Zavyr Metzger
Northwestern (Iowa)
Volleyball
Landon Ruesink
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
Baseball, Football
Dr. Darin Wilson
Meritorious Service
Kevin Steele
Meritorious Service
Becca (Hurley) Kramer
Athlete
Dr. Brandon Seifert
Athlete
Amanda Workman Haverstick
Coach
Barry Doty
Coach
Kris Korver
Coach
Marty McCauley
Coach
Mike Cook
Coach
The Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized throughout the year at their respective NAIA National Championships, national coaches’ association meetings or at the NAIA National Convention. More detailed information about each inductee will be released prior to these ceremonies. View the complete list of NAIA Hall of Famers.
Kaitlyn McColly is a standout member of the Dickinson State University (N.D.) track and field team. Specializing in the heptathlon and pentathlon, Kaitlyn’s tireless work ethic and dedication to excellence have made her a key contributor to the team’s success.
Kaitlyn captured two national championship titles in the outdoor heptathlon (2023) and indoor pentathlon (2024) while racking up an impressive array of accolades. Some of her achievements include being named a four-time NAIA All-American, earning the USTFCCA Regional Athlete of the Year honor for both indoor and outdoor track and field, and receiving the North Star Athletic Conference’s (NSAC) Most Valuable Athlete and Field Athlete of the Year titles. Additionally, Kaitlyn has been recognized as an NSAC All-Conference Performer in more than ten events and was selected to represent Team USA in the heptathlon at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, China.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Kaitlyn excels academically as a nursing major, maintaining a 4.0 GPA and earning USTFCCA and Daktronics Scholar-Athlete awards. As an undergraduate, Kaitlyn is already utilizing her degree by working as a licensed practical nurse, where she is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those in need.
Originally from Herrenberg, Germany, Henri Stoeckermann is a leading track and field athlete at Midland University (Neb.). As the school record holder in the indoor 800m, Henri has collected numerous impressive accolades, including three NAIA national championship qualifications, two CSC Academic All-District honors, and six All-GPAC Performer titles. While excelling on the track, Henri has also maintained a 4.0 GPA and earned the Daktronics Scholar-Athlete recognition three times.
Beyond athletics, Henri’s service-oriented nature has distinguished him as a prominent leader on Midland’s campus. Most notably, Henri spearheaded an initiative to collect bicycles, along with locks and helmets, for students without transportation. Furthermore, Henri utilizes his multi-lingual abilities to assist international students through his two work-study positions at the financial billing office and the on-campus writing lab.
Henri’s compassionate leadership and commitment to uplifting those around him have had a profound impact on the Midland community.
Emily Till’s positivity and tireless work ethic have distinguished her as a rising star on Arizona Christian University’s women’s basketball team.
Majoring in behavioral health, Emily has excelled academically, maintaining a 4.0 GPA and earning the Daktronics Scholar-Athlete award. Emily is also deeply involved in campus life, participating in initiatives like the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Young Life, a faith-based leadership organization. In both groups, Emily has quickly emerged as a leader, encouraging others to achieve their full potential.
On the court, Emily’s success is equally evident. Averaging nearly double-double in points (9.1 ppg) and rebounds (10.7rpg), Emily helped rally her team to an at-large NAIA national tournament berth. Additionally, Emily holds the school record for most rebounds in a single game.
Quentin Woodson’s intentional desire to impact and serve the communities around him has had a profound impact on the men’s basketball team, Mid-America Christian University (Okla.), and the broader Oklahoma City community.
Majoring in biology, Quentin has maintained a 3.92 GPA and earned several academic honors, including recognition as an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete, Sooner Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete, and a two-time Daktronics Scholar-Athlete. Additionally, Quentin routinely volunteers more than 45 hours per semester with organizations dedicated to serving individuals battling cancer, like the Stephenson Cancer Center and In the Middle of a Miracle. On the basketball court, Quentin's community-oriented mindset helped lead his team to two NAIA national championship tournament appearances.
Quentin’s remarkable blend of academic excellence, community service, and athletic prowess has distinguished him as an esteemed leader on the court, in the classroom, and across Oklahoma City.
Sadie Hansen is a dual-sport student-athlete competing in both volleyball and track and field at Valley City State University (N.D.). Majoring in elementary education, Sadie has demonstrated outstanding academic performance, maintaining a 3.94 GPA and earning the Daktronics Scholar-Athlete award four times.
On the court and field, Sadie’s dynamic leadership and determination persist. In volleyball, Sadie helped lead her team to its first national championship berth while also earning an NAIA All-American honor, spots on all-conference teams, and the North Star Athletic Association’s “2023 Setter of the Year” award. Sadie’s athletic achievements extend to track and field, where she was a 2024 national championship qualifier in the javelin throw and also received all-conference recognitions in two throwing events.
Sadie is a model student-athlete whose relentless pursuit of academic and athletic excellence positively influences all those around her.
Drannon Lenox is currently pursuing his master’s degree in athletic training at Sterling College (Kan.). Drannon approaches his studies with unparalleled diligence, constantly seeking opportunities to deepen his understanding of the field. In his first year, Drannon gained hands-on experience as an athletic training student at both Hutchinson High School and Sterling College. Most recently, he interned with the Indianapolis Colts as an athletic training intern.
Drannon earned his undergraduate degree at Bethel College (Kan.), where he played football. His experiences as an NAIA student-athlete, particularly his interactions with the team’s athletic trainer, inspired him to pursue a career in athletic training. He credits the team’s athletic trainer for helping him through two season-ending injuries and fostering a close-knit, supportive environment for athletes.
Drannon aspires to leverage his degree to create a similar positive impact, promoting both the physical and mental well-being of athletes.
Ady Dwight of Dakota Wesleyan University is the 2023 A.O.Duer Award winner. From Langford, South Dakota, Ady is a middle blocker for DWU’s women’s volleyball program and a nursing major.
Ady’s athletic accomplishments include: Two-time Academic All-American, three-time NAIA All-American (2x First Team), three-time All-GPAC First Team honoree, American Volleyball Coaches Association West Central Attacker of the Year, No. 3 nationally in 2022 for total kills and No. 2 in the nation in 2022 in kills per set.
Ady shows compassion to her peers, patients, family members and clinical staff as she prepares for a career in nursing. Ady volunteers in numerous community service projects, including working countless youth volleyball camps as a counselor, the Glass Slipper organization, Angel Tree organization, Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Special Olympics, and South Dakota REHPS rural healthcare initiative. In an exceptional example of servant leadership, Ady works for a memory care unit at Edgewood Healthcare in Mitchell, South Dakota. Anyone who has ever had a loved one affected by Alzheimer’s and memory loss certainly understands the type of caring and compassionate person it takes to work in that setting.
From the first day of classes, Ady has set herself apart as a student, one that demonstrates excellence in the classroom, compassion for others, and a desire to give to the community. In all of these contexts, Ady approaches situations with composure and an eager mind that seeks to learn and grow.
Peter Shippy of Dordt University is the 2023 A.O.Duer Award winner. Men’s Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor Track and Field student athlete from Sioux Center, Iowa. Peter holds a GPA of 3.992 as a Computer Science major and Entrepreneurship minor.
