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Looking back on UF’s fall sports ‘23 season
By Magdelyn English, EnglishM1@Findlay.edu
The University of Findlay football team wrapped up its season in a noon game with rival Tiffin University on Nov. 11. The team lost 26-7 to Tiffin, ending the season with an overall record of 7-4. Even though the season ended before the team could make it to G-MAC Playoffs, they still had a good season overall.
Senior caption of the football team Jeremiah Jackson reflects on how his final season went and what the team has to look forward to.
“This was a really tight knit group,” Jackson said.
Jackson will be leaving his team behind with a group of very talented underclassmen that can take the team far.
“Definitely potential for a really talented freshman class. So, I’m really excited to see what they do next year, on both sides as well, whether it’s offense and defense. The freshman class that our coaches brought in, they’re really talented,” said Jackson. “They’re definitely going to surpass where we were. So, they’re going do big things here.”
UF men’s soccer lost to Tiffin University in the G-MAC quarterfinals. Senior Nick McCracken was named Second Team All-Conference.
Tyler Norman, UF junior and men’s soccer reserve team captain, says the season was exciting.
“This year’s team did quite well even though we fell short in the first round of the playoffs,” Normal said. “At times you could see where we really prospered and worked together especially against teams like Tiffin, but we always have times where we fall short of our full potential as a team.”
Next year, the team loses some key players as the seniors graduate. Norman has high expectations for the team but is ready to meet them with his fellow teammates.
“We lost some big names this year as our seniors left but that doesn’t mean we’re going to fall short. Yes, we’re going to have some shoes to fill, but we always figure it out and come ready to play,” Norman said. “I believe next year we’re going to be a super competitive team and have a good chance at making the playoffs again.”
Women’s soccer ranked ninth in the Midwest region and made it to the semi-finals. The team had two members named First Team All-Conference, seniors Hannah Rybicki and Kennedy Slovak; and two named Third Team All-Conference, senior Ellie Tischler and sophomore Jenna Rybicki. Cross Country runners Noah Fisher and Jordan Foster were named First Team All-Conference.
Sophomore volleyball player Mckenzie Hoelscher was one of two players on the team to be named All-Conference First Team this season. She sees a very bright future for the team next year, due to the team being mainly made up of underclassmen. There are three seniors graduating in the spring.
“We played mostly freshman and sophomores, so our team was very young,” Hoelscher said. “I think this year we really turned some heads and surprised people with our play because they did not expect that out of such a young team. Overall, it was a very promising season. The sky’s the limit for us.”
The volleyball team ranked eighth in the region. The team made it to the G-MAC Semifinals where it lost to the Hillsdale College Chargers
“We finished the season with a 23-8 overall record, and a 15-4 conference record,” Hoelscher said. “This was the first season we had a 20 plus win season in quite some time. We also made it past the first round of conference play for the first time in a few years.”
Hoelscher believes that having such a young team will develop a strong culture within the team and will be a leading factor for their success in the future.
“I just think the more time we have to improve our connections, culture, strengths, and overall game we will be unstoppable in the coming years and a potential NCAA and GMAC championship contender,” Hoelscher said.
