Winners of 2021 Swarm Awards announced by athletic department

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College Department of Athletics recently announced the winners of its 2021 Swarm Awards. The awards annually celebrate the accomplishments of Defiance student-athletes and their teams.

Typically, the awards are handed out at the annual Purple and Gold Club Spring Sports Banquet, but this year's event was not held for the second straight year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The banquet has been presented by DC's Purple and Gold Club since the 1970s.

In all, Defiance recognized several individuals and groups with 13 different awards. Listed below are the names and descriptions of the awards and their recipients.

Male Purple and Gold Distinguished Athlete Award

Presented to an outstanding male senior student-athlete based on his contribution to the team, campus and community over the course of his career.

Winner: Hayden Clingaman (Stryker, Ohio/Stryker), men's golf. Clingaman was a four-year member of the men's golf program who received his Bachelor of Arts in accounting with minors in graphic design and marketing this past May, finishing with magna cum laude honors and a grade-point average of 3.86. In 2021, he earned All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference accolades and was the recipient of DC's Bronze Pilgrim Medal, the highest honor awarded by the college. Clingaman served as the 2020-21 president of DC's Student Senate and is a three-time McMaster School for Advancing Humanity Scholar. He also was on the HCAC All-Academic Team three times and the All-Sportsmanship Team twice. On the golf course, he was the Yellow Jackets' top finisher in every event since the fall of 2019. This past spring, Clingaman recorded a 76.0 scoring average with four top six finishes in seven events.  

Female Purple and Gold Distinguished Athlete Award

Presented to an outstanding female senior student-athlete based on her contribution to the team, campus and community over the course of her career.

Winner: Morgan Porter (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance), volleyball. Porter was a four-year standout on the volleyball team who obtained a Bachelor of Science in both early childhood education and intervention specialist in May, ending with a 3.93 GPA. She was one of just four students in her class and the only student-athlete to graduate with summa cum laude honors. Porter was a First Team All-HCAC pick on two occasions and once made the honorable mention list. A three-time member of the HCAC All-Academic Team, she holds the Yellow Jackets' career record for digs per set (5.06) and established single-season school standards in digs (688) and digs per set (6.20) in 2019.

Marv Hohenberger Award

Presented to the most outstanding male student-athlete in a given academic year.

Winner: Hayden Clingaman, senior, men's golf. In 2021, Clingaman paced a young Defiance squad as its top placer in all seven events during the spring. His 76.0 scoring average was more than 10 strokes better than any teammate and he registered four top six finishes in seven tournaments. Clingaman was an all-conference player who matched his career-best score of 2-under-par 70 on the final day of the HCAC Championship. His 222 total at the conference event is the second-best 54-hole score in school history and the rounds of 70 are tied for the fifth best ever.  

Duane Hocking Award

Presented to the most outstanding female student-athlete in a given academic year.

Winner: Kalin Hubble (Anderson, Ind./Anderson), junior, softball. Hubble was selected as the 2021 HCAC Player of the Year after leading the conference in runs batted in (45) and slugging percentage (.794). She tied for the HCAC lead in home runs (nine) and ranked third in hits (55), fourth in batting average (.437) and fourth in doubles (16). Hubble set DC's all-time record for home runs (now at 21) while breaking single-season school marks in RBIs and doubles. A two-time HCAC Player of the Week selection and member of the HCAC All-Academic Team, she also was chosen Second Team All-Central Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Male Newcomer of the Year

Presented to a male freshman or first-time transfer who makes a notable impact on the success of his team.

Winner: Richard Pope IV (Daytona Beach, Fla./Atlantic), freshman, football. Pope was named First Team All-America by D3football.com and First Team All-HCAC after leading the conference in tackles for loss with 14. He also recorded a team-high seven quarterback sacks, which was second in the HCAC.

Female Newcomer of the Year

Presented to a female freshman or first-time transfer who makes a notable impact on the success of her team.

Winner: Brooke Silcox (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe), freshman, softball. In 34 games, Silcox batted .278 with five doubles, two home runs and 16 runs batted in. She ranked fourth on the squad in both RBIs and extra-base hits (seven) while posting a .983 fielding percentage (two errors in 120 chances).

Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Presented to a male student-athlete who improves his performance dramatically or otherwise becomes well recognized.

Winner: Nick Stifel (Cincinnati, Ohio/North College Hill), senior, men's soccer. After seeing limited playing time with no starts during his career, Stifel was in the starting lineup for all 10 matches and a team captain this past season. A defender, he was named Honorable Mention All-HCAC in 2021.

Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Presented to a female student-athlete who improves her performance dramatically or otherwise becomes well recognized.

Winner: Marissa Roberts (Warren, Ohio/LaBrae), sophomore, softball. After playing in 10 of the 14 contests and batting .292 with seven hits (all singles) as a freshman, Roberts registered a .423 batting average with a school-record 58 hits, including 11 doubles in 2021. She was a First Team All-HCAC selection as an outfielder who finished second in the conference in hits.

Male Individual Performance of the Year

Presented to a male student-athlete adjudged to have, in a single play or event, completed the best performance.

Winner: Jarren Casto (Celina, Ohio/Celina), senior, men's soccer. In a 2-0 HCAC victory against Earlham College on March 31, Casto scored a goal and assisted on the other to become Defiance's career leader in points with 47.

Female Individual Performance of the Year

Presented to a female student-athlete adjudged to have, in a single play or event, completed the best performance.

Winner: Kalin Hubble, junior, softball. In a 4-3 HCAC win over Franklin College on May 1, Hubble set the Yellow Jackets' all-time record for home runs by going 2 for 3 with a two-run homer, double, walk and two runs scored.

Gene Geren Academic Award

Presented to the male letter winner with the highest GPA after completing at least four semesters.

Winner: Gabe Curell (Lapeer, Mich./Lapeer), junior, men's soccer (3.89 GPA).

AAUW Scholar-Athlete Award

Presented to the female letter winner with the highest GPA after completing at least four semesters.

Winner: Morgan Porter, senior, volleyball (3.93 GPA).

Academic Team of the Year

Presented to the team, in NCAA-classified team sports, whose members have embodied academic achievement and excellence in the classroom with the highest grade-point average.

Winner: Volleyball (3.51 GPA).

The Purple and Gold Club Inc. was founded in the early 1970s by Defiance community members who wanted to provide extra support for DC student-athletes. Since its inception, the club has continually grown and continues to provide both financial assistance and personal support for the entire athletic department.