
Defiance College Athletics announces winners from 50th Annual Swarm Awards
DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College Athletic Department and the Purple and Gold Club hosted their 50th Swarm Awards at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Saturday evening to honor the accomplishments of DC's student-athletes and their teams.
The year-end Swarm Awards celebrate excellence in a variety of forms by commending the athletic, academic, and community involvement of student-athletes. There were also awards presented to staff and community members for their support of the Yellow Jackets throughout the academic year. Awards were nominated and voted on by the athletic department, the Purple and Gold Club, and the Student-Athlete Leadership Team. The Purple and Gold Club also recognized 11 individuals as part of the All-Decades Team to commemorate the 50th installment of the annual athletics banquet.
This year's festivities saw the baseball, softball and volleyball teams all secure four awards apiece. Senior golfer Winter Boroff (Convoy, Ohio/Lincolnview) was honored with the Duane Hocking Award for female athlete of the year. Senior baseball player Gunner Gregg (Graytown, Ohio/Oak Harbor) was named male athlete of the year with the Marv Hohenberger Award. Women's Volleyball was honored as Team of the Year and the coveted Buzz Award went to tri-sport athlete Cooper Sloan.
The full list of awards presented at the Swarm Awards are listed below.
Purple and Gold Club All-Decades Team
- 1970s: Bruce Baer (Men's Basketball)
- 1980s: Lori Harris (Women's Basketball), Dennis Bostelman (Men's Basketball)
- 1990s: Tami Lupton (Women's Track), Chad Kahle (Men's Basketball)
- 2000s: Meghann Savard (Women's Basketball), Anthony Pettaway (Men's Basketball)
- 2010s: Kelsey Tietje (Women's Basketball), Tom Postema (Men's Track)
- 2020s: Kalin Hubble (Softball), Thomas Coltrain (Football)
The Buzz Award
Awarded to any student or student-athlete for his/her attitude during athletic contests and events to promote an atmosphere of respect, enthusiasm, pride, and school spirit.
Winner: Cooper Sloan (Football, Esports, Men's Golf)
Cooper Sloan is involved with three sports on campus. He is a running back on the football team, a member of the Rocket League team in Esports, and also competed with the golf team this spring. He also serves as the vice president of SALT and is a consistent, enthusiastic presence at home events, helping to build an exciting environment for fellow student-athletes when he isn't competing himself.
Duane Hocking Award (Female Athlete of the Year)
Awarded to an outstanding female athlete for her performance during the current academic year.
Winner: Winter Boroff (Women's Golf)
The senior closed her four-year career as one of the women's golf team's most decorated players. She won her second-career tournament in record-setting fashion and also had a team-best three top-10s. She led the program with an 83.9 18-hole average, breaking her own record of 85.04 last year. At the Yellow Jacket Spring Invite held at Ironwood Golf Course earlier this month, Boroff broke the 36-hole program record with a 154 two-round total to earn medalist honors. Boroff finished her career with an 89.6 18-hole average and holds the program's 18, 36 and 54-hole records with five of the top-10 single rounds in program history.
Marv Hohenberger Award (Male Athlete of the Year)
Awarded to an outstanding male athlete for his performance during the current academic year.
Winner: Gunner Gregg (Baseball)
Gunner Gregg has emerged as a two-way standout for the Yellow Jackets by taking on the role as a starting pitcher while playing all around the infield as well. His ERA of 3.86 leads the DC pitching staff as does his 36 strikeouts. Earlier this season, he compiled a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to lead Defiance to a 1-0 win in their conference opener. Through 45 games at the plate, he is hitting .313 with three homers, a team-best 14 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs. Among WHAC leaders entering the final weekend of the season, Gregg's ERA ranks fifth and his doubles are in the top-20.
Team of the Year
Presented to the Team adjudged to be the best in the current academic year.
Winner: Women's Volleyball
Volleyball had a quick turnaround under first-year head coach Jeremy Thornburg. In the team's first year in the NAIA and the WHAC, Yellow Jacket volleyball posted 11 wins to lead all DC teams and also had the best record in conference play, finishing 5-13 to earn a spot in the WHAC Tournament. Volleyball was the only Defiance athletic program to earn a postseason berth in 2024-25.
Purple and Gold Distinguished Female Athlete Award
Awarded to an outstanding female senior athlete for the current academic year based on the individual's contribution to her team over the course of their career with the program, campus, and community.
Winner: Anika Craft (Softball)
Anika Craft's name is now all over the record books. At the close of four years, she ranks third in career strikeouts (379), seventh in wins (28), sixth in games pitched (81), sixth in career innings (396.1) and owned a career ERA of 3.50. As a hitter, she stole 35 bases for the second-most in program history, and her .370 career batting average ranks seventh all-time.
Purple and Gold Distinguished Male Athlete Award
Awarded to an outstanding male senior athlete for the current academic year based on the individual's contribution to his team over the course of their career with the program, campus, and community.
Winner: Gunner Gregg (Baseball)
In four seasons, Gunner has carried a .289 batting average and .379 on-base percentage. He ranks among the program's career top-10 with 15 career home runs (T-4th), 29 doubles (8th), 44 extra-base hits (8th) and 59 walks (8th). He is also just five hits and four RBIs shy of joining those career lists entering the final weekend of the season. He's also emerged as pitcher over the last two seasons as a closer and starter with a 3.70 career ERA. His five saves as a junior were the fifth-most in a season in program history. Also to cap off his junior year, he earned Second Team All-Conference and is one of two players to hit for the cycle in modern program history.
Purple & Gold Inspirational Leadership Award
Presented to any student-athlete who demonstrates leadership, team commitment, and inspires others through their dedication on and off the field/court (based on overall contribution, not performance).
