Honorees announced for DC Hall of Fame, Coaches of the Year

October 20, 2016 

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Five Defiance College alumni were inducted in the Alumni Varsity D Hall of Fame during homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 15. They included: James Bailey, Roswell, Ga.; Jason Lee, Zanesville, Ohio; Jodi Hybart, Defiance, Ohio; Mike Groll, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Roxane Kruse Kippen, Grand Rapids, Mich. For the first time, two teams were also inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame: the 1961 Baseball Team and the 1966 Football Team.

An induction ceremony was held at halftime during the DC versus Anderson football game in Justin F. Coressel Stadium. The Alumni Varsity D recognized Hall of Fame inductees at a 9 a.m. breakfast in the Serrick Campus Center.

Also recognized on Saturday were seven DC alumni selected as 2016 Coach of the Year recipients. They included: Brett Hammons, Frank Kill, Joe Frank, Kenny Krouse, Seth Newlove, Sonny Lewis, and Tom Held.

James Bailey played offensive tackle for DC football every year of his college career. He lettered 3 of those years, was team captain, was voted Most Improved Player his sophomore year, and Most Valuable Player-Offense both his junior and senior year. Bailey’s honors also include being a three-time All-Conference selection, a three--time All-District, and two-time Academic All-American.

Bailey graduated with academic honors from Defiance College in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. After DC, he became a CPA and a chartered property & casualty underwriter. He is president of Pritchard & Jerden, serves on the board for the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, and is vice chair and founding member of the Georgia Chapter of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. He lives in Roswell, Georgia with his wife, Karen.

Jason Lee was a four year letter winner and starter for the Yellow Jackets football team that accumulated a record of 32 to 8 from 1991 to 1994. As defensive back, Lee earned numerous honors, including four straight Association of Mid-West All Conference selections. He was recognized four times as Conference Player of the Week, received Honorable Mention All American on the 1994 Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette team, and represented DC in the 1995 National Coaches All-Star Classic game in Louisville, Ky.

Since graduating, Lee has coached football for 20 years at both the high school level and collegiate level at Ohio Wesleyan University. He is currently principal at Foxfire High school. He and his wife Julie and daughter Jara reside in Zanesville, Ohio.

Jodi Hybart was a 4-year starter for the Lady Jackets Softball team and dominated the American Midwest softball conference as pitcher. She was 4-time All-American Midwest Conference player, 3-year team co-captain, and team MVP. She is still currently in the Top 10 for career ERA, career strike-outs, wins, and innings pitched.

Hybart graduated cum laude from Defiance College in 1994 with a Bachelor’s degree in Wellness and Sports Medicine. She is currently the Prevention Coordinator at Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio. In addition to her career, she volunteers with the Defiance Softball Association as coach, and previously worked with Defiance High School varsity softball players as an assistant coach. She lives in Defiance with her two children, Cori and Jack.  

Mike Groll lettered in college 14 times and was selected Male Athlete of the Year 3 times. He was the holder for the most receiving records when he graduated, and was selected MVP in both football and indoor track; All League in football, basketball, track, and indoor track; and All American and All District in football. In addition to sports, he was an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Groll graduated from Defiance College in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. He currently works as vice president of operations for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni and lives in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Roxane Kippen participated in volleyball, cross country, and track & field, where she served as co-captain of the team in ‘96 and ‘98. Her NCAA Division III honors include qualifying for the high jump, long jump, and 55 meter hurdles in Indoor Track & Field; high jump and heptathlon in Outdoor Track & Field, and; United States Track Coaches Association All-American Honors in high jump and heptathlon. She was awarded both the United States Track Coaches Association Regional Athlete of the Year and Defiance College Co-Female Athlete of the Year in 1998.

