Migration
GalleryThe Europe sports year in photos
Stars and Stripes
December 29, 2017
Ramstein's Bailey Holland, right, breaks a tackle by Stuttgart's Will Tonder at Vogelweh, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Bailey Holland, right, breaks a tackle by Stuttgart's Will Tonder at Vogelweh, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Sammy Molina, right, deflects a pass intended for Spangdahlem's Sage Kown at Vogelweh, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels' Olivia Friedhoff digs deep to get a Sigonella serve as teammate Sophia Beckley watches. Sigonella beat Brussels 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 25-22 to take the Division III title at the DODEA-Europe volleyball finals in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Saturday, Nov.4, 2017. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Catherine Gulihur uses her forehand to slam the ball back over the net in the girls singles final at the DODEA-Europe tennis championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Gulihur took the title with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Wiesbaden's Charlotte Kordonowy. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Gabe Simpson jumps over Kaiserslautern's Ashton Moses in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. Stuttgart won the game 30-9. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Frank Whitworth encourages his putt to go in during the DODEA-Europe golf championship at Rheinblick golf course in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden junior quarterback Josh Blake holds off a Vilseck defender in their season-opening matchup Sept. 9, 2017 in Wiesbaden, Germany. Blake threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Warriors defeated the Falcons 38-0. (Dan Stoutamire/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella's Alex Ogletree, right, slides to second ahead of a throw to Bitburg's Max Little during the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championship at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Sigonella won the game 10-1. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck's Zavier Scott celebrates after anchoring the 4x100-meter relay team at the DODEA-Europe track and field finals in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Scott and teammates Corey Coombs, Hayden Swan and Devin Gamble won the race in 43.95 seconds. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza's Beatrice Afoa-Galo reaches third base as Lakenheath's Reiley Kenk waits for the throw in a Division I game at the DODEA-Europe softball tournament in Ramstein, Germany, Thursday, May 25, 2017. Lakenheath won 15-5. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Naples' Christian Albright and Ramstein's Connor Settle go for the header in a Division I semifinal at the DODEA-Europe soccer championships in Reichenbach, Germany. Ramstein beat Naples 1-0 in overtime to advance to Saturday's final. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
SHAPE pitcher Samantha Herrejon throws the ball during a game against Kaiserslautern in their first game of the softball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany, Thursday, May 25. (Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Carolina Golden celebrates after scoring a goal during the DODEA-Europe soccer tournament in Reichenbach, Germany, on Thursday, May 18, 2017. Wiesbaden won the Division I match against Vicenza 4-0 and advances to the semifinals. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Chyann Fox battles Ramstein's Kaitlyn Daniels, left, and Ashley Mateo for the ball during the DODEA-Europe Division I championship in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern swimmer Leon Pierre-Louis takes a breath during the boys age eight and under 50 meter butterfly at the European Forces Swim League championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (William Howard/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's David Williams gets a hand in Kaiserslautern's Steve Segning's face as they fight for a rebound in Wiesbaden's 47-37 win in opening-day Division I action at the DODEA-Europe basketball championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Watching the action is Marlon Robbins. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Erik Gerena celebrates winning the 220-pound weight class during the DODEA-Europe wrestling championship in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella's Cain Brehmer tries to get out of the grip of Stuttgart's Maximillian Tortorelli in a 145-pound, second-round match at the DODEA-Europe wrestling championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.Tortorelli went on to win. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Kaisersalutern's Marlon Robbins, left, dribbles past Wiesbaden's Josh Osakwe at Vogelweh, Germany, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. Kaiserslautern lost 57-56. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Tyler Kostos, rear, takes Stuttgart's Matthew Bolduc to the mat during a match at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. (Michael B. Keller/Stars and Stripes)
New champions were crowned and dynasties were extended in a memorable calendar year of DODEA Europe sports.
The Stuttgart Panthers strengthened their hold on the winter sports early in 2017, completing an undefeated girls basketball season with a decisive run through the Division I tournament and adding to their ongoing championship runs in marksmanship and wrestling. On the boys side, the Ramstein Royals won their third straight Division I crown.
The spring season brought rebirth for two large-school soccer programs. The Kaiserslautern Raiders knocked off rival Ramstein for the Division I boys crown, while the Wiesbaden Warriors supplanted reigning champion Stuttgart for the Division I girls championship. But not every upstart was rewarded — Ramstein stretched its baseball title reign to five seasons, and was joined by the Royal softball team in a sweep of the Division I diamond titles.
In November, the final championships of the calendar year produced a new crop of worthy champions. Spangdahlem, formerly known as Bitburg, returned to the Division II football throne for the first time since 2012. Stuttgart completed a convincing undefeated season with a defeat of Ramstein for its second Division I football crown in three seasons. And Lakenheath claimed a long-sought Division I girls volleyball title with a thorough sweep of reigning champion Stuttgart.
For all of those schools’ success, the signature program of the 2017 DODEA Europe sports year might well be the Sigonella Jaguars. The tiny Italian program dominated the small-school sports landscape throughout, sweeping the boys and girls basketball titles in winter, collecting matching baseball and softball championships in the spring and capping the year with its third consecutive Division III girls volleyball crown.