Lakeside graduate Timonere adjusting to BW as student-athlete

• Lakeside graduate Timonere adjusting to BW as student-athlete

Michael Greco, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, OhioSat, July 25, 2026 at 8:46 PM UTC·3 min read

Heading to college can be a daunting task for a high school student-athlete.

There’s a new setting, a different set of friends, the first time away from home for some and more demands both academically and athletically.

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Jimmy Timonere enters his third year at Baldwin Wallace College both academically and playing football.

“My first two years at BW have been pretty cool,” the Lakeside graduate said. “We have a lot of great guys and great coaches, so it was easy for me to adjust to college life.”

Timonere, who is 6’2”, 200 pounds, played wide receiver in his freshman season, before transitioning to tight end in the Yellow Jackets’ bye week last year.

“So far, I think the move has been going pretty well,” he said. “I feel like I played pretty well during our spring practices this past year, and look forward to camp starting up here in August.”

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Timonere has appeared in two varsity games for the Yellow Jackets, but is looking to change that narrative.

“I think if I have a good camp, I will see the field more than I have in the past two years only seeing a handful of time on Saturdays,” he said.

As a competitor, Timonere said it’s been tough not seeing the field a lot in the first two seasons.

“We have a JV team and we play five, six games a year, and I was able to get a lot of playing time and even score a few touchdowns,” he said. “I think that helps a lot keeping the younger guys motivated.”

During that time, Timonere said he’s learned a lot about himself.

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“I am able to handle adversity pretty well,” he said. “In all college sports, the class you come in with is always much larger than the class you end up graduating with. I am able to push through the tough times of not seeing the field, and continue to work harder to be able to get the chance to play a bigger role on Saturdays.”

And the lessons continue.

“One of the main things is everyone is good, so you can’t have a bad day or it will be noticed,” Timonere said. “Going along with that is you have to put your best out on tape every day if you want a chance to get on the field. You are also going to have to put in extra work outside of the mandatory team practices/lifts/meetings.”

Timonere said he’s working on improving his overall game.

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“I have been in the weight room and on the field this offseason just trying to continue to get faster and stronger,” he said. “I have also worked on some different tight end focused drills to get better at my new position.”

Like himself, Timonere will also seek to elevate the team’s success.

“We are looking to improve and make a playoffs push this year,” he said. “The past few seasons we have fell just short of getting in, and want to make sure that’s not the case this year.”

The Yellow Jackets finished 8-2 overall, 6-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference last season, and 7-3 and 6-2 in the 2024 campaign.

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BW last advanced to the D-III postseason in 2003.

“The upcoming season is looking good for us,” Timonere said. “We have a lot of key guys coming back, and we are looking to make a playoff run.”

Academically, Timonere said he’s majoring in sports management and minoring in business administration.

“I am planning on doing an internship next summer, and plan to graduate in the spring of 2028,” he said.

Story byStar Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio