COLUMBUS, Ga. – The 2025-26 academic/athletic year will be remembered as one of the most successful in the history of Columbus State Athletics, as the Cougars captured six Peach Belt Conference championships, made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, earned eight All-America honors and continued to raise the standard both on and off the field.
In his first year as Director of Athletics, Justin Hay led Columbus State to remarkable success across every area of the department, from championship performances and academic excellence to record-setting growth in external engagement and facility enhancements.
Championship Success:
The Cougars captured six Peach Belt Conference championships during the 2025-26 season, highlighted by postseason titles from women's soccer, women's tennis, and men's tennis.
The Columbus State women's soccer team finished the year with a 14-6-1 record and claimed its third consecutive Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship.
Women's basketball posted a 25-5 overall record and secured the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title, while women's tennis compiled a 21-5 mark and swept both the PBC regular-season and tournament championships.
The men's tennis program also completed a conference championship sweep, finishing the season with a 20-3 record and capturing both the regular-season and tournament titles.
National Stage Success:
Nine Columbus State programs earned berths into NCAA postseason competition during the 2025-26 season, including women's cross country, men's cross country, women's soccer, women's basketball, men's basketball, men's golf, women's tennis, men's tennis and softball.
The men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regionals after finishing the season with a 23-9 overall record, while softball also returned to the NCAA Southeast Regionals with a 35-23 mark.
Two Cougar programs advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, with men's golf reaching the national quarterfinals in Boulder City, Nevada, and women's tennis advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Surprise, Arizona.
National Recognition:
Columbus State produced eight All-Americans during the 2025-26 academic year, including two Academic All-Americans.
Men's golf standouts William Partner and Ian Pienaar earned All-America recognition, while Thomas Cardona of men's tennis, Nikoline Gullacksen of women's tennis, Marlon Smith of men's basketball, and Sarah Hungerford of women's soccer also garnered All-America honors.
Women's soccer stars Sarah Hungerford and Kelsey Croft were both named Academic All-Americans, further highlighting the department's commitment to excellence in the classroom.
Conference and Regional Honors:
Cougar student-athletes and coaches earned 17 conference and regional "Of the Year" awards during the 2025-26 season.
Thomas Cardona was named both the Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year and Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, while Nikoline Gullacksen earned ITA Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year and PBC Player of the Year honors.
Hugo Didier was recognized as the Southeast Region Rookie of the Year and Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.
The Cougar coaching staff also received significant recognition, as Evan Isaacs was named the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year for both men's and women's tennis while also earning Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors for both programs. Jeri Stewart was selected as the Peach Belt Conference Assistant Coach of the Year and ITA Assistant Coach of the Year.
Women's basketball head coach Matt Houser was named the Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year, while men's golf coach Lee McCoy also earned PBC Coach of the Year honors.
Among the student-athletes honored, Letiya Reeves was selected as the Peach Belt Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, Marlon Smith earned Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year honors, and Sarah Hungerford was named the Peach Belt Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year.
In all, Columbus State produced 30 All-Conference selections during the 2025-26 season.
Excellence Beyond Competition:
The Cougars continued to excel away from competition as well.
Columbus State student-athletes accumulated more than 3,000 hours of community service through the Helper Helper platform while posting a department-wide grade-point average of 3.20.
The department also celebrated 100 student-athletes who achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA during the academic year.
A total of 71 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team selections and 185 Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll selections further demonstrated the department's commitment to academic success.
Growth of Cougar Athletics:
The momentum surrounding Columbus State Athletics continued to build throughout the 2025-26 academic/athletic year.
Overall, more than $3.6 million was contributed to Columbus State Athletics during the 2025-26 year for scholarships, facility enhancements, and improving the overall student-athlete experience. CSU saw a 52 percent increase over last year; including more than $540,000 directed to sport-specific giving, a 37 percent increase from 2024-25.
The reimagined Cougar Club experienced a 102 percent increase in donations and a 70 percent increase in members, while corporate partnership revenue increased by 800 percent.
Giving Day generated support from a record 667 donors, resulting in a record $52,000 raised for Athletics.
Columbus State continued investing in its facilities, highlighted by the addition of a new videoboard at the John W. Walden Tennis Center and the ongoing construction of the $3.5 million golf clubhouse.
Additional facility enhancements and department initiatives will continue to position Columbus State Athletics for sustained success as the Cougars prepare for the 2026-27 academic/athletic year.
From the competitive success and development of the whole student-athlete to record breaking fundraising and the relationships and support within the Columbus community, the 2025-26 campaign highlights the success and strength of Columbus State Athletics.
