David Carley

Manske tabbed winner of NCAC Hunsinger Award

8/6/2026 12:30:00 PM

CLEVELAND, OH -- Recent Kenyon College graduate and men's swimming and diving student-athlete Ethan Manske was named the recipient of the 2026 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Don Hunsinger Award, an honor that recognizes one men's sports senior student-athlete who distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.

Manske is the sixth Kenyon student-athlete to earn the award, since its launch at the conclusion of the 2008-09 academic year. Kenyon's last recipient was Mart Niehoff, also a swimmer, following the 2022-23 season.

A four-year standout for the Owls, Manske established himself as one of the nation's premier swimmers in the individual medley, while contributing to Kenyon's continued success on the national stage. A four-time First-Team All-American in the 400-yard individual medley, Manske earned NCAA Championship finishes of fifth, third, seventh, and fourth from 2023 through 2026. He also garnered First-Team All-America recognition as a member of Kenyon's 800-yard freestyle relay in 2024 and 2026, while adding eight Second-Team All-America honors across the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard backstroke, and 800-yard freestyle relay.

Manske captured three consecutive NCAC Championship titles in the 400-yard individual medley (2024-26) and claimed the 2026 conference championship in the 200-yard butterfly, earning 11 career All-NCAC certificates.

A two-time team captain, Manske helped lead the Owls to NCAC championships and NCAA runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, along with a fourth-place national finish in 2026. He also helped set the Kenyon varsity record in the 800-yard freestyle relay during his senior season.

In the classroom, Manske graduated with near-perfect grade point average while majoring in environmental studies and Japanese, with a minor in music. He was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2026 and earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) First-Team Academic All-America honors three consecutive years (2024-26). Manske was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, received the 2026 NCAC Scholar-Athlete Award, and was a four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American and three-time CSC Academic All-District selection. An eight-time member of the Kenyon Merit List and three-time NCAC Dr. Gordon Collins Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll honoree. He won Kenyon's Japanese Prize in 2025 and also received the Toshizo Watanabe Fellows Tuition Scholarship and Sato Foundation Scholarship to pursue advanced Japanese language studies at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan.

Beyond athletics, Manske excelled as a musician, earning recognition in Kenyon's Young Musicians Competition.

Manske's leadership extended throughout the Kenyon campus and beyond. As a Japanese teaching assistant, he developed lesson plans and led weekly language practice sessions for fellow students, while also volunteering as an English tutor for elementary school students in Japan. He served as assistant principal violist with the Knox County Symphony and volunteered with organizations including Special Olympics, Wiggin Street Elementary School, and Kenyon Athletics annual food drive.
Manske also spent a summer volunteering at Turtleback Mountain Community Farm in Washington, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and food sovereignty.

The NCAC award commemorates former Oberlin College administrator and coach Don Hunsinger, who had a far-reaching influence on the athletes he coached in a wide variety of sports.

As this year's NCAC winner, Manske will be the conference's nominee for the NCAA Division III Commissioners Association Student-Athlete of the Year.

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