Arete Spring 2024

The Leadership Game

JOHN CERVINI, ’74

Right on Target

SOPHIA BULTEMA, ’26

Reaching Fever Pitch

JONI RUSSELL, ’25

Otter’s Era Ends

KEITH OTTERBEIN, ’79

Hillsdale’s Boys in the Boat

Hillsdale College Athletics Mission

Hillsdale College was founded in 1844 with a purpose to "develop the minds and hearts of its students," a reference to the moral and intellectual virtues.

The driving purpose of athletics at Hillsdale College is to cultivate these virtues. Their practice on the field of competition inspires and elevates the minds of those who compete and those who watch.

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Hillsdale College Charger Athletics @hillsdale_chargers @HCChargers

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Chargers Comment

Once a Charger, always a Charger.

But what does that really mean? When I assumed the role of athletic director last summer, one of my goals was to find ways to connect our alumni student-athletes to our current coaches and student-athletes.

I firmly believe bringing the past and the present together can positively affect the future of Chargers Athletics. Call it a roadmap of sorts.

A great example of this is the history of our football program. Everyone affiliated with Hillsdale College Athletics knows the name Frank “Muddy” Waters. His teams in the 1950s and 1960s were feared on the field and successful off. From turning out NFL talent to training future Hall-of-Fame teachers, coaches, business leaders, and parents, Hillsdale’s program has a proud and storied history that we often point to when we sit down with prospective student-athletes and their families.

This publication, as well as events like our Hall of Fame Banquet, also promote the history of Hillsdale College Athletics. But so do you, our alumni. You all have a story to tell, and sometimes we will tell it in Arete. Or in the alumni magazine. Or in one of our team email newsletters.

But my hope is that you are willing to tell those stories in person, to our current student-athletes. They need to hear about those experiences, those lifelong friendships, those challenges, triumphs—even setbacks—you had as a Charger.

To do that, our student-athletes need to meet you, to learn about the greatness of the people who came before them. There are plenty of opportunities to come back to campus. And if you can’t make it to Hillsdale, find out when the Chargers are playing at a location near you and let us know you’re coming. At our “Sparty Party” before the men’s basketball game against nationally ranked Michigan State University last October, we had more than 100 alumni show up to support their alma mater. It was awesome!

Let’s keep that momentum going. We need your support now more than ever as we move Hillsdale College Athletics forward. Your playing days may be over, but you still have a vital and important role to play in Chargers Athletics!

Charge On! Charge On!

John Tharp Director of Athletics

THE LEADERSHIP

BY DOUG GOODNOUGH, ’90

First, they were Chargers. Maybe it was once on the playing field or court as a standout student-athlete, or as a coach fostering the spirit of excellence of Hillsdale College Athletics. Now they are members of a new “team” as Hillsdale College senior leaders. They are:

JOHN CERVINI, ’74 Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement

RICH PÉWÉ, ’88 Chief Administrative Officer

LEADERSHIP GAME

How did their athletic experiences shape their current roles?

What leadership lessons did Hillsdale College Athletics teach them?

What role does athletics still play at the College?

Learn how they are now all playing “The Leadership Game.”

TAYLOR PHILIPP,

Vice President for Student Affairs

HARNER,

Chief Staff Officer

DIANE

’82

MIKE

’82

JOHN CERVINI, ’74 Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement

The Man and the Mission

John Cervini’s remarkable fundraising career had its humble origins in the Boy Scouts, a Fuller Brush salesman, and a wrestling bear.

The man who arrived at Hillsdale College more than 50 years ago as a football prospect from Long Island, New York, has stayed to carve out a career as a relentless, tireless, passionate, and uber-successful fundraiser for his alma mater. Over that half-century, he has been one of the constants at the College, from his days as a standout offensive lineman to serving the College in a variety of roles, including his current one of leading a more than 100-person team as the executive vice president for Institutional Advancement.

The 1974 graduate has been a driving force for the College in so many ways. He has helped the College and others acquire the resources it needs to build the endowment, improve its facilities, strengthen its academic profile, and ultimately spread Hillsdale’s mission to a worldwide audience, not to mention building countless relationships with alumni, parents, and friends of the College. He has made Hillsdale’s mission his mission.

He will meet with anyone who is interested in helping the College and will do so with a warm smile, a welcoming presence, and the ability to listen to and engage with people on their terms.

Athletics was a pivotal part of Cervini’s life—and continues to be. The lessons he learned as a Hillsdale

student-athlete and coach still apply to what he does today and were a foundation for how he leads and manages his fundraising team.

A GUY WITH “GUTS”

As a high school football player from the bedroom community of Garden City, New York, approximately 30 miles from New York City, Cervini had college options. In fact, he visited the University of North Carolina and was impressed by the campus.

“But the classes were huge,” he said. “I mean, some (classes) were bigger than our high school graduating class. I didn’t think I would do very well in that environment.”

Then-Hillsdale College head football coach Frank “Muddy” Waters and assistant Warren Spragg happened to recruit the Long Island area and convinced Cervini to visit Hillsdale. He liked what he saw on campus. He also took note of then-Hillsdale President J. Donald Phillips’ stance on discouraging dissent and violence on campus during the tumultuous Vietnam War period.

“I said, ‘Dad, wow! There is a guy with guts,’” Cervini said.

The rest, they say, is history.

“I went home and told my folks, ‘That’s where I’m going to go to college,’” he said after a two-day visit to campus.

“I went home and told my folks, ‘That’s where I’m going to go to college,’” he said after a two-day visit to campus.

1971—CERVINI A S A FRESHMAN

Cervini had an interest in the sciences, and faculty member Dr. John Catenhusen tried to encourage him to become a doctor. Cervini eventually settled on a business major and the pre-law program, thinking he was on a path to becoming a lawyer. In fact, during his senior year, he applied and was accepted into law school at St. John’s University back in his home state.

But then the NFL happened.

THE PATH BACK TO HILLSDALE

Cervini, who was a standout offensive guard for the Chargers, became the College’s first football academic All-American in 1972. His legendary strength and imposing 270-pound frame caught the attention of the Detroit Lions.

In July of 1974, the National Football League players went on strike, and teams had very few of their regular players report to training camp. Teams decided to fill the rosters with rookie free agents, and Cervini received a phone call from then-Lions General Manager Russ Thomas about trying out for a roster spot.

“He said, ‘We’re looking for players if you don’t mind crossing the picket line,’” Cervini said of the phone call. “So I said, ‘Yeah, what the heck.’”

His NFL career lasted three exhibition games. He lined up against NFL stars like Ben Davidson of the Oakland Raiders. But 6-foot-6, 285-pound Chiefs defensive tackle Wilbur Young, a former second-round draft pick, was (literally) his biggest challenge.“He was just a bull all night,” Cervini said.

When the strike ended in August, so did Cervini’s NFL career. He had a chance to rethink law school, and when one of his former coaches, then-fundraising head Jack McAvoy, called and offered him a job, he returned to

Hillsdale as alumni director and assistant football coach. He was a natural as a coach, especially in recruiting student-athletes. He said the in-person meetings with the parents were the ultimate key to winning recruiting battles.

“I would sit down with their parents, particularly their mothers,” Cervini said of his strategy. “And I would talk to their mothers because if you could get their mothers to believe in you, you’re in.”

In fact, he was determined to build a recruitment “pipeline” from Long Island to Hillsdale, and would often fly in potential football recruits from New York to campus.

“We would fly them into the Jackson airport,” Cervini said. “All those boys had never been on a plane. And by the time they came from Jackson to Hillsdale, I could have put anything in front of them and they were going to sign it.”

His recruitment philosophy would serve him well as he transitioned to fundraising.

FUNDRAISING FUNDAMENTALS

He was intrigued at a young age by the art of the sale.

As a Boy Scout, he was asked to sell a Christmas gift package featuring personal care items. He would go doorto-door, and, “if I could get inside, I could sell.”

There was also a Fuller Brush salesman who regularly came to his house. As a boy, Cervini said he was enthralled by his presentation.

“He would come and set out his wares,” he said. “And I would sit there and listen to him. And so would my mother. And I thought, ‘Wow, this guy is really good.’”

Fast forward 20 years or so. As Hillsdale’s offensive line coach, he was now a coaching colleague of McAvoy, who was the defensive coordinator but also the head of the development office. McAvoy would often spend his days in the offseason on the fundraising trail. Cervini became more aware of Hillsdale’s legal battle with the government over the College’s refusal of federal funding, and he wondered if there was more he could do.

