving, how to be caring, and how to take care of your people.
 
"Libby was my mentor my freshman year when she was a junior. She took me under her wing and made sure I was doing well and integrating with the other players on the team.
 
"I met Cassidy Rea at the prospect camp in 2015. She was going into her senior year of high school and I was going into my junior year. It worked out that we became teammates and best of friends – someone I could really rely on.
 
"Coaches Patti Cook and Ruth McGolpin are two fantastic people to play for. It felt so encouraging playing for them because they wanted to pull out the best in you as a player. I remember leaving practice every day satisfied because we worked hard that day."
 
Karin Sullivan attended the event with her twin sister, Kristi Sullivan who was also a two-time All-American and NAIA Player of the Year. Reflecting on what stood out to her from her time as a Westmont student-athlete, Kristi Sullivan responded, "I think the topic of overcoming adversity and gelling together as a team. As a team, you faced so much. The bond that it creates for players is so strong. All this time later and you just pick up where you left off with these people you struggled with and sweat with. It means a lot."
 
Karen Sullivan a reflected on what she gained and pointed to "Determination and grit and fight and discipline, working really hard for one common goal for each other and all of us, being part of team. I have never really had something that came close – and never will have anything that comes close to the type of bond and experience we had here."
 
Regarding her experience during the Homecoming weekend, Kristi Sullivan remarked, "It is so special. People had awards and accomplishments I had never heard about. Especially hearing the stories about Perkins and hearing about how sports started at Westmont. For me, it was really cool to see how my little part in the story connected to the greater history and to those who are still competing and winning out there today. It was really special to feel a part of that."
 
The weekend included the honoring of four members of the first women's team to take part in athletic competition – the 1973 volleyball team. Presented with Trailblazer medals prior to the Friday night volleyball game in honor of their pioneering efforts were: Shelley Bourland Ekstrom, Jayne Presnell, Cindy VanderDussen Hardeman and McGuigan.
 
Westmont also selected 50 individuals as Legacy Builders to represent the contributions of all Warriors from women's teams over the last 50 years
 

Amy Bergenske Alizina Cross Country Emily Parks Alvarez Track and Field Sandra Asimos Soccer Becky Collier Asslein Track and Field Stefanie Berberabe Basketball Charlotte Bloom Golf Tugce Canitez Basketball Patti Scofield Cook Volleyball Angela Crowell D'Amour Soccer Libby Dahlberg Volleyball Amber Nixon Falconer Track & Field Bekah Reynolds Frederickson Track & Field Katie Gardinier Soccer Nicole Smith Gabelein Soccer Madison Serrano Gildea Volleyball Kelly Barnes Greene Volleyball Jillian Wilber Heckman Basketball Cheryl Rodgers Heichemer Tennis Rebecca Gibb Kalnin Basketball Kristen Kleen Hughes Soccer Rebecca Kalnin Basketball Kristi Piech Kiely Soccer Lindsey Smith Lee Soccer Kathy Moyer LeSage Tennis Allison Gonzalez Lucey Swimming Anne Malmberg Lundgren Volleyball Susie Odell Maga Volleyball Megan Fate Marshman Basketball Kathy Perkins McGuigan Volleyball, Basketball Stacia Larsen McInnes Track & Field Kendyll Whiting McManigal Tennis Tena Mensonides Basketball Elysia Hodges Mitchell Track & Field Heidi Olding-McGowan Tennis Cassidy Rea Volleyball Miriam Niednagel Ryan Track & Field Allison Knode Sandquist Track & Field Lauren McCoy Shafer Basketball Aysia Shellmire Basketball Kristen St. Claire Soccer Lauren Stratman Tennis Karin Sullivan Soccer Kristi Sullivan Soccer Annaka Gustafson Thibodeaux Track & Field Anna Stumbo Thompson Track & Field Sophie Judd Troya Soccer Lauren Tsuneishi Basketball Katie Hardeman Van Dyk Basketball Bryn Abby Wolf Cross Country Sydney Brown Workman Basketball