Buckeye Nation,
In an unprecedented year, our student-athletes battled through change and adversity while excelling in the classroom and in competition. I am so proud of them, and I recognize the role that our supporters played in helping us achieve our goals. Thank you! More than ever, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to watch our student-athletes compete this season.
This remained one of our highest priorities leading into this academic year: allowing our Buckeye student-athletes the opportunity to compete in the sports they love. We worked tirelessly so that this could happen safely and effectively. We administered nearly 100,000 COVID tests to our student-athletes, coaches and staff. We were flexible with new schedules, rule changes and cancellations. We adjusted to our new normal.
The results were outstanding. We all watched as our football program battled its way to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, achieving the Big Ten and Sugar Bowl crowns along the way. But we also had nearly 500 other sporting events completed by Buckeyes this year. They achieved national championships, conference championships and countless individual accolades.
We boasted a school record 799 Ohio State Scholar-Athletes this year to match a record 93% of our student-athlete graduates who had either accepted a job, were accepted to graduate school or had signed a professional contract within the same month of receiving their diploma.
Looking to the future, I am hopeful. I look forward to seeing you all in the stands again soon, cheering your Buckeyes to victory. While it has been a challenging year, I am so grateful for your support and hope you take the time to witness the impact of your generosity.
Go Buckeyes!
Eugene Smith
Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director
Championships
Football
Allstate Sugar Bowl Champions & Big Ten Champions
The Buckeyes took home their fourth consecutive Big Ten Championship after defeating Northwestern, 22-10.
Trey Sermon exploded for 331 yards in the game, an Ohio State school record.
The Buckeyes earned a trip to the College Football Playoff, where they faced Clemson in a 49-28 victory to claim the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes advanced to the National Championship.
Women's Tennis
Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Champions
The Ohio State women’s tennis team claimed the 2021 Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament title. As the top-seed in the tournament, the Buckeyes defeated No. 2 seed Michigan, 4-1, in the championship match. The tournament title is the third in program history, all under current head coach Melissa Schaub.
The team advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Melissa Schaub was voted the Big Ten women's tennis Coach of the Year and ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year
Women's Swimming and Diving
Big Ten Champions
The Ohio State women’s swimming and diving program claimed the 2021 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship, its second consecutive title.
The Buckeyes finished 7th nationally at the NCAA National Championships, the highest finish in program history.
Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State director of swimming and diving, was named the 2021 Big Ten Conference women’s swimming Coach of the Year.
Women's Track and Field
Big Ten Outdoor Champions
The Buckeyes won their second consecutive outdoor title at the 2021 Big Ten Conference outdoor championships.
Anavia Battle led the Buckeyes, winning gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the 4x100 meter relay.
The throwers also had a big weekend, collectively contributing 37 points with Adelaide Aquilla and Sade Olatoye smashing Big Ten championship records in winning the shot and hammer, respectively.
Karen Dennis, Ohio State director of track and field and cross country, was selected as the 2021 Big Ten Conference women’s outdoor coach of the year.
Individual Honors
Ryan Terefenko
Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
- 4x All-American (most ever in program history)
- 3x team captain
- All-Big Ten
- Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete
- Selected in both the National Lacrosse League and Premier Lacrosse League drafts.
“I’ll never be able to put into words what receiving the Big Ten Medal of Honor means to me. My time at Ohio State was the best years of my life, and being able to represent and compete for this athletic department and university has been the biggest honor of my life. None of this would have been possible without the support system that I had at Ohio State and my family. Thank you.” - Ryan Terefenko
Sade Olatoye
Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
- National Champion
- 7x Big Ten Champion
- 5x All-American
- Plans to compete for Nigeria in Tokyo Olympics
- 3x Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar
- 6x Ohio State Scholar-Athlete
- 2x Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year
- 2019 Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year
- 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee
“I learned that if you put your mind to something, there will be obstacles and how you get through those moments make you who you are. Always set goals. Always be the best in the classroom and in competition. That helped me build my championship mindset.” - Sade Olatoye
Justin Fields
2021 Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year
- 2021 Chicago Tribune Silver Football - Big Ten Player of the Year
- 2021 Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year
- 2021 Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year
- First round draft pick (Chicago Bears)
- 20-2 record at Ohio State
- School record - 70.2 completion percentage (2020 season)
- School record - 179.1 career passing efficiency
Additional individual honors include...