“I was shocked at how little money the College had,” said Cervini, referring to the College’s endowment fund. “I didn’t know if the College was going to be around.”

When Waters left Hillsdale to coach at Saginaw Valley State University, McAvoy took over as head football coach. Jerry Roberts, ’64, another former Chargers football player, stepped in to run development and offered Cervini a fundraising position.

“I liked fundraising. I was interested in it,” he said. “Why was that? I mean, obviously, you have to have the right cause.”

Afterward, they spoke with the bear’s owner and trainer, “Gorgeous George” Allen, who agreed to bring the 600-pound brown bear to Hillsdale to help raise funds for the H Club.

Cervini said ticket sales were not very good leading up to the event, and he contacted Allen about what they could do to increase interest.

“They don’t believe us,” he told Allen.

A day or so before the event, Allen arrived in Hillsdale with his tractor-trailer, which was carrying Victor. Allen proceeded to parade Victor around town, first to the local radio station, then through downtown. He even walked Victor into the College dining hall, where the bear, rising up on his back legs, proceeded to drink a large container of Coca-Cola while students were trying to figure out what they were watching.

“(Allen) goes, ‘Stock Fieldhouse tonight. Eight o’clock. Be there.’ And then he walks the bear out. It was surreal,” Cervini said.

One of his first forays into fundraising was an athletic fundraiser involving Victor the Wrestling Bear in Stock Fieldhouse in 1976.

Cervini and a colleague read a newspaper article about a wrestling bear that appeared at an event in Detroit. Intrigued, they decided to see for themselves.

“I thought it must be a guy in a bear outfit. They are not wrestling a real bear,” he said. “We go down there and it was a real bear. And he wrestles all these guys.”

He also had the honor of wrestling Victor, along with several other Chargers before a “jam-packed” fieldhouse audience. According to local news reports, Cervini lasted about 15 minutes before relenting.

“I had wrestled (in the past), and I was still pretty heavy,” Cervini said of the experience. “The fact is I was trying to win. He had a muzzle, but his tongue would come out, and it was like sandpaper on your face. And you’re locked in. It was a hoot.”

And a fundraising success.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

After serving as a fundraiser and assistant football coach for a few years, it was time for Cervini to focus solely on fundraising for the College.

Cervini had been part of a couple of successful Hillsdale fundraising campaigns, including the initial Freedom Fund. He learned that you can only visit so many people in person, so he looked to other areas of outreach to help potential donors learn about Hillsdale.

One was Imprimis, the monthly speech digest produced by the College. Starting with 1,000 subscribers in 1972, Cervini recognized that growing that readership could lead to bigger things financially. So he called a national print advertising expert, and the College invested in an ad campaign promoting Imprimis in publications such as Reader’s Digest, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.

“The ad campaign ran for about three years,” Cervini said. “We tracked all those ads, we tracked all those people, and it paid off. When Dr. Arnn arrived, we started with radio host Paul Harvey and expanded to Rush Limbaugh and others.”

Imprimis now has more than six million subscribers and growing. The publication that provides various views on important issues also helps the College in areas like admissions.

In fact, it was through Imprimis that the John Halter Shooting Sports Education Center became possible. A donor apparently never met with anyone at Hillsdale College, but was an Imprimis subscriber. After his passing, he left a sizable gift to fund shooting sports scholarships.

There was just one problem: the College didn’t have shooting sports, or the facilities to host them. However,

the impetus of that gift eventually led to the Halter Center, which is now one of the top facilities of its kind in the world and a U.S. Olympic training center. Hillsdale’s shooting sports teams now compete for national championships on a regular basis.

Events such as the National Leadership Seminars (formerly known as the Shavano Institute for National Leadership) were staged around the country to bring Hillsdale College to the people. Cervini said Hillsdale’s approach to engagement and hospitality has paid off in big ways.

“(When I joined the College) they were doing events, but they were charging people. Do you want to charge $10 for people to come here? Do you want the president of Hillsdale or a faculty member to come and talk and get 20 people there? Or do you want to have 150 people there and not charge them, and they hear the message? And if it’s good, they’re going to give you many times what it costs to hold this event.”

What’s the Cervini fundraising philosophy?

“Look, you can’t make people give if they don’t want to give,” he said. “You have to be able to tell the story and explain why what we’re doing is important. And if you can do that and people are interested, they’ll come around. People think we go in and see somebody and walk out with a check. I’ve had relationships for years with people, and they haven’t made a gift in some cases for 20 years. The situation wasn’t right.”

He said Hillsdale President Dr. Larry Arnn, who he first met during a fundraising trip to California’s Claremont Institute, was exactly what the College needed after President George Roche’s departure. He said he appreciates Dr. Arnn’s focus on adhering to the founding principles of the College: learning, character, faith, and freedom. And he notes Dr. Arnn’s insistence on hiring quality faculty.

During his time, the College has completed several successful fundraising campaigns. The 71-year-old Cervini said there is still more work to be done. And he still enjoys doing it in person.

“Nothing beats being in front of them, and telling the story,” Cervini said of visiting donors. “Because they want to know, and they’ve got questions, and you have to be able to answer them intelligently.”

‘BLOCKING AND TACKLING’

Cervini said the lessons and techniques he learned through athletics translated well into the fundraising world. And Hillsdale College Athletics is still a big part of his life.

“I think having a good athletic program is a plus for the College because you have to have good student-athletes,” said Cervini, who still is a regular spectator at many Chargers athletic events along with his wife, Susan. “Athletics and academics go hand in hand. We’ve had some very fine students come here because we have a (NCAA) Division II program, but it doesn’t dominate the academics as it does at many schools.”

dedication, commitment, loyalty, and goal-setting apply to fundraising as well.

“It’s like blocking and tackling (in football), right? You have to do it,” he said. “Well, there’s blocking and tackling in development. You have to go see people. You have to find out what their interests are. You have to be a good listener. You are not expecting to walk out with a gift. You are going there to find out why are they interested in Hillsdale.”

And preparation is always the key.

“We have a committed group of colleagues who do an exceptional job representing Hillsdale College. By and large, people give to people and give to ideas, so you have to be prepared,” he said.

“It’s just like any sports team; you’ve got to communicate with your people.

What are we working on? What is the mission? The main thing is that we work for the College, Dr. Arnn, and the board. They set the policies. And it’s just like a competitive event. You have to get out there. We know we have these markers, and we want to achieve those. It’s a privilege to represent Hillsdale College. And knock on wood, we’ve never had a case where we ended the year in a deficit situation.”

Cervini manages his Advancement team much like he did as a coach. He said athletic principles like teamwork,

That’s a winning streak Cervini plans to continue.

RICH

PÉWÉ, ’88 Chief Administrative Officer

At the Starting Line

In an ideal world, Rich Péwé, ’88, would have been a basketball player at Hillsdale College.

The standout Olivet High School athlete enjoyed playing basketball and baseball as a youth, but also knew he had talent as a distance runner and was being recruited by Hillsdale in that sport.

Undeterred, Péwé decided to try out for the Chargers basketball team and thought he had a pretty good workout for thenhead coach Rod Halstad. It was a pleasant conversation, but Péwé’s father finally asked Halstad about the possibility of his son receiving a basketball scholarship.

“No. He can play for me, but I don’t have any money for him,” Péwé said of Halstad’s candid answer.

Why not?

“He can’t guard off the dribble, he can’t jump, and he’s too skinny.”

However, there was scholarship money–and a role–waiting for Péwé in track and field and cross country. He quickly changed his focus to become a key contributor for the Chargers as a runner. A member of several championship teams, the eventual team captain had a standout

running career and was known as a model of consistency, a tireless worker, and a valued teammate.

Many years later, as the College’s Chief Administrative Officer, he is known for many of those same qualities as he goes about his daily duties as a senior leader.

Each day, Péwé is running a “race” of sorts. He is responsible for helping develop and execute institutional strategy, as well as promote staff development and culture. It’s a big job, and much like his college days, when he steps to the starting line, he is trying to run the best race he can for himself and his team.

“I never get too high or too low,” he said. “But I think that sports help you. Every day is kind of a challenge. It’s fun. You never know what’s going to come at you.”

