Portsmouth Christian Academy Athletics Celebrates 2026 ESPY Award Winners
Portsmouth Christian Academy celebrated another outstanding year in athletics at the Fourth Annual ESPY Awards, honoring the student-athletes, teams, coaches, and fans who helped define the 2025–2026 season. Voted on by the PCA community and nominated by coaches, this year’s winners represented excellence across every level of Eagle athletics.
Check out the video opener from this year’s ESPY’s, highlighting big plays from the 2025-26 season.
The afternoon began with recognition for breakthrough athletes in the middle school ranks. Elias Chamberlain was named Middle School Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year after making an impact across soccer, basketball, and Upper School varsity baseball. Chamberlain captained the middle school soccer team, battled through injuries, scored seven goals, brought energy to the basketball program, and earned a starting role on the varsity baseball team as a seventh grader.
Sylvie Wamberg earned Middle School Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year after a standout year in soccer and track. Wamberg led the varsity soccer team with 28 goals, played a major role in the Eagles’ playoff and championship run, earned First Team All-State honors as an eighth grader, and continued to establish herself as one of Division III’s top sprinters.
The Boys Middle School Varsity Basketball Championship was named Middle School Game/Race of the Year. The team captured its second straight league championship with a hard-fought win over rival St. Patrick’s, powered by Lawson Trayer’s 24 points and a relentless full-court press late in the game.
At the varsity level, Women’s Varsity Soccer’s Final Four win over Lin-Wood earned Game/Match of the Year. Trailing late in the second half, the Eagles battled back when Sylvie Wamberg scored the equalizer off a pass from Jaela Stockbower. Wamberg then scored again in overtime off an assist from Ruthie Sherrill, sending PCA to the state championship game with a dramatic 2–1 victory.
The award for Most Outstanding Upset of the Year went to Varsity Men’s Soccer’s 1–0 Homecoming win over CCA. Josiah Ludwig scored the game-winner, and Jackson Malone made several clutch saves to preserve the shutout in front of the home crowd.
One of the biggest honors of the day went to Upper School Girls Varsity Soccer, which was named Team Performance of the Year. The Eagles made history with a 14–2 season, the most wins in program history, and captured the program’s first-ever state championship. PCA capped off its remarkable run with a 3–0 victory over the two-time defending champions in the title game. The team was also recognized with their Division IV State Championship banner unveiling during the ceremony.
Individual performances were also celebrated throughout the afternoon. Isla Petlick won Middle School Individual Performance of the Year after becoming a reliable starter and one of the middle school JV volleyball team’s most consistent players during her first season at PCA. Her coachability, strong serving, and team-first attitude helped her stand out.
Ava Buchanan received Upper School Female Individual Performance of the Year after a historic basketball season. Buchanan became PCA’s all-time leading scorer with 1,614 points and also set program records in rebounds, steals, and three-pointers made, cementing her place as one of the most accomplished players in school history.
Christian Barnes was named Upper School Male Individual Performance of the Year after earning a spot at the New England Championships in cross country. Barnes finished in the top 25 at the Meet of Champions, then went on to earn All-New England honors, becoming the first male runner in PCA history to do so.
The Set the Standard awards honored PCA’s top athletes across middle school and varsity competition. Sylvie Wamberg was named Middle School Girls Set the Standard winner after her dominant soccer season and record-setting contributions in track. Elias Chamberlain earned Middle School Boys Set the Standard after contributing across soccer, basketball, and varsity baseball.
At the varsity level, Ava Buchanan was named US Women Set the Standard winner for her record-breaking basketball career and contributions in track and cross country. Cai Summers earned US Men Set the Standard after a dominant year in basketball and baseball, finishing his basketball career as the highest-scoring male athlete in PCA history with 1,475 points.
The PCA Fan of the Year award went to Matthew Dunphy, recognized for his faithful presence on the sidelines across multiple seasons. From soccer and volleyball to basketball, baseball, and softball, Dunphy’s support has made him one of PCA Athletics’ most familiar and enthusiastic fans.
The final major honor of the event was the Aquila Award, given to Cai Summers. Named after the Latin word for “eagle,” the Aquila Award recognizes leadership on and off the playing field, with an emphasis on athletics, academics, and community service. Summers was honored for his leadership across basketball and baseball, his work ethic, his investment in youth leadership and Bible study, his volunteer service, and his academic excellence.
The 2026 ESPY Awards reflected a year filled with championship moments, individual milestones, record-setting performances, and faithful support from across the PCA community. From middle school athletes just beginning to make their mark to seniors leaving a lasting legacy, this year’s winners showed what it means to compete with excellence, lead with character, and represent PCA well.
