WHAC awards postseason honors for 2024 men’s soccer campaign

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference released the recipients of the 2024 men's soccer awards on Thursday ahead of the league's conference tournament semifinals.

The categories announced by the WHAC include All-Conference Teams, players and coaches of the year, Champions of Character, and All-Academic Awards. The WHAC's All-Academic Team is made up of sophomores and above with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and above and in attendance of their institution for one full year. The Champions of Character Team includes one member from each school who exemplifies the five core values of the NAIA character initiative (integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership).

In the program's first season in the WHAC, the Yellow Jackets had 11 student-athletes receive recognition for their achievements in the classroom and through the display of sportsmanship. 

While DC did not receive a First or Second Team Award, sophomore Quinn Holtzapple (St. Marys, Ohio/St. Marys Memorial) represented the Yellow Jackets on the WHAC Champion of Character Team serving as a captain this year and was also a member of the All-Academic Team. The two honors for Holtzapple are his first two of his collegiate career.

The Yellow Jackets had 10 others receive All-Academic Team honors. Super senior Noah Svanberg (Grand Rapids, Ohio/Otsego) was awarded with his second career academic all-conference award. Seniors Zach Canterbury (Tontogany, Ohio/Otsego), Will Gehlhausen (Norwalk, Ohio/Norwalk), Zak Klopfenstein (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) and Jack Stainoikovich (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) all picked up their third straight academic All-Conference awards. Junior Jacob Saxby (Ironton, Ohio/Wheelersburg) was awarded for his academics for the second straight year. Finally, five players including Holtzapple earned their first conference academic honor including senior Tyler Fritchley (Athens, Ohio/Alexander), sophomore Tristan Frazzini (Whitmore Lake, Mich./Pinkney), sophomore Macen Kos (Walbridge, Ohio/Lake) and sophomore Griffin Meyer (Curtice, Ohio/Genoa).

As for the WHAC's All-Conference Awards, Ricardo Rittersberger earned his second straight WHAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. Complete winners can be viewed here. 

The WHAC Tournament continues on Friday with the semifinals between Aquinas and regular-season champion Madonna in addition to the matchup between Lourdes and Indiana Tech. The championship match is held on Wednesday night.

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