William H. Hollinger Hall of Fame
Denise was a three-sport athlete while attending Hiram College. She spent two years competing as a member of the tennis and basketball teams in addition to one season on the softball team. Denise would become a standout tennis player and would have played three seasons if not for an injury that resulted in her having to miss her junior year on the court.
In two seasons, Denise was an Ohio Athletic Conference Champion in fifth singles as a sophomore (1991). She also finished as runner-up in third doubles. As a senior in 2003, she helped guide her team to an 11-2 overall record and an OAC Team Championship. Individually, Denise was again an OAC Champion, this time at third singles. She also combined efforts to win the third doubles title. For her career, Denise posted an astounding 40-1 overall record in singles and was the recipient of the Helen Petoskey Award (1993) and the Matthews Award (1993).
Following graduation, Denise went on to earn her master’s degree from Ohio University and then went on to work as a certified athletic trainer at an out-patient physical therapy clinic from 1994-99. For the past six years as of her induction, Denise was a sixth-grade teacher within the Windham School District and she also mentors current Hiram students who are pursuing the goals of becoming a teacher.
