Monday, June 2, 2008

“Walsh University Signs Central Catholic’s Jon Esber to Tennis Scholarship”

Walsh University Head Men’s Tennis Coach Sherry Bossart has announced the signing of Jon Esber to a NAIA Letter of Intent to continue his education at Walsh, and play intercollegiate tennis for the Cavaliers.  Esber is a 2008 graduate of Canton Central Catholic High School.  He will major in business management at Walsh.  Walsh is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in the American Mideast Conference (AMC).

Esber earned four letters for Basil Violand and the Crusaders, while also being selected second team All-Ohio.  He reached state in doubles in division two this spring, reaching the semifinals.  Esber played first and second singles (15-4) as a senior, as well as first doubles (11-3), with a combined record of 26-7.  He was 12-2 at second doubles as a junior and 13-4 in doubles.  His four-year combined record is 70-16.

Friday, May 23, 2008

"Schumacher Has Best Round (82)/Finishes Tied for 68th"

(San Diego, CA) Walsh University's Tammy Schumacher (Sr., Whitney Point, NY/HS) scored her best round of the tournament, shooting 82, at the final round of the 14th Annual NAIA Women's Golf National Championships in San Diego, California.  Schumacher tied for 68th, after carding two birdies (9th, 15th) and five pars.  She finished with a 72-hole total of 341.

Schumacher scoring: http://www.golfstatresults.com//public/leaderboards/player/static/pdetail40506_1232.html#

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Saturday, May 19, 2008

"Sostre Breaks-Up No-Hit Bid With HR in 7th, But Cavs Fall 3-1"

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(Decatur, AL) Brittany Sostre (Fr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) homered in the top of the seventh innnig to spoil Valerie Teter's no-bid, but it wasn't enough, as Columbia College (MO) edged Walsh (33-14) 3-1, to eliminate Walsh from the NAIA National Championships.  Walsh finishes 0-4 in pool play and fails to advance to the next round.

Columbia scored a single run in the third, and added two insurance runs in the seventh, off of Walsh starter and loser Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local) (21-8).  Hartings went the distance, fanning six and allowing seven hits.  Two of the three run scored were earned, as Walsh made two errors.  Hartings pitched both of Walsh's games today, totaling 16.2 innings.

Saturday, May 19, 2008

"Cavs Lose Heartbreaker in 10, Fall to 0-3 in Pool Play"

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(Decatur, AL) Walsh (33-13) lost its third straight game in Pool C, falling 3-2 in ten innings to Simon Fraser University (BC) (18-9) at the NAIA Softball National Championships.  For the Cavs, it was their second extra inning loss of the tournament.  Walsh will play its final game of the tournament tonight against 12th ranked Columbia College (MO) (41-12).  (GAME TIME TBA)  With the win, Simon Frasier is 3-0 in pool play.  Columbia is 1-2, after defeating Oklahoma City University 2-1 this afternoon.

Simon Fraser took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo homerun from Jessie Harris, off of Walsh starter Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local).  Walsh would then rally and tie the game with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the seventh on single by Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name).  Laura Schmidt (So., Canton, OH/Jackson) singled with two outs and moved to third base on a single to shallow rightfield by Chelsea Saunders (So., Hinckley, OH/Highland).  Sherry then singled to left to tie the game. 

Walsh took the lead in eighth inning, as Ashley Hoover (Fr., Louisville, OH/Alliance) singled home Rachel Harter (Fr., East Canton, OH/HS)  to give Walsh a 2-1 lead.  Simon Fraser would return the favor on the Cavs in the bottom of the inning on a two-out double by Christine Barr to tie the game.  In the bottom of the tenth, Heather Riess was hit by a pitch to open the inning and would then score the winning run from third base on a single by Barr.

Hartings pitched well, but was tagged with the loss, falling to 21-7.  She fanned six and scattered eight hits.  For Walsh, Sherry was 3-4 with an RBI.  Schmidt, Saunders and Brittany Sostre (Fr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) each had two hits.