Peter’s contributions and key role in the tremendous success the Men’s Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track teams have enjoyed. One of Peter’s strongest characteristics is perseverance, and he never wavered from working at being a better runner. Peter has become one of the strongest distance running performers in our program. This year, he achieved the rare feat of being an All American in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field.
Peter Shippy exemplifies the attributes of “scholarship, character, and citizenship” that the A.O. Duer scholarship seeks to recognize. He is an excellent student and approaches his studies in the same focused manner that he does athletics. He leads in a quiet yet effective way. He has been instrumental in the development of a gaming program at Dordt. He currently has a leadership role in the Dordt Gaming Guild. Peter’s unassuming and consistent approach to life results in respect from teammates and classmates. His character is of the highest level.
Peter Shippy is an individual who sets high standards for himself. In the process, he elevates those around him. His athletic achievements are some of the most significant in the history of the track and field and cross country programs at Dordt University
Melissa Akullu from Vanguard University is the 2023 Female Liston Award winner. A junior from Kampala, Uganda, Melissa holds a 3.77 GPA majoring in Communications.
Melissa Akullu is a recognized student leader and contributor to campus life. An NAIA First Team All-American for women’s basketball, Akullu leads the Golden State Athletics Conference (GSAC) in both boards and field goal percentage. She has earned NAIA National Player of the Week, GSAC Player of the Week four times, as well as GSAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Beyond her athletic prowess, Akullu has excelled in the classroom and is a vibrant presence in campus life. As a Communication major, she holds a 3.77 accumulative GPA and has been named NAIA and GSAC Scholar-Athlete for the second time in her career. She serves as a student worker in the Facilities Department, interacting regularly with administration, faculty, and staff. She has been a featured speaker for booster and donor events, representing the best Vanguard University has to offer. She is beloved and respected by employees and her fellow students, and is recognized as a leader and positive influence throughout the university.
Melissa Akullu not only represents the best of Vanguard Athletics and Vanguard University—she will represent her native Uganda this summer at the African Games, organized by the African Union with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa.
Ezra McKenna from the University of Mobile is the 2023 Male Liston Award winner. A junior from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Ezra holds a 3.81 GPA and majors in Business Administration and Finance.
Ezra's academic accomplishments and drive in the classroom is exemplary. With a grade point average of 3.8, he consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of accounting and business concepts and an exceptional ability to apply them to real-world problems. During the 2022-2023 academic year, Ezra was named to the University of Mobile Dean’s list for fall semester 2022 and the President’s list for the 2023 spring semester. This only confirms his commitment to excellence and work ethic in the classroom.
In addition to his academic achievements, Ezra's athletic performance on the basketball court is truly exceptional. His recognition as the three-time Southern States Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player-of-the-Week, as well as his selection to the 2022-23 Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) First Team All-Conference and the 2022-23 NAIA Men's Basketball All-American Team as an Honorable Mention, are a testament to his exceptional skills, dedication, and impact on the team's success.
Beyond his academic and athletic achievements, Ezra embodies exemplary character, citizenship, and leadership qualities. His commitment to community service and engagement showcases his selflessness, compassion, and desire to make a positive impact in society. His dedication to serving others, both on and off the court, exemplifies his outstanding character and commitment to being a responsible and engaged citizen.
Vanguard University student-athlete Faith Hunt has been named the 2022-23 Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award Winner.
Hunt, a dual-sport athlete competing in both soccer and track and field, is a kinesiology major sporting a 3.98 GPA. Hunt shares her voice on campus as a captain of the soccer team, president of the Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and a representative to the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Team.
Hunt exhibits the NAIA core character values through her community service and campus contributions. She volunteered for over 150 hours through the National Charity League and has helped feed the elderly through Meals on Wheels. Hunt finds additional ways to support her community like serving with a local church as a worship leader, and volunteering in Vanguard’s athletic training room as she pursues her career goal of becoming an athletic trainer.
In track and field, Hunt earned 2022 and 2023 NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades, and back-to-back Golden State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete recognition in 2022 and 2023. Faith also earned Vanguard’s Track & Field Champion of Character award for 2023, and the Golden State Athletic Conference “Cliff Hamlow” Champion of Character award for 2023.
Hunt’s track coach Bryan Wilkins had this to say about Hunt: “Faith is the epitome of a servant leader. The way she navigates relationships, leadership, tough conversations, and shares her time with such grace and humility has earned the respect of her teammates, classmates, student-athletes, staff, and faculty.” Professor Emeritus and Athletic Council Member Barbi Rouse agreed, stating: “Faith is the kind of athlete every coach desires.”
Sterling College graduate student Isabella Galvez-Ortiz is the recipient of the 2022-23 NAIA-ATA Al Ortolani Athletic Training Scholarship.
Galvez-Ortiz is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Athletic Training, boasting a 4.0 cumulative GPA. In addition to excelling in her coursework, pursuing practicum hours and working to fund her education, Galvez-Ortiz co-chairs the Kansas Athletic Trainers Society Student Leadership Committee.
Galvez-Ortiz stands out from other students in the passion that motivates her, stating “I learned at a young age that serving people was my calling.” Growing up the daughter of missionaries in west Africa, Galvez-Ortiz suffered an injury for which she was unable to receive proper treatment at the time. Following these experiences, she is driven to help people recover both physically and emotionally when facing an injury.
One of her supervising athletic trainers describes her as “maybe the hardest working student I have ever had.” Another supervisor elaborated, stating “her clinical skills are far beyond what is expected of a student at her level. But more importantly, she is one of the most genuine people on this planet. Isa has mastered the art of maintaining excellent academic achievement and development of clinical skills, all while working to support herself and pay her own way through school. If I could, I would have 100 more Isa’s in my classes.”
Galvez-Ortiz’ long-term professional goals include working in the athletic training field for a professional soccer team or in collegiate soccer. Based on her own experience, she is passionate to advocate for international students, and share the profession of athletic training on missions or outreach opportunities in the future.
Claire Buckley from Clovis, Calif. is the shortstop for Arizona Christian University’s softball team. While her stats tell part of the story, it is her contagious positive attitude that also helps to propel ACU’s softball team. She leads by example on the field, encourages her teammates, demonstrates a tireless work ethic, and shows strength and power in her position.
In the classroom, Buckley also leads by example. She demonstrates what it means to be a student-athlete through organized time management and a commitment to excelling academically. She has done well in a variety of academic disciplines, studying in a unique program that includes a combination of secondary education, Christian studies, and sport management. In each area, her professors speak highly of her engagement and class participation. Her 3.88 GPA demonstrates her excellent performance as a student at ACU.
Off the field, she thrives on leadership, service, and spiritual development. Buckley is part of the Athletics Leadership Chapels for Firestorm leaders that takes place regularly throughout the year. She also actively participates in the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle, which includes regular meetings, peer encouragement, and speaking engagements with local schools.
