Flag Football touches down their inaugural season at TCO Stadium
Oles celebrate a touchdown against the College of Saint Benedict. Photo by Kat Dodge. 
Oles led Um! Yah! Yah! after crushing St. Bens. Photo by Kat Dodge 
St. Olaf Women’s Flag Football 2026 Team. Photo by Kat Dodge. 
Cornerback Joy Brandenstein ’27. Images courtesy of the Ben Krause/Minnesota Vikings. 
Wide Receiver Glory Johnson ’28 celebrates her teammates making a good play. Images courtesy of the Ben Krause/Minnesota Vikings. 
Quarterback Mya Karsten ’29. Images courtesy of the Ben Krause/Minnesota Vikings. 
Cornerback Joy Brandenstein ’27 and Quarterback Mya Karsten ’29 display the All-Conference Team awards for the 2026 Midwest Women’s College Flag League. Images courtesy of the Ben Krause/Minnesota Vikings.
On a brisk April day, 25 new football players from St. Olaf College arrived at TCO Stadium for the first time. Donning black and gold, ponytails and braids, and receiver gloves, they approached the fields ready to be in the competition’s end zone.
After only a few months of practice, St. Olaf’s inaugural women’s flag football club was already proving to be a force within their first season, and was seeded third entering into the playoffs.
“What makes St. Olaf’s women’s flag football team special is the variety of backgrounds we come from –– club athletes, first-timers, and varsity competitors. Where that might create division, for us it built something unbreakable,” Jessie Sprague ‘27, president of St. Olaf Women’s Flag Football, says. “Learning a new sport together since January created a bond that carried us into each and every practice fired up, building excitement week by week. By [the time we arrived at] TCO, there was a hunger in the air, and it was entirely fueled by the community we created around each other.”
Named by the NCAA as one of the fastest-emerging sports at the collegiate and secondary school level, women’s flag football expands access for those who may not have previously seen themselves represented in the space.
“By establishing a program now, even at the club level, St. Olaf aligns with a broader movement to expand opportunities for women in football,” Ryan Townzen, the team’s head coach and the director of recreation at St. Olaf, comments. “The team creates new avenues for community engagement, potential partnerships, building a sense of belonging, and increased visibility for women in sport.”
Townzen continues, “It also sends a message to prospective students that St. Olaf values emerging opportunities and is responsive to current and future student interests.”
As flag football players, the student athletes are developing essential skills such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and competitive excellence.
“My hope for this program is that it continues to grow — not only in numbers, but also in belonging,” Ava Williams ‘28, co-vice president of marketing for St. Olaf Women’s Flag Football, says. “I hope for the program to continue to be a place where athletes feel empowered to connect with new people, take risks, and compete. Ultimately, I hope players not only grow as athletes, but also gain confidence in themselves and form meaningful connections that extend beyond the field”
“The extraordinary interest we received from our students demonstrates that when barriers are removed and opportunities are created, students respond,” Townzen says. “Women’s flag football at St. Olaf is not just a new team; it is a tangible expression of access, equity, and institutional commitment to belonging in sport.”
The Oles ended their inaugural season in third place, falling by one point to the College of Saint Benedict, which went on to claim the championship. Additionally, two St. Olaf players were named to the All-Conference Team: Joy Brandenstein ‘27 (cornerback) and Mya Karsten ‘29 (quarterback).
The inaugural flag football team is supported by the Minnesota Vikings’ Women’s Collegiate Flag Football 2026 grant.