Friday, May 18, 2008

"Oklahoma City Beats Cavs 9-1"

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(Decatur, AL) NAIA third ranked Oklahoma City University (46-10) held Walsh (33-12) to just one hit, in downing the Cavs 9-1 at the NAIA Softball National Championships.   Walsh, now 0-2 in pool play, is back in action on Saturday at 12:30 pm against  Simon Fraser University (BC) (16-9), and at 8:30 pm against 12th ranked Columbia College (MO) (35-10). 

Oklahoma City scored two runs in the second inning against Walsh starter Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) (12-6), and then put the game away with five runs in the sixth.  Oklahoma City starter Elizabeth Oberst held Walsh hitless until the seventh inning, when Alyssa Knupp (Fr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) broke-up the no-hitter with a one out triple to center that scored Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local), who led off the inning with a walk.  Oberst fanned 10 in picking up the win.  Meldoy Murphy and Laurin Hess each had two hits and drove in two runs. 

Friday, May 16, 2008

"Cavs Fall 2-1 in 9 Innings in Tournament Opener"

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(Decatur, AL) After waiting more than two hours to play their first game at the NAIA Softball National Championships, Walsh (33-11) fell 2-1, in nine innings to the University of Mobile (37-7).  The Cavs now play third ranked Oklahoma City University (45-10) at approximately 7:30 tonight.

NAIA fourth ranked Mobile took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, when Yaicey Soho hit Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local) second pitch over the leftfield fence to give Mobile a 1-0 lead.  Walsh would tie the game in the top of the fourth, as Brittany Sostre (Fr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) singled home Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) from second base with two outs.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth inning.  Mobile's Jineth Pimentel drew a lead-off walk to open the inning.  With Mobile looking to sacrifice, Hartings fielded a bunt and threw wild at first base, allowing Pimentel to advance to third base, with Campbell taking second.  Sojo was then walked intentionally to load the bases.  Jennifer Gomez then singled to left, scoring Pimentel with the winning run. 

Hartings went the distance for Walsh and falls to 21-6 on the season.  She fanned eight, walked five and scattered eight hits.  Walsh could muster just four hits off of Nikki Madden and Ginger Reeser.  Reeser earned the win.

Friday, May 16, 2008

"Cavs/Mobile in Rain Delay at Softball Nationals"

Walsh and the University of Mobile are in rain delay at the NAIA Softball National Championships in Decatur, Alabama.  Heavy rain yesterday has pushed back the opening round games by at least two hours.  Walsh is hoping to get under around noon. 

Track the progress of the games, pitch-by-pitch, with the link below, the DAK Stats game tracker.

http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WBA&conference=NAIWBA1_AMEC&division=NAIWBA1&team=1602

Friday, May 16, 2008

Monday, May 12, 2008

"Softball (33-10, 18-2 AMC N) Wins Region Title, Advance to NAIA Championships/Hartings AMC Pitcher of the Year, Vargo AMC Coach of the Year"

Walsh (33-10, 18-2 AMC N) is headed back to the NAIA National Championships, after sweeping the NAIA Region IX Tournament held last week at Walsh.  The Cavs advance to Mobile, Alabama for the 20-team double elimination tournament which begins on Friday.  Walsh is making its third trip to the national tournament, having gone in 2000 and 2003. 

Brittany Sostre's (Fr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) solo homerun snapped a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, and gave Walsh a 2-1 win over Ohio Dominican University in their NAIA Region IX opener last Wednesday.  ODU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and held the lead until Walsh tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.  Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local) singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored the tying run on a Sostre single.  Hartings also picked-up the win, her 19th of the season, with a complete game performance.  She fanned four and scattered five hits. 

It was Sostre's bat again on Friday, as she homered twice in Walsh's 5-3 win over Notre Dame College (31-12), to catapult the Cavs into the title game.  Walsh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Dana Hartings singled in Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) with two outs.  Notre Dame erased the Walsh lead with three unearned runs in the third inning, and held the lead until the fourth when Sostre hit a two-run homer to left to tie the game.  Walsh struck for the winning runs with two outs and nobody on in the sixth, when Alyssa Knupp (Fr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) reached base on an error and rode home on Sostre blast to dead centerfield.  For Sostre, it was her team-leading 10th homerun of the season and third in her last four at bats.  Hartings (20-5) started and went the distance to record her 20th win of the season.  She scattered four hits and fanned four.

