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Jamie Zorbo, Director of Athletics, wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, and an orange and black patterned tie, smiling against a gray background.

From the Desk of Athletic Director Jamie Zorbo

Celebrating a year of Hornet achievements
thanks to donor support!

Whether in competition, the classroom or community, Kalamazoo College student-athletes continue to lead with excellence, determination and heart. The 2024–25 academic year marked another period of growth, with milestones that reflect the hard work of our students, coaches and supporters.

Fall Highlights

  • We started strong in the fall, hosting our first night football game since 1962—also Calvin’s first-ever MIAA football matchup—and we won it in a dramatic, last-minute thriller.
  • Cross country standout Paige Anderson claimed MIAA Most Valuable Runner, won the MIAA Championship meet and capped the season with All-American honors.

Winter Standouts

  • Lukas Broadsword became the first men’s basketball player in school history to tally 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds, and 200 assists. Both our men’s and women’s teams achieved seasons of real growth: Our men posted back-to-back double-digit wins for the first time in over 20 years, and the women had their best season since 2018.

Spring Successes

  • Women’s lacrosse made the MIAA tournament for a second straight year. Men’s lacrosse not only returned to the tournament but had its first-ever All-MIAA First Team player.
  • Softball tied the record for most wins in program history, while Coach Duimstra surpassed 100 career victories.
  • Baseball added another 28-win season and finished as MIAA Tournament Runner-Up. That’s five straight seasons with 25 or more wins.
  • Our tennis teams were equally impressive. Women’s Tennis took second in the MIAA. Men’s Tennis swept the league for our 90th MIAA championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Coach Mark Riley was honored as MIAA Coach of the Year.
  • Women’s Golf secured three consecutive wins this season, a strong showing for a young team!

Looking Forward

  • Our coaching and admissions staff continue a strong partnership to recruit future Hornets. Over 40% of the incoming class this fall are student athletes!
  • And we’re excited for the return of the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field program starting in the 2025–26 academic year. K athletics is continuing to grow and change to meet student needs.

Your support fuels our momentum! The generosity of donors is enhancing the student-athlete experience and advancing our athletic programs forward.

Thank you to our strong community of donors for investing in our
programs and believing in the transformative power of athletics at K.

Buzz-Worthy Impact

Donor Support by the Numbers

Donor Affiliation

Kalmazoo College Hornet logo

45%

Alumni

A solid icon featuring two people standing side by side, depicted in a simple, bold design.

26%

Parents

A solid icon featuring Multiply people standing side by side, depicted in a simple, bold design.

29%

Friends and organizations

Hornet Athletic Giving Day Highlights

This year’s giving day on February 19, 2025 was a tremendous success. More than 645 donors joined together to raise $175,380 in support of K’s student-athletes and teams! Congratulations to the teams below who led in donor participation.

Hornet Athletics Day Leaderboard

TEAM

Baseball
Men’s Soccer
Football
Women’s Soccer
Volleyball

DONORS

135
86
76
48
48

RAISED

$34,194
$35,918
$17,120
$10,415
$4,255

Hornet Athletic Association
Annual Growth

A graphic titled "Hornet Athletic Association Annual Growth" showing a bar chart with annual financial growth from 2020-21 ($356,250), 2021-22 ($449,690), 2022-23 ($477,607), 2023-24 ($531,455), and 2024-25 ($601,806). The background image is the Kalamazoo College athletic complex, featuring a modern brick building with large windows, flagpoles with flags, and a clear sky with clouds.

Your Generosity in Action

Gifts to the Hornet Athletic Association provide immediate support to K’s athletic programs.

Ava Williams '25, a swimmer, smiling and holding a sign with the number 25, wearing a patterned swimsuit with a team logo.

Ava Williams ’25
“Being a 4-year student-athlete and senior captain on the swimming & diving team was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will always cherish. The privilege to participate at the collegiate level in the sport that I love while also enjoying K’s quality academics has equipped me with life skills that will serve me well in my future endeavors. Being a student-athlete at K has meant striving for excellence both in and out of the pool and representing K to the best of my abilities. I will forever be grateful for the coaches, teammates, donors, friends and family that made my dream of being a collegiate athlete a reality.”

