Webster Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award
1/14/2025 5:08:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State women's hockey graduate forward Makenna Webster has been named one of 14 nominees for the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award, the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation announced Tuesday.
An assistant captain for the Buckeyes, Webster graduated in May of 2024 with a degree in communication and a minor in American Sign Language (ASL). She is currently pursuing a master's degree in kinesiology with a focus in sport management.
Webster, who also plays for the Ohio State field hockey team and served as a captain for the team this past season, has taken her passion for ASL and combined it with her love of hockey to help make the sport more accessible.
She has volunteered with the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association's Stan Mikita Hockey School, a team that consists of girls and women with a hearing impairment from age 10 who are participating in development to become future members of the USA National Deaf Women's Hockey Team. Because of her proficiency in ASL, Webster has been able to help the players develop into better hockey players and provide access to learning both on and off the ice.
In the Columbus community, she has partnered with the Columbus Blue Jackets and their Get Out and Learn clinics, which allows kids to give hockey a try, as the first step to enjoying the game on the ice, at a park, or in their neighborhood. The organization has worked with Webster and the Ohio State women's hockey team to hold girls-only clinics to grow the women's game in Columbus and surrounding areas in the state of Ohio.
Webster has also volunteered with Buckeye Buddies, an Ohio State student organization that volunteers with athletes from Special Olympics Ohio. She attends unified sporting events, participating in different sports with the athletes. In her time with Buckeye Buddies, she also led the fundraising effort for the Ohio State women's hockey team in the 2023 and 2024 OSU Polar Plunge, which raises money for Special Olympics Ohio.
About the Hockey Humanitarian Award
The award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary season, is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominees
Name Cl. Pos. School Hometown
David Breazeale Sr. D University of Maine Grandville, Mich.
Keri Clougherty Sr. D Boston College Lynn, Mass.
Kendra Fortin Sr. D Bemidji State University Thunder Bay, Ont.
Alex Gagne Sr. D Univ. of New Hampshire Bedford, N.H.
Hank Kempf * Sr. D Cornell University Wilmette, Ill.
Josh Luedtke Sr. D St. Cloud State Univ. Minnetonka, Minn.
Cameron Mannion Sr. D Stonehill College Dorchester, Mass.
Raice Szott * Gr. D Merrimack College Daysland, Alta.
Sarah Thompson * Gr. F St. Lawrence University Ottawa, Ont.
Jacob Truscott Sr. D University of Michigan Fort Gratiot, Mich.
Clara Van Wieren Gr. F Minnesota Duluth Okemos, Mich.
Makenna Webster Gr. F The Ohio State Univ. St. Louis, Mo.
Audrey Wethington Gr. F University of Minnesota Edina, Minn.
Luke Wheeler Sr. F Bowdoin College Golden, Colo.
An assistant captain for the Buckeyes, Webster graduated in May of 2024 with a degree in communication and a minor in American Sign Language (ASL). She is currently pursuing a master's degree in kinesiology with a focus in sport management.
Webster, who also plays for the Ohio State field hockey team and served as a captain for the team this past season, has taken her passion for ASL and combined it with her love of hockey to help make the sport more accessible.
She has volunteered with the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association's Stan Mikita Hockey School, a team that consists of girls and women with a hearing impairment from age 10 who are participating in development to become future members of the USA National Deaf Women's Hockey Team. Because of her proficiency in ASL, Webster has been able to help the players develop into better hockey players and provide access to learning both on and off the ice.
In the Columbus community, she has partnered with the Columbus Blue Jackets and their Get Out and Learn clinics, which allows kids to give hockey a try, as the first step to enjoying the game on the ice, at a park, or in their neighborhood. The organization has worked with Webster and the Ohio State women's hockey team to hold girls-only clinics to grow the women's game in Columbus and surrounding areas in the state of Ohio.
Webster has also volunteered with Buckeye Buddies, an Ohio State student organization that volunteers with athletes from Special Olympics Ohio. She attends unified sporting events, participating in different sports with the athletes. In her time with Buckeye Buddies, she also led the fundraising effort for the Ohio State women's hockey team in the 2023 and 2024 OSU Polar Plunge, which raises money for Special Olympics Ohio.
About the Hockey Humanitarian Award
The award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary season, is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominees
Name Cl. Pos. School Hometown
David Breazeale Sr. D University of Maine Grandville, Mich.
Keri Clougherty Sr. D Boston College Lynn, Mass.
Kendra Fortin Sr. D Bemidji State University Thunder Bay, Ont.
Alex Gagne Sr. D Univ. of New Hampshire Bedford, N.H.
Hank Kempf * Sr. D Cornell University Wilmette, Ill.
Josh Luedtke Sr. D St. Cloud State Univ. Minnetonka, Minn.
Cameron Mannion Sr. D Stonehill College Dorchester, Mass.
Raice Szott * Gr. D Merrimack College Daysland, Alta.
Sarah Thompson * Gr. F St. Lawrence University Ottawa, Ont.
Jacob Truscott Sr. D University of Michigan Fort Gratiot, Mich.
Clara Van Wieren Gr. F Minnesota Duluth Okemos, Mich.
Makenna Webster Gr. F The Ohio State Univ. St. Louis, Mo.
Audrey Wethington Gr. F University of Minnesota Edina, Minn.
Luke Wheeler Sr. F Bowdoin College Golden, Colo.
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