Success Stories

Rocket Success Stories

Stories highlighting the academic, community and personal achievements of University of Toledo student-athletes.

Nov. 13 (Football) -  Adrian Woliver Knows the True Meaning of Family
Angel Woliver will never forget the first time her son Adrian called her "Mom." Adrian, now a senior defensive lineman on the University of Toledo football team, was 13 years old at the time. He and his two younger siblings, Chad (11) and Melanie (9), had been adopted by Angel and her husband (also named Chad) two years earlier. But whereas young Chad and Melanie quickly grew accustomed to calling the new adults in their life "Mom" and "Dad," Adrian was more circumspect. Angel sympathized with Adrian's reluctance to take that big step. Adrian was older than Chad and Melanie, after all. He understood more about the perilous situations they had been through together. He had seen a lot, experienced a lot, suffered a lot. More than any child should.

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Nov. 9 (Women's Golf) -  Angel Hii and Cheryl Hii Came a Long Way to Chase Their Dreams
Angel Hii and Cheryl Hong have shared a passion for golf that has led them to a world far from their native country of Malaysia. Their friendship goes back to their earliest playing days. Even though they lived far from each other, they quickly formed a lifelong bond while playing junior golf tournaments in their home country. Hong grew up in Kuantan which is on the Malay Peninsula. Hii grew up in Kuching, over 500 miles away on the island of Borneo. Playing throughout Malaysia, Hii and Hong both saw older teammates leave to play college golf in the United States. They decided they wanted to do the same.

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Nov. 7 (Men's Cross Country) -  Xavier Gallo Discovers Passion for Photography ... And More
Stress fractures are a harsh reality for distance runners. It happens all the time. It happened to Xavier Gallo, a member of the University of Toledo's men's cross country team, while he was training for the 2021 season. Facing months of rehab, Gallo decided to make the most of his time on the sideline. "I still really wanted to be a part of the team, but since I was injured I couldn't run for 8 to 10 weeks," said Gallo, a native of Dublin, Ohio. "So I started coming to practice and taking photos." It was through documenting his teammates' activities that Gallo discovered a passion for photography.

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Oct. 5 (Football) -  Nothing Stops Larry Stephens from Reaching His Goals
Larry Stephens remembers the first time he could hear the world as it really was. Believe it or not, he didn't like it. Let's just say the change wasn't quite what he was expecting. Born with a hearing impairment that was gradually making him go deaf, the University of Toledo wide receiver was six years old when he was fitted with his first cochlear implant. Stephens had a hard time adjusting to it at first. Overnight, it was as if his hearing went from a muffled symphony to a crash of heavy metal. "It was a shock switching from hearing aids to the implant," said Stephens. "Everything was louder and clearer. The first week after the surgery was rough."

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Sept. 7 (Football) - Dan Bolden Never Backs Down From a Challenge
When Dan Bolden was in the fifth grade, he stepped in when he noticed that some boys were tormenting another boy named Ralphie, a special-needs student in the second grade. "Kids in his grade were picking on him at recess and in the lunchroom," said Bolden. "I stepped in and put a stop to it. The bullying and picking on kids, that doesn't fly with me. Picking on someone smaller than you, that doesn't sit right with me. So when I can do something about it, I love to do that." Bolden has always been that way, according to the people who know him best.

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May 12 (Women's Golf) - Kathryn Roth Perseveres and Adopts New Outlook Following Car Accident
Toledo women's golfer Kathryn Roth had just played her best tournament as a Rocket at the Spring Break Shootout in Florida last March when fate dropped her into an unwelcome bunker. Shortly after shooting a career-best score, the Waterville, Ohio native was involved in a serious car accident with her parents. Kathryn was taken to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a back injury and a concussion from which she is still feeling the effects of to this day. Kathryn was eventually cleared to return to competition in the fall, but not being able to practice or play during the summer set her back.

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May 9 (Baseball) - Toledo Proving to be Perfect Fit for Las Vegas Native Brant Hunt
Brant Hunt's love for baseball and drive to succeed academically made the University of Toledo the perfect fit for him. Hunt, who hails from the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nev., is a junior on the Rockets' baseball team and a biochemistry major in the University's BACC2MD program, the University of Toledo's early medical school pathway program offered to high-metric high school students. Only 43 institutions in the U.S. offer such a program. Luckily for Hunt, the University of Toledo is one of them. "I wasn't going to go anywhere I couldn't play baseball," Hunt said. "But the fact that I could do both here made Toledo the perfect fit."

