As the 2024–2025 athletic year comes to a close, Heidelberg Athletics has plenty to celebrate — both on the field and in the classroom, as well as around the community.
Academic Excellence
On the year, Heidelberg landed 132 student-athletes on the Academic All-OAC list, a new school record.
To earn Academic All-OAC honors, a student-athlete must earn a 3.495+ cumulative grade point average through the semester completed before the start of the season. Additionally, individuals must be varsity players. Students in their first year at Heidelberg are not eligible for the award.
The fall sports showed off, amassing a record 66 student-athletes on the Academic All-OAC honor roll. Football shattered their previous best of 16, with 22 honorees. The men's soccer team also set a new high, with 12.
Check out the full list of academic honorees.
The winter sports concluded their season with
19 student-athletes making the mark. Wrestling led the way with 10 honorees—the most honorees in program history—followed by men's basketball with four. Women's basketball tallied three recipients, while swimming added two from their young squad.
47 student-athletes
were named for the spring. Baseball paced all spring sports with 15 honorees for the third time in the last four years, followed by Men's Golf with eight. Men's Outdoor Track and Field had seven honorees, their best tally since the 2020-21 academic year.
Team Awards
Wrestling lands three on
NWCA Scholar All-American: To earn this award, wrestling had to place in the top 8 at the regional tournament or compete in at least 15 matches with a win percentage above 66%. The academic requirements are maintaining a 3.2 GPA during the last three semesters or holding a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. As a team, the Student Princes had the second-best GPA in the nation for the third consecutive year.
Women's Swim named
CSCAA Scholar All-America: To earn this prestigious recognition, teams were required to achieve a grade point average above 3.0 during the Fall 2024 semester.
Women's Soccer Receives Team Ethics Award of Merit: Awarded for outstanding sportsmanship and discipline with less than 30% card accumulation.
In August, Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Baseball and Wrestling were awarded
team accolades for their academic successes.
Regional and National Recognition
All-OAC Accolades
In total, 30 athletes received All-Conference honors this year.
In addition, five student-athletes were awarded best of the conference honors;
Joseph Norris III received the Lee Tressel Award -- given to the league's top defensive back,
Drew Panning was named MVP for the Esports' Valorant team, and
Gabbie Stallbaum was voted Player of the Year for her slugging skills.
Three female athletes accomplished impressive program firsts for their teams. Women's soccer's
Brigid Enright earned the prestigious title of OAC Goalie of the Year and
Brianna Braatz was voted Freshman of the Year.
Check out all of the archived all-conference stories below
Football: Jo Norris III,
Key Cunningham,
Solomon Sandoval,
Easton St. Clair,
Trey Farris,
Drew Miller
Women's Soccer:
Brigid Enright,
Brianna Braatz,
Syd Hewer,
Olivia Perry
Volleyball:
Grace Dohanyos,
Riley Tople
Men's Basketball:
Eric Panning,
Markell Johnson-Nichols,
Elijah Harden
Women's Basketball:
Morgan Altenburger
Swimming:
Elli Mayer
Women's Golf:
Lydia Dietz,
Danielle Powell
Men's Lax:
Wilson Runnette
Men's Golf:
Emerson Grassbaugh,
Josh Ferdon
Outdoor TF:
Lexi Wachtman
Baseball:
Braedy Limke,
Dylan Matusak,
Sam Schneider,
Andrew Pokley
Softball:
Gabbie Stallbaum,
Emma Dean,
Ellie Tressler
Esports:
Drew Panning,
Nate Jimenez
Records Broken
It was another record-breaking year! Take a look at some of the highlights:
Other Player Milestones
10/30/2024:
Dohanyos hit 1,000 digs
11/2/24:
Reed marked 1,000 Assists
12/14/25:
Panning hit 1,000 points
3/29/25:
Dietz shot a hole-in-one
Athletes of the Week Winners
Nine athletes earned Athlete of the Week honors during the year. Click to read their full stories and achievements that set them above the rest!
Community Impact
Heidelberg student-athletes went above and beyond off the playing field, dedicating a remarkable 1,234.5 total hours to community service throughout the year. Baseball ended atop the leader board with 348 team hours. Football followed with 339, wrestling at 207, women's basketball had 104, men's golf at 82, women's golf clocked 67, and swimming totaled 74.5 hours.
Baseball players contributed by helping with setup and tear down at events hosted by Calvert High School, Camden Falls Banquet Hall, and HYPE, as well as participating in downtown Tiffin clean-up efforts.
Football players helped organize and run egg hunts at local residences, with proceeds supporting the Tiffin Youth Football League. They also registered students for the National Marrow Donor Program, assisted with operations at the Seneca County Opportunity Center's basketball game, and handed out candy in uniform for community trick-or-treat night.
A New Era of 'Berg Sports
With the addition of three new sports on campus, STUNT, swim and Esports, they have all finished their sophomore season – with early success.
Esports Post-Season Success
Led by Head Coach
Ryan McDannell, the Call of Duty team advanced to the finals of the Division C Call of Duty Black Ops 6 ECAC Championship, showcasing their competitive prowess. Additionally, the Valorant team made its first appearance in the Great Lakes Esports Conference (GLEC) Playoffs, earning accolades and marking a historic moment for the program. Check out the
Esports Twitch page.
STUNT Season Recap
In just their second season, Head Coach
Courtney Neering lead Heidelberg's STUNT team to remarkable growth.
Named fifth in DIII preseason rankings, the team improved to a 5–7 overall record, including a 3–1 mark within their division. Check out the
full list of STUNT rankings.
Swim OAC Champs recap
Head Coach of both men's and women's swimming,
Ben Rath, took his team to the 2025 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships held at the University of Akron. They competed against strong conference rivals, gaining valuable experience and setting the stage for future success.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on this school year and celebrate the ups we have seen, it's also important to point out the future plans for Heidelberg Athletics. Most notably, work continues on
the Fieldhouse project. The building will be ready to use this fall, with the official dedication taking place during Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 3-5).
Athletic Director Greg Cooper announced the addition of
three club sports -- walleye fishing, pickleball, and women's flag football. Teams will organize during this school year and may begin competition.
More awards will continue to pour in throughout the summer as GPAs are finalized and seasons end, so be on the lookout!
Other Stories You May Have Missed
8/8/24: 38th Hall of Fame Class
10/16/24: TicketSmarter Heidelberg Discount
7/2/24: HU breaks ground on Fieldhouse
1/18/25: Sayger-Hill Court Rededicated
2/28/25: Berg Brew and Sweet Alma Home Sauce
3/21/25: Heidelberg Remembers Joe Hada Jr.
3/20/25: HU offers NIL with Influxer
4/15/25: 2025 Siggy Award Winners
