Emmaus High School graduate Gabe Trexler had always loved playing football and participating in track and field, but when thinking about college, he never imagined continuing to do both at a high level as a college student-athlete.

But then Geneva College came calling and offered him the opportunity to try out both, and it was something he knew he wanted to be challenged to do. He’s been one of the top performers on both teams since arriving in Beaver Falls.

“Playing two sports at the collegiate level is by no means easy,” said Trexler. “Just when you think one season ends, another one begins and it can seem like a never-ending cycle. I didn’t originally plan on competing in two sports in college, but if I were to do it over again I wouldn’t change a thing. While it can be very difficult, I have found a lot of joy being able to compete in both sports.

“I have a love and passion for both of them, and Geneva College has given me the opportunity to experience both at the collegiate level. I like to view both sports as complimentary to each other, knowing that both of them give me skills that will help me in the other. It also allows me to create relationships with new people and expand my reach on campus.”

Trexler just completed his junior year and saw many different individual successes in both sports. He was part of a 4x100 meter relay team that finished fourth at the National Christian College Athletic Association Outdoor Championships. The relay team took fourth place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships. Trexler also competed in the 100-meter dash at the PAC Championships, running an 11.23 for 12th place.

“I’d say my junior year was full of ups and downs,” said Trexler. “Despite the football team not achieving the success that I had hoped for, I was able to perform at a high level that earned myself several kinds of recognition. But I struggled with an injury near the end of my season that made me miss one of our last games and unfortunately crept into my track season. I missed almost the entirety of my indoor track season and it affected half of my outdoor season as well. I learned through the process to be patient with recovery and to accept that I would not be running my best times until I was fully healthy again. What felt like forever, I was able to slowly work my way back to the times I knew I should be running and found success again in my events by the end of my track season.

“Sports and academics aside, I saw myself grow more during my junior year. I became stronger in my faith in the Lord, expand and deepen relationships with those around me, and saw myself giving more time to activities around campus.”

In fall, Trexler led the Golden Tornadoes in solo tackles (45), total tackles (86) and tackles for loss (16). He was among the league leaders in all three categories despite only playing in nine games.

Trexler was one of eight Geneva players who received All-PAC honors when he was named to the Second Team on defense. Trexler was also one of four players who received First Team All-NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) recognition.

In addition to accolades earned on the field, he was named to the College Sports Communication (CSC) Academic All-District team and was a NCCAA scholar-athlete, maintaining a 3.95 GPA during the fall semester. He was also named to the CSC Academic All-District team for the spring semester, maintaining a 3.81 GPA.

Making the dean’s list while playing two college sports isn’t easy.

“When you’re a student-athlete in college, prioritizing your time is crucial,” Trexler said. “Especially at the Division III level, it is very important to make time in your day to achieve both academic and athletic goals. I take my academics very seriously and have always put that above my athletics. But during my college years, I have been able to balance the two very successfully. Getting to each class on time and being present can go a long way with achieving academic success and should be a high emphasis for student athletes.

“After practices, I will always carve out time to get assignments done or to study for quizzes and tests and will always make sure that I get things done by the deadline. I like to set an example for others that it is possible to be a two-sport athlete in college and still perform highly in the classroom simultaneously.”

Trexler described how his time at Emmaus helped prepare him for the different challenges he would face in college at Geneva.

“My time at Emmaus helped set the groundwork for being a two-sport student-athlete at the collegiate level,” said Trexler. “It helped me realize the importance of balancing the two, and realizing which one should take priority. It also helped prepare me for the many long days that were ahead of me, filled with long classes and tough practices.

“Playing football at Emmaus meant playing football in one of the harder conferences in the east side of Pennsylvania. That helped my transition to the Presidents Athletic Conference, which is one of the toughest conferences in all of Division III football. The game is much faster and even more physical at the next level, but it didn’t take long for me to adapt and get comfortable in my role.”