OWU's Theobald Named 2025 Hunsinger Award Winner

CLEVELAND, OH - Recent Ohio Wesleyan University graduate and men's track and field student-athlete Trey Theobald (Archbold, OH/Archbold) has been named the recipient of the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference Don Hunsinger Award. 
 
Theobald established himself as one of the top javelin throwers in Division III throughout his career. He was named a First-Team All-American in both 2024 and 2025, finishing as the national runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a mark of 65.07 meters (213' 6") and placing fourth in 2025, where he broke the Ohio Wesleyan program record with a throw of 65.89 meters (216' 2"). A consistent performer at the conference level, Theobald claimed the 2025 NCAC javelin title and earned All-NCAC honors in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while he and his teammates captured all-conference honors in the 4x100-meter relay in 2022. He was also a three-time All-Great Lakes Region selection. Theobald's leadership helped the OWU men's javelin corps grow to 7 student-athletes this season, with the Bishops ranking seventh in the final 2025 USTFCCCA event-squad rankings.
 
In the classroom, Theobald graduated with a 3.96 cumulative GPA as a biochemistry and pre-medicine major and biology minor. He was a 2025 Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society inductee, a 2024 and 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) First-Team Academic All-American, and was a CSC Academic All-District and United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He also received the Hall Fellowship in Chemistry, was named a Schafer Chemistry Scholar, and was honored with the Second-Year Chemistry Major Faculty Prize. Theobald engaged in advanced undergraduate research through summer programs at Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan. At Vanderbilt's VINSE lab, he worked on developing a method to detect medication-induced neurotoxicity on fetal brain development using cerebral organoids. At Michigan, he investigated the energetic stabilities of Rituxan and Ruxience. During his time at OWU, he also completed a directed reading in oligonucleotide biosynthesis.
 
On campus and in the broader community, Theobald made contributions through service and leadership. He served as President and Treasurer of the OWU Pre-Health Club, leading initiatives that enabled over 50 students to receive Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. As a teaching assistant and tutor in general and organic chemistry labs, he emphasized both technical instruction and academic confidence-building. Off campus, Theobald volunteered in multiple departments at the Fulton County Health Center, gaining invaluable clinical exposure at a critical access hospital. He also contributed to programs like OWU's Bishop Games and served as a Summer Splash swim coach, reflecting a deep commitment to mentorship and public health education.

Theobald was one of six outstanding nominees considered for the selection committee. The other candidates included:
Jonathan Bruder, Football, DePauw
Patrick Daly, Men's Swimming & Diving, Denison
Will Fink, Men's Lacrosse, Wooster
Rollins Heath, Men's Lacrosse, Kenyon
Ethan Johns, Men's Swimming & Diving, Wabash

This award commemorates former Oberlin administrator and coach Don Hunsinger, who had a far-reaching influence on the athletes he coached in a wide variety of sports. Over more than three decades, Hunsinger served Oberlin as athletic director, chairman of the department of physical education, had stints as head coach for Yeoman football, baseball, and men's and women's tennis, and assisted with the men's and women's basketball programs. Four times he earned NCAC Coach of the Year recognition, twice in men's tennis and twice in women's. Hunsinger, who retired from the College in 2008, also served as the NCAC Director of Tennis through 2022.

The award recognizes one male senior student-athlete who has distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. Each conference institution can nominate a distinguished male student-athlete for the honor. A committee of North Coast Athletic Conference administrators and faculty representatives, in conjunction with the conference office, makes the selection.
 
As this year's NCAC winner, Theobald will also be nominated for the Division III Commissioners Association Student Athlete of the Year.
 
NCAC Don Hunsinger Award Winners
2025 - Trey Theobald, Ohio Wesleyan
2024 - Lake Barrett, Wooster
2023 - Mart Niehoff, Kenyon
2022 - Marcus Hong, Kenyon
2021 - Wesley Slaughter, Wabash
2020 - Ahmed Hamed, Ohio Wesleyan
2019 - Erich Lange, Wabash
2018 - Jason Wesseling, Denison
2017 - Trevor Manz, Kenyon
2016 - Geno Arthur, Oberlin
2015 - Casey Cempre, Denison
2014 - Andrew Chevalier, Kenyon
2013 - Curtis Ramsey, Kenyon
2012 - Sharif Kronemer, Ohio Wesleyan
2011 - Kyle Herman, Ohio Wesleyan
2010 - J. David Gatz, Ohio Wesleyan
2009 - Kyle Holliday, Ohio Wesleyan

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