HALEY WARD AND XAVIER KAHUBE NAMED AVILA ATHLETICS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rounding out the 2026 Avila Athletics End of Season Awards, Haley Ward and Xavier Kahube have been named the Female and Male Athletes of the Year!
Ward’s accomplishments have been on display throughout the week, as she has also been the recipient of the Female Transfer Athlete of the Year and Avila Athletics’ Moment of the Year.
“Haley has set the bar for the Avila wrestling program,” said Avila wrestling head coach Eric Mateo. “Even more impressive is her ability to balance maintaining a 4.0 grade-point-average in the demanding nursing program while competing at the highest level. We all look forward to what Haley will accomplish with Coach Darick Lapaglia in her corner.”
Ward was the national runner-up at the 2026 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championships, a KCAC Champion and the second All-American in Avila women’s wrestling’s history this season, putting a cap on one of the best athletic seasons in school history.
This is the second-straight year in which an Avila women’s wrestler won the Female Athlete of the Year award, joining Alexis Hatfield in 2024-25.
Xavier Kahube wrapped up his stellar Avila basketball career with an All-KCAC Second Team selection, helping Avila to its most successful season in a decade.
Kahube averaged 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while finishing his time in an Eagle uniform as the most efficient scorer in program history as his 60.3 career field goal percentage is tops in the program’s record books. Additionally, Kahube ends his career 10th in scoring and sixth in career rebounds.
“Congratulations to Xavier on this award,” said Avila head men’s basketball coach Alex Slawson. “Xavier is the kind of player every coach wants to coach; he is relentless and completely committed to winning. He earned this honor through leadership, toughness and character. An extremely gifted player, this honor is reflected with his records and impact on the program.”