Unlike other high-profile sports, running is often away from the crowds, and the training is a lot of grueling hours on back roads involving a lot of personal sacrifice and commitment. It’s that kind of endurance that Péwé said he leans on often in his current role. And he is looking for many of those qualities when interviewing potential new College employees.

“If you are going to hire anybody, are they going to be able to endure the mistakes and the things that they’ve got to get over, keep their heads up, and keep going?” said Péwé, who personally interviews all final candidates at the College before a job offer is made. “Yes, I do spend time with people, because culture matters. And to sustain the College, we have to make sure that people are committed to its purposes.”

Péwé has been instrumental in overseeing the unprecedented renovation and expansion of Hillsdale’s campus. Offcampus projects such as the Rockwell Lake Lodge and the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center were also completed under his watch. Péwé also assists Hillsdale President Dr. Larry Arnn with the economical operation of the College, including personnel.

Péwé takes pride in his current teammates and understands his role on the College team.

“We like to be able to take on as much as we can handle. I enjoy that,” Péwé said. “I think the accountability is the number one thing. But it also shows you all the time that you can’t do anything alone. Your teammates have to pick you up. You can’t succeed without great people beside you.”

Péwé said he often would get “butterflies” at the starting line before every race. He said that anticipation of the competition remains, but in a different form.

“There are those butterflies and nerves you just have to overcome,” said Péwé, who believes athletics help manage those feelings. “You just have to harness it. Competing is actually something that is good for us. Dig in, get it done, grind it out, doing the best job that you can. That’s something that shapes people.” And what about the role of athletics at Hillsdale College?

“Improving hearts and minds is the reason why athletics exists,” Péwé said, referencing the College’s mission statement. “It’s a great incubator for all the things we’re talking about. We want to win championships. We want to be great. You can’t be great without great people and a great mission, and we’re blessed with both at Hillsdale.”

DIANE

TAYLOR

PHILIPP, ’82

Vice President for Student Affairs

What Really Matters

Diane Taylor Philipp, ’82, would love to say her experience as a student-athlete helped shape her as a future senior leader at Hillsdale College.

But she can’t.

Philipp was not an athlete at Hillsdale. However, Hillsdale College Athletics still tremendously impacted her after she served nearly two decades as a Hall-ofFame track and field and cross country coach. Those experiences, including coaching the Chargers to multiple championships and many former and current All-American and Olympic-caliber athletes, have guided her in her current role as Hillsdale’s vice president for Student Affairs.

“(Then-Hillsdale Athletic Director) Jack McAvoy just came up to me one day, like a month before graduation,” said Philipp of how she ultimately became Hillsdale’s women’s track and field and cross country coach. “He said, ‘I know someone who could coach our cross country and track team.’ And I thought he was going to ask me for a recommendation. I said, ‘Yeah, really?’ He said, ‘You.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ because I didn’t know much. He said, ‘You can learn.’”

And learn she did. After taking a week to decide whether she wanted to coach

or pursue law school, the history major decided to stay at Hillsdale and coach. Philipp quickly reached out to some of the most successful college coaches at the time and asked for advice.

“They guided me those first couple years, and the kids kept getting better,” she said. “And then I just figured it out. If a coach can inspire young people to realize intense, hard work pays off, the team will see success and goals will be met. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to win after you commit to the work.”

Philipp said recruiting talented studentathletes was important, but she was also looking for other qualities.

“I learned success comes from hard work, a positive attitude, and the ability to recover quickly after a setback,” Philipp said. “I would go after as many (NCAA) Division I kids as I could. Once you got to know them, I definitely made sure our coaches and the team knew them. Sometimes the team would come to me and say, ‘It’s not a good fit, coach.’ And that mattered more. Sure, you have to be talented, but attitude really mattered.”

Hillsdale won 22 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships over Philipp’s tenure. She coached 11 individual national champions,

more than 50 All-Americans, and was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year an astounding 20 times. A member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, she served on the board of directors for USA Track and Field and was named the youngest and first female president of the Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. She coached the U.S. National Team at the 1995 World Championships and assisted USA Track and Field in a variety of other capacities before stepping down as Hillsdale’s coach in 1999.

Philipp and her husband, Al, were raising a young family when she decided that the recruiting grind and never-ending duties of being a college coach did not mesh well with being a wife and mother of two young children. She accepted a position as a teacher and athletic director at Hillsdale Academy, then spent six years as director of Special Projects for the College’s Admissions Office. In 2006, she was named the vice president for Student Affairs and concurrently served as dean of women from 2006-2020.

Philipp said her experience as a coach made the transition to her current position easier.

“It’s the same kind of job,” she said. “This locker room smells better than the one at the Sports Complex, but you really are

doing the same thing. You are trying to help students to become the best that they can be.”

She said handling adversity and developing “grit” to overcome challenges are all things she emphasized as a coach that she applies every day in her current role.

“It’s hard as an athlete and it’s hard as a student at Hillsdale,” Philipp said. “The purpose of athletics at Hillsdale College is to help young people develop their intellect and character. These are the same purposes of Hillsdale College as stated in the mission.”

Philipp said she looks for the same qualities in her Student Affairs team as she did as a coach. In fact, many of her staff are former athletes.

“It goes back to that character issue,” she said. “A resume can look awesome, but if they don’t have the spirit and fire to help young people, the ability to work as a team and come together when the times are tough and trust each other, it’s not going to work.”

MIKE

HARNER,

’82

Chief Staff Officer

Savor Your ‘Two Plays’

His varsity football career at Hillsdale College was a total of two plays. And although he went on to carve out a career as a college golfer, and eventually a 20-year stint as a helicopter pilot commander in the U.S. Navy, Mike Harner, ’82, said those two plays still shape his thinking as a senior leader at Hillsdale College.

As an undersized 17-year-old freshman, Harner enrolled at Hillsdale intent on honing his punting and placekicking skills for the upcoming intramural football season. However, one of the resident assistants saw Harner booming punts and kicks in the back field of Simpson Residence Hall, and called the football coach.

“The coach reached out to me and I went to practice,” said Harner, who kicked barefoot, which was a trend at the time. “At the end of practice, they walked me out and kicked some field goals and I hit some punts.”

The coaches liked what they saw, and he spent his first year kicking on the freshman and JV teams. To start his sophomore year, Harner won the starting placekicking job. During the opener, he performed one kickoff, and toward the end of a very close game, he executed an onside kick, which sailed through his

teammate’s hands, ending a chance at a Chargers victory.

After that game, he lost a kicking competition to a teammate and never saw the field again. A lingering offseason leg injury convinced Harner it was time to move on to other things. He was a member of The Collegian staff, competed on the quiz bowl team, and helped establish the Sigma Chi fraternity on campus.

After earning a degree in English literature, Harner entered the Navy and had a distinguished career before retiring in 2002. During his military service, he stayed involved with Hillsdale, helping with admissions on the West Coast and becoming a member of the Alumni Board.

“Everything important came from being here,” said Harner, who met his eventual wife, Carin (Lama), ’82, at Hillsdale. They have three grown sons.

Post-Navy, he took what he thought was his “dream job” of managing a country club, but decided something was missing.

“In the end, the mission to provide comfort and entertainment to those who can afford that type of comfort wasn’t important,” Harner said.

What was important to Harner was the mission of Hillsdale College. One of his former football coaches, John Cervini, who was now the leader of Hillsdale College’s Institutional Advancement Office, called him and asked if he wanted to return to the College. Harner was hired as Hillsdale’s alumni director in 2004. In 2006, he accepted the position of chief staff officer and assistant to President Dr. Larry Arnn. He’s been in that role ever since.

And just what is his role at Hillsdale?

“To the extent that I’m able to do my job, it’s to try to make sure that everybody’s talking and working together,” Harner said. “My wife asked me what I do. And I tell her, ‘You know, I help coordinate things and make sure we’re singing from the same sheet of music.’ And I work for a good man (Dr. Arnn) who expects us to do well. So trying to make sure that everybody understands what the expectations are.”

He said he leans on his athletic experience often in helping to lead the College.

“A lot of people here care deeply about the College, right?” he said. “Just like when you’re on a team, you care about your teammates. You care about the game. You care about the result. If you don’t care about it, you go do something else.

Having that attitude and working with a bunch of people every day who have that attitude—that’s awesome.”

Harner said athletics plays a vital role at the College. In fact, he still helps coach the men’s golf team, and believes golf ties into Hillsdale’s belief in self-governance.

