‘It was an honor and privilege to put on the uniform’

Denison Degree: B.A., economics

Varsity Sport: Basketball

Athletic Achievements:

• The program’s ninth all-time leading scorer (1,339 points) in an era before 3-point shots.
• Two-time team captain and MVP.
• Started every game in his four-year career.

What it meant to wear a Denison uniform:
If you wore a Denison uniform, it meant you were smart and would be playing hard.

Lesson learned playing varsity sports that helped me after college:
The lesson that stayed with me after playing varsity sports was that hard work can make up for a lot of other short falls that one may have.

What I’m doing now:
I am happily retired for 12 years now and trying to get my golf handicap below a 12 or so.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me:
It means “validation” for the sweat, time, and sacrifice of playing Division III basketball at an institution like Denison. We didn’t have to play; we wanted to play, as well as receive a great education.

Coaching position: Men’s tennis coach (1991-2020), women’s tennis coach (1992-93, 2000-17).

Coaching highlights:

• Two-time National Coach of the Year.
• Left Denison as the winningest coach in school history, across all sports, with a career record of 734-329 (.690).
• Led women’s program to 12 NCAA tournament appearances, six NCAA quarterfinal appearances, and a 2008 NCAA semifinal appearance.
• Guided men’s program to eight NCAA tournament appearances.

My proudest Denison coaching moment:
Four players were selected as winners of the National Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. They are: Brian Maebius (1993), Cameron Vincent (2002), Meridith Sulser (2005), and Kristin Cobb (2011). Only one athlete from each gender is selected each year out of 338 Division III tennis programs.

What I loved about coaching:
Teaching, mentoring, and being there for these young adults during the most important time in their young lives.

What I’m doing now:
I still teach lessons occasionally and run my Nike Tennis camps. I also play live music at least twice a week around Columbus, Ohio. Music is my passion now.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me:
To have this recognition from Denison makes me proud of the fact that those who selected me and those before me have seen fit that I have made significant contributions and a lasting impact on the university and its tennis programs.

Denison Degrees: B.A., psychology and neuroscience

Varsity sport: Track and field

Athletic Achievements:

• Two-time All-American in the 200-meter dash.
• Six-time NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year (indoor and outdoor).
• 13-time conference champion (indoor and outdoor).

My proudest Denison athletic moment:
Winning the 4x400-meter relay at the NCAC Championship meet with my teammates in my senior year.

What it meant to wear a Denison uniform:
When I came to Denison, I was chronically ill. Running was an outlet for me and where I found joy. So, wearing the Denison uniform meant overcoming adversity and finding joy.

What I’m doing now:
I develop national engagement pathways for alumni of technical training at Per Scholas and manage visual artists. I also provide professional development services for other creatives navigating entrepreneurship. I am a mom of a beautiful baby girl, Khamari, and am married to my Denison sweetheart, Dimonde Hale ’13.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me:
This induction gives purpose to all that I overcame, and it validates that I was always meant to run. It also reminds me of the community, the support, and the teammates I had the honor of doing it with.

Denison Degrees: B.A., Spanish and educational studies

Varsity Sport: Softball

Athletic Achievements:

• Three-time all-conference honoree.
• 2007 NCAC Pitcher of the Year.
• Second in program history in fewest earned runs (82), hits allowed (225), and opponents’ batting average (.202).

My proudest Denison athletic moment: 
Earning NCAC Pitcher of the Year in 2007 my senior year. There was incredible talent in our league, so to be recognized among those players was very humbling.

Lesson learned playing varsity sports that helped me after college:
Making the choice to surround yourself with goal-oriented people is the best way to grow and evolve. My teammates and I pushed each other to learn, to believe in ourselves even on the toughest days, and most importantly, to remember that discipline builds resilience.

Phrase I can still hear my coach saying: 
“Thomas, just throw it!” Coach Holly Bruder knew I had a tendency to overthink when it came to throwing a knuckle change-up. She believed in me even in the moments when I doubted myself.

What I’m doing now: 
I live with my husband and two daughters in Gahanna, Ohio, where I am an elementary English learning teacher. I am a certified yoga teacher and have been working on the development of yoga and mindfulness programming for students and staff in our school district. I also own my own paddle board yoga business.

Denison Degree: B.A., economics

Varsity sport: Swimming

Athletic Achievements:

• Three-time NCAA champion in 800 free relay (2006, 2007) and 400 free relay (2007).
• 26-time All-American — tied for second in program history and just two shy of the maximum 28 for a four-year career.
• Six-time NCAC champion.

My proudest Denison athletic moment: 
Our senior year dual meet against Kenyon was really fun. We put a hurtin’ on them.

Lesson learned in varsity sports that helped me after college:
Appreciate the time you have. Study, practice, have fun, stay up late — it’s over before you know it.

What I’m doing now: 
Finance career at Lowe’s Home Improvement.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me:
Now that I have kids, all I want is for them to find something as fulfilling as Denison Swimming was for me. Additionally, my mom loved everything social about swim meets. She passed away last year, and I know this would make her smile.

Denison Degree: B.A., economics

Varsity Sport: Baseball

Athletic Achievements:

• Two-time All-Mideast Region first team.
• Three-time All-NCAC first team.
• His .373 career batting average is sixth-best all time at Denison, and he ranks tied for second with 21 career home runs.

My proudest Denison athletic moment:
On April 24, 2004, we swept a Senior Day doubleheader against Case Western to finish the regular season 29-5. Our ace pitcher, Cam Cowden ’04, threw his first no-hitter, and I proposed to my college sweetheart, Haley Regan ’04, at home plate after the game.

