The Year in Sports at Great Hearts Arizona

As we wrap up the 2025-26 school year, we take pause and look back at the many achievements our students have accomplished not only in academics, but also in athletics. Great Hearts believes that athletics is an integral part of a complete classical education. Plato even argued that sport cultivates aretê, the harmony of the soul, that is essential for moral education.

Great Hearts Arizona had 2,796 high school and 4,235 middle school athletic participants, with a total of 7,031 athletes who competed last year.

“We always want to continue to strive to create great people first and great athletes second,” shared Jon Rickey, the Arizona Network Director of Athletics, adding that, “we are so proud of all of our athletes, coaches, and teams.”

Great Hearts won seven high school state championships with four state runners-up. “Having seven high school state titles is truly a Great Hearts Network accomplishment and shows that we can demand excellence in the classroom and on the field and court,” said Rickey. In track, we had ten individual state champions, and two individual champions in tennis.

In All-Conference Awards, Great Hearts had 30 athletes who made First Team, 27 athletes who made Second Team, and 50 Honorable Mentions. The network had three Players of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year, two Offensive Players of the Year, and four Coaches of the Year.

In All-Region Awards, Great Hearts had 171 athletes who made First Team, 144 athletes who made Second Team, and 191 Honorable Mentions. The network had 11 All-Region Players of the Year, 13 Defensive Players of the Year, 17 Offensive Players of the Year, and 18 Coaches of the Year.

“I am so proud of our 25 seniors who are going on to play in college, and what a diverse group of sports they are going to be competing in,” said Rickey. Only about 6% of high school student athletes earn the opportunity to compete athletically at a collegiate level, making this a significant milestone for these great-hearted athletes as they head out to play for their colleges and university this fall. Read more about theses graduates here.

The Great Hearts Middle School League had a record-breaking year, with 341 teams who competed for 16 championships, the largest year for the league to date.

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