Recent Ohio Wesleyan University graduate Trey Theobald (Archbold) was announced on Wednesday as the Region VII winner for the Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. Theobald was one of 20 student-athletes, 10 men and 10 women, that were recognized as regional winners of the award. Theobald and the nine other male regional winners now advance on the ballot for the D3CA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year, which will be announced next month.

The Division III Commissioners Association Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year Award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.  Theobald received the nomination as the NCAC's Don Hunsinger Award winner, which was announced earlier this week.

Theobald established himself as one of the top javelin throwers in NCAA Division III throughout his career.  He earned first-team All-America honors in both 2024 and 2025, finishing as the national runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Division III outdoor track & field championships with a mark of 213-6 and placing fourth in 2025, when he broke the Ohio Wesleyan record with a throw of 216-2.  A consistent performer at the conference level, Theobald claimed the 2025 NCAC javelin title and earned All-NCAC honors in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while he and his teammates captured all-conference honors in the 400-meter relay in 2022.  He also was a 3-time All-Great Lakes Region selection.  Theobald's leadership helped the OWU men's javelin corps grow to 7 student-athletes this season, with the Bishops ranking seventh in the final 2025 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III event-squad rankings.

In the classroom, Theobald graduated with a 3.96 cumulative GPA as a biochemistry and pre-medicine major and biology minor.  He was a 2025 Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society inductee, a 2024 and 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) first-team Academic All-America® selection, and was a CSC Academic All-District® and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree in 2023, 2024, and 2025.  He also received the Hall Fellowship in Chemistry, was named a Schafer Chemistry Scholar, and was honored with the Second-Year Chemistry Major Faculty Prize.  Theobald engaged in advanced undergraduate research through summer programs at Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan.  At Vanderbilt's VINSE lab, he worked on developing a method to detect medication-induced neurotoxicity on fetal brain development using cerebral organoids.  At Michigan, he investigated the energetic stabilities of Rituxan and Ruxience.  During his time at OWU, he also completed a directed reading in oligonucleotide biosynthesis.

On campus and in the broader community, Theobald made contributions through service and leadership.  He served as president and treasurer of the OWU Pre-Health Club, leading initiatives that enabled over 50 students to receive Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.  As a teaching assistant and tutor in general and organic chemistry labs, he emphasized both technical instruction and academic confidence-building.  Off campus, Theobald volunteered in multiple departments at the Fulton County Health Center, gaining invaluable clinical exposure at a critical access hospital. He also contributed to programs like OWU's Bishop Games and served as a Summer Splash swim coach, reflecting a deep commitment to mentorship and public health.

The regional winners will now be recognized as finalists for the Awards Committee to select the Division III Commissioners Association Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. This will be the fourth year that the D3CA will recognize graduating male and female student-athletes for academic achievement, athletic excellence, and service and leadership.