Warfel Named CL Newcomer of the Year, Allen Earns Honorable Mention
Crossroads League Women's Basketball Awards Page | TU Honors Page
JACKSON, Mich. – Taylor University freshman Kaycie Warfel has been named the Crossroads League Women's Basketball Newcomer of the Year, headlining the Trojans' 2025-26 CL awards released Wednesday. Warfel also collected First-Team All-Crossroads League and All-Freshman Team honors. Fellow freshman Madi Allen, who emerged as a reliable two-way contributor alongside Warfel in the Trojans' backcourt, earned Honorable Mention All-Crossroads League and All-Freshman Team recognition.
Warfel started 28 games during a record-setting freshman campaign, leading the entire NAIA in scoring at 24.3 points per game and in total points with 679, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. Warfel shot 45.6 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range and 74.1 percent from the free throw line while adding 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a league-leading 2.8 steals per game. The Pendleton, Indiana native also ranked second nationally in field goals made (242) and 32nd in steals (78) while setting the TU program's all-time scoring record for a freshman.
Warfel announced herself immediately, averaging 32.3 points per game over the Trojans' first seven contests, which included upset wins over receiving-votes Olivet Nazarene (38 points) and No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan (27 points). She collected six Crossroads League Player of the Week awards — five offensive and one defensive — and earned NAIA National Player of the Week honors for the week of November 3–9.
Along the way, Warfel reached 30 or more points eight times, headlined by a 40-point outburst at Grace that tied for the second-highest single-game scoring output in TU history. In that game and in a 35-point effort at Mount Vernon Nazarene, Warfel connected on 15 field goals, the second-most in a single game in program history.
Allen earned Honorable Mention All-Crossroads League recognition after a standout freshman season of her own. A native of Greensburg, Indiana, Allen led the squad in minutes played at 31.9 per game while serving as Taylor's second-leading scorer at 11.3 points per outing. She added 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game, scoring in double figures 17 times during the regular season. Allen posted a career-high 27 points in a victory over receiving-votes Huntington and recorded two double-doubles, including a 19-point, 12-rebound effort against Olivet Nazarene and a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Warfel, Allen and the Trojans turned in one of the most remarkable turnaround seasons in NAIA women's basketball. In her third season leading the program, head coach Cassie Wiseman guided Taylor to a 10-plus win improvement over the previous year, placing the Trojans among just six programs nationally to accomplish that feat. TU opened the season 14-0 — the program's best start since 2019-20 — and rode what stands as the third-longest win streak in program history. The Trojans received votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll and collected signature victories over No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 22 Indiana Tech, receiving-votes Olivet Nazarene and receiving-votes Huntington. Taylor also went 10-4 at Odle Arena, the program's highest home win total in six seasons.
RV Taylor will wait for the NAIA Women's Basketball Selection Show, scheduled for Thursday, March 5, at 8 p.m. ET, to learn whether the Trojans will receive an at-large bid to the national tournament.