“I think there’s no better game for the development and demonstration of character,” he said. “Golf is not particularly tolerating of cheaters, and the way it enforces that is that you enforce it on yourself.”

Harner said the Hillsdale College community has a great sense of what “team” is all about.

“They all have a sense of the mission of the school,” Harner said of the faculty, staff, and administration. “That they’re doing something that’s good. That they’re playing for the right team. And the team’s trying to win something important.”

And those two plays?

“I tell everyone to savor their ‘two plays,’” Harner said. “You only get so many opportunities.”

“A lot of people here care deeply about you’re on a team, you care about your You care about the result. If you don’t Having that attitude and working with that attitude—that’s awesome.” —MIKE HARNER

the College, right? Just like when teammates. You care about the game. care about it, you go do something else. a bunch of people every day who have

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She doesn’t have a left forearm, but she has what it takes to shoot clay targets with a shotgun. Sophia Bultema, ’26, has been shooting guns since the age of 10, and fondly remembers her first gun, a purple .22 rifle. From the purple rifle to being sponsored by Krieghoff and Winchester Ammunition, Sophia has put her name out there in the shooting sports world, and missing a forearm hasn’t held her back.

BY STEPHANIE GORDON

SHE

HAS WHAT IT TAKES “ ”

Sophia Bultema Shoots for the Paralympics

Sophia was born in China during the one-child policy, and because she is female and was born without a forearm, she was placed in an orphanage. At age five, Sophia was adopted by her family and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since a young age, Sophia has been surrounded by firearms.

“We live near the mountains, so hunting is a big activity for our family,” Sophia said. “Shooting has always been important, and it’s something we respect and enjoy doing.”

After learning to shoot baby rifles, Sophia’s love of shooting grew, and she eventually started shooting competitively at St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs.

“St. Mary’s had the first high school shooting team in Colorado, so we competed against other organizations,” she said. “I am innately competitive, so once I became better at shooting, the more I loved it and wanted to improve. It’s a very rewarding sport, if you do it well.”

Initially, Sophia only shot American Trap. However, it became monotonous after a while, so she took on bunker shooting, better known as International Trap. “International Trap is my specialty,” she said. “I learned International Trap from Dale Royer and Caitlin Connor Royer, who are now my assistant coaches at Hillsdale College.”

Dale, an International Trap shooter, and Caitlin, an International Skeet shooter, met Sophia in 2018 when they were living and working at the Colorado Springs Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. “Sophia wasn’t afraid to try International, so that was exciting,” Caitlin said. “She tried Skeet first, but with her forearm missing, it was harder for her to move the gun across the field.”

That’s when Dale and Caitlin decided Sophia should focus on Trap because there’s less gun movement involved. The two worked with her regularly, and set her up with a gun that was easier for her to manage.

Sophia said she fell in love with the gun that actually fit her. “Guns didn’t really fit me, and they hurt,” she said. “I started shooting better with that gun, and they [Caitlin and Dale] gave me specific coaching. They took me to the next level—focusing on the Paralympics.”

Sophia currently competes for the Charger shotgun team and the USA Shooting Paralympic team. She became a world

record holder in 2022 after competing in France at the Chateauroux Para Sport World Cup, hitting 100/125 clay targets. She’s keeping her eyes set on the Paralympics, though.

Para Trap (shotgun), will likely be an official Paralympic event in 2028. “That’s what Sophia is shooting for, and she has what it takes,” Caitlin said.

There are big things coming up for Sophia. In March, she will compete in the Olympic trials in Tucson, Arizona, and the John Anthony Halter Shooting Center will host a Para Trap World Cup competition in Hillsdale this summer. “It’s not just a big deal for Hillsdale College, but it’s a very big deal for the United States,” Dale said. “It’s difficult to get a World Cup, and we’ve been able to secure that through 2028. I kind of do this with Sophia in mind, but it’s an overall promotion of the sport.”

Sophia says her success is based on focus and keeping her head in the game. “People think this is a fast sport, but you have to be slow and methodical with your gun, and everything you do has a rhythm,” she said. “Sure, I have to go to the gym and strengthen my body, but it’s really a mental sport.”

“I have no doubt that Sophia will make the Paralympic team,” Caitlin said. “But, it’s also important to keep in mind that Sophia is very competitive on the able-bodied side of things. Personally, I don’t put it out of her reach for making a Junior World Championship for able-bodied shooters. She has a lot of potential moving forward.”

The psychology major plans to attend law school after graduating from Hillsdale. She also hopes to attend as many Paralympics, World Cups, and World Championships as funding allows her. “Shooting has opened so many doors for me,” Sophia concluded. “It’s given me the opportunity to make something of myself.”

SHOOTING HAS OPENED SO MANY DOORS FOR ME. IT’S GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOMETHING OF MYSELF. “ ”

–SOPHIA BULTEMA

KEITH OTTERBEIN, ’79

END OF AN ERA

OTTERBEIN

ANNOUNCES

HIS RETIREMENT

AFTER 22 YEARS AT THE HELM OF CHARGERS FOOTBALL

BY JAMES GENSTERBLUM, ’12

AS A PLAYER, ASSISTANT COACH, AND LONGTIME HEAD COACH OF HILLSDALE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

for the better part of five decades, Keith Otterbein, ’79, has become synonymous with the Chargers football program. After a successful 22-year run as the leader of the Chargers, Otterbein has decided the time is right to pass the program—and his legacy—to someone new.

Otterbein announced his retirement after the 2023 season in which the Chargers finished 6-5 after an 0-4 start. Longtime assistant Nate Shreffler, ’93, was named the new head coach beginning in 2024.

“Over the years I’ve talked to a lot of mentors and friends about retirement, and what I’ve always been told is that you’ll know when the time is right,” Otterbein said.

“As I went through this past season, I got the feeling that this was the right moment for the program and for me to make a change. I’m tremendously proud of the program we’ve established here over the last three decades, and I go into retirement with the full confidence that we have the right people in place and the foundation laid to keep this program strong and successful well into the future.”

Otterbein leaves an impressive legacy at Hillsdale College. As head coach, he led a program that consistently found success while fully honoring Hillsdale’s demanding expectations for both academic success and high character.

His 133 games won at Hillsdale is third all-time and puts him firmly in the lofty company of two Hillsdale legends and Hall of Famers, Frank “Muddy” Waters and Dick Lowry, who won 138 and 134 games, respectively, during their tenures. He helped the Chargers remain competitive in arguably the toughest NCAA Division II football conference in America. Competing against national juggernauts like Grand Valley State, Otterbein helped lead Hillsdale to 11 winning seasons, four conference championships, and all three of Hillsdale’s NCAA DII Playoff appearances in program history, with playoff victories in 2010 and 2018.

Otterbein also helped to recruit and develop special individual talents at Hillsdale. He coached 19 AllAmericans, four conference Players of the Year, and three players who started a regular season game in the National Football League, including Hillsdale’s first NFL draft pick since 1980 in offensive lineman Jared Veldheer.

On-the-field accolades were never the sole focus. His teams also excelled in the classroom, with more than half of his players earning Academic All-Conference honors and his team posting combined GPAs of well over 3.0 consistently.

He helped create a culture of charity and community involvement on his teams through a variety of initiatives,

including Victory Day for children with special needs, the program’s involvement with the Coach 2 Cure fight against Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, and Be the Match bone marrow registry drives.

A native of Southfield, Michigan, Otterbein played for Chargers legend Jack McAvoy and became an AllAmerican linebacker for the Chargers. After graduation in 1979, Otterbein began his coaching career under another Chargers legend, Dick Lowry, and later spent time coaching at Central Michigan and Ball State, as well as a successful tenure as head coach at Ferris State before returning to Hillsdale to take over as head coach in 2002.

“For most of his adult life, Coach Otterbein has given everything to the Hillsdale College program, and he’s played a critical role in helping build it into the success it is today,” said Hillsdale College Athletic Director John Tharp. “He’s led this program not only to success on the field, but also to incredible accomplishments in the classroom and a deep and meaningful impact on the community.

“We at Hillsdale College are so grateful for his service and the way his program has represented this institution in every aspect. We wish him the best in his retirement and will aim to keep running our football program and Athletic Department in a way that honors what he’s built here.”

CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH LONGTIME ASSISTANT NATE SHREFFLER ANNOUNCED AS NEW HEAD COACH

To replace a legend like Keith Otterbein, the Chargers have targeted another man cut from the same cloth in Nate Shreffler, ’93, to take charge of the Hillsdale College football program.

The former standout offensive lineman spent a short time coaching at other institutions before returning to Hillsdale in 1998 as a part of thencoach Dave Dye’s staff, and he’s been at Hillsdale ever since. He was first an offensive line coach, then, for the last 13 seasons, was the offensive coordinator, excelling in both positions.

“Nate is a Hillsdale College guy, first and foremost,” said Hillsdale College Athletic Director John Tharp. “He’s someone who understands this program and the culture that’s been established here. He’s an extremely high-character coach, and someone who’s had success here throughout his tenure and knows what it takes for this program to be successful. He’s a perfect fit to build on what’s already been established and keep moving this program forward into future success.”

As an offensive line coach, Shreffler recruited and helped develop multiple All-Americans, including NFL Draft Pick Jared Veldheer. After taking over as offensive coordinator, Shreffler guided an attack that has broken nearly every offensive record at Hillsdale over the last decade, with Hillsdale’s all-time leading passer (Chance Stewart), rusher (Joe Glendening) and receiver (Trey Brock) playing under Shreffler’s guidance.

He’s also shown an ability to adapt to his personnel, pivoting Hillsdale from a high-flying passing attack earlier in his tenure to an old-school run-heavy offense the last couple of seasons with great success in both areas. He was named the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022, among many career accolades.

“For the last 25 years, this hasn’t been a job for me, but a passion and a mission.”

For Shreffler, the head coaching job is the culmination of a career spent in service of the College and the football program.

“To get this opportunity wasn’t something I expected, but in a lot of ways it’s something I’ve been preparing for my whole life, and I’m so humbled and grateful to be in this position,” Shreffler said. “For the last 25 years, this hasn’t been a job for me, but a passion and a mission.

“This place has always been home for me, and I want our home to be the best-looking house on the block in every way. That’s going to be the focus of our program moving forward.”

HEIGHT: 5-8 | BATS/THROWS: R/R | YEAR: SOPHOMORE

HOMETOWN: CABLE, OH | HIGH SCHOOL: TRIAD HIGH SCHOOL | POSITION: P

BY JAMES GENSTERBLUM, ’12

To become a record-setter and achieve unprecedented honors in any sport, it takes a person who’s more than just a special athlete. It requires someone with an additional edge to reach the top—and the Hillsdale College softball team’s junior pitcher, Joni Russell, has just that edge.

For Russell, the secret lies in an understated competitive fire that helped drive her to one of

Russell Pitches a Sensational Softball Season

the greatest seasons in the history of the Hillsdale College softball program in 2023.

The junior set program and conference records with her dominance on the mound, helping lead the Chargers to a third G-MAC Tournament title and fourth NCAA DII Tournament appearance in the last six seasons.

When you’re playing with great teammates against an elite opponent, you have to be at your best as a player and your sharpest on the mound. It brings out the best in you, and that’s really exciting as a player. Moments like that are what make softball such a fun sport to play.

–JONI RUSSELL, ’25 ”

“When you’re playing with great teammates against an elite opponent, you have to be at your best as a player and your sharpest on the mound,” Russell said. “It brings out the best in you, and that’s really exciting as a player. Moments like that are what make softball such a fun sport to play.”

Russell was sensational in 2023, guiding the Chargers to a 35-21 record and becoming the first Hillsdale pitcher to earn consensus All-American honors since Renae Schaffner in 1989. Her 268 strikeouts set a single-season record, while her microscopic 0.76 ERA was the second-lowest in program history. Both marks ranked in the top five in the nation in 2023. Russell’s ERA, when combined with a strong showing from two-time All-G-MAC honoree and second starter Erin Kapteyn, helped Hillsdale set a G-MAC record for staff ERA with just 1.71 earned runs conceded per seven innings.

relishes the chance to play in those moments, and she pushes herself to be her very best to match the importance of the moment.”

Gross said he can tell if a player is talented enough to be great, but he can’t always know if they have the mindset to get to that level. “Joni is someone who has both, and we’ve been very blessed to have her in our program.”

Russell heads into her third season at Hillsdale with an opportunity for more special moments in 2024. She needs just 46 strikeouts to become Hillsdale’s all-time career strikeouts leader, and there’s also the possibility of becoming Hillsdale’s first-ever repeat All-American in softball.

But despite all of those amazing numbers, one statistic tells the story best. Against Russell last year, opposing hitters batted an anemic .188 with the bases empty, and with runners on base, opposing hitters were even worse against Russell, hitting just .154.

For almost every other pitcher in the country, when pitching to a batter with runners on base, their effectiveness declines. Russell, in defiance of every statistical expectation, was the exception in 2023.

“You just don’t see that from pitchers, and it really is a testament to her competitive spirit,” Hillsdale College Softball Coach Kyle Gross said. “She

But individual goals aren’t a priority for Russell, who’s focused on helping the Chargers be the best they can be as a team. Hillsdale returns all but one player from last year’s NCAA tournament squad and has a chance at a truly special season in 2024.

For Russell, making that happen means continuing to grow as both a player and a leader.

“We were a very young team last year, and as a returning starter, I put a lot of pressure on myself to shoulder as much of the burden as I could,”

Russell said. “This year, we have so many talented players on this team who are ready to break out.”

Russell wants to be the kind of leader who helps bring out the best in her teammates. “I am pushing myself to be someone who can support and encourage others to be their best.”

PHOTO CREDIT: TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS / CHUCK WILLIAMS

FROM MIDDLE

An outstanding student and track athlete in high school with a strong interest in chemistry, Nicole Marshall thought she would attend a large university that offered lots of research opportunities for science majors. But after learning about Hillsdale from then-head track coach Andrew Towne, Nicole realized she could get the best of both academics and athletics—as well as incredible research opportunities and a caring community—at a small college.

MIDDLE DISTANCE TO MAYO

“Hillsdale stood out from the other colleges I visited because its students were kind, welcoming, and happy,” she recalled. “I also met with Hillsdale’s preprofessional advisor and discovered that students here have access to every professor and to scientific equipment that you wouldn’t have access to at other schools.”

A middle-distance runner, Nicole added her talents to a track program with a long history of success. “We won the outdoor conference title my freshman year and were runners-up last year,” she said. She has improved her personal times over the years and credits assistant coach Brian Thill for the customized workouts he creates. And of course, the culture of camaraderie contributes to the team’s success. “My teammates are amazing,” she said. “We are pursuing something hard together. Many of them could have gone to Division I schools, but they wanted a strong academic program.”

Nicole has found that “strong academic program” to be life-changing as she discovers not only what profession she wants to pursue, but also the connections among disciplines gleaned through Hillsdale’s core courses and the relationships she’s developed with professors in science and non-science classes alike. A biochemistry major, she hopes to become a pediatrician. “I have a neurofibroma (nerve tumor) in my leg that I became aware of as a high school freshman,” she said. “As a teen, I was looking for answers about the condition but couldn’t find much. This led me to pediatrics because I can empathize with children and teens who have incurable conditions. I love the idea that I can be someone who could help make a person feel so much better.”

Biochemistry majors must complete one summer of research, so Nicole applied for six or seven internships last winter. The Mayo Clinic accepted her into its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, a ten-week, fully funded internship at its Rochester, Minnesota, campus. “I worked in a prostate cancer research lab,” she said. “I spent 40-50 hours each week conducting experiments, attending meetings, writing reports, and shadowing doctors in the clinic.” Nicole and her fellow interns also gave presentations on their research to physicians at the Mayo Clinic as well as at the National Institutes of Health KUH Undergraduate Research Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Now a junior with an exceptional grade-point average, Nicole serves as vice president of the Preprofessional Society, a co-curricular program for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine and allied health fields. “We do practice MCATs, mock interviews with medical school personnel, panel discussions with alumni in the medical field, and more,” she said.

As she continues her biochemistry studies, Nicole is grateful for the mentorship of the chemistry faculty, especially her advisor, Dr. Mark Nussbaum. “Science majors are fortunate because we get extra time with the professors in the laboratory,” she said. “It’s super interactive.” She values the relationships she has built with other faculty as well as their flexibility with student-athletes’ schedules. “Dr. Mumme [theology] has Friday tea time in his office simply because he wants to invest in his students no matter what their majors are,” she said. “Dr. Kuehler teaches me techniques for making a beautiful sound in piano lessons, and Dr. Barnes tells stories to integrate the psychology material we’re learning.”