On the softball team, Buckley serves on the team leadership council and participates in service projects throughout the year, including multiple team builds with Habitat for Humanity where she assisted in building a home for two families. Additionally, Claire participated in the Coloring for Kids service project and Operation Christmas Child in the past year. When she's out of season, Buckley coaches youth softball in her hometown. Buckley represents the very best of the NAIA student experience, with an unwavering pursuit of excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.
Peyton Anderson from Lee’s Summit, Mo. and is a track and field student-athlete for Graceland University (Iowa). Peyton displays leadership both in his sports and academics, and many who nominated Peyton echo the strong character, incredible work ethic, and leadership he has displayed in his short time at Graceland.
Anderson has continually challenged himself academically by taking a full course load, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA while working on a major in Economics, with minors in both Data Science and Sport Management. Peyton is involved in house leadership roles, helps tutor students on campus, and continues to be incredibly committed to both his studies and his athletic career. These mentor positions are usually reserved for juniors and seniors, but the combination of Anderson’s strong grasp of the material, good communication skills, and leadership ability made him a great choice even as a sophomore. It is this same level-headed leadership and respect from his peers that allowed for Anderson to be voted to be the next house president for his hall next year which requires several trials to achieve and is a privilege to hold that position.
Anderson displays all five NAIA core values in his everyday life and is the perfect candidate for this award.
Grace Beyer is a Junior at the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy. Beyer, a native of Eagle, Wis., had quite the resume in 2021-22 in both the classroom and on the court. Athletically, she led the NAIA in points per game, total points, field goals made, free throws made. Additionally, she was the AMC Player of the Year, All-AMC First-Team, NAIA All-American First-Team, and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America First-Team. She was also named NAIA Player of the Week twice and AMC Player of the Week ten times.
In the classroom, Beyer had a 3.94 GPA while majoring in Pharmacy. She earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team, CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team, and was named CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year.
On-campus, Beyer is class president and founder of the UHSP Outdoor Adventure's Club, which engages the campus community in outdoor activities. She also serves as a campus tutor and is active in many organizations that advance the profession of pharmacy, including the Student Pharmacist's Association, where she was appointed as treasurer.
Beyer has excellent leadership skills. She does not fear making difficult decisions and takes responsibility for her actions. She also believes that teamwork is an integral part of her life and enjoys working with her peers in various settings.
Eric Klekas is a former basketball player for Ave Maria University (Fla.). Klekas’ nominators attest that he portrays the best combination of leader, worker, competitor, player, student, and ambassador of the Ave Maria University men’s basketball program. Klekas graduated this past May with a 3.9 GPA while majoring in Political Science and minoring in Theology, as well as being team captain his entire career. He was on the Campus Ministry leadership team in which he organized and spoke at multiple campus events as well as served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. His leadership and character are also very apparent to opposing coaches, as they honored him with the Sun Conference Champions of Character award this past season.
Klekas’ impact has been much greater than simply his contributions to the basketball team. He was a true ambassador for the entire athletic department. Klekas helped lead service projects and community‐building initiatives, and he set an example as a tremendous student. His testimonials connected with an audience hungry for direction during uncertain times. He was one of the lead speakers at various campus events, and his comments—based on humility and truth—resonated well.
Samantha Silver, a softball student-athlete at Bushnell University (Ore.), demonstrates integrity in her daily tasks; responsibility for self, community, and family; servant leadership in problem-solving to address community needs; and sportsmanship through demonstrating advocacy. And she does all of this is in the context of being an active student-athlete, managing academics, multiple jobs, family, relationships, and leadership roles on campus.
This past academic year, Silver wrote her capstone on student-athlete wellness. This opened the door for her to be selected for a Graduate Assistant Vision and Call grant, where she’ll have the opportunity to build additional programs to support student-athlete wellness by removing barriers to care and acting as a liaison between athletics and the counseling department.
Silver graduated with high honors this year and won the Gardepiey-Peloquin Outstanding Speaker Award, the biggest honor awarded by Bushnell’s Communication department. Silver will be Bushnell’s first student-athlete to tackle the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program while also competing as she begins her graduate school studies this fall.
Silver’s character speaks for itself. She lives a life of integrity and responsibility. She leads through a servant’s heart and displays sportsmanship in competition. She respects those around her and has earned the respect of her coaches, teammates, and opponents.
Alexis Dominguez, from Kansas City, Kan., is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). Dominguez’s professional goals include graduating with a master’s degree in Athletic Training, passing the Board of Certification (BOC), and receiving her first job as a certified athletic trainer. Her long-term professional goals include working in a sports medicine rehabilitation/sports performance center or clinic, helping to restore the whole person (mind, body, and soul).
Dominguez sets herself apart from other students with her ability to apply her skills and leadership talents. Dominguez has excelled in all areas of her coursework and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. She is passionate about the rehabilitation process of the entire athlete and not just the injury-diagnosed.
Dominguez has also found a way to volunteer her time, helping her local parish prepare liturgical seasons, building bunk beds for families in need at Sleep In Heavenly Peace, and working to help coordinate the Guadalupe Center’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. She also participates in the Health and Sport Sciences Club, which helps to educate and inform undergraduate students about exercise science, athletic training, and other career opportunities in the health and science field.
Allison Wakeland, from Hillsboro, Missouri, is a member of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy cross country and track and field teams. An All-Conference honoree in both track and cross country, she was also a national championship qualifier in cross country last season. Wakeland is an exemplary leader, stepping up to help wherever needed, whether helping with new students, organizing team meals, or taking on other tasks needed to help her team. Wakeland not only excels as a leader on the course and the track, but is also a resident assistant, president of her fraternity, student ambassador, and secretary on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Standing out as a student at such a rigorous academic institution is no small feat and she does it in spades. Wakeland has already graduated with her undergraduate degree and is currently pursuing her Pharm.D. degree. She has been described as mature, insightful, caring, inquisitive and fun.
Wakeland has also found a way to volunteer her time, helping with Food Outreach, preparing meals for HIG patients, and working at a greenhouse in Forest Park. She also participates in St. Louis University’s adult clinic providing meals to indigent adults. Lois McDill Hunsaker, an oncology pharmacist at Washington University Siteman Canter Center, states, “Upon the completion of her graduate degree, after acquiring more knowledge, skills and life experiences while maintaining a servant’s heart, makes me optimistic for her future and the future of our chosen profession. She is and will continue to be an excellent role model for others. Her current and future patients will be in good hands.”
Jeff Schuch, from Dell Rapids, South Dakota, is a stalwart on the Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball team, but it is his contributions off the hardwood that really shine. He has been named to the Dean’s list every semester at DWU, earning a 3.9 cumulative GPA while majoring in biochemistry and minoring in psychology. He also serves as an officer for the DWU Chemistry, Health and Other Sciences (CHAOS) Club, is a member of the NAIA Association of Student-Athletes, and is a tutor on campus. Schuch has also been awarded the Homer Carhart Prize in Science, the St. Joseph Hospital Health Scholarship, and the Sigma Zeta Honor Society. He has also dedicated numerous hours to local community service projects throughout his hometown as well as serving on mission trips to Haiti and local American Indian reservations in South Dakota.
Schuch is described as the ultimate team player, one who worked his way from the junior varsity squad to being a starter for the nationally acclaimed Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball team. He treats his teammates and classmates with respect and understanding and is loved by both equally. Schuch plans on going to medical school upon graduation where he can continue to serve.
Makenzie Schierding, a three-year starter on the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy women’s basketball team, is a tenacious defender who helped her team to a school record number of wins last season. The St. Charles, Missouri, native has maintained a 3.89 GPA at one of the most demanding academic institutions in the NAIA. In addition to her contributions on the hardwood, she has also been a three-time Academic All-American and is a constant on the Dean’s List. Schierding also finds time to serve as the staff advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, while also holding the role as treasurer. In this role she has helped run meetings, organize food drives and plan social events. She also has made time to read to kindergarteners, deliver food to local shelters, and fundraise for various causes. Schierding has been described as persistent, dedicated, devoted, responsible, empathetic and a leader. In addition to her excellence in the classroom, community, and on the court, Makenzie also works in the Pharmacy at St. Luke’s Hospital. She has made it abundantly clear to those around her that it is her passion to serve others. Her Athletics Director, Jill Jokerst-Harter, might have said it best, “In summary, simply meeting the high academic standards of our school is a feat. To also excel at basketball makes her extraordinary.”
Isaac Davis, from Valencia, California, has been an outstanding student-athlete on the Vanguard University men’s basketball team, helping lead the Vanguard Lions to a Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) West Division Championship and an NAIA National Championship appearance in the 2020-21 season. For his efforts he was awarded All-Conference and All-American honors all while maintaining a 3.62 GPA in his Kinesiology program. Despite last year being his first season at Vanguard, Davis had an immediate impact and was chosen as a team captain by his teammates. He not only excels on the court and in the locker room, but is also a true Champion of Character® on campus and in the community. He has volunteered as a local youth coach, as a camp counselor, served on Mariners Church Serve Day and the Vanguard Giving Day. Additionally, he traveled to Alaska last summer to work with young Alaskan indigenous people through the game of basketball and became an essential worker for a meal delivery company that distributed meals to those in need. Davis was described as “a light in a time when a light was so greatly needed.” Throughout the difficulty of COVID, he maintained a positive, servant-forward attitude that was recognized by all those who were privileged enough to be around him.
Payton Alexander, baseball student-athlete at Loyola University, has displayed incredible character, integrity and grit through various challenges in his NAIA experience. His passion for others is evident through his natural mentorship of his peers and his philanthropic efforts abroad. Alexander believes that sportsmanship has not only enabled him to navigate the world honorably and fairly, but it has allowed him to show grace and humility in the face of obstacles. While Alexander is no stranger to vocal leadership, he often leads by example, doing things to improve his environment even when someone may not be watching. As an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and Honors Program baseball player, his work ethic is unmatched. Alexander is a tremendous example of the five core values. He is recognized as a man of character because he will always push himself to give as much as he requires from someone else.
Alexander has maintained a 3.82 GPA while majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology. He has been a dedicated leader not only on the field but also in the classroom, and this scholastic commitment has earned him academic recognition both on campus and in his conference for multiple years. Alexander has stepped into leading his Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as President for the upcoming year after serving as the Secretary and then the Vice President in previous terms. His aim to leave a lasting impression on the landscape of Loyola athletics can be highlighted in a multitude of ways.
Phoebe LaCroix, from Zeeland, Michigan, is a senior midfielder for the Cornerstone University women’s soccer team. A captain of her Golden Eagles team, LaCroix is a two-time first-team all-conference selection and two-time reigning team Most Valuable Player. While excelling on the field, LaCroix has also maintained a 3.90 GPA while pursuing a degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Occupational Therapy. She has been named an Academic All-WHAC recipient, as well as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete and CoSIDA Academic All-American. LaCroix has also been a very active member of the Cornerstone campus community, serving as one of the core leaders on the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT). She has been a driving force in several campus initiatives to bring the student body together. From a young age, LaCroix’s character has been evident when she started helping those less fortunate, and now most recently, in assisting the elderly. She is a person who is committed to her community, those less fortunate and her teammates. LaCroix is described as a humble, compassionate, selfless, respectful and virtuous young woman. As her head coach Randy Strawser stated, “Phoebe is the type of player every coach would want on their team.”
Josh McKnight, from New Rockford, North Dakota, is an exemplary student-athlete and a standout football player at Valley City State University. McKnight is a Business Administration major garnering a perfect 4.0 GPA and is known for his work ethic and selflessness both on and off the field. He has been recognized on the VCSU President’s Honor Roll every semester and has earned recognition on the North Star Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Team. As a running back on the Vikings football team, McKnight is a highly respected leader amongst his teammates and finished as the second leading rusher and sixth leading receiver during the 2019 season. McKnight is an incredibly valuable member of his team, campus and community, as he is involved in numerous campus activities. He is an active member of the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success, the VCSU Chi Alpha organization and the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. McKnight also assists with Special Olympics, coaches at youth football camps and volunteers for blood drives at every opportunity. He has an extensive history of helping those around campus who are in need, whether it is a fellow student struggling in class or a transfer athlete trying to understand their new campus. It is clear that Valley City State is lucky to have McKnight as one of their own. As his coach Dennis McCulloch stated, “Josh is a glue guy whose value extends far behind his statistics. He has brought an unmeasurable amount of worth to our team in his selfless attitude and his willingness to never miss an opportunity to do anything he can do to help our program.”
Reagan Turner, a three-year captain on the women’s basketball team at Lindsey Wilson College, has been a standout on the court as well as in the classroom. The Gamaliel, Kentucky, native has maintained a 3.91 GPA while majoring in Human Services and Counseling with a minor in Psychology. Her outstanding accomplishments on the court are notable, including being named a two-time NAIA All-American, Mid-South Conference Player of the Year (2018-19), Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year (2017-18) and a three-time Mid-South All-Conference Team recipient. She eclipsed the 1,000 career point total as a sophomore and is on pace to become the program’s all-time leading scorer as she has currently totaled 1,818 points heading into her senior season. Turner is selfless with her time, most recently immersing herself in assisting with COVID-19 relief. She spent her summer working at Stitches, Inc., a locally owned business that sews medical gowns for personal protective equipment use and helped in the distribution to supply doctors and frontline health care workers. Additionally, Turner has offered her time to annual youth basketball camps, assembled boxes for Operation Christmas Child, participated in local shoe drives and volunteered 250 hours at a local daycare. Turner truly exemplifies what it means to be a leader and has garnered the respect and admiration of many on campus and throughout her community.
Riley Costen, from Hudsonville, Michigan, has been an outstanding student-athlete on the Cornerstone University men’s basketball team. A two-time captain and winner of the team’s Golden Eagle Award, a seasonal award given to the person on the team who best represents the core values of integrity, leadership, work ethic and servant leadership. Costen was also named an All-WHAC second team all-conference player and to the All-WHAC Defensive Team as a junior. He has also excelled academically, where he has maintained a 3.98 GPA as a Pre-Med major, earning the prestigious CoSIDA first team Academic All-America honors last year. Costen has served as a lab assistant in the Biology Department for the past two years and is a tutor for students in the subjects of Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. In addition to his excellence on the court and in the classroom, Costen has been the head of the Community Service Committee of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team, volunteered at the 3 Mile Project and the Feed My Starving Children Center and assisted in summer basketball camps. As his head coach Kim Elders stated, “He is an exceptional young man who has excelled both academically and athletically, as well as being a person with very high character.”
