David Judd, Special to The Denisonian—

This spring marks the 40th year since competition began in the North Coast Athletic Conference, which Denison helped to form in 1984. To mark its 40th anniversary, the NCAC has announced its All-Decade teams for each sport to commemorate its most outstanding athletes of the last 10 years. 

Three Denison runners made it onto the Track field and Cross country all-decade teams. Keanan Ginnell ‘22 was one of ten runners named to the Men’s cross country team, announced in October 2023. In Jan. 2024 Tiffany Davis ‘14 and Aedin Brennan ‘16 were among the 26 athletes selected for the women’s indoor Track & Field team.

Keanan Ginnell joined the Big Red in 2018, a year in which he enjoyed rapid improvement in his 8k times. By his sophomore year he was competing at the front of the conference, finishing in eighth place at the NCAC championships and earning all conference honors. 

In his first year back following the canceled 2020 season, Ginnell picked up where he left off, winning the NCAC preview and the NCAC championship six weeks apart. Following his conference win Ginnell was named the 2021 NCAC runner of the year. 

He went on to finish 17th in the Great Lakes Regional championship, becoming the first Denison man to qualify for the NCAA Division III championship since the legendary Dee Salukombo in 2011. At the NCAA championships he ran a personal record 8k time of 24:47 to finish 93rd. 

“Despite cross country being an individual sport, I could not have achieved what I did without the help of my teammates and coaches,” said Ginnell. “I was often hard on myself in my career, but being selected for the All Decade Team really puts it in perspective what I achieved at Denison.” 

Tiffany Davis was one of the most dominant women’s sprinters to compete for Denison. She was named the NCAC sprinter of the year in three straight indoor seasons. Davis enjoyed three straight seasons of victory, winning NCAC individual championships in both the 60 meter dash and 200 meter dash in 2012, 2013, and 2014. 

In her senior year she went on to compete in the NCAA Division III championships, where she became an all American in the 200m, taking home third place. At this meet she set the Denison school record for the indoor 200, with a time of 24.61 seconds. Davis’ school record stands to this day. 

Competing alongside Davis for two years, Aedin Brennan ‘16 could do it all. During her four years at Denison she enjoyed unmatched success in the field. Brennan was one of the best jumpers and pentathletes in the nation, winning four straight all Ohio titles in the triple jump. Brennan was a two time NCAC field athlete of the year, winning first place in the triple jump at three straight NCAC conference championships. She won two conference championships in both the long jump and 400 meter dash. 

Her versatility brought her great success in the multis. She won four straight NCAC championships in the pentathlon, scoring a school record of 3638 on route to winning in her senior year. She competed in the NCAA championships in all four years at Denison, becoming a three time all American in the Pentathlon and taking 2nd place in her senior year. She also competed at nationals two times in the triple jump, finishing 14th and 9th place. Brennan holds Denison school records in the long jump, triple jump, and pentathlon. 

Denison track and field and cross country celebrates three of the most successful athletes to wear the red and white. Many great athletes have come and gone at Denison throughout the last decade, and Denison and the NCAC hope for another decade of great competition and athletic achievement.