Participating on the track team continues to provide Nicole with not only a social outlet, but also a structure and balance that helps her succeed in the classroom. “At track practice, I focus on the physical exertion and the time with teammates,” she said. “Then in the evening, my mind is refreshed and ready to hit the books.”

“I’d go back in a heartbeat,” Nicole said of the experience. “It was fascinating to be mentored by scientists and physician-scientists who are conducting amazing research. I will be writing my biochemistry thesis on the research I did at Mayo.”

“Hillsdale changes you for the better,” Nicole said as she reflected on her Hillsdale experience. “You learn how reliant you are on God, but also how capable you are as a person. Your professors, coaches, and friends all encourage you to become a better version of yourself.”

NICOLE CONDUCTS LAB WORK AT THE MAYO CLINIC

Scholarship Spotlight:

Ben Jones Memorial Scholarship

CREATED: OCTOBER 2020

About the Scholarship: The Benjamin Robert Jones Memorial Endowed Scholarship honors Jones, who tragically passed away on August 19, 2020, in a car accident at just 30 years of age. The former Chargers football player came to Hillsdale as an undersized walk-on tight end and fullback. But he graduated a leader and contributor on three championship football teams at Hillsdale. His popular “Get To” motto “championed a gratitude for life and celebrated opportunity even amidst the most challenging circumstances,” and is still honored by the program today. In fact, his family established the Get To Foundation in his memory. At the time of his death, Jones was a successful football coach at Cranbrook Kingswood High School. The scholarship, once fully funded, will be awarded to Hillsdale College football upperclassmen who “exhibit great passion for the game of football and are exemplary teammates.”

“Ben’s positive impact on people was amazing,” said Director of Athletic Development Jeff Lantis, ’86. “I recently spoke to an alum who teaches and coaches at Cranbrook, and he said Ben changed the culture among all their athletes by highlighting the ‘Get To’ attitude in his coaching that emphasized how fortunate they were to be able to work hard practicing for game day competition.”

To Donate: Visit hillsdale.edu/football

HOMER P. MEAD (No. 2)

HILLSDALE CREW

ESBON B. “EB” VAN VALKENBURGH (Stroke)

LEWIS F. BECKHARDT (No. 3)

CLARENCE W. TERWILLIGER (Bow and Captain)

BY MONICA VANDERWEIDE, ’95

THE FOUR OARSMEN BRING HILLSDALE NATIONAL ACCLAIM

They had no coach. They had no formal training. They had no experience. Yet in 1879, four young men from Hillsdale decided to form the Hillsdale Rowing Club and pursue the gentlemen’s sport of rowing. These four, three of whom had attended Hillsdale College in the early 1870s, comprised the rowing team that would catapult Hillsdale into the national spotlight with three National American Amateur Rowing Championships titles.

Friends and local residents Clarence W. Terwilliger, Lewis F. Beckhardt, J.D. Wilson, and Esbon B. “Eb” Van Valkenburgh worked as clerks and firemen in Hillsdale. In fact, Terwilliger, who was team captain, was one of the firemen who responded to the devastating campus fire in March 1874 that destroyed most of the original college building. The four also played baseball together in the Hillsdale Base Ball Club, so they clearly had athleticism. But, as Terwilliger recalled in a speech decades later to the local Rotary Club, preparing for rowing competition while working full time was no small feat.

“…this exercise was all taken after 9 o’clock or half-past 9 o’clock in the evening, when we used to get out of the

stores in those days, and we were all clerks. We used to get up to the stores along about 7 o’clock [in the morning] or a little earlier, and open up the store and get everything in readiness for business. We kept the stores open until 9 o’clock, and after that would go down and spend about an hour or an hour-and-a-half in good hard work.”

That “good hard work” consisted of “lighter calisthenic exercises as well as the heavier ones,” including work with dumbbells, Indian clubs, parallel bars, single bars, rings, tumbling, wresting, and boxing, in addition to running. “We were pretty handy at all of those; there wasn’t much of anything but what we could handle,” Terwilliger recounted. The crew practiced in their boat on Baw Beese Lake, and with only a few months of preparation under their belts, competed in their first event—the Northwestern Regatta in Toledo, Ohio.

The Hillsdales, as they were known, handily won the regatta. In July 1879, they competed for their first National American Amateur Rowing Championship (NAARC) at the Saratoga Regatta. Again, the four oarsmen achieved a resounding victory with the best time on

record: 8:32 for the 1.5-mile contest. Upon their return to Hillsdale, the quartet received a hero’s welcome. Flags bearing the crew’s colors of blue and white adorned the streets of downtown Hillsdale. The celebration on July 14, 1879, included a parade and a day of festivities with bands, fireworks, and a reception at Underwood’s Opera House. Will Carleton, an 1869 alumnus and nationally known poet, first read his poem “Our Four in a Row.”

The success of this novice crew ruffled the feathers of more established rowing teams. Following the Northwestern Regatta, one of the losing teams, the

Undines, got an idea to race the Hillsdales again, claiming that their crew had been too tired from a previous race when competing at the Northwestern: “If we had been as fresh as the Hillsdale crew, we could have won that race; now, if we can go up to Hillsdale and we can defeat that Hillsdale crew, we will have the honors of defeating the champions of the United States and Canada.”

That set in motion a plan to hold a regatta right in Hillsdale in August 1879. Other teams eagerly jumped at the opportunity to try to beat the Hillsdales, but once again, Terwilliger and his men prevailed. They continued undefeated for the next three years as they traveled the country, competing in regattas in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Moline, and other competitions closer to home and winning three NAARC titles. Their success grabbed the attention of the media, with the New Orleans Picayune calling the crew “the brawny lads from Michigan.” Following the crew’s Saratoga victory, the New York World published this humorous observation: “Perhaps it will be necessary to inform our readers that Hillsdale is a town, village, or something, of Michigan. It must be, at all events, on water. One would be inclined to infer from the performance of four of its inhabitants this morning, that it is a sort of small Venice.”

In 1882, the NAARC Executive Committee approached the Hillsdales about going over to England to compete. As Terwilliger

“Perhaps it will be necessary to inform our readers that Hillsdale is a town, village, or something, of Michigan. It must be, at all events, on water. One would be inclined to infer from the performance of four of its inhabitants this morning, that it is a sort of small Venice.”

recounted, his crew was hesitant to go based on the negative experiences that other American teams had had competing across the pond. But the committee convinced the oarsmen to go, and on June 12, 1882, Terwilliger, Beckhardt, Wilson, Van Valkenburgh, and Homer Mead, an alternate rower, sailed out of Philadelphia for England on the Pennsylvania steamer of the American Steamship Line. The Hillsdales weathered seasickness, a strong storm, and boredom on the 12-day voyage, arriving in London on June 23, 1882.

The Hillsdales were entered in multiple regattas in England for that summer, but they were greeted with controversy upon their arrival. The executive committee of England’s Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) informed the Hillsdales that “it will be impossible for any of our oarsmen to meet the Hillsdale crew as a contestant, on penalty of losing our standing as amateur oarsmen of England.” The executive committee members were

– NEW YORK WORLD , 1879

convinced that the Hillsdales were professional oarsmen due to their physique, their rowing style, and their success, even though the Hillsdale crew had provided verification of their amateur status. While Hillsdale was denied the opportunity to compete in the prestigious Henley Regatta, the committee of the Great Marlow Regatta, in a conciliatory gesture, agreed to let just one team compete against the Hillsdales, who continued their winning streak with a handy defeat of the Englishmen.

A flurry of transcontinental letter writing ensued as the Hillsdales tried to appeal the decision of the ARA committee. News outlets and rowing associations on both sides of the pond, angered by the injustice toward the Hillsdales, expressed their frustration. “The London Sportsman says it is utterly astonished at the action of the Committee of the Amateur Rowing Association in passing the resolution touching the status of the Hillsdale crew,” the New York Herald wrote. “The popularity of their [the

THE HILLSDALES

CHAMPION FOUR OARS AMERICA

Some of the items in the treasure trove of Clarence Terwilliger’s rowing memorabilia donated to Mossey Library include uniforms, ribbons (previous pages), and maps, tickets, and menus from the crew’s trans-Atlantic voyage to compete in England. One of the crew’s oars (right) is on display in the Barn Museum at the Will Carleton Poorhouse in Hillsdale.

