The cold-weather athletics season was hot for Baldwin Wallace University athletes and their fans this year with an Elite 8 basketball appearance, a wrestling national championship, a top 16 national finish in track & field and more. Here are a few of the incredible highlights:
Pictured, left to right, Associate Head Coach Jason Zastrow, All-Americans Andrew Supers, Joey Petrella, Michael Petrella, Jaden Hinton and Head Coach Jamie Gibbs. Photo courtesy Lauren Garder '25
In Men's Wrestling, the unstoppable, four-time All-American Michael Petrella '25 claimed his third straight National Championship, helping the team secure a fourth-place finish at the NCAA DIII National Championships.
Teammates Jaden Hinton '25, Andrew Supers '27 and Joey Petrella '25 earned All-American honors, a school record for a single season. As a team under Head Coach Jamie Gibbs, BW finished in the top 10 for the fourth straight season, including top five in two of the last three years.
Petrella went undefeated for his third consecutive season, winning 116 straight matches with a season record of 40-0. He ends his BW wrestling career in first place on the BW All-Time Wins list with a record of 155-4.
Three-time All-American Hinton ranks second on that All-Time Wins list after taking third place in his final national competition and finishing his BW career with a record of 138-25.
BW also earned OAC Coaching Staff of the Year for a fourth straight season. Head Coach Jamie Gibbs was named NCAA Division III Region 4 Head Coach of the Year, and Coach Jason Zastrow got the nod for NCAA Division III Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year.
The tight-knit Yellow Jacket Women's Basketball team wrapped up a historic 29-2 season, making it all the way to the NCAA Elite 8 in post-season play.
The women notched the best season in program history, including BW's ninth Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title, 12th OAC regular season title, a perfect 18-0 record in conference play and a program record 29-game win streak.
Along the way, they made Coach Cheri Harrer the winningest head coach in OAC history, men or women. And, All-Ohio Athletic Conference guard/forward Caely Ressler '25 was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's All-America team as an honorable mention.
Christian Pfeiffer jumps. Photo by Seawon Park
Men's Track & Field finished 16th in the nation, with two jumpers earning All-American honors at the 2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Defending NCAA Division III indoor high jump champion Christian Pfeiffer '25 placed third this year with a height of 2.11 meters, breaking his own indoor record of 2.10 meters. He is the first BW male high jumper in modern history (since 1974) to earn three All-American honors in two consecutive academic years — an achievement even more stunning because Pfeiffer had never attempted the high jump until he came to BW.
Meanwhile, All-Ohio Athletic Conference long jumper Kaedan Faggs '26 earned his first career All-American honor, placing fifth with a personal-best mark of 7.34 meters. He is the fourth BW male long jumper in modern history to reach All-American status.
Among other Yellow Jacket achievements, BW first-year diver Makenna Mincey '28 was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Diver of the Year, and Head Coach Laura Demaline and her staff were named OAC Staff of the Year as the women's swimming and diving team finished in second place at the OAC Championships.
Mincey, who was the OAC 1-Meter Champion and 3-Meter Runner-up, and two other swimmers went on to qualify for and compete in NCAA regional competition.
All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC diver Jason Heisler '25, who was OAC Men's Diver of the Year, 1-Meter Champion and 3-Meter Champion, also competed in his third straight NCAA Division III Regional Championship.
"After this winter season, every Yellow Jacket should be proud," said BW Athletics Director Steve Thompson. "Our student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to excel on the biggest stages, showcasing their talent, grit and dedication. Their achievements are a testament to the strength of Baldwin Wallace athletics, serving as a source of pride not only for our campus but also for the greater Cleveland community and beyond."
Thompson also praises the exemplary work of scholar-athletes in the classroom, with 37 winter sports student-athletes named to the 2024-25 Winter Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference team.
