Ramstein pitcher Christian Roy flips after he struck out a Kaiserslautern batter for the ultimate out through the Division I title sport on the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Turbulent finest describes 2025 for DODEA-Europe athletics.
Sports got here to halt all year long, realignment noticed colleges transfer up divisions both in particular person or all sports and different adjustments – typically final minute – threw curveballs to athletes, coaches and directors.
Still, the world saved spinning, and DODEA athletes continued to compete for championships.
Here’s a listing of the highest tales of 2025 involving DODEA-Europe athletics:
D.C. drama pauses spring, fall sports
Government shutdowns have stopped DODEA extracurriculars prior to now, however politics created uncertainty with sports a number of occasions this yr.
On March 12, at some point earlier than the beginning of the spring season, DODEA introduced a halt to the opening weekend as a consequence of Pentagon orders to pause non-mission-essential journey and authorities journey card use.
The solely occasion allowed to go on was a girls and boys soccer doubleheader between Kaiserslautern and Ramstein the following day due to the colleges’ proximity.
Just hours later, although, a DODEA spokesperson stated the group had been given “the authority to relook” on the funding out there, and the seasons started with no hitch – aside from a number of rescheduled contests.
Six months later when the federal authorities shut down on Oct. 1, sports really did hit pause.
Yet per week after that, information got here out that sports and different extracurricular actions had been deemed excepted actions and allowed to restart.
Apart from tennis, fall sports championships had been pushed again one week and missed competitions had been made up.
Stuttgart broad receiver Kenneth Lee tries to come back down with a move whereas Ramstein junior Lincoln Bump defends through the 2025 DODEA European 11-man soccer championship sport on Nov. 7, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein, Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Realignment sees only one 11-man soccer division
DODEA-Europe shuffled its soccer divisions as soon as once more, this time with only a singular 11-man tier. Naples and Vicenza jumped up from Division II to affix large colleges Stuttgart, Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, Vilseck and Lakenheath.
The Wildcats had been capable of maintain their very own, ending second within the South convention earlier than dropping a 28-14 contest in opposition to the Royals within the semifinals.
The remainder of the South Region – Rota, Aviano and Sigonella – joined the Benelux colleges – International School of Brussels, SHAPE and AFNORTH – in nine-man soccer.
Spangdahlem, Alconbury and Baumholder made up the six-man competitors.
In the tip, Stuttgart returned to the highest after a one-year hiatus, ISB gained its first DODEA title since 2002 and Spangdahlem collected the six-man crown.
Whether these divisions maintain up for subsequent yr stays to be seen.
Two stars meet on the web as Rota’s Jourdan Timmons, proper, tries to get the ball previous Black Forest Academy’s Priscilla Sivonen on the DODEA-Europe Division II women volleyball championships Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Vicenza, Italy. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Volleyball tournaments restrict finals participation
Qualifying tournaments have been a staple of particular person sports such as wrestling and golf.
Yet this fall, girls and boys volleyball groups discovered themselves eliminating groups earlier than the finals. The groups met in six places for qualifying competitions one week forward of their respective European championships, the place solely 4 groups from every division took half.
The choice usually was not well acquired by coaches and athletes, as it took away from the carnival-like environment of Euros. Others expressed considerations over groups being eradicated as a result of the matchups seemed to be primarily based on location and never season standings.
The South Region match held at Naples highlighted these criticisms. The Italian faculty hosted the Top three groups within the South standings – Bahran, Rota and Naples – with a mixed regular-season document of 22-3.
Despite their views on the subject, the groups navigated the method to provide three women champions. Ramstein got here out on prime in Division I for the primary time since 2019, Black Forest Academy additionally ended a protracted trophy drought and Ansbach accomplished a four-peat.
Stuttgart setter Edmund Gavina units the ball for a teammate through the 2025 DODEA-Europe North boys volleyball championship match in opposition to Ramstein on Nov. 8, 2025, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Boys volleyball splits into two competitions
The boys sport lengthy had been the area of DODEA-Europe’s South Region. Outside of BFA, no staff north of the Alps had introduced dwelling a European crown.
Over the previous 5 years, the game expanded into Germany, the Benelux area and England. With 15 complete groups, it was time for separate championships.
The North consisted of Division I colleges Ramstein, Stuttgart, Vilseck, SHAPE and Lakenheath and small faculty Hohenfels. The South was all of the groups in Italy, Spain and Bahrain plus BFA.
The cut up led to 2 new groups atop the rostrum. In the South, Bahrain collected its first title since a Mediterranean crown in 20215, and within the North, the Panthers gained the championship of their inaugural season.
Wiesbaden’s Jacob Idowu goes for a shot within the paint whereas Vilseck’s Jeremiah Dorff tries to dam him throughout a Jan. 17, 2025, sport at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden boys basketball ends generational dry spell
Coach David Brown noticed his Warriors make the Division I title sport in 2014 and 2017, solely to fall quick each occasions.
His 2024-2025 ball membership prevented such heartbreak and put an finish to a drought that started within the final millennium. The Warriors final gained in 1999 when Lorenzo Brown (no relation to the present coach), was in cost.
Wiesbaden rode a close to excellent first quarter by match MVP Jordan Thibodeaux and held off a late Ramstein surge to win 58-54 on Feb. 15 on the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center.
