New Year Promises Big Wins for CA Student-Athletes

Colorado Academy Athletics is doubling down on its support for student-athletes, as the 2025-2026 fall season gets underway and families and fans look forward to a new year of Mustang highlights.

According to Athletic Director Jon Hill, CA’s new High Performance Model for Middle and Upper School competitors gives equal weight to physical and mental preparation through a holistic program that sets CA apart from even the largest area schools. “We looked to college programs to build our model,” explains Hill, who is just back from a visit with the Varsity Field Hockey Team to the University of Michigan. There, the perennially strong CA squad got a chance to scrimmage on collegiate turf and take a private facilities tour with multi-sport Michigan recruit Zoe Martin ’24.

Student-athletes at CA now have easy access to a range of services that is wider than ever, Hill continues, with mental performance coaching making its debut this fall to complement CA’s Sports Performance and Sports Medicine programs. “Our families can now come to us for almost everything they need to support their athlete’s health and performance—right here on campus.”

CA alumna Sydney (Prokupek) Nolan ’17, who followed up her standout Mustang Lacrosse record with a successful college lacrosse career at Wesleyan University, will bring the new offering to every Upper School team throughout the year. With a master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology, she’ll coach players on everything from pregame mental preparation to school/sport balance and healthy sleep habits.

Notes Hill, “We gave all of our athletes their own sports journals, too, so they can keep notes on their mental and physical day-to-day, sources of strength, things they want to work on. They’re excited to have Sydney available to talk about these important components of performance.”

Nolan isn’t the only expert who’s helping to bolster CA’s ability to support athletes: Last year marked the first in a partnership between CA and the former Director of Nutrition for the Denver Broncos, certified dietician Bryan Snyder, to offer student-athletes and families monthly “huddles” filled with evidence-based nutrition education. Snyder’s advice, Hill observes, is designed to work hand-in-hand with the care young athletes already receive through CA’s Sports Performance and Sports Medicine programs.

Sports Medicine at CA received a boost last year, too, through another recent partnership, with Board-Certified Family Physician Dr. Robert Michael. He’ll provide additional oversight for CA’s Certified Athletic Trainers as well as offer outside services and referrals for physical therapy, orthopedics, and other specialties. Rory Grady, Director of Sports Medicine and one of CA’s Certified Athletic Trainers, works closely with Michael and will team up this year with new Certified Athletic Trainer Stephanie Rusnak, who comes to CA with Division I and II collegiate experience, including at the Colorado School of Mines.

Right next door, inside the Bansbach Strength & Conditioning Center, a new Sports Performance Fellowship through the University of Denver has allowed Director of Sports Performance Wes Kirk to offer year-round training for athletes during their school day, in-season and out. 

“What we’re building here at CA is unique among high schools in our region,” says Hill. “It’s almost a ‘one-stop-shop’ for student-athletes and their families. We’re able to support every athlete holistically, from their mental and emotional well-being to their ability to train and compete at a high level on the field.”

Constant improvement

There’s more good news wherever in his department you care to look, Hill underscores. Two new Heads of Program—for Volleyball and Boys Soccer—are already impressing players and their families. Volleyball Head Coach Kait Kozak brings nearly two decades of experience as a collegiate and high school coach—as well as a year spent in the Upper School as a wellness educator—to the Girls program, and the payoff has been immediate: So many players signed up for this fall season that CA will field five squads, more than any other high school in the state.

Meanwhile, Arron Lujan, Boys Soccer Head of Program, takes to Firman Field with decades of experience in player development, coaching, and national scouting across collegiate and professional soccer. He began making his mark with the Mustangs well before the first day of school, holding pre-season practices and camps to help rebuild a squad that had seen numerous longtime contributors graduate after propelling the team to two State Championships in a row in 2022 and 2023.

Later this fall, Hill is looking to put CA’s dedicated co-ed Cross Country and Ultimate Frisbee programs in front of more fans with new invitational contests at home. A new partnership will also bring together the Cross Country Team and Lower School athletes for a series of fun runs. Elsewhere in the Lower School, the year-old after-school sports program continues to attract eager competitors as the program seeks to offer additional sports such as golf and swimming.

As much as State Championships feel like a staple of the CA Athletic program—and certainly weigh heavily on the minds of many student-athletes and their families—it’s actually innovations such as Lower School sports and the new High Performance Model that truly distinguish CA’s approach, Hill observes. By emphasizing broad participation and focusing on overall athlete health and performance, he says, “Not only are we staying competitive with the schools who are our rivals, but we’re also holding to what is unique about our mission.” 

At CA, everybody plays; sports spark joy and connection; and even the smallest individual triumphs are as cherished as the biggest trophies.