Recent Ohio Wesleyan University graduate and cross country and track and field student-athlete Ahmed Hamed (Hilliard, OH/Bradley) has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 North Coast Athletic Conference Don Hunsinger Award.
Hamed, a three-sport student-athlete, saw success on the cross country course claiming All-NCAC first-team accolades after a fifth-place finish at the 2019 NCAC championship. He also earned second-team honors at the 2018 (14th) and 2017 (11th) conference championships. During his senior campaign, he earned all-region honors with a 27th-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes cross country regional. In track and field, Hamed and his teammates captured three NCAC championship titles, two during the indoor season (2017 & 2018) and one during the outdoor season (2018).
Hamed’s success wasn't just limited to athletics during his career at Ohio Wesleyan as he recently graduated with a 3.93 grade-point-average while studying accounting, politics and government. The three-time NCAC Honor Roll recipient was also a three-time United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Cross Country honoree, while being named to the Dean's List every semester at Ohio Wesleyan. Hamed was honored as the recipient of the Presidential Award, the Dr. Richard Gordin Award, the Bliss and Mildred Wiant Award, the Dr. Guy Sarvis Diversity Award, the Joan Harvey Outstanding Accounting Student Award, the Meek Leadership Award and the Rev. Jon R. Powers Jitstis Sosyal Interfaith Award. He is as a three-time Dale J. Bruce Top-50 Scholar Athlete and a two-time Top-10 Athlete at OWU. He was a Midwest Political Science Association annual conference research selection and received the Theory into Practice Grant, the Gilman and Batchelor Scholarships and was named an Accounting Fellow. Hamed is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Eta Sigma and Sigma Iota Rho. He was a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country team honoree.
In addition, Hamed was actively involved with the Ohio Wesleyan campus community during his time in Delaware. On campus, he served as the President of both Tauheed (Muslim Student Association) and the Interfaith Leadership Council and was the 2020 class representative on the Baccalaureate Committee. Hamed worked as an OWU Connection Mentor, was the co-executive director of the Mock Convention and was involved with the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, serving as the co-chair for the Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee and as the interim chair for the Academic Affairs Committee.
Hamed was one of seven outstanding nominees considered for the selection committee. The other candidates included:
Hunter Jenkins, Men’s Lacrosse, Hiram College
Jay Klein, Men’s Soccer, DePauw University
Peter Pittroff, Men’s Lacrosse, Denison University
Jordan Rawls, Men’s Basketball, Allegheny College
Michael Tanchevski, Men’s Soccer, Wabash College
Jake Zalenski, Men’s Tennis, Kenyon College
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, continues to serve the conference as Director of Tennis.
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.
NCAC Don Hunsinger Award Winners
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