Hillsdales] success is a proof that the self-constituted authority known as the Amateur Rowing Association, which presumed to question the amateur qualifications of the crew, does not represent the feelings and wishes of all the rowing men in England.” L.E. Saunier of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen wrote a letter to the crew, encouraging them not to be disheartened by the “insulting and cowardly treatment” by the committee.

Nonetheless, Terwilliger issued a challenge to the Thames Rowing Club, the champion rowers of the Thames River, to compete against Hillsdale. At the urging of friends back at home, he also issued a general challenge to any English crew to compete against them. When the Thames crew declined, the Hillsdales made plans to do some European traveling before securing their tickets back to America. A disappointed Terwilliger wrote to his girlfriend (and later wife) Calla that they would likely be coming home much earlier than anticipated due to the unwillingness of any of the English teams to compete with them.

for about the first two miles. Then, the force of the wake from a vessel ahead of the Hillsdales hit their boat so strongly that Terwilliger’s seat broke. Undeterred, the crew kept rowing, still maintaining a lead, when near the four-mile mark, the seat slipped off completely and fell to the bottom of the boat. The crew stopped rowing briefly and the Thames crew surpassed them. But the Hillsdales persevered, gaining ground and almost catching up, but ultimately falling just short of the victory. That day, September 15, 1882, marked their first defeat since the spring of 1879.

But then, days later, the Thames club, along with representatives from the London, Cambridge, Oxford, and other English rowing clubs, surprised Terwilliger at his hotel one evening with some news—they wanted to compete against Hillsdale. After considerable discussion, a date was set and preparations got under way.

The course on the Thames in London, with its twists and turns, strong tide, and an abundance of boats and barges sharing the water with the rowers, proved to be unlike anything the Hillsdales had rowed before. “I can’t keep the boat pointed straight anywhere,” Terwilliger lamented during practice. Nonetheless, during the race, the Hillsdales managed to stay ahead of the Thames crew

In spite of the disappointment, the Hillsdales returned home once again to great fanfare and far-reaching respect. In fact, when President Theodore Roosevelt made a visit to Hillsdale in 1907, he noted “the great impression made upon me” by the oarsmen 25 years before.

While Hillsdale rowing teams have come and gone through the decades, no other team has matched the success of the Hillsdales. In the years following the oarsmen’s championship streak, Hillsdale College adopted blue and white as its official colors, a nod to the colors of the hometown crew. And the story is preserved through boxes of memorabilia, including flags, ribbons, crew uniforms, photos, and a treasure trove of letters to and from Clarence Terwilliger during the 1870s and 1880s that were found in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house and later donated to Mossey Library. Eventually, these items will be scanned to the library’s digital archive (lib.hillsdale.edu) for anyone to learn about the fascinating feats of Hillsdale’s four “brawny lads.”

Editor’s note: Thank you to the Hillsdale County Historical Society and Hillsdale College Archivist Lori Curtis for their assistance.

BY DOUG GOODNOUGH, ’90

Bringing Our “A” Game: Athletic Fundraising Priorities

John Tharp is still just months into his new role as Hillsdale College athletic director, but he is learning about the needs of the program. Here are just a few priorities he identified as he completes his first year of leading Chargers Athletics.

PRIORITY #1: SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

“My ultimate goal is to make sure that every single program at Hillsdale College is fully funded,” Tharp said of Hillsdale’s athletic scholarship funding needs. “And knowing everything that I know about this place and Dr. Arnn, we’re not about average. We want to provide experiences for our student-athletes so that they can be successful and continue to grow.”

Some Hillsdale athletic programs are funded to the maximum amount allowed by the NCAA Division II and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. But some are not. Tharp said his goal is to focus on helping those remaining sports receive funding to the levels needed to not only be competitive, but also be at the level of other championship programs. He said fundraising for scholarships is and will continue to be one his top priorities.

“I don’t think our Biology Department or Economics Department or Business Department is saying ‘Hey, we just want to be OK,’” he said. “I want our department to be the best it possibly can be. And I need the alumni athletes to help with this.”

PRIORITY #2: SOFTBALL STADIUM (see stadium renderings to the right)

Johnny Williams Field, which was built on a former garbage dump on the banks of Lake Winona nearly 40 years ago, is sinking. Yes, sinking. The College–and the program–have made the best of the swampy land, but it’s time for a new facility. Tharp said the program, which is coming off another championship season, has great potential to succeed on the national level, but needs a new facility to help it get there.

“I think our softball program could be a national, Elite Eight-type program,” Tharp said. “But we need to upgrade the facilities in order for the program to continue to develop. Again, it goes back to excellence.”

The softball field, currently tucked behind Muddy Waters Stadium, will relocate to the northeast of the baseball field. This new location will provide more stable ground and expanded space for a synthetic turf field, a 100-seat covered grandstand, stadium lighting, and more. The hope is that alumni will step forward to fill in the funding gap.

PRIORITY #3: INDOOR ALL-PURPOSE TURF BUILDING

Recently, Tharp visited Texas, where some alumni helped him tour several indoor turf facilities that are much more commonplace in that region of the country. He said Hillsdale College needs a similar facility that will meet the needs of his teams.

“Obviously there’s the football component of it,” Tharp said of the uses of such a facility. “There’s also a baseball and softball component, as well as a rehab and athletic improvement part.”

But it also could be used for other activities such as intramural sports, club teams, and college and community events.

“From a wellness perspective, that facility has a chance to do as much for our campus community as any other facility,” he said. “In the cold weather months, that building has a chance to be such an all-encompassing place. I have visions of running different events that we could do with an indoor turf building.

“We have the best college in America, the best education in America, the best moral compass in America. One of the prettiest campuses in America,” he added. “We have some really good facilities here. We want to continue to make sure that we have facilities we all can be incredibly proud of. We need the people who have had those great athletic experiences to help us.”

To support one of these priorities, please contact Director of Development to Athletics Jeff Lantis at jlantis@hillsdale.edu.

FEATURES:

• SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD

• NEW COVERED 100-SEAT GRANDSTAND AND 200-SEAT EXPANSION

• NEW PRESS BOX

• CONCESSIONS AND RESTROOMS IN STADIUM

• NEW SCOREBOARD

• STADIUM LIGHTING FOR EVENING PLAY

Baseball

PROJECT UPDATE: BASEBALL STADIUM & TRACK & FIELD

Track & Field

LENDA & GLENDA HILL STADIUM TFO PARTNERS FIELD

Chargers Clips

(A whirlwind look at Chargers Athletics by sport)

Baseball

The new Hill Stadium and Delp Field are progressing. The field turf was laid in early October, and the dugouts and grandstand should be ready by the spring season. Hillsdale’s home opener is March 16 against Findlay.

Softball

The defending Great Midwest Athletic Conference champion Chargers opened their 2024 season on February 9 at Tusculum. Hillsdale will play its home and conference opener on March 29 against Kentucky Wesleyan.

Men’s Basketball

The Chargers signed 6-foot-5 wing Tommy Morgan from Brunswick, Ohio, during the early signing period in November. Morgan averaged more than 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior.

Women’s Basketball

Senior Sydney Mills became only the third Charger in program history to reach 1,000 career rebounds when she pulled down 15 boards as Hillsdale defeated Quincy on November 16. She is closing in on all-time rebound leader and Hall-of-Famer Sandy Skaisgir, ’90, who recorded 1,146 for her career.

Football

Senior running back Michael Herzog was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference MVP after rushing for 1,333 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Chargers. He was also one of nine finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is given to the top player in NCAA Division II.

Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country

Juniors Alex Mitchell and Richie Johnston each earned All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honors after finishing third and tenth, respectively, at the cross country championships. The Chargers placed 11th at the NCAA Division II regional meet, Hillsdale’s best finish since 2019.

Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country

Junior Liz Wamsley finished 11th in the nation at the NCAA Division II Championships, earning her AllAmerican honors for the second time in her career. She captured the Midwest Regional and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference titles as well.

Volleyball

The Chargers continued their conference dominance, winning their seventh straight Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament title and sharing the regular season title. Hillsdale advanced to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II tournament appearance, with senior Alli Wiese named the G-MAC Player of the Year.

