Athletic Department Honors Student-Athletes at Annual Recognition Night

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican’s Athletic Department honored 60 senior student-athletes and also presented eight individual awards as part of a new format to the Student-Athlete Recognition Night on Monday.

Volleyball player Rachel Billing (Anna, Ohio) was named the Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year and football player Mike Noffsinger (Ogemaw Heights, Mich.) earned the Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year award.

Billing earned all-conference accolades in the AMC, AII and now GLIAC as a four-year starter for the Panthers, and she ranks in the top-five in program history in career digs and kills. Off the court, Billing was a two-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honoree.

Noffsinger was named a Harlon Hill Award semifinalist as one of the top players in Division II last fall, while setting program records for rushing yards and touchdowns. He played in two postseason all-star games and also earned Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-American honors while being the first Panther to earn a GLIAC Commissioner’s Award.

The Athletic Department also presented additional awards for the first time, including Newcomer of the Year for standout first-year players; Pride of the Panther for the individuals who best embody the traits of being an Ohio Dominican student-athlete; and Senior Scholar-Athlete for the fourth or fifth year seniors with the highest GPAs.

Women’s soccer freshman Laura Clark (Lapeer, Mich.) earned the Female Newcomer of the Year after helping the Panthers win the GLIAC South Division title, the first division title for an ODU team since joining the GLIAC. Clark, a goalkeeper, helped ODU enter the record books for one of the longest shutout streaks in Division II history.

 Baseball player Vince Bartolone (Broadview Heights, Ohio) was named the Male Newcomer of the Year. Despite suffering an injury early in the campaign, the second baseman/pitcher was one of the team’s top performers, batting .333 with eight RBI in the early-going while not allowing an earned run in 10.1 innings on the mound.

Women’s golfer Kelsey Brock (Zanesville, Ohio), a four-year team captain, took home the Pride of the Panther Award for female student-athletes. She has also been a SAAC member for four years and played in the top three in ODU’s lineup throughout her career.

 Men’s soccer player Duncan Campbell (Hilliard, Ohio) also earned the Pride of the Panther Award. The sophomore has helped take ODU to consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearances while being very active off the field, including volunteering with the YWCA and with ODU’s Make A Difference Day.

Cross country runner Allison Green (Cincinnati, Ohio), an Art Education major, was the recipient of the Female Senior Scholar- Athlete Award, while football player Ben Vulhop (Cincinnati, Ohio) – a Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-American honoree in the fall – earned the Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Vulhop is a Biology major.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu