Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg University’s Department of Athletics can boast of a variety of outstanding team and individual athletic accomplishments during the 2015-16 school year, in addition to another stellar performance by Tiger student-athletes in the classroom. 

For starters, Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic) and Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) have earned North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Student-Athlete Awards, presented annually to Wittenberg student-athletes who perform with distinction both in the classroom and on the playing field. One male and one female student-athlete from each of the NCAC’s 10 member institutions are selected for the award annually.

Stump was awarded three varsity letters after earning Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year as a freshman for the Tigers. Wittenberg won three NCAC titles in his four years in the Red & White, compiling a sparkling overall record of 37-8. Stump was a starting wide receiver in each of his last two seasons, battling through injuries to record 127 career receptions, which ranks 10th in program history.

Stump caught an NCAC-best 74 passes in 2015, the second-best total in program history, and he picked up first-team All-NCAC honors. Stump set the school record for receptions in a game on Oct. 24 against Hiram as he hauled in 16 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

His work in the classroom has been just as impressive. Owner of a 3.89 grade point average, Stump was recognized with the 2014 Biology Excellence Honors Award. He was named second-team Academic All-America in 2015, and last month he became just the fifth Tiger student-athlete to earn a prestigious postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA, which entitles him to a one-time renewable $7,500 scholarship that he can apply to graduate studies toward his goal of becoming a doctor. 

“Corey is very deserving of all of the awards and accolades that continue to come his way,” said Wittenberg Football Head Coach Joe Fincham. “He has invested the time and energy necessary to succeed both on the field and in the classroom, and I couldn’t be more proud of his achievements.”

Seidenstricker will go down as one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Wittenberg athletics. She earned first-team All-NCAC and first-team All-Great Lakes Region awards four straight years, and she added four All-America awards, including first-team designations in 2012, 2014 and 2015. She is the first four-time All-American in Wittenberg women’s volleyball history.

That is just the beginning for Seidenstricker. In 2012, she earned NCAC Newcomer of the Year, Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year and NCAA Division III Freshman of the Year. She also picked up NCAC Player of the Year in 2012, the first of three such awards in her four years in the Red & White. An NCAC All-Tournament selection all four years and the NCAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player twice, Seidenstricker also became Wittenberg’s first-ever three-time Academic All-American, including third-team honors in 2013 and first-team awards in 2014 and 2015.

Seidenstricker ranks among the career and season leaders in Wittenberg history for kills, service aces, digs and blocks. She led the Tigers to four NCAC regular season and tournament titles, and in 2015 she brought Wittenberg to the brink of its second NCAA Division III Tournament championship as the Tigers reached the national title match before losing to Cal Lutheran. 

Seidenstricker’s excellence on the court is matched by her work in the classroom. An education major with a psychology minor, Seidenstricker owns a 3.98 grade point average while collecting a host of academic awards and honors.

“Kara is the epitome of the term ‘student-athlete’,” said Wittenberg Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Paco Labrador. “She is an exceptional role model for future Tigers, proving that excellence can be attained in both academics and athletics.”

In addition, 40 Wittenberg student-athletes have been selected for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, a National College Athlete Honor Society that recognizes student-athletes for their ability to excel in both academics and athletics and demonstrate high moral character and exhibit friendship to the university community. Nominees must have at least a 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, have earned at least one varsity letter and have achieved junior or senior academic status.

Wittenberg’s 2016 Chi Alpha Sigma inductees are:

• Samuel Archinal, class of 2017 from Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. (Soccer)
• Parisa Bennett, class of 2017 from Chillicothe, Ohio (Tennis)
• Aaron Blossey, class of 2017 from Rocky River, Ohio (Lacrosse)
• Michaela Bowler, class of 2017 from Lake Bluff, Ill. (Field Hockey)
• Sarah Brownell, class of 2017 from Oconomowoc, Wis. (Field Hockey)
• Kate Burns, class of 2016 from Granger, Ind. (Soccer)
• Joseph Crawford, class of 2017 from Arlington, Va. (Lacrosse)
• Braden Crouse, class of 2017 from Cleves, Ohio (Swimming and Diving)
• Kendall Farmer, class of 2017 from Gurnee, Ill. (Volleyball)
• Stephanie Glass, class of 2017 from Chillicothe, Ohio (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Erin Hord, class of 2017 from Madison, Ohio (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Macy Hubbard, class of 2017 from Mason, Ohio (Golf)
• Courtney Huck, class of 2017 from Decatur, Ill. (Volleyball)
• Madeline Imler, class of 2017 from Fort Wayne, Ind. (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Laura Jansing, class of 2017 from Cincinnati, Ohio (Field Hockey)
• Tyler Jeffers, class of 2016 from Jackson, Ohio (Football)
• Morgan Jones, class of 2017 from Louisville, Ky. (Soccer)
• Becca Joseph, class of 2017 from Toledo, Ohio (Lacrosse)
• Emily Kahlig, class of 2017 from Coldwater, Ohio (Volleyball)
• Brian Kissane, class of 2017 from Saline, Mich. (Football)
• John Long, class of 2017 from Dublin, Ohio (Soccer)
• Leah Markovich, class of 2017 from Delta, Ohio (Softball)
• Josh Marks, class of 2017 from Bushey, England (Soccer)
• Riley McDonald, class of 2017 from Dexter, Mich. (Basketball)
• Hannah Meier, class of 2017 from North Muskegon, Mich. (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Brigid Morgan, class of 2017 from Ponte Vedra, Fla. (Swimming and Diving)
• Amanda Morrall, class of 2017 from Geneva, Ill. (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Michelle Murray, class of 2017 from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Field Hockey)
• Jon Osman, class of 2017 from Troy, Ohio (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Erica Precht, class of 2016 from Wauseon, Ohio (Swimming and Diving)
• Camila Quiñones, class of 2017 from Westerville, Ohio (Volleyball)
• Ethan Raines, class of 2017 from Maineville, Ohio (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Nick Rittenhouse, class of 2017 from Fort Wayne, Ind. (Swimming and Diving)
• Bobby Saul, class of 2017 from Union, Ohio (Football)
• Amy Schulz, class of 2017 from Waterloo, Ill. (Swimming and Diving)
• Cal Slusarz, class of 2017 from Chesterland, Ohio (Baseball)
• Maggie Smith, class of 2016 from Cincinnati, Ohio (Golf)
• Rachel Tennison, class of 2016 from Canal Winchester, Ohio (Cross Country/Track and Field)
• Brent Whitehead, class of 2017 from Dublin, Ohio (Lacrosse)
• Mark David Wright, class of 2017 from Westerville, Ohio (Golf)

The 2016 Chi Alpha Sigma inductees were recognized at the university’s annual Honors Convocation on April 8, and they will be officially welcomed into the honorary with a ceremony on Monday, April 18. 

“We are proud of the student-athletes that are able to demonstrate impressive high academic performance while maintaining their serious commitment to their sport,” said Senior Woman Administrator Sarah Jurewicz. “This designation is prestigious, and these students deserve the recognition for their consistent achievement in the classroom and in the competition arena.”

Written By: Ryan Maurer