Savannah Gregory, women’s basketball and track & field student-athlete at Campbellsville University, has exemplified what it means to be a servant leader through her work in the classroom, community and everyday life. Her passion for service is evident through her involvement with the NAIA’s Association of Student-Athletes (ASA) as a representative for the Mid-South Conference and as president of Campbellsville’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Gregory believes that servant leadership allows her to tie together all of the five core values to positively influence her environment. Gregory has helped impact her local community through her love of sport and her commitment to the church as their sports outreach coordinator. In addition, Gregory supports the efforts of track & field Special Olympics athletes in their experience qualifying for State events. As a two-time Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year, her work ethic is unparalleled. Gregory is a tremendous example of what it means to live consciously with integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Gregory has maintained a 3.92 GPA while balancing two intercollegiate sport seasons as she pursues a career in teaching. Her passion for others is interwoven in the life she hopes to build beyond athletics, as her peers value and take notice of her high character. She has been on the Dean’s List, the President’s List and awarded as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete while a student-athlete at Campbellsville University.
Ashlee Pritchard, head women’s volleyball coach at Marian University, has been selected as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character. Pritchard is in her eighth season at Marian and has an overall record of 169-95. She integrates character coaching strategies through planning thoughtful community service projects, encouraging an academic focus and offering numerous team and character-building activities.
Former student-athletes say that Coach Pritchard is as committed to their personal successes as she is to their athletic achievements. Her day-to-day focus is on how small moments of character can compile to create significant change. One of her teams’ customs is to practice self-accountability throughout their drills. This activity teaches student-athletes to understand that integrity also occurs when no one is watching, and it is in the hands of the individual to choose to do what is right.
Pritchard has impacted the lives of numerous young women she has coached and mentored. Pritchard has brought success to the program through both athletic and academic recognition as the 2018-19 Team of Character Academic Award, and even the program’s first NAIA National Championship. Her transformational leadership extends beyond the court into the community, and Marian’s ability to soar is a vibrant example of that.
Kehley Bitzas, from Greenvale, Australia, is the goalkeeper for Culver-Stockton College women’s soccer. While excelling on the field, Bitzas has also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA. Majoring in psychology, she has hopes of pursuing a career in occupational therapy. Bitzas has received many accolades for her prowess on the pitch, including, NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest First Team, Heart of America Athletic Conference First Team, multiple conference defensive player of the week honors and holds the career record for shutouts at Culver-Stockton with 18 as a junior. Outside of her accolades on the field she is dedicated to serving others. Bitzas has taken part in causes such as Field of Dreams Uganda, the annual Kick it for Cancer game and Toys for Tots. She gives her heart and soul into athletics, service and academics. Bitzas is a Wildcat Ambassador, serving as a campus tour guide for prospective students. She is also a member of the psychology club, international student organization and pre-occupational therapy club. In addition, Bitzas belongs to three different national honor societies.
Brent Smith, from Murrieta, California, is an exemplary student-athlete and a standout baseball player at Arizona Christian University. Smith is a business administration major garnering a 3.95 GPA and is known for his work ethic and consistency on and off the field. He received NAIA All-American Honorable Mention honors and led the team in batting average, runs and stolen bases during the 2019 season. He was also awarded First Team Golden State Athletic Conference outfielder and First Team Academic All-American, while also leading his peers as a team captain. Smith is commended for his ability to balance his academics and athletics while dedicating himself to serving others in the community. He serves as a bible study leader and speaks at various venues across the Phoenix Valley about his faith. Smith exemplifies hard work, positivity and passion on and off the field.
Philomena “Philly” Lammers, a women’s basketball student-athlete at Concordia University, has been a standout on the court as well as in the classroom. The Omaha, Nebraska, native has maintained a 3.86 GPA majoring in biology and physics with a minor in chemistry. Her outstanding accomplishments on the court are notable, including NAIA First Team All-American and First Team All-Conference, in each of her first three seasons on campus. Most notably, Lammers was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year after leading her team to the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship in 2019. She is on pace to become the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer, already having scored over 2,000 points while leading her team to a 105-8 overall record, three GPAC regular-season championships, three GPAC Tournament championships and three semifinal appearances, with one resulting in a national title. Lammers is selfless with her time, takes initiative when she sees an opportunity to contribute and listens to others on their level, which directly impacts their ability to succeed. She is resilient in her convictions, has a strong faith and an admirable work ethic. Lammers truly exemplifies what it means to be a leader and has garnered the respect and admiration of many.
Jackson Lamb, from Greenfield, Iowa, has been an outstanding student-athlete on the Briar Cliff University men’s basketball team. His dedication to his team has led them to two quarterfinal appearances during his time in the Chargers’ program. He has received numerous athletic honors, including NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, First Team All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), as well as contributing as a freshman to a GPAC championship. He encourages his teammates and inspires them to perform to the best of their abilities. Lamb is the ultimate competitor and always pushes himself to be the best he can be and pushes his teammates to be the same. His dedication, work ethic, and consistency has transferred to the classroom where he is a biology, pre-med major earning a 3.9 cumulative GPA. Lamb is the ultimate competitor on the court and is active on campus, in the community, and at his church. He is an all-around outstanding player and person.
Clay Dean, football student-athlete at Montana Tech, has exemplified what it means to be a servant leader through his work in the classroom, community and everyday life. His passion for service is evident through his involvement with multiple clubs at Montana Tech and as president of the student-athlete advisory committee. Dean believes that servant leadership has not only enabled him to help others but has allowed him to make lifelong friendships. Dean started a mentoring program for elementary students that fosters positivity in the classroom. In addition, he has organized Special Olympics activities and Montana Tech’s first athletics awards banquet. As an all-conference football player, his work ethic is unequalled. Dean is a tremendous example of unselfishness, putting the feelings and well-being of others before his own. He is recognized as a man of character because of his integrity and his service to others.
Dean has maintained a 3.99 GPA while majoring in petroleum engineering with a minor in business administration. He has been a dedicated leader in the student engineering society and has earned the respect not only of his professors but his peers as well. Dean is involved in several professional organizations and was named the “Most Outstanding Petroleum Engineering Student” in 2019. He has been on the chancellor’s academic excellence list, the dean’s list and honor roll every year while a student-athlete at Montana Tech.
Chuck Lowitzki, head baseball coach at Cornerstone University, has been selected as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character. Lowitzki is in his fourth season at Cornerstone and has an overall record of 68-78-1. He implements character coaching strategies through community service projects, international mission trips and numerous team and character-building activities.
Former student-athletes say that Coach Lowitzki’s goal is to build “authentic men.” His day-to-day focus is on how he can better serve his team as he leads with transparency and models what it means to speak the truth. One of his teams’ customs is to give a “CU Baseball thank you.” This activity teaches student-athletes to notice when others are displaying excellence in their respective jobs, then the team will gather around that person and give them a standing ovation. This can happen anywhere people are exhibiting excellence, which is an incredible way to develop character in authentic men.
