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| Molly Hutter, Andreas Xenofontos, Josh Gluck, Katie Shideler, Evan Faxon |
The College of Wooster athletic department has selected women's soccer alumna Molly Hutter as its nominee for the North Coast Athletic Conference's Pam Smith Award and men's soccer alumnus Andreas Xenofontos as its nominee for the NCAC's Don Hunsinger Award. Additionally, baseball alumnus Evan Faxon and field hockey and women's lacrosse alumna Katie Shideler are this year's recipients of the David A. Guldin Award, with those recipients also receiving the NCAC Scholar Student-Athlete Award, while Hutter and swimming and diving alumnus Josh Gluck are this year's Manges Athletic Prize winners.
On the pitch, Hutter was a second-team all-region, a second-team All-Ohio, and an honorable mention all-conference selection during Wooster's historic 2019 season. Hutter tied for first nationally with 15 shutouts and collected program season records in shutouts, consecutive shutouts (nine), consecutive shutout minutes (873:50), and goals against average (.50). Hutter allowed just 11 goals in 21 contests in 2019, while helping the Scots to the second round of the NCAA Div. III Championships and the program's second-ever NCAC Tournament title. The two-year starter had a career 0.53 goals against average and a .880 save percentage, with the goals against average ranking first in program history.
Off the pitch, Hutter was the People United for Sports and Health student organization president for the 2020-21 academic year, was a member of the Women's Athletic and Recreation Association student organization, was a STEM Zone intern, and spent last summer as a financial intern for National Power in Raleigh, North Carolina. The mathematics alumna will be attending North Carolina State University to pursue a master's in mechanical engineering, and she'll be continuing her work at National Power this summer.
Xenofontos, a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, earned All-NCAC honorable mention status in 2019 after tying for the team lead with 12 points. That year, Xenofontos ranked second on the team with five goals, two of which game in a 3-2 overtime victory at DePauw University.
The two-year mentee in the NCAC Branch Rickey Mentorship Program, spent last summer as part of an Applied Methods and Research Experience (AMRE) team conducting research for a potential arts and culture district in Wooster. Xenofontos attended several other key professional development workshops, including We Are One Team/WA1T and the NCAC/Presidents Athletic Conference Career in Sports Workshop. The economics alumnus will be pursuing a master's in sports management with a business analytics concentration starting this fall at the University of New Haven.
Faxon, a two-time all-conference selection, has been one of Wooster's top arms throughout his career. The senior left-hander has a pair of three-hit shutouts this spring, and was one of the postseason pitching stars during Wooster's run to the 2018 NCAA Div. III "World Series" and the 2019 NCAA Div. III Super Regional. The biochemistry and molecular biology alumnus' Independent Study focused on arginine kinase function in C. elegans and determining how these proteins produced in the nematodes impact muscle function. Specifically, Faxon sought to understand how these proteins work in a more basic organism for a better understanding of muscle physiology in humans.
Shideler, a first-team Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region selection and NCAC Defensive Player of the Year in women's lacrosse in 2021, came in and earned starting goalkeeper roles for the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams as a first-year. The mathematics and physics double major's highest athletic honor came as a sophomore, when she was a National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region honoree. The four-year standout earned a combined five all-conference honors, including three first-team honors. Shideler's Independent Study focused on energy conservation and using thermoelectric generators to convert excess thermal energy into electricity. Around campus, Shideler looked at places that give off a lot of heat, such as laundry rooms or kitchens, and looked at ways to harness what would be wasted energy as heat and convert it back to electricity.
Gluck earned all-conference honors as part of Wooster's third-place 400 medley relay (3:28.99) at the 2020 NCAC Championships. He helped the Scots to three top-five relay showings at the NCAC Championships, widely regarded as one of NCAA Div. III's preeminent meets. Individually, Gluck qualified for the championship final in the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the 2020 NCAC Championships and the 200 backstroke at the 2019 league meet. This spring, Gluck was part of five Timken Natatorium records at the Wooster End of Season Meet.
The Smith Award recognizes one female senior student-athlete who has distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. The NCAC's Smith Award winner is nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year consideration. The Hunsinger Award recognizes one male senior student-athlete who has distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. A committee of NCAC administrators, in conjunction with the conference office, will review the nominees in the coming weeks and make the selection of this year's recipients.
The Guldin Award (College of Wooster institutional award) goes to the top two scholar-athletes in the senior class based on both their academic and athletic ability. Wooster's recipients of this award automatically early the NCAC Scholar Student-Athlete Award as well. The Manges Award, established in 1925 by Monroe Manges '88, is awarded annually at Wooster's graduation to the member of the senior class most proficient in vigorous physical activity, or more specifically, varsity athletics.