Walsh used the long ball and then played some small ball to capture their first region crown since 2003, as they defeated Mount Vernon Nazarene University 4-3 on Friday.  Walsh used the same formula in the championship game, as they came from behind for the third straight game in the tournament.  Mount Vernon Nazarene touched Walsh starter Dana Hartings for three runs in the fifth inning on a three-run double to left off the bat of Lauretta Wallace.  Walsh would then continue a trend that they have perfected all season long, the use of the long ball.  Chelsea Saunders (So., Hinckley, OH/Highland) singled with one out in the sixth and advanced to second on a single to left by Krystal Sherry.  Then the big blow of the game, a three-run homerun to left field by Hartings to tie the game at 3-3.  It was the 10th homerun of the year for Hartings and the 41st for the Cavs.  After Hartings retired the Cougars in the top of the seventh, Walsh used a little small ball to capture the region crown.  Shannon Spellacy (So., Brunswick, OH/HS) lined a one out double to left and advanced to third on an infield single off the bat of Ashley Hoover (Fr., Louisville, OH/Alliance).  After Laura Schmidt (So., Canton, OH/Jackson) popped out to second, Saunders slapped an infield single to score Spellacy with the winning run.  Hartings won all three games in the tournament and will take a 21-5 mark to Decatur.  She fanned five, walked one and scattered nine hits.  Walsh's 33 wins are the most since the 2003 season, when they won 38 games. 

The tournament format is as follows: The Softball Championship will be a 20-team pool play tournament featuring the champions of 13 regions and 7 at-large berths.  Teams will be seeded 1-20 and divided into 4 pools of 5 teams based on the seeds.  The top 2 teams of each pool will advance.  This format guarantees a minimum of 4 games for each team.

Walsh has been placed in Pool C and opens the tournament on Friday at 10 am against NAIA 4th ranked University of Mobile (36-7).  Walsh is the only unranked team in the pool.  The Cavs then tangle with NAIA 3rd ranked Oklahoma City University (45-10) at 5:30 pm.  Oklahoma City is from the Sooner Athletic Conference.  On Saturday, the Cavs battle NAIA 14th ranked Simon Fraser University (BC) (15-9) at 12:30 pm and meet NAIA 12th ranked Columbia College (MO) (35-9) at 8 pm.  Columbia is out of the American Midwest Conference.  The University of Mobile and Simon Fraser are independents.

Walsh placed five players on the All-AMC North Division Team, with pitcher Dana Hartings being selected Pitcher of the Year and Ed Vargo Coach of the Year. 

Hartings led the staff with 21 wins, against only 5 losses, with a 2.10 ERA.  She fanned 178 batters in 179 innings and completed 23 of 24 starts with five shutouts.  Even though she was selected as a pitcher, she was just as effective at the plate, hitting .403 with 10 doubles, 10 homeruns and 43 RBI.  She tied for the homerun lead with Brittany Sostre, with each setting a new standard for homeruns in a single season. 

First baseman/pitcher Krystal Sherry earned first team honors as the AMC's utility player.  Sherry hit .412 with nine doubles, five triples, nine homeruns and a team-leading 48 RBI.  Sherry was 12-5 on the mound with 13 complete games.  She was honorable mention All-AMC last year. 

Laura Schmidt is the AMC's first-team shortstop.  Schmidt, who earned honorable mention honors last season, hit .321 with six doubles, three homeruns and 20 RBI.  Chelsea Saunders and Alyssa Knupp (Fr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) earned two of the AMC’s three outfield spots.  Saunders led the Cavs with a .427 average, while Knupp earned first team honors and was also named to the All-Freshman Team.  Knupp patrolled centerfield and hit .355 with seven doubles, eight homeruns and 21 RBI.   Senior catcher Kelly Jackson (Akron, OH/Ellet) was named honorable mention.  Jackson hit .255 with six doubles and 11 RBI. 

