Hello, CapFam!
As we conclude another great academic year here at Capital, we have so much to be proud of and so much to look forward to. Capital Athletics is competing at a high level within our conference and region, succeeding in the classroom, representing in the community, and enhancing our facilities.
This year, we celebrated key wins over top ranked opponents, including the baseball team’s victory over No.4 ranked Baldwin Wallace, the women’s basketball team’s defeat of No.10 ranked Ohio Wesleyan, and others. We also got to celebrate Bri O’Connor earning All-America honors, becoming the first to do so in women’s basketball since 2009. We witnessed history as Grace Osborn rewrote the NCAA record books in women’s lacrosse. We recognized many student-athletes with AllConference, All-Region, and several academic awards, all of which filled us with pride.
The NCAA once again selected Capital University as a host institution for the 2026 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships. Through our partnership with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the Columbus Crew, this National Championship event will take place at Historic Crew Stadium.
Capital University also enjoyed the inaugural season of Men’s and Women’s Bowling under f irst-year coach Lance Gordon. The team laid the groundwork for establishing themselves in the area, and we have high hopes for the program to mature and improve with time.
This past fall, Capital University Athletics inducted six individuals into the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024: Jedd Stucky ’81, Sean Kelly ‘89, Jacob Butler ’07, Kwesi Seabrook ’12, Spencer Niekamp ’13, and Maggie Donnellan Caha ’14. Alumni and supporters of Capital Athletics can nominate deserving individuals for Hall of Fame consideration at athletics.capital.edu.
Two alumni have taken on expanded leadership within the community. Colin Wiggins ’10 and Matt Spitz ’08 were chosen to lead the Greater Columbus Sports Commission’s Emerging Leaders Board as chair and vice chair. They are directly involved in assisting the Sports Commission in its mission to win sporting events, provide a singular athlete and fan experience, and uplift the image, economy, and lifestyle of Columbus.
Just recently, the University concluded the 2025 annual Day of Giving, in which supporters of the school, our student-athletes, and our department chipped in to make this fundraiser a success. We are immensely grateful to those who supported us. In addition to monetary support, we have benefited from contributions of time, effort, and other resources to our department. This help does not go unnoticed, and we thank you for it!
We’ve been fortunate to bring in some outstanding coaches who have contributed to the department and their programs during their first year of competition. We are excited for the future with these coaches!
Additionally, our very own Sports Information director, Nick Astalos, was recognized in the 2024 30 Under 30 Class of College Sports Communicators! We appreciate Nick and the entire sports information staff for all that they do to highlight and support our student-athletes, teams, and department! I encourage you to support our hard-working and talented student-athletes, coaches, and staff who are working tirelessly to make Capital the place to be! I firmly believe in providing the best possible student-athlete experience, and your support allows us to continue that mission.
Be sure to follow all the action and stay tuned for more to come with Capital Athletics at athletics. capital.edu!
Go Comets!