Honorees announced for DC Hall of Fame, Coaches of the Year
October 9, 2017
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Four Defiance College alumni were inducted in the Alumni Varsity D Hall of Fame during homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 7. They included: James Berner, Springfield, class of 1994; Penni Bostelman, Greensburg, Ind., class of 1987; Chad Kahle, Denver, N.C., class of 2000; and Nate Schaublin, Napoleon, class of 2002.
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 two DC alumni selected as 2017 Coach of the Year recipients: Cameron Coutcher, Waterville, class of 2001; and Brian Ziegler, Archbold, class of 1996.
James Berner was a four-time letter winner in football and baseball at Defiance College. He made MIAA All-Conference in football and baseball and he was named male athlete of the year in 1994. After college, he competed in the Ohio law enforcement games in track and field, winning two silver medals in the International Law Enforcement Olympics in 1996.
He has coached youth soccer, basketball, and baseball, as well as the Dayton Thunderbirds, the Tecumseh Cubs, and the Tecumseh High School girls JV basketball team. As deputy sheriff with Clark County, Berner has received commendations for meritorious service and other achievements. He resides in Springfield with his wife, Shannon, and their children, Gabe, Allison, Macy, and Braden.
Penni Bostelman is in the softball record books for triples, walks, and assists. She was all League and All District in softball, and led the team in assists, and slugging percentages for a couple years. In basketball, she lettered two of the three years she played. While at DC, she was active in the Beta Sigma sorority and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and worked as a resident assistant.
After graduation, she worked for the YMCA for 25 years in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, with some time off to be a stay-at-home foster and adoptive mom. In 2013, she was inducted into the Maryland Modified Fast Pitch Hall of Fame. She has received several YMCA awards over the year, including the State of Maryland Service to Youth Award. Currently, Bostelman is very active in the Optimist Club and other local community groups. She resides in Greensburg, Ind., with her spouse, Jill, and daughter, Autumn.
Chad Kahle was a four-year letter winner and team captain in basketball, led the team in points per game as a freshman, and finished his career averaging 17.6 points per game. He set records for being second all-time in rebounding and third all-time in scoring with 1,703 points to his credit. His many honors include being named second team all-American, two time all-district, two time MIAA all-conference, and the Defiance College Purple & Gold tournament MVP his senior year.
An art and graphic design major at Defiance College, he is employed as a kitchen designer and project manager at Kitchen Vision. Outside of work, Kahle stays busy coaching his daughters’ soccer and volleyball teams. He resides in Denver, N.C., with his wife, Jennelle, and their three daughters, Lily, Sophia, and Stella.
Nate Schaublin lettered in football all four years, playing linebacker. During those years, he was captain for one year, and named MVP. He holds the school record for 72 assisted tackles and was a three-time HCAC all-American. In 2001, he was named the Hewlett Packard all-American.
In 2006, Schaublin received his MBA from Bowling Green State University. He is currently chief operating officer at Keller Logistics in Defiance. He occasionally helps coach his children’s teams and plays golf when he gets the chance. Schaublin and his wife, Stephanie, live in Napoleon with their two children, Alec and Ella.
Cameron Coutcher was awarded Coach of the Year for leading the Maumee High School baseball team to win the sectional, district, and regional championships on to the state final four. This was his first district and regional championship as head coach, and Maumee’s second district and regional championship in the history of the program. Overall record 22-10, league record 8-6. Coutcher teaches 8th grade English and language arts at Gateway Middle School in Maumee. He resides in Waterville with his wife, Nancy, and daughters, Julia and Blake.
Brian Ziegler was awarded Coach of the Year for leading the Archbold Blue Streaks girls’ basketball team to five district titles in the past six years. The Blue Streaks had a 26-2 record for the 2016-17 season, which included a 20 game winning streak which set a school record for the most wins in a season. Ziegler was named the Toledo Blade’s Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. He and his wife, Tobi, live in Archbold with their daughter, Alyssa.
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.