Monday, May 12, 2007

"Cavs' Baseball Places Nine on All-AMC Team"

Walsh placed nine players on the All-AMC Baseball Team.  The Cavs placed three on first team, three on the second team and three on the honorable mention team.

Mike Suliks (So., Norton, OH/HS), Duston Walter (So., Malvern, OH/HS) and Ryan Indorf (Sr., Massillon, OH/Washington) were selected first team.  Suliks, Walsh's everyday second baseman, was named the AMC's utility player. Suliks hit .369 with a team-leading 15 doubles and 26 RBI.  He was a second team choice last year.  Walter was one of two catchers selected.  He hit .361 with four homeruns and 18 RBI.  This is his first time on the All-AMC Team.  Indorf was a second team choice in the outfield last year, and is the AMC's designated hitter this season.  Indorf hit .363 with 13 doubles, three triples, and a team-leading seven homeruns and team-best 45 RBI.  He also paced the team with 38 runs scored.

First baseman Jason Pettigrew (Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) earned second team honors for the second straight year.  Pettigrew hit .361 with 12 doubles, three homeruns and 36 RBI.  Centerfielder Mark Kelly (So., Norton, OHHS) earned second team honors after being named honorable mention last season.  Kelly hit .345 with seven doubles and 17 RBI.  Right-handed pitcher Chris Norris (Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) earned second team honors for the second time.  He also earned second team accolades in 2006.  Norris led the staff with seven wins (7-2), while sporting a .380 ERA.  He also led the team with five complete games.  His 19 career wins rank second all-time for Walsh. 

Shortstop Chad Campbell (Sr., Ashtabula, OH/Lakeside), catcher Tim Hromada (So., North Royalton, OH/Padua Franciscan) and outfielder Jeff Nicholas (Sr., Navarre, OH/Perry) were selected honorable mention.  Campbell earned honorable mention honors for the third time, after hitting .280 with 27 runs scored, four doubles and 14 RBI.  Hromada, who shared catching duties with Walter, hit .400 in 22 games, with three doubles and 11 RBI.  Nicholas earns all-conference honors for the first time after hitting .321 with 10 doubles, two triples, four homeruns and 35 RBI. 

Friday, May 9, 2008

"Cavs Capture NAIA Region IX Title, Advance to National Tournament"

Walsh (33-10) has won the NAIA Region IX Championship, and will now advance to the 20-team NAIA National Championships, May 16-21 in Decatur, Alabama.  Walsh scored in the last half of the seventh inning to edge Mount Vernon Nazarene University 4-3.  For the Cavs, it will be their third trip to the National Championships.  Walsh also advanced in 2000 and in 2003.

Walsh won all three of its games in the regional tourney, and had to come from behind in each game.  Mount Vernon Nazarene touched Walsh starter Dana Hartings (Sr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local) for three runs in the fifth inning on a three-run double to left off the bat of Lauretta Wallace.  Walsh would then continue a trend that they have perfected all season long, use of the long ball.  Chelsea Saunders (So., Hinckley, OH/Highland) singled with one out in the sixth and advanced to second on a single to left field by Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name).  Then the big blow of the game, a three-run homerun to left field by Hartings to tie the game at 3-3.  It was the 10th homerun of the year for Hartings and the 41st for the Cavs.  After Hartings retired the Cougars in the top of the seventh, Walsh used a little small ball to capture the region crown.  Shannon Spellacy (So., Brunswick, OH/HS) lined a one out double to left and advanced to third on an infield single off the bat of Ashley Hoover (Fr., Louisville, OH/Alliance).  After Laura Schmidt (So., Canton, OH/Jackson) popped out to second, Saunders slapped an infield single to score Spellacy with the winning run. 