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May 5 (Men's Tennis) - Luis Kleinschnitz Overcame Personal Challenges to Make His Mark With the Rockets
The transition from high school into a first-year college student can be a challenging time, but Luis Kleinschnitz's experience was especially fraught with emotion. Just a few weeks before Luis was scheduled to move from Germany to start his freshman year as a tennis player at the University of Toledo, his mother Kerstin lost her battle with cancer. Kleinschnitz, an only child, had to make the difficult choice of staying home with his father or going to school in a country where he knew no one. Kleinschnitz was conflicted but he felt he knew what his mother would have wanted him to do.

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April 25 (Women's Swimming) - Adversity Leads to Opportunity for Hannah Beavers
Hannah Beavers had to battle throughout her collegiate years just for the opportunity to do the one thing she loves best: swim. She swam for three years for the Rockets before her back problems forced her to stop competitive swimming. Hannah came to UT with high hopes. While she never rose to the level of an elite college swimmer, she is proud of the effort she made just to stay in the pool for as long as she did. "My biggest accomplishment was being able to swim those three years and being able to compete at max level. At times, I didn't know if I would be able to swim, just from the amount of pain I was in."

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April 21 (Softball) - Anna Dixon's Passion for Helping Others Guiding Her Through Softball and Life
As a student-athlete at the University of Toledo, Anna Dixon was able to explore a wide variety of interests beyond her sport. One thing she has discovered about herself was that she has a passion for mental health advocacy. Part of that learning process included dealing with her own challenges as a college student and student-athlete. Her career as a Rocket has seen highs and lows, both on and off the field; she is open about discussing some of the low points.

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April 11 (Cross Country/ Track & Field) - Hometown Heroes Emily and Madeline Vining Build Legacy of Success
Madeline and Emily Vining have always had built-in running buddies: each other. Growing up, they also had a built-in coaching staff at home: their parents.The twin sisters have been integral to the Rockets' success, helping the Midnight Blue and Gold win back-to-back Mid-American Conference cross country titles. The twins will each earn two degrees this spring from the university that is just down the street from where they grew up in the Toledo neighborhood of Old Orchard.

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April 6 (Women's Basketball) - Sophia Wiard Never Stops Looking for a Challenge
It's hard to picture the Toledo women's basketball team without its fearless floor general, senior guard Sophia Wiard. But in an alternate universe, it is possible to imagine a completely different scenario. Instead of dishing out assists and knocking down three-pointers, envision Wiard sprinting around the basepaths of a baseball diamond or weaving through tacklers on her way to the end zone in a helmet and shoulder pads. It's not as crazy as it sounds.

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March 30 (Women's Soccer) - Brooke Stonehouse Learned How to Balance Athletics, Academics...and Life
Brooke Stonehouse is done playing college soccer and is finishing her final semester of classes but is not even close to slowing down. Since the end of her final season wearing the Midnight Blue and Gold last fall, Brooke has added a lot to her plate. She is interning in the marketing office in the UT Athletic Department and with Buckeye Broadband writing business disclaimers and updating the website. She also works part-time for The Bottom Line, a local CPA firm, and for Data Ongoing, a NetSuite company.
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Jerjuan Newton and brothers

Feb. 27 (Football) - Football is a Family Affair for Jerjuan Newton
Jerjuan Newton never had to look very far to find someone to play football with when he was growing up. He had a ready-made team right in his own home. Newton, a junior wide receiver for the Toledo Rockets, is one of five brothers, all relatively close in age and all with a passion for the gridiron.
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Feb. 16 (Men's Basketball) - Setric Millner Jr. Taking Full Advantage of Opportunity with Rockets
Rocket fans know senior Setric Millner Jr. for his highlight dunks and his stellar all-around play on the court. What they don't realize is that his trek from Little Rock, Ark. to the University of Toledo was a circuitous journey that almost never have happened. Like most kids, Millner played baseball, basketball and football growing up until he began to focus on basketball when he got to middle school.
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Previous Rocket Success Stories

