Heidelberg University Athletics

Jumping into sand, over a bar, at the net and over hurdles, few Heidelberg athletes possessed the all-around athleticism of Marian (Bevington) Heitkamp. A standout on the track and the volleyball court, she earned more All-Ohio Athletic Conference recognition than any other female athlete in school history.

Working her way into the starting lineup her freshman year on the volleyball court, the Celina, Ohio, native helped Heidelberg win its first OAC Regular Season title since 1986. The biggest obstacle for that team was an early October tussle with No. 4 Ohio Northern. The No. 23 Student Princes fell flat in the first two sets -- losing 25-10 and 25-18. Cheered on by a packed house of frenzied fans, Heidelberg stormed back to win sets 3 and 4 by identical 25-22 scores. In the decisive set, Heidelberg trailed 12-10, but would go on to win 16-14 -- snapping a string of 37 consecutive losses to the Polar Bears. That season, Marian led the team in blocks (79) and was fifth in kills (212). 

As a freshman on the track, Marian was a two-time All-OAC honoree in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Qualifying for nationals in the long jump, she took eighth with a jump of 18-4.25, becoming Heidelberg’s first freshman outdoor All-American. 

In her sophomore season on the volleyball court, Marian led the team with 427 kills and 126 blocks, marks which remain in the top 10 in program history and earned her All-OAC second-team honors. The team swept the OAC trophies, going a perfect 9-0 in league play, and upending the pesky Polar Bears in the tournament finals. In track, she won both the indoor and outdoor OAC long jump titles and grabbed a total of seven podium finishes.  

Leading the team as a junior in kills (360) and blocks (138) once again, she was an All-OAC First-Team honoree and became the program’s fifth-ever American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American. On the track, she added five more all-conference finishes, including a title in the outdoor 100M hurdles. Another trip to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships culminated with another trophy. With a leap of 19-0.25, she became HU’s second two-time outdoor All-American. 

Marian’s senior year played out much like the previous three. She was first in kills (411) and second in blocks (98), receiving AVCA All-American laurels and All-OAC accolades. At the OAC Outdoor Championships, she willed her team to a runner-up finish (best in program history) by winning the 100M hurdles, long jump and triple jump, and taking second in the javelin. For her efforts, she was named OAC Field Athlete of the Year and received Heidelberg’s Sayger Award.  At the national meet, her best mark of 18-10.75 put her in seventh place in the long jump. 

In total, Marian was a 23-time All-OAC honoree and a five-time All-American. She sits third in kills and blocks in Heidelberg history and remains the record holder in the indoor pentathlon, outdoor 100M hurdles and triple jump. 

Marian and her husband, Marcas Heitkamp ’12, reside in Rockford, Ohio, with their daughters Nora and Ava. When she’s not working as an accountant, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and playing volleyball.