Soccer, Cross Country Win PAC Championships
Both the Barons men’s soccer team and cross country team clinched PAC (Presidents’ Athletic Conference) Championships in fall 2024, a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team’s 2-1 victory over Grove City College gave them the second league title in program history and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.
“We never expect to win, but I felt like we had the type of team that could do some pretty special things,” head coach Brent Ridenour said. “We had great team leadership from many players, and it was a very unselfish group, which always helps lead to success.”
Aidan Henninger, a senior defender from Sequim, Washington, scored the game-winning goal.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and grateful for all the hard work of the team—and there was an amazing pass from Josh Atkinson (senior defender, Haymarket, Virginia) back in the box to provide the opportunity.” Lucas Cross, named the PAC tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, attributed the victory to the team’s work ethic. “We worked all season long, starting when we got here in August, and it was our goal to win the PAC Championship to go back to the NCAA tournament. We all put our heads down, moved in the right direction, and understood what we were working for,” said the junior forward from Clarkston, Michigan.
Ridenour was named PAC Coach of the Year, the first honor for a Franciscan soccer coach, though he was a sixtime Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Coach of the Year at Ohio Northern University. Franciscan also had eight players, including Cross, named to All-Conference teams, the most of any school in the conference, and Ryan Miller, a senior midfielder from Galena, Ohio, was named PAC Defensive Player of the Year.
“Our team is successful because we are all going in the same direction. We all believe that hard work and discipline and our faith will lead us to success,” Ridenour concluded.
Men’s Cross Country
Predicted to finish the season in fifth place, the men’s cross country team defied expectations to win the PAC Championship, one of the closest in PAC history. It was the team’s fourth victory since joining the PAC in 2020 and seventh championship overall in program existence.
“They are really a tight-knit group of guys who were confident in their abilities, and most importantly were confident in each other,” said head coach Dr. Daniel Kuebler. “Because of that, they were able to pull off the upset in an unbelievably competitive and tight race.”
The Barons secured the title by one point over Geneva College—with the top five teams separated by just 10 points.
“Our win showed a lot of the hard work and dedication of our team, just really trusting our coaches, trusting our training, and being able to compete and perform when we needed to perform,” said Ryan Ozymy, a graduate student from Ennis, Texas. Conal Delaney, a senior from Green Bay, Wisconsin, said the team’s willingness to learn from Kuebler and buy in to the training over the summer helped them peak at the right time.
“It didn’t seem like it was in the cards for us to come back and win,” he said. “We all showed up with good efforts and good attitudes, and by the end of the season, we realized we had a shot. It was incredible to see the progression of every runner.”
Four Franciscan runners were recognized with AllConference honors, and Kuebler was named Coach of the Year for the third time in the PAC and seventh time overall.
“I couldn’t be happier for the team, and I couldn’t be prouder of their collective efforts. It’s been a blessing coaching this group,” Kuebler said.
Student-Athlete SPOTLIGHT
Name: Emma Davis
Hometown: Tipp City, Ohio
Year: Sophomore
Major: Communication Arts (Journalism), Marketing Minor
Sport: Softball
Team Position: 2nd Base
Honors: 2024 Honorable Mention All-PAC; 2024 St. Sebastian Award; 2024 PAC Academic Honor Roll; Led the team in hits, runs, triples, with a .961 fielding percentage and .244 batting average.
Favorite Saint: St. Anne
On Softball: “I remember the first day of practice my freshman year. The first thing we did when we stepped into the dugout was pray, which I had never done before on all my softball teams. I knew at that moment I had chosen the right place to continue my softball journey, my education, and my relationship with God. We say in our softball prayer before every game and practice this line that always sticks out to me, ‘With Christ we never lose, because he alone is our victory.’ No matter if we win or lose a game, I know this game is only made possible through him.”
“Man Fully Alive”
“The glory of God is man fully alive,” a famous quote attributed to St. Irenaeus, hits just right with Miguel Daez ’23: “I feel fully alive when running,” he says.
Miguel ran cross country and track for four years at Franciscan University and graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s in communication arts, focusing on digital broadcast production. He worked for the local news station, WTOV, with the eventual goal of working for EWTN; however, he decided to return to his alma mater in fall 2024.
“I felt like God was calling me to spread the Word in a more immediate way, to actually preach the good news through youth ministry,” the Sterling, Virginia, native says.
So, Miguel enrolled in coursework for minors in youth ministry and theology and signed up for his fifth and final season of cross country, allowed with NCAA COVID rules.
“God has given me the ability to run, and to run well, I think. I love using my body for what it was meant to do,” Miguel explains.
A team captain in falls 2022 and 2024, Miguel had already racked up numerous honors in his collegiate running career and added a few more. Following the men’s cross country PAC (Presidents’ Athletic Conference) Championship victory, Miguel earned All-Conference honors for the fifth time, and at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Meet, he earned All-Region honors, a distinction awarded to the top 35 runners. By placing 29th, he bested his 33rd place finish in 2021, which also earned him All-Region accolades.
While he is pleased with his individual and team successes, Miguel says he is most proud of Franciscan’s cross country team culture. He appreciates the mentorship he found as a young runner as well as the team camaraderie.
“Liam Galligan ’21 MBA ’22 and Mark Borek ’20 MBA ’22 were captains for three years and always encouraged me and pushed me to be the best version of myself,” he says. “I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without them.”
Miguel married Amy (Mosier ’23) in December 2024 and plans to continue long-distance running in some form.
“I like to stay active, and in the future, I would love to coach,” he says. “God has blessed me with a talent, and I love using that talent to glorify him.
High Fives
• Eva Dexter led the way for women’s soccer this fall with 14 goals and was named PAC Newcomer of the Year.
• Women’s tennis made it to the PAC Championship once again this fall. Head coach Tom Costello was named PAC Coach of the Year for the first time.
• Women’s volleyball made it back-to-back winning seasons with a 13-11 record in head coach Jen (McInnis ’96) Hickey’s first season at the helm.
• Women’s cross country won one meet and placed second in a pair before placing fourth at the PAC Championship.
• Women’s golf had a successful fall, breaking their program record for best team score with a 399 at the YSU Kickoff. They sit in seventh place in the Four-Round PAC Championship that will conclude this spring
