Manske Named DIIICA Region VII Student-Athlete of the Year

CANTON, GA - Recent Kenyon College graduate and men's swimming & diving student-athlete Ethan Manske (Santa Fe, NM/St. Michaels) was named the winner of the Division III Commissioner's Association (DIIICA) Region VII Men's Student-Athlete of the Year award. Manske was one of 20 student-athletes, 10 men and 10 women, who were recognized as regional winners of the award, which is in its fourth year. Manske and the nine other male regional winners now advance on the ballot for the D3CA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year, which will be announced next month.

Recently named the recipient of the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference's Don Hunsinger Award, Manske established himself as one of the nation's premier swimmers in the individual medley while contributing to Kenyon's continued success on the national stage. A four-time First-Team All-American in the 400 individual medley, Manske earned NCAA finishes of fifth, third, seventh and fourth from 2023-26. He also garnered First-Team All-America recognition as a member of Kenyon's 800 freestyle relay in 2024 and 2026, while adding eight Second-Team All-America honors across the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 800 free relay. Manske captured three consecutive NCAC titles in the 400 IM (2024-26) and claimed the 2026 conference championship in the 200 butterfly, earning 11 career All-NCAC certificates. A two-time team captain, he helped lead Kenyon to NCAC championships and NCAA runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, along with a fourth-place national finish in 2026. He also helped set the Kenyon varsity record in the 800 free relay during his senior season.

In the classroom, Manske graduated with a 3.97 cumulative GPA while majoring in Environmental Studies and Japanese Language with a minor in Music. He was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2026 and earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) First-Team Academic All-America honors three consecutive years (2024-26). Manske was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, received the 2026 NCAC Scholar-Athlete Award, and was a four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American and three-time CSC Academic All-District selection. An eight-time member of the Kenyon Merit List and three-time NCAC Dr. Gordon Collins Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll honoree, he also received the Toshizo Watanabe Fellows Tuition Scholarship and Sato Foundation Scholarship to pursue advanced Japanese language studies at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan. Beyond athletics, Manske excelled as a musician, earning recognition in Kenyon's Young Musicians Competition and receiving the college's Japanese Prize in 2025.

Manske's leadership extended throughout the Kenyon campus and beyond. As a Japanese teaching assistant, he developed lesson plans and led weekly language practice sessions for fellow students, while also volunteering as an English tutor for elementary school students in Japan. He served as assistant principal violist with the Knox County Symphony and volunteered with organizations including Special Olympics, Wiggins Street Elementary School and Kenyon Athletics' annual food drive. Manske also spent a summer volunteering at Turtleback Mountain Community Farm in Washington, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and food sovereignty.

Each conference was permitted to submit up to two nominees for each gendered award, provided at least one was an international student or from an ethnic minority background. Graduating seniors were the only student-athletes eligible for this award. Selection criteria for the awards included considerations based on academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership and a personal statement submitted by each nominee.

Voting was conducted by the commissioners within each of the ten regions, with the top male and female honoree recognized as finalists for the Awards Committee to select the Division III Commissioner's Association Men's Sport and Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. 
 

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