A volleyball player in an orange jersey with the number 6 and "Kalamazoo" written on it, jumping to block at the net during a match, with the "Kalamazoo College" banner visible. Opposing players in purple jerseys are also reaching up to block, and a crowd is in the background.

Equipment

Equipment investments enhance player development, training and game-day performance. Recent upgrades include new volleyball nets and antennae, soccer goals, sprint timing technology and a basketball shooting machine.

Head Coach Nick Giard and Assistant Coach Matt Covault standing courtside during a basketball game, both wearing dark gray coaching shirts with team logos. Nick Giard has his arms crossed, while Matt Covault holds a clipboard with a basketball court diagram, with a blurred crowd in the background.

Coaching

Stipends boost the support student-athletes receive as they train and compete. By providing specialty coaching, mentoring and added personnel capacity for the program, these investments improve the student-athlete experience and strengthen recruiting efforts for future Hornets.

The Kalamazoo women's lacrosse team posing for a group photo in front of the Liberty Bell, with team members wearing black jackets featuring the Kalamazoo logo, some kneeling and others standing, in an outdoor setting with a historic building and clock tower in the background.

Training and Travel

Funding enables teams to expand their reach and compete at higher levels. Regional and national travel gives programs the opportunity to face out-of-conference opponents—broadening exposure and stretching the Hornets competitively. Training in the pre-season and during academic breaks also creates team bonding moments.

Student-athletes were able to travel to 11 states outside of Michigan to train and compete for the orange and black.

A map of the United States highlighting the travel routes of student-athletes from Michigan, marked with orange pins and dashed lines connecting 11 states where they trained and competed, featuring the team's orange and black logo centered in Michigan.

Hornets in the Classroom

Student-athletes learn skills in training and competition that help them in the classroom, and vice versa. When they are well supported in pursuing their passion in sport, they are better equipped to excel academically. Every Kalamazoo College varsity athletic team had a team GPA of 3.27 or higher!

Top Ten Team GPAs

GPA Team

3.62 Women’s Soccer
3.62 Women’s Cross Country
3.59 Women’s Lacrosse
3.52 Women’s Swimming & Diving
3.50 Men’s Tennis

GPA Team

3.50 Volleyball
3.48 Men’s Lacrosse
3.48 Softball
3.45 Men’s Soccer
3.45 Women’s Tennis

Hornets in the Community

Student-athletes are making a difference beyond the field—and beyond campus. By volunteering their time and talents with local organizations, they not only represent K with pride but also gain meaningful, hands-on experiences that shape their growth as leaders and teammates.

Clay Weissenborn '15, a bald man with a red beard, wearing a dark checkered suit jacket and a light blue dress shirt, smiling against a white background.

Paying it Forward

Clay’s Ongoing Commitment to K

Clay Weissenborn ’15 knows firsthand the lasting impact of Hornet Athletics—on and off the field. A four-year member of the football team, he stayed on after graduation as a graduate assistant coach for a year and has remained connected ever since.

Today, Clay supports Hornet Athletics as a donor, mentor and volunteer. He gives through a recurring monthly donation to the football program, mentors student-athletes through the “Build the Nest” program, and has participated in several “Future in Focus” workshops on financial literacy and interview skills. He’s also facilitated internships, shared career advice and even presented to an accounting class this spring.

“I’m forever grateful to the coaches and alums who invested in me,” said Clay. “They helped me make the most of my time as a student-athlete and prepared me to thrive after graduation. I consider it an honor to try to have the same impact on today’s players.”

Clay also supports K’s admission events and has connected with prospective students interested in accounting—offering both encouragement and insight into what’s possible with a K degree and athletic experience.

“What makes Hornet Athletics special is the level of care coaches have for their players—not just as athletes, but as professionals and people,” said Clay. “Supporting the Hornet Athletic Association is a way for alumni to give back to the programs that helped shape who we are today.”

A football scene featuring Clay Weissenborn '15, a bald man with a red beard, wearing a black Kalamazoo College jersey with the number 75, standing on the field. He is flanked by a referee holding a football and another player in a jersey numbered 77, with a crowd and trees in the background.

Thank You!

Your generosity fuels our success. Thank you for believing in the power of the student-athlete experience at Kalamazoo College. We’re grateful for your partnership and commitment to propelling K’s programs forward.

Go Hornets!