Denison softball catcher Annabelle Calderon ’25, like many athletes, has game-day rituals she follows before stepping on the field.
Running frantically across campus in heels and dress clothes is not among them.
The sight of the Big Red’s all-time home run leader rushing out of Swasey Chapel on the afternoon of April 11 — a medal stuffed in her pocket — was the portrait of an athlete out of her routine.
“I knew my teammates were probably already in the locker room,” Calderon recalled. “I had to get down to Mitchell Center to get treatment and get dressed.”
Annabelle Calderon standing with President Adam Weinberg after receiving a President’s Medal. (Photo/Brooke LaValley)
Denison’s annual academic awards convocation produces many good stories, especially from President’s Medalists, who aren’t told beforehand they’re receiving Denison’s most prestigious student honor. Calderon, who celebrated the honor by catching a doubleheader against a conference rival, has a tale rivaling the best of them.
It involves a masterclass in deception, a well-timed photo in the trainer’s room, the start of a seven-game win streak that propelled Denison to its first regular-season conference title since 2011, and a late-night Chipotle dinner with the most important person in Calderon’s life.
“It’s definitely a day I will always remember,” she said.
‘What about Hiram?’
Denison softball coach Tiffany Ozbun had a problem in need of a creative solution.
It was Ozbun who nominated Calderon for the President’s Medal. The coach knew her star player was worthy of recognition, and that there were plenty of faculty members willing to write letters of recommendation.
Calderon, a biology major, exemplifies the power of possibility in a liberal arts environment. She’s an excellent student. She’s a Division III All-American catcher who is rewriting the Big Red record book. She’s also president of Denison’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council, a passionate spokesperson for mental health awareness, and a three-year student assistant in the university’s strength and conditioning program. During her offseasons, Calderon wakes at 4:30 a.m. to help train Big Red swimmers and divers.
As Associate Professor Peter Kuhlman observed: “You could power a small building with the energy she emits.”
“Annabelle has drive and dedication,” Ozbun said. “It’s not just softball. It’s how she takes care of her body, balances her schedule, and focuses on her studies.”
But Calderon’s dedication to softball temporarily became an issue for her coach. The Big Red were scheduled to play two games against Hiram College, starting at 3:30 p.m., on the day of the academic awards convocation, which began at 12:30 p.m.
“I wanted to see my classmates and professors honored for their achievements, but it was so close to the games,” Calderon recalled. “I kept asking my coach, ‘Are you sure you want us to go? What about Hiram?’”
When Ozbun learned Calderon was being honored, the coach knew she had to get her to Swasey Chapel without ruining the surprise. Ozbun did what opposing pitchers rarely do when facing the hitter with the conference’s top batting average: she fooled Calderon.
The coach called Hiram and asked if the games could be delayed by an hour. Then, days before the doubleheader, Ozbun told her players about the change in time, saying their opponent had requested the switch because of final exams.
Calderon was thrilled by the idea of playing a rare night game.
“That whole week I was walking around Mitchell yelling, ‘Friday night lights. Friday night lights,’” she recalled.
Tick, tick, tick
Annabelle Calderon was in such a rush to prepare for a doubleheader she didn’t bother changing out of her dress clothes before receiving treatment in the trainer’s room. (Photo/Robert Bennett III)
At the award ceremony, Calderon cheered classmates and snapped photos. She was especially pleased to watch teammate Sydney Silverstein ’25 inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most preeminent academic honor society.
“But the whole time I kept looking at my phone to see what time it was,” she said.
Calderon knew she might be a President’s Medal contender, but was stunned to hear her name called. Bathed in applause, she walked to the stage and accepted the medal from President Adam Weinberg.
“In a game, you never walk up to an at-bat thinking, ‘I’m going to hit a home run,’” the NCAC’s all-time leader in that category said. “You do good things and you work hard in your preparation, and the home runs come. It’s kind of the same with college. You work hard, you do good things, you build relationships, and others take notice.”
Earning the medal came with additional commitments, however. Instead of walking out of Swasey Chapel around 1:30 p.m., Calderon hung around past 2, accepting congratulations from classmates and professors and posing for pictures.
By the time Calderon reached the Mitchell Center, she didn’t bother changing into her uniform before having her surgically-repaired knee taped for the doubleheader. That’s when Robert Bennett III, an associate professor of health, exercise, and sports studies, took the best picture of the day.
“I’m standing there with my pant leg up, holding my heels,” Calderon said. “That photo kind of summed up how hectic things were.”
‘That was for her’
The most emotional moment of the afternoon involved a phone call to Calderon’s biggest supporter.
“Mom, I was just named a President’s Medalist,” she said.
Calderon heard silence on the other end of the line. Then, she heard the sobs.
“I don’t know how to put it into words,” Calderon’s mother, Crystal Horton, said. “We have been through a lot of life together.”
The pair are from Perris, California, and they have endured their share of adversity. They are bonded by love for each other and a passion for softball.
Horton played at Eastern Michigan University before returning to California to start a family. She has pictures of her infant daughter on a softball field and later coached Calderon through the youth leagues, taught her how to fit for power, and served as her lead college recruiter.
Money was tight, but Horton sacrificed to make sure her daughter could attend the college of her choice.
“What drew me to Denison was I could do what I wanted academically and still compete, as an athlete, at a high level,” said Calderon, who will attend the University of Kansas to pursue master’s and doctorate degrees in exercise science and biochemistry. “Denison has set me up to achieve my goals. I want to get into sports performance, work as a researcher, and maybe retire as a professor.”
Horton, a special education teacher, moved to central Ohio before the start of Calderon’s sophomore season at Denison. She attends all the Big Red home games.
As she watched the doubleheader from the stands, Horton had a surprise visitor – President Weinberg. He explained how professors outside of Calderon’s biology department such as Kuhlman volunteered to write letters supporting her nomination.
“He said, ‘She’s made an incredible impact here,’” Horton recalled.
Annabelle Calderon, fresh from receiving her President’s Medal, made it to the stadium on time to catch a doubleheader against Hiram College. (Photo/Hailey Owens)
Calderon delivered hits in both games. Denison lost the opener, but rebounded for a 2-0 victory in the nightcap. The triumph began a streak that saw the Big Red win 10 of its last 11 regular-season games to share the NCAC title with DePauw University.
After the doubleheader, mother and daughter went to grab a late dinner, where they talked softball and recapped one of the most memorable days of Calderon’s life.
“It all helps to remind me that I never took an opportunity for granted, and that’s because of my mother,” Calderon said. “Earning that accolade, that was for her.”
Calderon returned to her residence hall and put away her heels. Before going to sleep, she reached into the pocket of her dress pants, retrieving the medal that symbolizes a day of delightful chaos and the impact she’s made over four years at Denison.
