Ellie Hilsabeck

The halls of the Xavier athletic office are lined with trophies awarded to 50 years of winning Gator teams. The school’s success is credited to Sister Lynn Winsor’s leadership and the commitment to excellence by the coaches and student-athletes. Xavier’s athletic legacy is one pillar that adds to the school’s outstanding reputation nationwide.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s motto, “Pursuing victory with honor,” perfectly encapsulates the athletic program at Xavier. For generations Gator athletes have pursued excellence on the field, court, track, pool or stadium and exemplified Xavier’s mission while doing it.  

On August 1, MaxPreps declared Xavier as the Arizona MaxPreps Cup Champions. This competition is designed to determine the greatest high school sports programs across the country. MaxPreps awards points for winning championships, runner-up finishes and a few other factors.

It was no surprise Xavier came in first for the state of Arizona in the 2023-2024 school year, with 1,221 points. Last year, Xavier won six state championships, more than any of the big powerhouse schools who have more than double the enrollment. 

In all, 27 seniors from the class of 2024 signed National Letters of Intent to play their sports in college, another statistic proving Xavier’s athletic achievement. 

Throughout history, Xavier has won 158 state championships, 71 state runners-up, and 230 regional/sectional championships. According to Forbes magazine, Xavier has won more championships than any other high school in the nation.

Title IX pioneer Sister Lynn Winsor ‘61, athletic director, is a fearless leader of women’s sports. Xavier entered the AIA in 1963, but it was not until the early 1970s when Winsor began at Xavier and started building athletic programs. Today, over half of students participate in a school sport. 

In 1985, Winsor started the first female soccer team in the state with four other schools. They competed against one another until it became an AIA sport. Now, Xavier soccer has an incredible record and is on a four-time state championship winning streak.  

“Showcasing women has always been the most important to me,” said Winsor. She seeks out premier coaches to support Xavier athletes, and it is not a coincidence that many of them are female.

“The opportunity that Sister Lynn provides female coaches to coach female athletes is rare. In professional sports, a lot of men coach female athletes. Female coaches relate and understand female athletes,” said Lamar-Renee Bryant, head volleyball coach. 

Xavier’s athletic reputation is a cumulative effort of dedicated coaches, talented and hard-working athletes and supportive fans. The generous Xavier community pushes athletes to the next level of competition. 

“Xavier coaches have made a commitment to be the best at their jobs,” said Ella Wadsworth ‘26, cross country runner. “Our practices are intense and frequent with strong emphasis on sportsmanship, making it different from other programs in the state.”

Xavier is a work-hard, play-hard environment, and there is a strong correlation between successful athletes and successful students. All athletes coming to Xavier know they are choosing excellence when they enroll.

Rowan Ostendorf ‘25, spirtline captain, attributes her team’s success to the discipline taught at Xavier through both academics and athletics. “By setting the standard high, Xavier has proved the importance of earning success through hard work,” she states.

Thanks to Winsor’s dedication to female athletics, Xavier has achieved a feat that would not have been possible until recently. For an all-girls school to have received such praise for its athletic program is atypical, considering Xavier has no traditional football team serving Friday night lights. 

That does not stop the Xavier girls from having school spirit, however. All competitions are well-attended from away soccer games on a Wednesday night to a full gym for the basketball team. The Gatorline cheerleaders support Xavier Gators during competitions and the loud gym shows how passionate viewers are for the athlete’s accomplishments.

“I hope the students today realize the significance and impact of what this truly means. We have just under 1200 students, all-female athletes and they truly are the best. They are the best in the state, some of the best in the country, and I really feel like we need to shout that from the rooftops,” said Bryant. 

With the example set by Winsor, an incredible coaching staff and commitment to the sports, Xavier girls dominate with class.