Lowitzki has impacted the lives of hundreds of young men he has coached and mentored. Lowitzki has coached numerous All-WHAC players, NAIA Gold Glove recipients and has had 12 athletes that have gone on to play professionally. Most recently, his team was named as one of the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award recipients.
Lowitzki is a proud husband and father of three children.
Cassidy, a volleyball student-athlete at Westmont College (Calif.), has maintained a 3.94 GPA while double majoring in History and Political Science, with a specialization in Middle East Studies. A native of Ventura, Calif., Cassidy has been fortunate to travel across the world not only educating herself but others as well. During a study abroad program she was challenged with the difficult task of teaching English to children in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt. As a teacher, Cassidy excelled in observing the most effective teaching methods and adjusting accordingly for her students, always entering the classroom with a contagious enthusiasm that did not go unnoticed. Upon completing the semester she was asked to return in 2020 to be an assistant director for the study abroad program. Those around Cassidy are constantly impressed by her ability to stay committed to athletic excellence in addition to her academics and extra-curricular activities. She was selected the Golden State Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, followed by earning All-American Honorable Mention status in her sophomore year. Cassidy has also shared her knowledge of the game at volleyball clinics with the Boys and Girls Club locally.
Joel, a product of Sioux City, Iowa, is a football student-athlete at Morningside College (Iowa) that is making his mark both on and off the field. Joel boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA while double-majoring in Biology and Chemistry, often receiving praise from his professors and peers for his willingness to learn and appreciate the complex subjects that come with his line of study. This appreciation led to Joel helping to form the Morningside Mentors in Science Program where students volunteer their time demonstrating and teaching science to local youth at the Boys and Girls Club. Joel’s dedication to service went beyond the local community last spring when he organized a spring break trip to Houston with 15 of his teammates where they worked with Hand of Hope Ministries to help rebuild damages from Hurricane Harvey. Joel’s natural leadership and instincts translate to the field as well, where he was selected first team all-conference his sophomore year at linebacker and is poised to take on an even larger leadership role as an upperclassman.
A native of Hoagland, Ind., Kendall has quickly grown into her campus-wide role as a student-athlete at Indiana Tech. Kendall has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA as an Accounting major, earning accolades such as first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athlete honors. Her leadership in the classroom led her to become an officer in the Society of Future Accountants. Her consistency for excellence in the classroom translates to the court as well, as she has started in 101 consecutive games and has already surpassed the 1,000-point total in just her first three seasons as a Warrior. This unparalleled consistency had Kendall selected to All-WHAC Women’s Basketball team for the past two seasons. Her volunteer work in the community does not go unnoticed by faculty and peers, as she continues to dedicate her time to Community Harvest Food Bank and For 4 Fitness. In her three years on campus, Kendall has proven to be an exemplary member of the Indiana Tech community both as a student and as an athlete.
Joel, who hails from Tigard, Ore., has truly found his place as a student-athlete at Corban University. Joel boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA while studying Health Sciences in the Pre-Med program. Teachers and peers alike take notice and appreciation of Joel’s humbled work ethic that is required for the strenuous course load the program requires of students. With hopes of attending medical school and becoming an orthopedic surgeon, Joel has already started a life of service travelling to Haiti with a team of doctors to provide much needed medical attention to their local communities. His presence on the court matches his work in the classroom, as Joel finished in the NAIA’s top-10 in four statistical categories last season. His success on the hardwood led to being named first-team All-Cascade Collegiate Conference last year. Whether on the court, in the classroom, or even out of the country, Joel is a humbled example of a well-rounded student-athlete and makes an impact on everyone he encounters.
Since arriving on campus at Westmont College, Libby Dahlberg has been a servant leader servant-leader through her relationships with younger athletes and students throughout the Westmont community and in Santa Barbara.
An outstanding student, Dalhberg has maintained a 3.79 GPA while majoring in Chemistry and earning Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. She was also chosen as a research student in the Westmont Chemistry Department during the summer of 2018, where she worked with her professor on discovering the structure of Ruthenium compounds by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).
Her success on the court speaks for itself, as Dahlberg was named the GSAC Freshman of the Year following her rookie campaign, and has subsequently been named the GSAC Player of the Year in her sophomore and junior seasons. Already a three-time NAIA All-American, including first-team honors in both 2016 and 2017, she also travelled to Colorado Springs after her sophomore season to the Olympic Training Center for the 2017 USA National Team Open Tryouts. Dahlberg was also voted team captain by her teammates heading into the 2018 season.
In the community, Dahlberg has served as a youth group leader, assisting and participating in mission trips to Ensenada, Mexico, San Francisco and Globe, Ariz., where she was a member of the Vacation Bible School team, creating fun and innovative programs for children in Ensenada, and worked with non-profits in San Francisco such as YWAM, InnerCHANGE and Project Openhand. Dalhberg has also tutored high school students in both Calculus and Integrated Math and mentored elementary school students in their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program. She is also a part of the leadership team for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Westmont, helping to organize bi-monthly meetings and encourage participation and inclusion of student-athletes from every team on campus.
Dahlberg has embodied the qualities of servant leadership, approaching each day by caring and serving those around her for the good of her community, campus and team.
Kirsten Moore, head Women’s Basketball coach at Westmont College (Calif.), has been selected as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character. Since coming to Westmont in 2005, Moore’s many accomplishments on the court are impressive, but her ability to lead her teams past unprecedented obstacles and tragedy is a testament to her integrity, compassion and grit. Most recently, she and her team persevered through recent fires, mudslides and forced evacuations on campus, as well as dealing with the loss of a local elementary school girl.
Coach Moore sets high standards and expectations for her team and holds her players accountable. She conducts an annual team retreat where each player helps craft a team vision statement, in which the team studies in-depth and embodies throughout the season. The vision statement is always centered around the five core values and is completely character-driven. Moore also holds weekly leadership training sessions and has led her team on a mission trip to Africa.
Among her many accolades, Moore has led Westmont to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship in 11 of her 13 seasons, capturing the title in 2013, and finishing as the national runner-up in 2018. She was named the 2013 NAIA Women’s Division I Basketball Coach of the Year and was also the 2013 recipient of the NAIA All That’s Right in Sport Award.
A proud mother of daughter, Alexis Moore also serves as the associate director of athletics at Westmont and found time to serve two terms as the NAIA representative for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. She is currently working with USA Basketball to elevate the women’s basketball game on a national level.
Jordan, a softball student-athlete at Michigan-Dearborn, has maintained a 3.97 GPA while majoring in Journalism and Screen Studies/Communications. A native of Wixom, Mich., the Wolverines’ team captain helped lead UM-Dearborn to its first-ever Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2017. Jordan is heavily involved in campus activities and the local community, including writing for the school newspaper, coaching youth softball, swimming lessons and participating in both the Emerging Leaders Institute and the Emerging Leaders Council. In July of 2016, Jordan was also selected to represent the United States at the Federation for International University Sports (FISU) biennial education forum in Montpellier, France.
