Building on its formidable athletic legacy, Kenyon is welcoming a new athletic director, new varsity sports programs, and continuing state-of-the-art facility improvements.
Earlier this summer, Jason Imperati began work as the College’s director of athletics, fitness and recreation. He started at Kenyon on June 1 after four years of serving as the director of athletics at Lawrence University.
His first months on the job here have been busy but productive as he’s taken part in staff searches, met student athletes, and attended practices and competitions.
“Coaches and student-athletes can expect me to be visible, accessible and honest,” he said. “Ultimately, I want to create an environment where people feel supported, our programs work together and the student-athlete experience remains at the center of what we do.”
Among Imperati’s first tasks was to lead the search that hired Scott Denne as the College’s first head squash coach to oversee its new men’s and women’s squash programs. A former professional player, Denne spent the past three years as the head squash professional at the Athletic Club of Columbus and has experience coaching at Cornell University and St. Lawrence University.
The squash programs will commence varsity competition in the 2027-28 academic year and will bring the department's total to 25 sports, including 13 for women and 12 for men.
Facility improvements have been in the works as well, highlighted by a lighting project at The Field at Benson Bowl, home to the field hockey and lacrosse teams. The installation of four, 80-foot light towers will make it the first lighted athletics facility on campus and will provide flexibility in game and practice times that moves more competitions outside of class hours.
Kenyon’s athletes began the fall season with optimism and excitement — and a lot of wins. Here is a preview for the College’s seven fall sports:
-
In men’s cross country, a team that finished second in the NCAC Championship last season is focused on making a serious run at the program’s first conference title since 2003. The squad is young — 80 percent underclassmen — but anchored by two returning All-NCAC runners, Charlie Blackmer ’28 and Caleb Low ’28. It opened the 2026 campaign with a win on Sept. 4 over Ohio Wesleyan University.
-
This year’s women’s cross country team, which also opened the season with a win against Ohio Wesleyan University, features plenty of senior leadership and talented newcomers. Among those returning is Olivia Ide ’27, the top Kenyon finisher at the regional championship.
-
Field hockey begins a new era with head coach Meridith Thorpe, who was hired earlier this year and whose team started the season with a win on Sept. 5. The team returns three players who earned all-conference honors last year: Casey Master ’27; Maren Lawrence ’27, who could have a chance at cracking the program’s all-time top-10 leading scorers list; and Zady Hasse ’28.
-
The football team won its season opener against Kalamazoo College 40-10 as it looks to bounce back after a down year, led by a strong veteran presence. This includes linebacker Michael Kerr ’27, who picked up all-conference honors last season and whose 15 tackles for loss were tops in the NCAC.
-
The women’s soccer team, which kicked off the season with a scoreless draw on Sept. 5, aims to continue its forward momentum following a season in which they were undefeated at home. It will be doing it with a coaching staff that won the 2025 NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award and Emily Copeland ’28, an all-conference honoree who led the conference in goals and total points.
-
Men’s soccer started the year with three consecutive wins and brings a strong offense and disciplined defense to the pitch. Last year’s top scorer Jack Commandeur ’29 — a first-team all-conference selection who was named NCAC Newcomer of the Year — returns, looking to continue his formidable role on defense.
-
In volleyball, this will be Head Coach Macey Zinser’s first season at the helm after she joined the program in January. Productive seniors Olivia Gumz ’27, Hannah Schwemm ’27 and Sophia Menke ’27 will be back in leading roles for a team coming off a NCAC tournament quarterfinal appearance. The team took their first win of the year off of the Adrian College Bulldogs on Sept. 5.
Imperati acknowledged the support of the College’s generous extended community in supporting these efforts and others when he was hired.
“One of the aspects that attracted me to Kenyon was the support of athletics by alumni and parents,” he said. “From the annual Kenyon Together giving challenge in the spring to endowed gifts, Kenyon is fortunate to have the investment of the broader athletics community.”
The College’s varsity sports are fully funded through the operating budget, including through gifts to sports through the Kenyon Fund. In addition, swimming and diving baseball, soccer, lacrosse and football have benefitted from alumni-established endowed funds that add discretionary funding to their budgets.
Athletics also received additional unrestricted funds through the estate of Richard C. Fornoff, Class of 1949, and his wife, Barbara Jane Fornoff this year.