2022
Nov. 30 (Women's Golf) - Claudia Sampson Makes Her Own Mark at Toledo
Nov. 22 (Football) - Desjuan Johnson Pursues His Father's Unfulfilled NFL Dream
Nov. 17 - (Men's Tennis) - Pawit Sornlaksup Fulfills His Dream of Playing College Tennis in the U.S.
Nov. 11 (Women's Soccer) - How Madison Medalle Got Her Mojo Back
Nov. 2 (Women's Swimming & Diving) - Madison Giglio Honors Friend's Memory by Founding Organ Donation Club
Oct. 24 (Women's Volleyball) - Jada Bouyer's Passion for Science Led Her to the University of Toledo
Oct. 11 (Football) - Dyontae Johnson's Interest in Engineering Spurred by His Late Father
Oct. 3 (Men's Golf) - Palmer Yenrick Makes the Switch from the Diamond to the Links
Sept. 23 (Football) - Judge Culpepper Follows the Path Less Traveled
May 10 (Women's Tennis) - Patricia Panta Glad She Gave Tennis a Chance
May 6 (Women's Basketball) - Lexi Lance Followed the Lead of Her Teammates
May 2 (Baseball) - Few Bleed Midnight Blue Like Nicky Winterstein
April 28 (Softball) - Positive Support Helped Guide Aubrey Reed in Softball, Academics
April 25 (Women's Swimming & Diving) - Swimming Taught Kennedy Lovell How to be a Leader
April 12 (Men's Golf) - Lukas Clark Leads Men's Golf Team On and Off the Course
April 8 (Women's Soccer) - Claire Cahalan Makes Her Pitch for Law School
April 4 (Football) - Jamal Hines Found His Path Thanks to Sports (and His Mom)
March 31 (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country) - Lou Trois Dedicates Herself to the Memory of Her Late Mother
March 28 (Men's Basketball) - JT Shumate: Scoring Points on the Court and Impacting Lives in the Classroom
March 15 (Football) - Nick Rosi Follows His Parents' Footsteps into the Healthcare Field

2021
May 14 (Softball) - Raelyn Nyren Engineering Her Way to Success
May 7 (Women's Basketball) - Yaniah Curry Follows Her Passion for the Spanish Language
May 5 (Men's Basketball) - AJ Edu's Love for Basketball and Business Pays Off
April 23 (Women's Volleyball) - Liz & Meg Beasley Follow Family Footsteps into Nursing
April 21 (Men's Golf) - Botha Brothers Find a Home Far From Home
April 15 (Football) - Lavel Dumont Builds a Unique Friendship Out of Shared Love of Football
April 8 (Men's Cross Country) - Jacob Harris is on Track to Becoming a Coach
March 31 (Women's Swimming & Diving) - Lauren Wegener Takes the Fast Lane
March 24 (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country) - Alexia Moehling on Track to Career as a Dentist
March 17 (Women's Soccer) - Lexa Bauer's Passion for Justice Leads Her Toward a Law Career
March 10 (Women's Tennis) - Freshmen Shalini Tallamraju and Ava McQuillin Take Aim at Medical School
March 3 (Women's Golf) - Thailand Native Thawin Suksathaporn has found a home in Toledo
Feb. 24 (Football) - Tycen Anderson Draws Inspiration From His Grandmother

2020
Nov. 25 (Football) - Drew Rosi Carries on Rocket Family Legacy
Nov. 20 (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country) - Roma Lucarelli Following a Path to Professorship
Oct. 13 (Baseball) - Decision to Play Baseball Paying Dividends for Darryn Davis
Oct. 9 (Men' Tennis) - Cole Shoults Relates Tennis and Taekwondo to Shape Toledo Experience
Oct. 5 (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country) - Yana Khabina Looks to End Her Career as a Champion
Sept. 30 (Men's Golf) - Golf Bringing David Amm a World to Explore
Sept. 24 (Softball) - Erin Hunt Expanding Her Future Options in Medical Field
Sept. 22 (Women's Swimming & Diving) - Emma Sampson Making the Most of Her Time at Toledo
Sept. 17 (Men's Cross Country) - Alex Kelker Follows Fast Track to Graduate School
Sept. 15 (Men's Basketball) - Spencer Littleson Using Business Classes to Prepare for Coaching Future
Sept. 10 (Women's Soccer) - Ashton Cassel and Betsy Lueck Perfecting Nursing Craft with Rockets
Sept. 4 (Women's Volleyball) - Chloee Kleespies is Driven to Help Other Diabetic Athletes
Sept. 1 ((Women's Track & Field/Cross Country) - Stephanie Sherman Follows New Course to Surprising Career Path
Aug. 27 (Women's Golf ) - Amelia Lee Programming Herself for Future Success
Aug. 25 (Women's Basketball) - Competition Breeds Success for Mariah Copeland
Aug. 21 (Women's Tennis) - Eileen Carney Gets Her Teeth Into Student-Athlete Experience
Aug. 18 (Football) - Bryce Harris Followed His Heart to Find a Career Path

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