Fall 2025 Issue

Jamie Bermel ’86, Katie Pederson Whipple ’06 and John Roslien — three standout contributors to Central College athletics — were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Honor for achievements in golf, two-sport excellence and athletic training.

NATIONALLY PROMINENT COACH

Since taking over as University of Kansas men’s golf head coach in 2012, Bermel has led the Jayhawks to a record nine consecutive NCAA regional appearances. He’s coached 24 NCAA regional teams in total, with previous head coaching stops at Drake, Iowa State and Colorado State, where he guided four teams to the NCAA national meet and coached PGA Tour veteran Martin Laird. Bermel’s Kansas teams have claimed 17 regular-season tournament titles; his Colorado State squads won 18.

A three-time Missouri Valley Coach of the Year at Drake, Bermel also coached PGA standout Zach Johnson, winner of the 2007 Masters and 2015 British Open.

At Central, Bermel helped the Dutch win four Iowa Conference titles and make four NCAA Division III Championship appearances, placing as high as fifth. He earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1986 and was a team co-captain.

He earned a master’s degree from Purdue and worked at the University of Michigan before beginning his coaching career.

TWO-SPORT STANDOUT

Whipple was named the NCAA Woman of the Year for Iowa in 2006 and was one of 10 national finalists from Division III. She also earned recognition as the Iowa Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

A two-sport co-captain at Central, Whipple starred in volleyball and track and field. She was the 2005 conference MVP in volleyball, a two-time all-conference honoree and helped Central win four league titles and make three NCAA tournament appearances. She earned AVCA All-Central Region honors and Central’s Jamie Hill MVP Award. In track and field, she was a two-time conference champ in the high jump and a five-time place winner.

Whipple earned graduate degrees from Loyola University and Iowa State, later returning to Central in various staff roles. She joined Iowa State’s Academic Success Center in 2012 and became its director in 2017. In 2022, she joined the Iowa State University Foundation as director of development for the Ivy College of Business.

ATHLETIC TRAINING LEADER

Roslien was a trailblazer for athletic training at Central, becoming the college’s first full-time head athletic trainer in 1986. He helped transform a cramped training space into a full-fledged program housed in the H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse and led the effort that earned national accreditation in 2004. Over 200 program graduates earned BOC certification during his tenure, with many others entering health-related fields.

A former assistant baseball coach and equipment manager, Roslien transitioned to the classroom as athletic training education program director in 2003 and retired as associate professor of kinesiology in 2025. He earned degrees from the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University.

A leader in the profession, Roslien was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Honor and the Mid-American Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame and received the NATA Service Award in 2012. He also served on numerous boards and committees, including NATA’s International Committee.

ATHLETICS UPDATES

BASEBALL: Central won 17 games for the first time since 2019 as Garrett Guenther ’27 and Mark Kenney ’26 both earned second team American Rivers All-Conference honors.

MEN’S GOLF: Maison Brandt ’28 won the American Rivers Conference Rookie of the Year honors at the league championship meet in April by tying for fifth place. As a team, the Dutch finished fourth.

SOFTBALL: The Dutch made the program’s 33rd appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships, led by All-American shortstop Haley Bach ’25 and All-American catcher Rylee Dunkin ’27.

MEN’S TENNIS: For the 12th straight season, the Dutch advanced to the semifinals of the American Rivers Conference tournament. Ayden Fletcher ’25 was awarded all-conference accolades in both singles and doubles.

WOMEN’S TENNIS: Central finished its regular season 7-5 and 5-3 in American Rivers matches, placing third. Jenna Mitsuko Mahoney ’26, Madi Whalen ’26 and Lauren Gano ’27 were cited as honorable mention all-conference.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD: During the outdoor season, Kale Hobart ’27 finished runner-up in the decathlon at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. His was one of 10 All-American performances between the indoor and outdoor seasons for the Central men.

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD: Winning three individual events, Peyton Steffen ’26 was named the Track Events MVP at the 2025 American Rivers Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Central’s women’s team was third at both the indoor and outdoor league championships.

For an up-to-date schedule of all sports, visit athletics.central.edu/calendar.