Hartings won all three games in the tournament and will take a 21-5 mark to Decatur.  She fanned five, walked one and scattered nine hits.  Walsh's 33 wins are the most since the 2003 season , when they won 38 games. 

The tournament format is as follows: The Softball Championship will be a 20-team pool play tournament featuring the champions of 13 regions and 7 at-large berths.  Teams will be seeded 1-20 and divided into 4 pools of 5 teams based on the seeds.  The top 2 teams of each pool will advance.  This format guarantees a minimum of 4 games for each team.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

"Schumacher Qualifies for Nationals as AMC/NAIA Region IX Medalist, Walsh Takes Fifth"

Monday, May 5, 2008

"Cavs in Fifth Place Heading into Second Round of NAIA Region IX Women's Golf Championships"

Friday, March 7, 2008

"Bedard, Berry and Seaman Earn AMC South Post Season Honors"

Cara Bedard (6-0, Fr, Waterloo, OH/Atwater), Katie Berry (5-11, Fr., Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph Academy) and Leah Seaman (5-8, So., Louisville, OH/HS) have been selected honorable mention on the American Mideast Conference's All-South Division Team. Bedard and Berry were also selected to the All-Freshman Team.

Bedard played in 27 of 28 games and averaged 11.6 points and a team-leading 6.4 rebounds.  She also led the Cavs in field goal percentage (.521) and tied for the team lead in blocked shots (22) with Berry.  Berry played in all 28 games and started 27.  She led the Cavs in scoring (13.8 points), steals (61), minutes per game (30.5), free throw percentage (.811) and was second in rebounding (4.1).  Berry shot .475 from the field, .329 from three-point and .811 from the foul line.  Seaman was the only Cavalier to start all 28 games.  She ran the point and led the Cavs with 88 assists (3.1) and with 40 three-point goals.  She averaged 11.8 points and was second on the team from the foul line (.806).

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

"Walsh University’s Brandon Weems Named AMC South Player of the Year, Jeff Young AMC South Coach of the Year, Six Cavs Earn Honors"

Walsh has received two of the highest honors in the American Mideast Conference, as Brandon Weems (5-10, Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) has been selected South Player of the Year and Head Coach Jeff Young South Coach of the Year.  This is the first such honor for Weems, while Young is earning the award for the second time.  Young was selected AMC and NAIA Coach of the Year in 2004-05, when Walsh won its first national championship.  This season, the Cavs are 25-4 and headed to the NAIA National Tournament in Point Lookout, MO next week.  The Cavs won the AMC South regular season title and the AMC North/South championship game.  Walsh is ranked fourth in the NAIA and will find out seeding and pairings on Wednesday.

Weems was not alone in being honored by the AMC, as five of his teammates were also selected to the team. Weems is the first Cavalier since Robert Whaley (2004-05) to win player of the year accolades and the seventh all-time. After leading the NAIA in assists last season (7.4), Weems has put together another outstanding season.  He leads the AMC in assists (6.1) and is sixth nationally.  He has directed a Cavalier offense to 83.9 ppg and an AMC leading assist to turnover ratio.  Weems is averaging a career best 11.8 points, while shooting .420 from three-point and a career-best .767 from the foul line.  Weems is also averaging 4.3 rebounds, while normally guarding the opponent’s best guard.  He has handed out 177 assists and committed only 52 turnovers, while playing a team-leading 33.1 minutes per games.  He carries a 3.4 assist to turnover ratio.  He has been named honorable mention the last two years and was selected to the All-Freshman Team in 2004-05.  He also went over the 1,000 mark this season.

Eder Araujo (7-0, Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil/Odete de Freitas) joins Weems on the AMC's first-team.  He was a third-team selection last year and honorable mention his first year at Walsh.  Araujo leads the Cavs in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg), while shooting a career best .503 from the field.  He is also shooting .346 from three-point and .716 from the line.  Eder was honored as the AMC and NAIA Player of the Week earlier this season, while also going over the 1,000 point mark.  He has also recorded a team-best eight double-doubles. 