Men’s Golf

The Chargers won the Malone-Glenmoor Fall Invitational in September, claiming their first team title since 2018. Hillsdale edged out Ferris State and Tiffin to take the top spot.

Men’s Tennis

Last fall, the Chargers faced tough competition at the 2023 ITA Midwest Regional hosted by Grand Valley State University. The regional brings together the best players from across the region at the NCAA DII level from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic

Conference, the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and Hillsdale’s Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Women’s Tennis

Briana Rees (Dallas, Texas) and Julia Zlateva (Bucharest, Romania) each signed their letters of intent to play for Hillsdale during National Signing Day in November.

Swimming

The Chargers won three dual meets in two days last fall, defeating nationally ranked Indiana Wesleyan, as well as Malone and Davis & Elkins.

Shotgun

The Chargers completed possibly their most successful semester of collegiate shooting. Hillsdale won the ACUI/SCTP International National Championships, taking first place in both International Skeet and International Trap. Sophomore Jordan Sapp and freshman Madeline Corbin won individual national championships in their respective divisions.

Action Shooting

Springfield Armory recently agreed to a four-year commitment to fund remitted scholarships for members of the Action Shooting team. The company also supplies the team with all of the team’s firearms.

Chargers Champions

Liz Wamsley

Liz Wamsley won individual conference and regional championships for the Chargers and finished 11th in the nation to earn All-American cross country honors for the second time in her career.

Women’s Volleyball Team/Alli Wiese /Chris Gravel 600th win

Behind the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Alli Wiese, the Chargers claimed their seventh straight conference title and sixth consecutive G-MAC crown. Wiese set the program’s career dig mark as the team’s libero, while Head Coach Chris Gravel surpassed the 600-win career mark.

Michael Herzog

Michael Herzog was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference

Most Valuable Player, leading the Chargers with 1,333 rushing yards and a record 21 touchdowns this season. He was also one of nine finalists for the Harlon Hill Award, which is given to the top player in NCAA Division II.

Shotgun Team

Hillsdale won the ACUI/SCTP International National Championship in October. The Chargers claimed first place in both international skeet and international trap.

BY DOUG GOODNOUGH, ’90

The

Extra Mile

MORGAN DELP BEGINS HER SECOND YEAR AS PRINCIPAL OF CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Morgan Delp, ’15, has shown she is up for a challenge.

When she decided to attend Hillsdale College and become a member of the Chargers women’s tennis team, which was restarting after a long hiatus, she proved herself a mainstay of a program that now is established as one of the best in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

After graduation, she decided to return to her alma mater, Toledo Central Catholic High School (CCHS), where she worked as a journalism and history teacher. And when CCHS was experiencing a fluctuation in leadership, she again

stepped forward. Now, the 30-year-old is beginning her second year as principal of the school of approximately 600 students nestled in the heart of downtown Toledo. “(Teaching) is definitely the part I miss the most,” Delp said of leaving the classroom for a leadership role. “I think you hear a lot of administrators say that. I really miss being in the classroom with students. I had to learn to teach in other ways, whether it’s teaching other teachers, or teaching students from a behavioral or motivational standpoint.”

Delp knew early on that she might want to move into a leadership role eventually, so she enrolled in a one-year nonprofit administration master’s program at the University of Notre Dame. After completing her degree in the spring of 2020, there was an opening for a dean of academics at CCHS.

She was hired and started July 1, 2020. Her first task was trying to reopen in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was my job to figure out how to start school in the midst of all these pandemic regulations and quarantine laws,” Delp said. “But it was probably the best test for me as a leader and a professional. It was really tough at the time. There’s always challenges in education and to start out with something like that…we had to work together a lot more.”

In 2022, she moved into the principal role and said she learned a lot in her first year.

“The biggest change in becoming principal is the growth in the management aspect,” Delp said. “I got a lot more experience in having difficult conversations with employees, or dealing and helping employees with situations that were going on in their personal lives that affected their work and how to support them best as a person. I think those were the kind of things that are hard to be prepared for until you are in the situation and have worked through them.”

“Initially, I felt really equipped to teach the content I was teaching even though I didn’t have a traditional teaching degree, just because of my depth of knowledge. Most importantly, the passion for what I was teaching was really honed at Hillsdale,” she said. “Also, the work ethic that I developed at Hillsdale, and not just through my classes. I took advantage of as many things as possible.”

Besides tennis, Delp was a member of The Collegian staff and was also involved in the Student Affairs and Career Services offices, not to mention her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

“At Hillsdale, it was for a purpose that I really believed in,” she said. “That’s how I feel here at Central Catholic, too. Hillsdale taught me that when you believe in what you are doing, it’s worth it to be really invested and go the extra mile.”

Managing teachers who once taught her as a student was an adjustment. And last year, her first year on the job, her younger brother, Winston, was a member of the senior class.

“He was a real trooper about it,” she said of her brother, who is a freshman at Hillsdale College. “I give him a lot of credit. It’s probably not easy or ideal to have your sister be the principal. But I personally enjoyed and loved being able to see him enjoy his high school experience and be a part of that in a small way.”

Delp said her Hillsdale College experience helped her appreciate the value of education and prepared her well for her future roles.

She said she realizes the value of education now more than ever.

“The importance of education is something that I knew coming out of Central, but I really knew coming out of Hillsdale,” Delp said. “That’s something that a lot of students and the families who we serve haven’t been exposed to. The importance of education to break cycles and advance people’s lives is always at the forefront of what I do. There’s probably not another institution in the country more committed to that than Hillsdale College.”

Delp still enjoys playing tennis and has added pickleball and platform tennis to her activity list. Living a short distance from CCHS, she said she enjoys being back in her hometown—and at her alma mater.

“I love it here. I’m not sure that I would even be in education if it wasn’t here at Central Catholic,” she said. “That’s how much I believe in our school and our students and what we do.”

Chargers Athletic Staff Directory SPRING

John Tharp

Director of Athletics (517) 607-3130

jtharp@hillsdale.edu

Keven Bradley

Head Coach, Men’s Basketball (517) 607-3148

kbradley@hillsdale.edu

Brianna Brennan

Head Coach, Women’s Basketball (517) 607-3148

kbradley@hillsdale.edu

Adam Burlew

Head Action Shooting Coach (517) 610-5593

aburlew@hillsdale.edu

Josh Calver

Deputy Director of Athletics (517) 607-3140

jcalver@hillsdale.edu

Tyler Cortright

Assistant AD—Sports Medicine and Performance (517) 607-3193

tcortright@hillsdale.edu

Anika Fassett

Internal Operations and Compliance Manager (517) 607-3156

afassett@hillsdale.edu

Liam Fraboulet

Head Coach, Women’s Tennis (517) 607-3168

lfraboulet@hillsdale.edu

James Gensterblum

Director of Athletic Communications (517) 607-3172

jgensterblum@hillsdale.edu

Chris Gravel

Head Volleyball Coach / Assistant Athletic Director (517) 607-3162

cgravel@hillsdale.edu

Kyle Gross

Head Softball Coach (517) 607-3191

kgross@hillsdale.edu

Jordan Hintz

Head Shotgun Coach (262) 930-9718

jhintz@hillsdale.edu

Haley Ketchum

Executive Assistant to the Athletic Director (517) 607-3130

hketchum@hillsdale.edu

Kurt Kirner

Head Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach (517) 607-3142

kkirner@hillsdale.edu

Jeff Lantis

Director of Development to Athletics (517) 607-3182

jlantis@hillsdale.edu

Ted Matko

Director of Sports Broadcasting (517) 607-2351

tmatko@hillsdale.edu

Regan Meyer

Director of Marketing and Community Relations (517) 607-3132

rmeyer@hillsdale.edu

Emma Purdy

Coordinator of Creative Services and Fan Engagement (517) 607-3129

epurdy@hillsdale.edu

Nate Shreffler

Head Football Coach (517) 607-3141

nshreffler@hillsdale.edu

Matt Thompson

Head Men’s Golf Coach (517) 607-3149

mthompson@hillsdale.edu

Keith Turner

Head Men’s Tennis Coach (517) 607-3180

kturner@hillsdale.edu

Tom Vessella

Head Baseball Coach (517) 607-3137

tvessella@hillsdale.edu

Nikki Walbright

Assistant Athletic Director, Senior Women’s Administrator (517) 607-3168

nwalbright@hillsdale.edu

R.P. White

Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Coach (517) 607-3161

rwhite@hillsdale.edu