What it meant to wear a Denison uniform:
Coach Barry Craddock had my Denison jersey framed as a wedding gift, and it serves as a constant reminder to me of the importance of dedicating yourself to excellence, and, just as importantly, doing things the right way with a high level of character and integrity.

What I’m doing now: 
I am married to my Denison college sweetheart and enjoying a very active life supporting our four amazing kids in all their endeavors. Since graduating from Denison, I’ve worked in supply chain management at Procter & Gamble for 20+ years since graduating from Denison.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me:
I’m a big believer that we should always try to leave things better than we found them, and I hope this is a reflection that, in some small way, I made a positive and lasting impact on both the university and the baseball program.

Denison Degree: B.A., psychology

Varsity Sport: Field hockey

Athletic Achievements:

• Named to the NCAC 30th Anniversary All-Decade team.
• Left Denison as the program’s all-time leader in shutouts, saves, and save percentage.
• Named NCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 after leading the Big Red to an 18-2 record and the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

My proudest Denison athletic moment: Our team won the 2011 conference championship, Denison’s first NCAC tournament title. We advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Phrase I can still hear my coach saying: “If you don’t win, you don’t get dessert.”

What I’m doing now: I am a kinetic wellness teacher and the head varsity field hockey coach at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. I dreamed of becoming the field hockey coach at my alma mater, and the Denison program gave me all the tools I needed to become a leader and guide young athletes.

What my Varsity D HOF induction means to me: I see my induction as a celebration of the teams I played on between 2009-2012 and my coach, PJ Soteriades. It takes a strong leader and a dedicated group of individuals to buy into a shared vision and work hard together to achieve it. Additionally, my induction is a celebration of my parents, who sacrificed so much to help me play and succeed in the sport I love. I am so grateful for their love and support.

Denison Degrees: B.A., history and chemistry.

Varsity Sport: Men’s soccer.

Athletic Achievements:

• Four-year starter (18 goals, 10 assists).
• NCAC 30th Anniversary All-Decade team member.
• NSCAA All-Region first team.

Proudest Denison athletic moment:
Two-time varsity captain. Representing the team as captain during my junior and senior years always meant more than any individual achievement.

What it meant to wear a Denison uniform:
I always felt that it was an honor and privilege to put on the uniform, knowing that my behavior, actions, and performance can influence the culture of the program.

Lesson learned playing varsity sports that helped me after college:
Leadership skills. When you’re part of a team, whether in sports, in the workplace, or in the operating room, which is where I spend a great deal of my time, understanding how to best interact and communicate with the people around you to help facilitate the best outcome for the group is vital. Many of the situations I deal with daily rely on some foundational skills I learned and began refining while part of the Denison soccer program.

What I’m doing now:
I’m an orthopaedic spine surgeon in Grand Junction, Colorado. I’ve been married 13 years to my wife, also a Denison grad, Anne-Bridgette Shorten ’10. We have two sons.

Denison Degrees: B.A., history and chemistry

Varsity Sport: Swimming

Athletic Achievements:

• Four-time NCAA champion in relays – 200 free, 400 medley, 800 free (twice).
• 23- time All-American.
• Member of NCAA team runners-up in 2010 and 2011.

My proudest Denison athletic moment: 
It was shared with my teammates twice in the pool at nationals. As a first year, I anchored our NCAA champion 400 medley relay and, a year later, led off an 800 free relay that broke an NCAA record.

What it meant to wear a Denison uniform: 
You feel like you are contributing to the larger legacy of Denison Swimming. You are competing for your current team, past Denison teams, and future Denison teams.

Phrase I can still hear my coach saying: 
“Hope is not a strategy.”

What I’m doing now: 
I work at a sports marketing agency as an account director managing The Home Depot’s sponsorship of ESPN College GameDay.

Denison Degree: B.A., speech communication

Varsity sports: Football, track and field

Athletic Achievements:

• Played football from 1960 to 1963 under head coach Keith Piper. As a junior and senior, Fryzel’s Big Red teams went a combined 15-2-1.

Coaching accomplishments:

• Coached football for 17 years, including stints in the major college and pro ranks.
• Served as head coach for the University of Tampa for two years in the 1970s.
• Worked as a defensive coordinator at Syracuse University, Air Force, and Ohio State University.
• Was the special teams coordinator of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their inaugural season of 1976.
• Fryzel worked on two college staffs with Nick Saban, who became a coaching legend at the University of Alabama. Saban said of Fryzel, “He was a mentor I always trusted. He gave me advice that was in my best interest and no one else’s. Most of us don’t have a lot of friends like that in our lives.”

What did your husband enjoy about being a Denison athlete? 
Dennis was a dedicated athlete, a fierce competitor, and he absolutely loved the game of football. It was such an honor for him to play four years at Denison for Coach Piper. We were close to the Piper family — godparents to one son, Bruce, and we actually named our first child, Karen, after Piper’s daughter. It was a great experience for both of us on so many levels.

What lessons did he learn playing sports here that helped him later in life? 
Dennis was always a “loyal team player,” and the years at Denison solidified that commitment. He instilled it in the teams he coached and within the company he ran. And, of course, the work ethic that coaches Piper and Hill exemplified has been coached into our whole family.

What does being inducted into the HOF mean to the family? 
For the sixteen years since his death, our family has revered him. We love to tell his stories — and there are many. He was passionate, funny and loving and our memories are precious. He has always been in our “Hall of Fame” and to have him honored in this way by Denison is thrilling for us all.