Jacob, a product of Sioux City, Iowa, is a track and field student-athlete at Morningside College (Iowa). He has been named to the Dean’s List every semester, earning a 3.88 GPA while double-majoring in Biology and Chemistry. On the track, Jacob is a four-time NAIA All-American and a 12-time All-Conference selection in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. He is also heavily involved in campus activities, including Student Government, while serving as the Treasurer of the Biology Honor Society Beta Beta Beta and Vice President of the Leadership Honor Society Omicron Delta Kappa. Additionally, Jacob spends many hours volunteering with special needs individuals, while also mentoring other student-athletes with a similar major of study.
A native of Marysville, Kan., Tristin achieves high success on and off the court, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA as a Business Administration major, while also helping lay the foundation for MidAmerica Nazarene’s (Kan.) first-ever Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship in 2016. Tristin is active in the campus community, serving as one of the leaders of the Pioneers’ Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter as well as being an important member of the Delta Mu Delta honor program for Business majors. Last May, Tristin was selected as one of four junior academic marshals for graduation, the highest academic honor bestowed upon junior students at MNU.
Kyle, who hails from Holland, Mich., epitomizes the true definition of a student-athlete. A two-time Academic All-American, Kyle has maintained a 3.96 GPA as a Physical Education Teacher Education major at Cornerstone University (Mich.). The captain of the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team, Kyle has already scored over 2,000 points in three seasons and is on pace to become Michigan’s all-time career scoring leader. A three-time first team All-American, Kyle was named the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament MVP after leading Cornerstone to the National Championship in 2015. Selected as the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2017, the Golden Eagles also finished as the National Tournament runner-up in 2017. Off the hardwood, Kyle serves as one of the favorite instructors at CU men’s basketball summer camps and also was a part of the team’s mission trip to the Philippines. Additionally, Kyle was an integral part in launching the Grand Rapids Dream Center – Hoop Dreams Basketball Camp, a three-day free event for underprivileged kids in the inner city.
Since arriving on campus, Maya has been a natural leader at Eastern Oregon University on the court, in the classroom and through active civic engagement. A Psychology major with double-minors in Business and Physical Education, Maya has maintained a 3.62 GPA while being named to the Dean’s List every semester. A two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference all-conference selection, Maya was named a second team All-American in 2017, leading the Mountaineers to the quarterfinals in the Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship. Maya has made perhaps her most significant impact on campus and throughout the community, serving as a leader on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee on both the conference and institutional level, as well as taking the lead role in countless volunteer and mentor projects. She was instrumental in organizing and planning both the Kickin’ It Into Gear and Mountie Recess Project events at EOU, which reach hundreds of local youth in the community, promoting physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.
Marissa, a cross country and indoor and outdoor track athlete at Doane (Neb.), has maintained a 3.91 GPA while majoring in Mathematics with a Secondary Education emphasis. From David City, Neb., the eight time All-American and 2016 National Steeplechase Champion is also a member of leadership honorary, Omicron Delta Kappa, a Special Olympics volunteer and a Doane Ambassador among many other citizen and leadership roles.
Lucas is a Fjaras, Sweden native who plays soccer at Bethel (Kan.). Majoring in History with a Peace, Justice and Conflict studies minor, Lucas has earned a 3.97 GPA and been named to the Dean’s List. Besides excelling on the field where he is team captain, Lucas serves as a Student Ambassador and has been a Home Health Aide in Kungsbacka County, as well as holds a student assistant title for the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
A Chemistry major from Omaha, Neb., Holly achieves high success on and off the court. Maintaining a nearly perfect GPA in her difficult major, the All-Conference Honorable Mention player for Hastings (Neb.) knows how to balance academics and athletics. Holly has a career goal of becoming a dentist and has taken all steps necessary to do so. She was selected to participate in the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Holly also has served as a coach at a special needs basketball camp and as a Salvation Army Bell Ringer, among many others.
From Milford, Neb., Chandler is also a recipient of the Emil S. Liston Award. A member of the Concordia (Neb.) men’s basketball team, Chandler is a Physics major minoring in Mathematics with a 3.99 GPA. While on the team, Chandler has been named an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, as well as a two-time First Team All-GPAC player and one-time National Player of the Week. He ranks No. 7 all-time at Concordia in blocked shots, No. 9 in rebounds and No. 10 in scoring. Chandler has served as a YMCA youth basketball coach, a volunteer at the Lincoln City Mission Food Pantry and a leader within his church.
A two-sport athlete, Natasha has been a leader on the Morningside (Iowa) campus. With a perfect 4.0 GPA, Natasha majors in Biology, Chemistry and Music with a minor in Spanish. She recently completed a Summer Research Fellowship at MDI Biological Laboratories in Maine focusing on heart regeneration. Besides being a volunteer for many organizations, Natasha also is the founder and director of Musicians for Healing which is a group that donates their time and talent to help healing patients. She also is vice president of the Spanish Club and has been named all-conference for women’s tennis and helped her teams to GPAC championships.
This year’s All That’s Right in Sport Award winner is Nic Nelson, the Briar Cliff men’s basketball head coach. In June of 2011, Steven Welp passed away. Welp left behind 10-year old son, Trevor. Nelson was a family friend of the Welp’s, and stepped in to fill a void for Trevor. Nelson invited Trevor to become part of the Briar Cliff team where he quickly became the ball boy, filled up water and got to be involved in every asset of the team. Knowing how much Trevor loved the team, Nic had his Chargers attend one of Trevor’s basketball games to act as a cheering section for the young boy. When Trevor hit the first shot of the game, the team erupted into cheers.
Since that game, Coach Nelson and his team have supported Trevor like he supports them. Trevor has continued to be on the bench with Briar Cliff and has become an integral part of the BCU family. One of the NAIA’s elements of sportsmanship is to be gracious. Coach Nelson has gone above and beyond what sportsmanship and being gracious means.
Leah runs track and cross country for Carroll College and is a “full package” student-athlete, maintaining a 4.0 GPA in the field of Biology and preparing for a career in veterinary medicine. She has achieved All-America finishes each season in Cross Country, and Track & Field and is the 2015 NAIA Indoor 1,000 Meter Champion.
Kellen is a leader of the men’s soccer team at Corban University. He is working towards double majors in Accounting and Management and plans to attend law school in the fall of 2016. Kellen’s hard work has earned him All-Conference, All-Region and First Team Academic All-American awards.
This year’s Emil S. Liston Award goes to Kaitlyn Davis of Culver-Stockton College and Grant Greenberg of the University of Saint Mary. Kaitlyn is working towards her degree in Biological Chemistry, with a minor in Business Management and is a quiet leader for the Lady Wildcats. She has already been inducted into the freshman, sophomore, and junior level honors societies and is also the recipient of the 2015 NAIA Scholar Athlete Award.
Grant is a Sport Management major and outstanding leader on the basketball court. After only two seasons, Grant broke the record for Saint Mary’s all-time leading scorer. Grant’s leadership and skill have earned him the honor of being named an NAIA 1st Team All American in 2015.