Corey Jones (6-3, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) earned second-team honors for the third straight year.  The sharp shooting guard is having his best overall season and leads all of college basketball in three-point percentage (.570).  Jones is averaging 13.7 points per game, shooting a career high .534 from the field, and .875 from the stripe.  He is also averaging 3.1 rebounds, handed out 52 assists, and committed only 21 turnovers.  Jones, Weems and Araujo started all 29 games for the Cavs.

Junior Josh Johnson (6-4, Warren, OH/Harding) was named honorable mention.  This is his first selection to an AMC post season team.  Johnson is averaging a career best 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.  He has also put-up career numbers in field goal percentage (.477) and three-point percentage (.379).  Josh is shooting .750 from the foul line and has handed out 43 assists.

Jeremy Shardo (6-3, Yorkshire, OH/Versailles) and Lamar Skeeter (5-10, Dayton, OH/Kettering Fairmont) were each named to the AMC's All-Freshman Team.  Shardo has played in 22 games and averaged 4.0 points, while shooting .574 from the field, .520 from three-point and .778 from the line.  Skeeter has played in 28 games and averaged 7.0 points and 5.7 rebounds.  He is shooting .481 from the field and .429 from beyond the arc and is third on the team with 23 steals.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Walsh’s Hernandez Named NAIA National Libero of the Year; Barry and Hernandez NAIA All America Honorable Mention Honor”

Walsh University’s Heather Hernandez has been named the NAIA National Libero of the Year. This is the first time in Walsh’s history that a player has earned this honor.

Hernandez is a 5-9 senior from Oakdale, California and a four-year letter winner for the Cavaliers. She earned All-American Mideast Conference South Division First Team, All-Region IX First Team, and AMC/Region IX Libero of the Year honors for 2007. Hernandez also earned NAIA All-America Honorable Mention for her performance this season.

Hernandez helped Walsh to a 29-9 record and a final NAIA National Ranking of 23rd. She led the Cavaliers with 863 digs, with an average of 6.74 digs per game, while also added 41 service aces. Hernandez finished ranked 16th in the nation in digs per game. Heather’s 863 digs in 2007 ranks second in Walsh history for digs in a single season and second in Walsh history for digs per game in a single season (6.74). Hernandez finished her career ranked third in total digs with 2085 and 10th in service aces with 148. Hernandez finished her career with an overall record of 111-37 as a Cavalier.

Head Coach, Krista Singleton, states about Hernandez, “For Heather to receive this honor is such a tremendous accomplishment. This is the highest honor a libero can be awarded, and for coaches to recognize her for her talent is nothing short of amazing. Heather has worked extremely hard for four years at Walsh and I am very proud of her. She definitely deserves this honor. To watch Heather progress into the best player she could become is something that a coach only dreams of. She became a tremendous leader for our team and was a key part to the great success of our program.”

Co-Captain Jill Barry (5-5, Sr., Salem, OH/HS) was also named NAIA All America Honorable Mention. Barry led the Cavalier offense with 1815 assists, for an average of 14.2 assists per game. Her 1815 assists in a single season ranks sixth in Walsh history and her 14.2 assists per game tops her 14.13 assists per game in 2006, which ranks her first in Cavalier history. Barry finished her career with 6682 assists (second in Walsh history), 1098 digs, and 158 service aces (seventh in Walsh history). Barry also earned All-AMC South Division First Team, Region IX First Team, and AMC/Region IX Setter of the Year awards for this season.

"Walsh University Again Selected as a NAIA Champions of Character Institution"

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) named 130 colleges and universities to the list of Champions of Character institutions for the 2006-07 school year. The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives Rob Miller. These schools incorporate the five core values in the campus community and educate student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans on specific standards and expectations.

"The Champions of Character program is a game plan dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics," said Miller. "The philosophy and approach to sport is a fundamental distinction gaining traction throughout the United States and Canada. Successful teams are built on a solid foundation and hundreds of competitive programs see the value in the NAIA and the Champions of Character model."

To learn more about the NAIA and Champions of Character visit www.naia.org.