This weekend, Xavier’s soccer team won its fifth state championship in a row, a 5-peat. This year was the first time an open division was created, meaning the best teams from 4A, 5A and 6A schools were all placed in a bracket, intensifying the competition.
The Gators played against Casteel High School, a team from a different region that Xavier never would have played if it were not for the open division.
Senior forward Lainey Swanson explained that the open division is “everyone in the state instead of just a few schools, which was a challenge since there are many teams with more talent. It ended up being a good thing because it showed that we are truly the best team in Arizona.”
Swanson scored the first goal of the game. The Gators showed impressive offense in the first half followed by exceptional defense in the second half. The game went into overtime, with a final score of 2-1.
The Casteel Colts were only able to score on goalie Chloe Cundiff ‘26 with a penalty kick. This led to a competitive two periods of overtime, where Swanson successfully scored her second goal, solidifying the win for the Gators. Swanson was named the 6A Region Offensive Player of the Year.
Five wins is also a special number for the team as there are no players left from the first title-winning group, meaning the program has evolved as a whole, not just having a select number of athletes.
One person present throughout all five wins was 6A Region Head Coach of the Year, Barb Chura. This is Chura’s 10th state title since assuming the position of head coach for the Gators.
Forward Michal Cagungun ‘25, defensive players Izzy Lee ‘25 and Bianca Willis ‘26 and midfielders Nev Herzog ‘26 and Kateri Etsitty ‘26 were named First Team All Region Players. Forward Olivia Yu ‘26, defender Sophia Knox ‘27 and midfielder Elie Lopez ‘27 were named Second Team All Region Players.
“If you can be consistently good, I think that’s a huge compliment to a program, a player and a team. If you are consistent and you do it at a high level, I think you are going to have a lot of success, and I think that is what we were and what we are,” Chura said.
Players agree with their coach’s outlook on their winning streak. Ally Brown ‘25, named the 6A Region Player of the Year, said, “The fifth win shows the hard work and dedication that all Xavier student athletes have,” in reflecting on past players as well as her current teammates.
Brown is part of an exceptionally strong senior class, each player having made major contributions to the team on and off the field.
This year’s captains were Brown, Cagungun and Charlotte Sredzinski. Their fellow seniors are Swanson, Lee, Maya Dolasinski and Quinn Osborne.
“Our senior class is going to be missed a lot, and their contributions were huge, all of them. They have all left their mark,” said Chura.
