Ohio Northern University inducted four accomplished individuals into the 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony and luncheon held Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Inductees were Larry Cole, Alison (Steinbrunner) Kwiat, PharmD ’15, Stephan “Steve” Vagedes, BS ’02, and Tamika Washington, BA ’01.
Larry Cole
Head Coach, Cross Country and Track and Field (1991-1997)
Cole served as the head coach of ONU’s men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs from 1991 to 1997, leading a transformative period of growth, success, and national recognition for the Polar Bears.
Cole is widely credited with revitalizing ONU’s cross country and track and field programs. His tenure began alongside the opening of ONU’s field house in 1991, which allowed for the development of a full indoor track and field season—an important milestone that elevated both indoor and outdoor competition.
In indoor track and field, his men’s squads compiled a 170-21 record, while the women’s teams posted a 174-32 mark. Under his guidance, Ohio Northern proudly hosted the 1995 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field National Championships—a prestigious honor for the university and its athletic department.
In 1996, the men’s team captured the OAC Indoor Track and Field title, the first OAC championship for ONU in the sport’s history.
In outdoor competition, Cole’s success continued. The men’s teams achieved a 225-72-1 record, and the women’s teams finished 246-76, with both consistently placing in the top half of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) standings throughout Cole’s tenure.
Over his seven seasons at ONU, Cole’s track and field athletes earned 50 OAC individual championships, 21 All-America honors, and 15 Academic All-America recognitions. His combined track and field coaching record at ONU stands at an outstanding 815-201-2.
Cole also built highly competitive cross country programs. His men’s and women’s teams compiled a combined 450-167-1 record, with the women’s program finishing as OAC runner-up for four consecutive seasons from 1993 to 1997.
Beyond Ohio Northern, Cole’s career spanned 32 years as a head coach, including impactful stops at Muskingum and Rose-Hulman before his retirement in 2024.
Cole and his wife, Cathy, reside in Terre Haute, Ind., and are the proud parents of three sons: Matt, Braden, and Alex.
Alison Kwiat
Cross Country (2009-2013)
Kwiat is the most accomplished distance runner in the history of ONU athletics. A five-time NCAA Division III All-American, Kwiat earned national honors in the 5,000-meter run, 10,000-meter run, and in cross country—where she was a three-time All-American and was the first woman to win 4 OAC Championships.
Dominant throughout her collegiate career, Kwiat won four consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) individual cross country championships from 2009–2012, becoming just the second woman in league history to achieve that feat. She was named OAC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year in each of those four seasons.
On the track, she captured an astounding 13 OAC titles in a variety of events, including the 1,500, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000-meter runs, as well as being a key contributor to two OAC-champion distance medley relay teams.
In the classroom, Kwiat matched her athletic excellence with academic distinction, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors twice during her career.
Kwiat capped off her career accolades in 2013. She was elected to receive the ONU Athletics Helen Ludwig Senior Woman Athlete of the Year Award for outstanding career athletic achievement. She was named by the ONU Athletic department as its woman representative for the prestigious OAC Clyde Lamb Award, which recognizes each school’s most accomplished student-athlete in the classroom and competition.
A 2015 graduate of Ohio Northern, Kwiat earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She is married to former ONU All-American wrestler Kyle Kwiat, BS ’13.
Steve Vagedes
Football and Track and Field (1995-2000)
Steve Vagedes distinguished himself as one of the most versatile and accomplished student-athletes in ONU history, earning five All-American honors across football and track and field from 1995 to 2000.
On the gridiron, Vagedes was a dynamic playmaker. He earned All-America recognition twice as a wide receiver and twice as a punter, showcasing exceptional skill on both offense and special teams. His remarkable 44.5-yard career punting average set an NCAA record at the time and still stands as the ONU program record.
Offensively, Vagedes remains one of the most prolific receivers in school history. He ranks second all-time at ONU with 3,036 receiving yards, fourth with 145 receptions, and second with 44 career touchdowns.
Vagedes also excelled in track and field, earning All-America honors in the long jump in 2000, further demonstrating his elite athleticism and competitive versatility.
Following his standout collegiate career, the Coldwater, Ohio native played professionally for three seasons, signing NFL contracts with the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as competing in NFL Europe with the Barcelona Dragons. He later spent five seasons in professional indoor football, playing for the Detroit Fury (Arena Football League), the Ohio Valley Greyhounds (National Indoor Football League), and the Port Huron Pirates (Continental Indoor Football League).
Vagedes’ legacy is defined by his rare combination of explosive athleticism, consistency, and competitive excellence across multiple sports.
Tamika Washington
Track and Field (1997-2001)
Tamika Washington stands as one of the most accomplished sprinters in ONU history. Bursting onto the scene as a freshman in 1997, she earned NCAA All-America honors in the 55-meter dash—a feat that set the tone for a standout career on the track.
A three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, Washington finished as high as fifth nationally and placed eighth and ninth in subsequent appearances during an era when only the top six finishers earned All-America status.
She dominated the Ohio Athletic Conference in the late 1990s, claiming the OAC championship in the 55-meter dash three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999. Her school record time of 7.26 seconds, set during her freshman season, still stands atop the ONU record books.
In total, Washington was a six-time All-OAC performer, cementing her place among the elite sprinters in both ONU and conference history.
A native of Trotwood, Ohio, Washington graduated from ONU in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her speed, competitiveness, and consistency helped shape the legacy of Polar Bear track and field.