Presented by Herff Jones, Wanessa Siqueira, captain of the Park University volleyball team, is the 2015 Dr. Leroy Walker Character Award winner. As captain, she helped her team to a 40-0 season, which culminated in a national championship title. Wanessa is a two-time NAIA First Team All-American and was named the 2014 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year. Wanessa graduated from Park with a 3.9 GPA and is now attending graduate school.
At the end of the 2015 baseball season, Jason decided to give up part of his final season of competitive baseball, so he could donate bone marrow to a 5-year-old with blood cancer. Jason missed the final game of his collegiate baseball career to undergo the donation procedure. The impact of Jason's story - which has been reported by numerous national media outlets - has had a huge effect on raising awareness for Be The Match, a registry for bone marrow donors.
Karlie Schut is a captain on the volleyball team and is a nursing major at Northwestern (Iowa) with a 3.98 GPA. She recently went on a mission trip to Africa to help people in need.
Logan Paben carries a 4.0 GPA in middle grades education while playing football for Peru State (Neb.). He participates in the TeamMates mentor program, where he serves as a role model and makes a positive difference in the lives of children.
Dana Heggemann’s skills stretch beyond the court as she has earned a 3.88 GPA in biology while holding a leadership role in Beta Beta Beta (BBB), the national biology honor society. She has shown leadership by organizing benefits such as a 5K event to benefit local charities.
Trae Bergh was a game changer on the court in 2013, earning second-team all-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) honors and averaged 16.6 points per game. He tied a school record for 3-pointers in a game (10), was third in the NAIA in 3-pointers per game (3.48) and was fifth in the NAIA in total 3-pointers (108), all while holding a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and studying athletic training.
Heidi Walburg is a three-time NAIA All-American on the softball field and a two-time Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete. She excelled both in the classroom and on the playing field for the Golden Eagles. She holds school records in home runs and RBIs, and was the Cornerstone (Mich.) offensive player of the year for four-straight seasons. Walburg was a humble team captain who loves, respects and cares for her teammates, and was willing to put in the hard work to be the best she could be.
Nathane Simniok truly exemplifies "All That's Right in Sport." With 13 minutes left in regulation of a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) tournament semifinal basketball game. An Oklahoma Wesleyan player and Simniok were battling for a loose ball that went out of bounds. The referee called the ball out on Oklahoma Wesleyan and awarded the ball to Ozarks. The referee quickly reversed his call when Simniok approached the official and informed him that he had been the last to touch it. Oklahoma Wesleyan would go on to win in overtime.
When Ozarks coach Steve Shepherd held his hands up on the other end of the court to ask for an explanation of why the official reversed his call, the official said, “No. 31 said he hit it last, he did the right thing." The crowd for both teams as well as the players clapped their hands in appreciation for Simniok’s honesty. His action is an example of what the NAIA's Champions of Character program is all about. His honesty in that situation had an impact on players of both teams, and will be a story told for many years, especially to young players.
Marguerite Montjoy from Oceanside, Calif., a kinesiology major at Cal State-San Marcos, is the recipient of the NAIA-ATA Al Ortolani Athletic Training Scholarship.
Montjoy's interest in sports medicine began in high school where she was an intern in the athletic training room. In her first year at CSUSM, she was named lead intern for men's basketball, the first time in the program's history a freshman was named lead for a contact sport. She has worked with basketball every year since, including attending the Division I Men's Basketball National Championship with the team.
A. O. Duer Scholarship Award - Brock Taute, Nebraska Wesleyan University
A. O. Duer Scholarship Award - Kathleen Mulligan, Carroll College (Mont.)
Emil S. Liston Award - Lauren Rogers, John Brown University (Ark.)
Emil S. Liston Award - Jacob Schuster, Culver-Stockton College (Mo.)
Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character© - Katie Thurbon, Baker University (Kan.)
Al Ortolani Student Athletic Trainer Scholarship - Marguerite Montjoy, California State University-San Marcos
Since its inception in 2018, William Penn University’s (Iowa) Coach Luke Bentley has been developing a men’s volleyball program that prioritizes excellence both on and off the court.
In alignment with the NAIA Champions of Character program, Coach Bentley embraces and promotes the NAIA’s five core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – in everything he does. On the team, this commitment is referred to as “wake.” Just as a boat leaves a wake of ripples in its path, Coach Bentley encourages every player to make positive impacts with their actions, leaving behind a lasting legacy. Coach Bentley’s “wake” philosophy has helped create a positive environment where players are held to the highest standard of conduct for themselves and their team.
Under Coach Bentley’s guidance, the men’s volleyball team has become nationally ranked, maintained above a 3.0 average GPA, and, most importantly, developed into character-driven individuals who positively impact their communities.
Since becoming the athletics director in 2016, Chris Kraftick has significantly enhanced the University of the Cumberlands’ (Ky.) athletic program, positioning it among the best in the nation. Under his vision for #OneBigTeam, Chris has fostered a culture where every individual—whether student-athlete, coach, or staff member—contributes significantly to the athletics program's success and growth.
In the 2023-24 academic year, Chris’ visionary leadership helped guide the Cumberlands toward record-breaking success. In total, 23 teams advanced to national championships, with three emerging as NAIA national championship title winners, including women’s soccer, men’s indoor track and field, and men’s outdoor track and field. Historic success continued in the classroom, where student-athletes posted the highest average GPA in Cumberland’s history (3.21) while also receiving a record number of academic all-conference honors (361) and Daktronics Scholar-Athletes awards (179). To top it off, Cumberlands collected their third Mid-South President’s Cup with the first-ever perfect score and were awarded the prestigious Learfield Directors Cup, setting the record for most points earned by an NAIA school.
Fueled by his forward-thinking leadership, Chris has not only elevated the success of the Cumberlands but also set a new standard for the future of intercollegiate athletics.
Mickie Bush has been a fixture in the ever-changing landscape of NAIA rules compliance and eligibility for more than two decades. Serving as the eligibility chair for both the Cascade Collegiate Conference and the Frontier Conference, Mickie has been instrumental in guiding thousands of student-athletes through the eligibility process on their path to earning a degree.
Mickie’s commitment to the NAIA and unwavering support of student-athletes extends well beyond official duties. This dedication is exemplified by her continued service as eligibility chair, even after transitioning to a non-NAIA institution and, more recently, through her retirement.
Mickie’s extensive knowledge, compassion, and continued support for student-athlete success have had a profound impact on the Cascade Collegiate Conference, Frontier Conference, and the broader NAIA community.
As the faculty athletic representative (FAR) for both the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), Dr. James Zimmerman has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to enhancing the student-athlete experience.
Known for his compassionate leadership and dedication to expanding opportunities for student-athletes, Dr. Zimmerman has diligently worked to streamline processes across the NAIA. In just the past year, Dr. Zimmerman has served as the chair-elect of the KCAC Executive Committee and the chair of the NAIA Council of FARs while also being an active member of the National Coordinating Committee, KCAC Commissioner Hiring Committee, National Drug Testing Education Committee, NAIA Junior Varsity Taskforce, A.O. