LACEY, Wash. — As the calendar turned to 2026, Saint Martin's University officially began its celebration of 100 years of competitive collegiate athletics.

The history and highlights of Saint Martin's Athletics ring through the hall of fame through championships, individual standouts, legendary coaches and staff, and decades of meaningful student-athletes who make the department special. Perhaps no one embodies the history of Saints Athletics more fully than Fr. Kilian Malvey, O.S.B.

Fr. Kilian has spent decades as an integral part of the Saint Martin's community, serving as a student, professor, monk, administrator, and spiritual leader for students, staff, and the greater Saint Martin's community. Across multiple eras of university life at Saint Martin's, he has seen athletics evolve from a small campus tradition to a defining part of the modern-day Saint Martin's experience.

For Fr. Kilian, athletics has always represented more than competition.

"I have always hoped that our athletes would leave Saint Martin's with a sense of having been blessed to be here," Fr. Kilian Malvey said. "That being at Saint Martin's gives them direction in their future life, instilled with the Benedictine values, to go and make a real big difference in the world."

Athletics in the 1950s

When Fr. Kilian first arrived at Saint Martin's as a student in 1952, athletics looked very different than it does today.

Malvey recalled numerous coaches from the early days of Saint Martin's athletics, when the school had standout teams in sports such as football and track & field.

Among the many coaches who paved the way in building the foundation for Saints Athletics over the last 100 years, Fr. Kilian recalled one common theme:

"What I remember best about the coaches is the way they were so committed and dedicated to their students," he said. "I think the present coaches are also a great example of that."

As Saint Martin's evolved over the decades past his student days, Fr. Kilian saw athletics as a constant thread connecting generations of students.

"As we celebrate 100 years of athletics, we are reminded that our greatest legacy is the people who have shaped our community," Director of Athletics Thresa Hanson said. "Few have done so more profoundly than Father Kilian.  Generations of student-athletes, coaches and staff have been fortunate to know him, and his legacy of kindness, faith, and service continues to inspire us.   

Growth of Athletics at Saint Martin's

Over the years as Father Kilian's role at the university began to grow, so too did the expanse of athletics at Saint Martin's.

The total number of sports programs fluctuated, as some sports left and others joined over the years. During his time at Saint Martin's, the university saw greater opportunities for female athletes, changes in facilities, a broader recruiting reach, increased visibility and competitiveness, and a more integrated identity of athletics in the campus community.

While the scale of athletics has changed over time, Fr. Kilian believes the mission behind athletics has remained rooted in the university's Benedictine values and traditions.

Benedictine Values and the Student-Athlete Experience

At Saint Martin's University, athletics has always been rooted in a larger mission of a Benedictine education, making the student-athlete experience unique.

Athletes who sport the red and white on their jersey also learn the values of community, discipline, humility, and respect. These values are interwoven in the educational practices at the university, but are also prevalent in the athletic practices of teamwork, hard work, dedication, and respecting your opponent.

For Fr. Kilian, athletics can teach lessons impossible to learn fully in a classroom, which is where he has spent countless hours in teaching English and Theology classes.

"I've often found that maybe it's because the discipline that it takes to be a good athlete, they also apply that same discipline into being good students," Fr. Kilian said.

Legacy of success

Fr. Kilian recalled buzzer-beating shots and standout athletic moments, but noted that the relationships with coaches and students over the years is what creates a productive environment for student-athletes up through the modern day.

"I have known so many of the coaches personally and have great admiration for them, and especially their concern for their students and the success they want for their students," Malvey said. "I think we trust our coaches to do the best they can, and that's probably a part of the Benedictine values and not just looking for winning teams, but really caring about the students."

Community in Athletics

Athletics is a unifying force of community, and that principle might exist more so at Saint Martin's than most college athletics departments around the country.

The web of student-athletes, coaches, administrators, professors, classmates, spiritual leaders, and mentors makes the student-athlete experience one of a kind. At Saint Martin's, 100 years of competitive athletics embodies that tradition living through the test of time, as modern students and fans continue to pack the same stands that saw Saint Martin's supporters over the last 100 years.

"The students that were here, and I'm so proud of the gifts that they had, highlighted what the original monks wanted to do. They wanted to provide an education and prepare students for life," Malvey said. "I think our coaches and our staff have done that beautifully over the years, and I think that certainly even the students themselves, by their example and by their hard work and their dedication to their particular sport, their gift and their talent always brought enrichment to Saint Martin's education."

Looking Toward the Next Century

As Saint Martin's celebrates 100 years of competitive athletics, Fr. Kilian's reflections give insight that stretches far beyond wins and losses.

For him, the lasting legacy of athletics may not be accomplishments, wins, or championships, but the people you meet along the way and the values learned in a productive community. Saint Martin's Athletics has evolved greatly over the last century, but through every generation, the values of community, perseverance, and humility are the core of the Saints Athletics tradition.

"I hope that we can continue to compete and be successful, and not just in winning," Malvey said. "That we provide for our students the very best that we have in terms of their needs as athletes and their needs as academic students. Their gift of their talent and their gifts that they bring to the school I feel is always really important, and I hope we continue to encourage that."

"While victories and championships mark important moments in our history, it is people like Father Kilian who remind us what truly endures," Hanson said. "His legacy is woven into the fabric of this institution, and his influence continues to inspire not only our athletes but the wider community as well. Thank you, Father Kilian, for being a guiding light for our community and for leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of Saints to come."