Kent Denver Looks to Extend State Title Streak to 30 Years

Updated as of October 9, 2025

It’s been nearly three decades since a school year passed by without Kent Denver Athletics winning at least one team state championship. That amazing streak of excellence began in the 1996-97 season, and it extended to 29 consecutive seasons last year thanks to the KDS boys tennis and boys basketball teams. 

An excellent year in 2024-25 was further highlighted by the 13 individual state championships our student-athletes captured in boys tennis, swimming and diving, girls tennis and track and field. Not to mention, five Sun Devils—Nathan Gold ’25 (boys tennis), Caleb Fay ’26 (boys basketball), Lila Moldenhauer ’25 (girls tennis), and Alex Horton ’26 and Dylan Khailer ’26 (track & field)—were even named CHSAA Player of the Year in their respective sports and classifications. 

Now, as we pass the halfway point of the fall 2025 season, this year’s Sun Devils appear poised and determined to add to the school’s lengthy list of athletic accomplishments. 

Field Hockey

One group currently looking to capture Kent Denver’s 80th team state championship is our No. 2-ranked field hockey team. Led by stars Alden Carlson ’28 and Tatum Johnson ’26, the Sun Devils have already had two thrilling overtime wins over both Colorado Academy and Cherry Creek, the latter of which beat Kent Denver in last year’s state championship game. 

Boys Golf

Boys golf just wrapped up a fantastic season. The team won the Metro League championship and finished in seventh place at the CHSAA 3A State Tournament. Johnny Eisinger ’26, Zach Zaitz ’29, Chase Kakel ’28 and Riahn Singh ’26 represented the Sun Devils at state, with Zach (8th place) and Johnny (16th place) both finishing in the top 20 individually. 

Boys Tennis

The Kent Denver boys tennis team came into the 2025-26 season with an incredible run of four consecutive 4A team state championships. This year’s group—which features returning champions Noah Bogel ’27 (now No. 1 Singles) and Liam O’Drobinak ’26 (now No. 2 Singles), among others—finished an impressive 8-2 in the regular season. The only losses came against 5A school Fossil Ridge and last year’s 5A state champion, Cherry Creek. 

The highlight of the regular season came when the Sun Devils beat Colorado Academy 4-3 in a rematch of last year’s 4A state championship. Once again ranked as the No. 1 seed in the dual-style CHSAA 4A Team State Tournament, Kent Denver swept its first two opponents to advance to the semifinals. The Sun Devils followed that performance up by winning regionals, with all seven lines taking first place in their respective categories. Our players will now compete for individual state titles—as well as the team's fifth straight team state championship—in the next couple of weeks. 

Football

The Kent Denver football team is having a remarkable season. The team is currently undefeated—including a big win on Homecoming over Forge Christian—and ranked No. 5 in Class 2A. The Sun Devils are currently outscoring teams by well over 20 points per game on average, thanks to a fearsome defense—featuring Tripp Skewes ’26, Caleb Fay ’26 and Nigel Fay ’26—and a high-powered offense led by quarterback Yianni Balafas ’26, running back Seb Meyers ’27 and wide receivers Clayton Leger ’28, Colton Meade ’28 and Wyatt Howard ’26.

Cross Country

Our boys and girls cross country teams have had an exciting fall season, with our girls team turning in several top-three finishes at meets during the first couple months of competition. Penny Kim ’28 and Noelle Manzanares ’27 have often led the pack with their superb performances each week. 

From high elevations to inclement weather—like the heavy rainfall during a recent meet at the Adams County Fairgrounds—our runners have met every challenge with grit and enthusiasm. At the Metro League Championships on October 9, the girls team took sixth place and the boys team took eighth place. The Sun Devils will now prepare for regionals on October 23 and the state meet November 1. 

Boys Soccer

Kent Denver’s boys soccer team is currently sitting around .500 on the season. Led by stellar defense from Stanley Tsai ’29 and outstanding goalkeeping from Max Baker ’27, the Sun Devils have given up less than one goal per game on average. They will continue to fight for playoff positioning in the lead-up to the 3A state tournament at the end of October. 

Volleyball

The volleyball team is also right around .500 and fighting for postseason positioning. With the leadership of seniors Austin Duncan, Valana Thompson and Elisabeth Kim, as well as major contributions from Anya Schayes ’27, Ava Ryan ’27 and Mosley Manning ’29, the Sun Devils will aim to have a strong performance at regionals in early November.

To stay up-to-date on all of Kent Denver’s varsity sports teams, follow Kent Denver Athletics on Instagram, and be sure to check out the Schedules & Scores page on the school website. Go Sun Devils!