It capped off an undefeated season. Along with Thibodeaux, Stars and Stripes’ 2024-2025 boys basketball Athlete of the Year, Jacob and Joel Idowu, Zion Thompson and others paced the Warriors.
Ramstein striker Claire Boynton dribbles towards web throughout a May 3, 2025, match in opposition to Stuttgart at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Royals reign in most spring sports
Ramstein athletics blossomed on the proper time early within the yr.
The Royals repeated as the Division I girls and boys soccer champions with 2-0 and 3-1 wins over Stuttgart on May 22.
The boys used a stifling defensive effort and a pair of targets from Santiago Idarraga and Keiran Goodall to energy previous the Panthers. On the ladies aspect, Claire Boynton and Ava Smith (twice) scored to finish a comeback.
Then, on the baseball and softball diamonds, the Royals as soon as once more proved themselves the cream of the crop with 8-4 and 10-0 wins over crosstown rival Kaiserslautern on May 23.
Two-out rallies proved to be the distinction for the baseball Royals, whereas pitcher Kelsey Moya tossed a no-hitter to ship off coach Kent Enyeart with a title.
Ramstein’s Lilianna Greene celebrates her 105-pound title on the DODEA-Europe wrestling championships Feb. 8, 2025, in Wiesbaden, Germany, after defeating Rota’s Quennette Kirkconnell, to change into the primary women champion in DODEA-Europe historical past. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Girls grapple for first championships
After coming shut in opposition to the boys a number of occasions, the ladies lastly bought their time within the highlight.
And shine they did. Starting with Ramstein’s Lilianna Greene at 105 kilos, eight women grew to become the primary in DODEA-Europe historical past to convey dwelling crowns through the 2025 European wrestling championships on Feb. 8.
The scenes had been electrical, and the matches like the primary one between Greene and Rota’s Quenette Kirkconnell, which went forwards and backwards, confirmed how invested everybody at Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center was within the sport.
Others successful had been Ramstein’s Liberty Snyder (110) and Genesis Esparza (115), Alconbury’s Richele Reyes (120), Sigonella’s Rickalia Goss (130), Stuttgart’s Violet Tomko (140), Naples’ Audrey Pounds (155) and Kaiserslautern’s Kaelyn Ronnau (170).
AFNORTH senior Logan Conrad held an early lead within the 2025 DODEA European cross nation championships at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Baumholder, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Stuttgart’s Ethan Cohen tried to maintain tempo with Conrad, finally ending second to Conrad, who gained in 17 minutes, 27.03 seconds. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Cross nation runners slog by Baumholder lavatory
Multiple coaches and athletes described the circumstances at this fall’s cross nation championships as the worst they’ve skilled at a race.
A gradual rain on Nov. 1 made the course at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Baumholder, Germany, a muddy mess. Falling occurred to quite a few runners – and a number of occasions at that.
AFNORTH senior Logan Conrad led from begin to end to take dwelling the boys’ particular person crown. Wiesbaden sophomore Linden Pickler, in the meantime, took dwelling one other season-ending championship on the ladies aspect. Pickler gained the Kansas 6A title in 2024.
AFNORTH guard Emery Koger goes up for a layup after getting previous Ansbach middle Kennedy Lange throughout a Division III pool-play sport on the 2025 DODEA European basketball championships on Feb. 13, 2025, on the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Girls basketball powers deal with competitors
Under coach Matt Wise, the AFNORTH Lions are used to enjoying and successful championships.
On Feb. 15, they added to this system’s legacy. Behind performances from Selah Skariah, Emery Koger and Hadley Keeton, AFNORTH defeated Hohenfels 47-34 on the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center to win its third Division III title in 4 straight title-game appearances.
Joining the Lions with their third Division II title in 4 years was American Overseas School of the Rome. The Falcons rallied to defeat Vicenza 27-25 by way of a Gloria Olivieri layup within the closing seconds.
Then, probably the most profitable Division I program within the final decade repeated as champion, when Stuttgart held off upstart Vilseck 43-35. Hannah Holmes led the best way with 15 factors within the first half.
Vilseck’s Pennie Wolff hits the ball throughout her women singles semifinal match in opposition to Ramstein’s Gianna Tak through the second day of the 2025 DODEA European tennis championships on Oct. 24, 2025, on the T2 Sports Health Club in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Tennis sees new faces atop podium
For the previous 4 years, Ramstein’s Tristian Chandler and the Kaiserslautern women dominated their respective tennis tournaments.
This fall, no obstacles stood in the best way for new blood to convey dwelling championships on the T2 Sports Health Club on Oct. 25.
In boys singles, Kaiserslautern senior Jace Martin outlasted Vicenza’s Jacob McGovern in a back-and-forth thriller 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
Girls singles discovered its latest stud within the type of freshman phenom Pennie Wolff, who dropped only one sport the complete European championships. She ended the ultimate with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Stuttgart’s Bella Farias.
Then, after three years of making an attempt and two title-match losses, Vicenza duo Annika Svenson and Addie Wilson lastly bought that elusive European crown with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ramstein’s Brooke Vinson and Scarlett Hosey.
And whereas not new faces, Riccardo Averni and Giovanni La Piana d’Orlandi made Marymount historical past as this system’s first repeat boys doubles champs with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Vicenza’s Michael Gillett and Erik Findlay.