In 1998, she graduated from Defiance College with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She currently works as a senior financial analyst at Calvin College, and serves as the Congregational Controller for St. James Lutheran Church. She lives with her husband, Gregg, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Records set by the 1961 Baseball Team still stand to this day. Only seven lettermen returned as Robert Reising took over in his first year as Defiance College Baseball’s head coach. In spite of that, the season started with two wins over Wilmington College, and then DC won 14 straight games and broke the 1929 record for most wins. The Yellow Jackets went on to clinch the Mid-Ohio Conference Championship by defeating Ashland 3 to 1. On Alumni Day in late May, Pete Ladd pitched seven solid innings against Bluffton for a 9 to 4 win, sealing the bid for the NAIA National Tournament. DC represented District 22 which included the states of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky in Sioux City.

In 1966, the Yellow Jacket Football Team went undefeated with a perfect 9-0 record.  Only seven teams in the nation ended with a perfect season that year in the NAIA and NCAA divisions. Coached by Kirk Mee, whose staff included Randy Buchman, the team was tenth ranked in the NAIA and ended up being number one in rushing defense. The Yellow Jacket defense only gave up 42 points the entire season. Offensively, DC was ranked twelfth in rushing offense in the nation, scoring 218 points in this spectacular season. Two players earned all American status, four men were named to the All District Team, 13 players were named to the All Conference team, and Coach Mee was honored as Coach of the Year in District 22.

Brett Hammons, class of ’05, was awarded Coach of the Year for leading the Lincolnview High School boys’ basketball team to a 27-2 record and finished as the Division 4 state runners up. He helped guide the Lancers to the Northwest Conference title as well as sectional, district, and regional championships en route to their state runner-up finish. Lincolnview finished as the top team in the final Associated Press Division 4 poll. Hammons also earned: Northwest Conference Coach of the Year, Northwest District Coach of the Year, District 8 Coach of the Year, The Times-Bulletin Coach of the Year, and the Division 4 Coach of the Year.

Frank Kill, class of ’02, was awarded Coach of the Year for leading the Lima Central Catholic High School boys’ basketball team to the state tournament. They captured the Division III Championship for the second time in the past three years. The team defeated Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 66-44, to claim the title. Kill was named the Northwest Ohio Coach of the Year in Division III this past season after posting a 28-1 record. This was his third straight Coach of the Year award from the Defiance Alumni Varsity D Club.

Joe Frank, class of ’83, was recognized as Coach of the Year after a stellar year and career as head coach of the Archbold High School girls’ softball team. He helped lead the Bluestreaks to an 11th straight Northwest Ohio Athletic League title as well as sectional and district championships. Archbold’s season came to an end in the Elite Eight and posted a 19-6 record. Frank has coached softball for 15 seasons at Archbold and has coached his teams to 12 NWOAL, 10 District, and two Regional titles. This summer, he ended his career with a 334-86 lifetime coaching mark.

Kenny Krouse, class of ’87, received Coach of the Year for his outstanding 19th season with the Tinora High School football program. Tinora captured its second straight Regional Championship in 2015 with an 11-2 record, before ending the season with a loss to Marion Local in the state semifinals. Tinora was ranked 5th in the final AP State Football Poll.

Seth Newlove, class of ’00, earned Coach of the Year after a 25-2 season as head coach of the Arlington High School girls’ basketball team. He helped guide the Red Devils to a Blanchard Valley Conference Championship as well as the District Championship. Arlington also ended the 2015-16 season ranked as the top overall team in the Associated Press State Division 4 poll.

Sonny Lewis, class of ’70, was awarded Coach of the Year after a successful season as head coach of the Owens Community College volleyball team. The Express finished the 2015 season with a 40-7 mark, including a stretch of 18-straight wins, and captured both an Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Championship and Region 12 Tournament title.  Following the season, Lewis was named the OCCAC Coach of the Year as well as the Region 12 Coach of the Year. After 15 seasons, he has never had a losing record and has a 544-184 lifetime coaching mark.

Tom Held, class of ’85, was recognized for once again leading the Defiance Bulldogs baseball team to the state Division-II championship, defeating Hamilton Badin 3-2 in eight innings, for their second-straight championship, and third title in the past four years. The Bulldogs finished the 2016 season with a 29-2 record, bringing Tom’s record at Defiance 466-72.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.