Brevard College freshman Alex Araneda made NCAA Division III football history Saturday, connecting on a record-breaking 63-yard field goal in the Tornados’ 48-3 victory over Methodist.
Araneda, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound kicker from Montclair, Calif., drilled the historic kick with 8:21 remaining in the first quarter at Ives-Lemel Family Field in Brevard. His field goal capped a six-play drive and gave the Tornados an early 3-0 lead.
The kick surpassed the previous NCAA Division III record of 62 yards, first established by Dom Antonini of Glassboro State (now Rowan University) against Salisbury on Sept. 18, 1976. Matthew Aven of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps matched that distance against California Lutheran in 2013.
Football: WATCH Alex Araneda’s NCAA Division 3 all-time record-breaking 63-yard field goal in BC’s 48-3 victory over Methodist at Ives-Lemel Family Field! #NadoNation #d3fb #SCTop10 @ESPNAssignDesk @SportsCenter https://t.co/goiTLNJzdA
— Brevard College Athletics (@BCTornados) November 7, 2026
Araneda’s record-breaking kick came on fourth-and-9 after Brevard lost seven yards on a third-down play, moving the ball back to the Methodist 45-yard line.
And the freshman wasn’t finished testing his range.
With two seconds remaining in the first half, Brevard sent Araneda out for an even longer attempt — this one from 65 yards. The kick was unsuccessful, leaving his 63-yarder as the new Division III standard.
Brevard’s freshman kicking combination
Araneda’s powerful leg has been evident throughout his first college season, particularly on kickoffs. Through Saturday, he has recorded 31 touchbacks on 43 kickoffs, an impressive 72.1 percent rate.
Field goal accuracy has been more challenging. Araneda has converted three of 11 attempts this season, including one of five from 50 yards or longer. Before Saturday, his longest successful field goal had been 35 yards.
He previously earned USA South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making field goals of 35 and 25 yards in Brevard’s 27-14 victory over NCAA Division II Erskine in September.
Interestingly, Araneda isn’t the only freshman kicker making an impact for the Tornados.
Charlotte native Spencer Crum (Cuthbertson HS), another first-year player, has converted all eight of his field goal attempts this season, including a career-long 42-yarder. Crum was named the USA South Special Teams Player of the Week last week following a 30-28 victory over Greensboro, when he made three field goals and all three extra points.
Together, the freshmen have given Brevard a kicking combination featuring Crum’s consistency and Araneda’s extraordinary distance.
Tornados improve to 7-2
Araneda’s historic kick opened the scoring in a dominant afternoon for Brevard, which improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in USA South Conference play.
The Tornados led Methodist 17-3 at halftime before pulling away with 21 third-quarter points. Brevard finished with 286 rushing yards and limited the Monarchs to just 72 yards of total offense.
Crum added a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, giving both freshman kickers successful attempts in the victory.
But the afternoon belonged to Araneda, whose 63-yard kick put his name atop the NCAA Division III record book and has received national attention.
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