ON THIS DATE (4/21) in DC Athletics

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Women's and men's track and field, because of eight individual titles since 2011, are highlighted on this date, April 21, in recent Defiance College athletics history while the softball team swept a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader two years ago. Also, in baseball, Defiance has two HCAC wins since 2013.

Three seasons ago at the Rose-Hulman Twilight meet, Hannah Williams led the DC women's track and field squad with two first-place finishes. Williams claimed championships in the discus (38.59 meters) and hammer (43.65m) throws.

At the 2012 Spartan Classic hosted by Manchester University, two members of the Defiance women's track and field program came back as champs. Kim Bingley captured the shot put (10.88m) while Katie Heitkamp tied for the top spot in the pole vault (3.04m).

In the same meet, the Yellow Jackets also had three No. 1 finishes by the men's track and field team. Tom Postema won the discus (49.15m) and hammer (54.25m) throws while Aaron Fraley ended first in the 3000-meter steeplechase (9 minutes, 53.56 seconds).

A year earlier in men's track and field, DC's Austin Trivett was the titlist in the pole vault (4.40m) at the Anderson University Pre-Conference Meet.

On its home softball field in 2018, Defiance defeated Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology by the scores of 4-0 (eight innings) and 11-3 (six innings). In the opener, Brooke Gostomsky hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to account for all of the game's runs in a dramatic victory. Michaela Bauer and Mariah Huff each doubled for the Yellow Jackets while Rachel Wehrman pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing only four hits. Leading DC's 18-hit attack in the second contest was Jackie Hartman, who went 4 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in. Haley Patty was 3 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI while Jordan Osborne drove in a pair of runs in going 3 for 4 with a double. Kaity Kuhn ended 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored while pitcher Sydney Zeuch went the distance for the win.

Seven seasons ago at home, the Defiance baseball squad beat Earlham College, 7-3, to sweep a three-game series. The Yellow Jackets' Aaron Helland collected three hits in four at-bats with an RBI and a run scored while Chris Donese went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Ryan Kohlhofer (two runs) and Gary Levengood (run) each ended 2 for 4 while Jonathan Murphy added a run-scoring double. On the mound, Ryan McLaughlin threw all nine innings to record the victory.

The DC baseball team also picked up a win in 2018 when splitting a doubleheader at RHIT. After losing the first game, Defiance bounced back with a 2-1 triumph behind the pitching of Jon Brown, who lasted 5 1/3 innings for the win, and Troy Konwinski, who tossed 3 2/3 for a save. Glen Collier was 2 for 3 with a two-base hit for the Jackets while Tyler Weaver put together a 2-for-4 effort. Konwinski and Nate Kaffenbarger chipped in with RBIs.

Do you recall these athletic accomplishments by the Yellow Jackets on April 21? The "On this Date" series is scheduled to run through April.