Jack Leverett - Pistol Individual National Champion, Olympian for Team USA
Katelyn Abeln - Pistol Women's National Champion, Team USA’s 2021 Olympics (Tokyo) alternate position in women’s sport and air pistol
Emily Londot - National Volleyball Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Mackenzie Allessie - Big Ten Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year
Sammy Sasso - Big Ten Wrestling Champion and NCAA runner-up
Tyler Johnson - Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete of the Championships and Big Ten Champion
Sotiris Siapanis - Conference Men's Volleyball Newcomer of the Year
Anavia Battle - Big Ten Outdoor Track Athlete of the Championships, Big Ten Champion, school record holder and Olympian for Team USA
Jen Flynn Oldenburg - Big Ten women's volleyball Coach of the Year (16-4 record)
Paul DeLakis - Big Ten Swimming Champion and school record holder
The Athletics District
Thanks to the generosity and leadership of our capital project supporters, the Ohio State Athletics District continues to grow. This year, the Ty Tucker Tennis Center at the Auer Tennis Complex was completed and utilized by our men's and women's tennis student-athletes. The project was completely funded through philanthropic support.
We also completed a locker room renovation at the Bill Davis Baseball Stadium. The new area will now be called the Bill Wells Baseball Team Suite.
The Athletics District consolidates the vast majority of practice and competitive facilities into a contiguous space. Doing so capitalizes on the circle of care that we are able to provide our student-athletes while simultaneously creating optimal training and competitive environments.
In the future, we hope to add a lacrosse stadium, an ice hockey arena and additional practice fields to the district, while also investing in modernizing existing facilities.
Academic Excellence
The Buckeyes had another stellar year in the classroom with a record 799 Buckeyes named Ohio State Scholar-Athletes for achieving at least a 3.0 GPA or higher. 47 student-athletes carried a perfect 4.0 GPA.
In fact, all 36 sports finished with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA in both semesters this year.
In addition, a record 527 Buckeyes earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
With help from the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute, 93% of our 2020-2021 graduates had secured full-time employment, been accepted to graduate school or were playing professional sports by the end of May. It was a new record, with an impressive average starting salary of $62,500 for our graduating seniors!
2021 Commencement
172 current and former Ohio State student-athletes received their Ohio State degrees during the 2021 Spring commencement ceremonies, held in Ohio Stadium for the first time in two years. Earlier in the year, 51 student-athletes graduated virtually in the Fall commencement.
Included among these graduates are 14 who went through the Department of Athletics’ Degree Completion Program. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide academic and tuition support to former Ohio State student-athletes who left the university without completing their degrees, many of whom went on to play professional sports.
See where some of our Buckeye graduates are going next...
Tatum Skaggs
Going Pro
Skaggs, from Hartland, Wisconsin, helped the women's ice hockey team advance to its second Frozen Four in the last four years during the 2020-21 season. An alternate captain, Skaggs played in 132 games during her four-year career and finished with more goals – 65 – than any active player on the 2020-21 roster. She was Ohio State’s leading scorer this season with 19 points and tied for the team lead with 11 assists. She graduated with her degree in special education.
Skaggs also helped the Buckeyes claim their first conference championship in 2020, scoring game-winning goals in both the semifinals and finals. Throughout her academic career, she earned WCHA Scholar-Athlete honors, Ohio State Scholar-Athlete laurels and Academic All-Big Ten distinction. She was also a finalist for the Big Ten Medal of Honor, the conference's most exclusive award.
Skaggs now turns her focus to the Winter Olympics, where she hopes to skate for Team USA. If that dream is not realized, she will continue her ice hockey career in Europe as a professional. She then plans to use her degree to work in a school or organization that helps kids with special needs.
Terry Johnson Jr.
Entering the workforce
A native of Columbus, Johnson was a construction systems management major on the men's track and field team. He specialized in the hurdles and 600-meter run. He helped the Buckeyes claim the 2018 Big Ten Outdoor Championship, the program's first since 1993.
Johnson earned Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors and graduated in December of 2020. He also took part in the Wolstein Leadership Academy, a leadership development program designed specifically for student-athletes through the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute.
Johnson is now a full time engineer with Grunley Construction Company, Inc. in the the Washington D.C. area. Terry also interned with the company during his time at Ohio State.
Luke Meidel
Continuing his education
Meidel was a men's volleyball student-athlete for the Buckeyes and will be continuing his education at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law.
A native of O'Fallon, Illinois, Meidel became the starting libero for the Scarlet and Gray in 2020. As a senior in 2021, he played in 64 sets and led the team in digs.
As a double major in neuroscience and African American & African studies, Meidel earned Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors. Meidel was also a finalist for the Big Ten Medal of Honor.