Winner: Kirsten Vanisacker (Women's Volleyball)
Alongside her role on the volleyball, Kirsten is the Student-Athlete Leadership Team secretary and the chair for community service and PR. She also leads DC's Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle and was honored by the Buckeye Border Area FCA at their 2025 Champions Celebration. She also serves as a communications intern at Children's Lantern in Defiance, which is a local non-profit that supports families and children in the foster care system. She's involved in many other activities on and off campus but continues to excel as an Academic All-Conference performer in the classroom, is a Champion of Character Team honoree, and a McMaster Scholar.
Female Newcomer of the Year
Awarded to any freshman or first-year transfer who in a given year makes a notable impact on the success of their team.
Winner: Gabby Rodriguez (Women's Volleyball)
A junior transfer, Gabby Rodriguez was an all-around impact player and earned Second Team All-WHAC honors in the fall. She was second on the team in kills (282), points (330) and blocks (51) while finishing 11th in the WHAC in kills. She recorded 19 kills in a match this season, which was the most by a Defiance player since 2021. Her 15 matches with double-digit kills led all DC attackers while serving at a 90 percent rate.
Male Newcomer of the Year
Awarded to any freshman or first-year transfer who in a given year makes a notable impact on the success of their team.
Winner: Jalen Brown (Men's Basketball)
Jalen Brown started 22 of 26 games as a freshman and led the Yellow Jackets in points (301), steals (31), assists (64), free throws made (108), double-digit scoring games (17) and 20-plus-point games (3). His 11.6 points per game also led this year's stellar freshman class.
Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Awarded to any athlete who in a given year improves her performance dramatically or otherwise becomes well-recognized.
Winner: Mira Horvath (Women's Cross Country/Track and Field)
After racing to multiple top team finishes in the fall, Mira Horvath displayed superb ability in track and field. She has two event wins this year, the 300 meters at an indoor meet at Ashland in January and in the outdoor 800 meters in the team's last meet at Central State last week. Highlighting her track season is a pair of new program records: the indoor 300 meters of 42.67 at Ashland plus the outdoor 800 meters of 2:21.28 at Central State, beating the old mark by three seconds. The Defiance native has also earned five podium finishes during her first season at Defiance. Mira also posted program top-10 times in the indoor 200, 300 and 400 meters along with the outdoor 400 and 800 meters. In addition to her work on the track as a multi-distance runner, Horvath has sported ability in multiple field events as well and has competed in eight different events this year.
Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Awarded to any athlete who in a given year improves his performance dramatically or otherwise becomes well-recognized.
Winner: Jacob Hild (Baseball)
The senior catcher has already set career-highs in hits (40), RBIs (21), walks (26), doubles (9), triples (3) and home runs (1). Earlier this week, he hit his first college home run, a grand slam, during a 7-RBI game that was one shy of the school record. He has raised his batting average to .353 after hitting .248 as a junior and currently leads the team in that category entering the season's final weekend. Additionally, he has proved to be one of the best catchers in the WHAC by leading the conference with 17 runners caught stealing, which is just five shy of the program's single-season record of 22.
Female Individual Performance of the Year
Presented to the athlete adjudged to have, in a single play or game, completed the best performance.
Winner: Winter Boroff (Women's Golf)
Winter Boroff set the women's golf program's 36-hole tournament record during a first-place finish for the second year in a row. At this spring's Yellow Jacket Spring Invitational at Ironwood Golf Course, Boroff shot back-to-back rounds of 77 for a 154 two-day total, beating her own record of 160. The tournament win was her second of her college career.
Male Individual Performance of the Year
Presented to the athlete adjudged to have, in a single play or game, completed the best performance.
Winner: Tristan Thomas (Football)
Tristan Thomas broke a nearly 50-year record when he sprinted to a 98-yard touchdown at Bluffton, marking the longest rushing play in program history. The previous record was a 90-yard rush by George Schaefer against Bluffton in 1977. He went on to finish the game with a season-high 230 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Jackets defeated their rivals 23-21.
AAUW Scholar-Athlete Award
Female letterwinner with the highest GPA following at least four completed semesters.
Winners: Kirsten Vanisacker (Women's Volleyball) & McKenna Walker (Women's Soccer), 4.0 GPA
Gene Geren Academic Award
Male letterwinner with the highest GPA following at least four completed semesters.
Winners: Ried Jury (Men's Basketball), 4.0 GPA
Team GPA Award (Individual Sport)
Presented to the team whose members have embodied academic achievement and excellence in the classroom with the highest GPA.
Winner: Women's Golf, 3.56 GPA
Team GPA Award (Team Sport)
Presented to the team whose members have embodied academic achievement and excellence in the classroom with the highest GPA.
Winner: Softball, 3.66 GPA
Faculty/Staff Fan of the Year
Awarded to any Defiance College faculty or staff member for his or her unwavering support of the Defiance College student-athlete experience.
Winner: Htut Zar
Team Community Impact Award
Presented to the team that displayed heightened involvement and service on and off campus.
Winner: Softball
SALT Head Coach of the Year
Awarded to the DC head coach who best embodied and encouraged excellence on and off the field.
Winner: Shane Gardner
Phyllis J. Snyder Fan Appreciation Award
Presented to a deserving fan for their loyalty, dedication and commitment to Defiance College athletics.
Winner: Tim Whetstone
Best Media Day Photo
Awarded to the team that staged the most creative individual or group pose during their media day session.
Winner: Softball
Team Sportsmanship Award
Awarded to the team that displayed exemplary attitude toward teammates, opponents, and officials during competition, practice, and campus life.
Winner: Men's Golf
The Purple and Gold Club Inc. was founded in the early 1970s by Defiance community members who wanted to provide extra support for DC student-athletes. Since its inception, the club has continually grown and continues to provide both financial assistance and personal support for the entire athletic department.
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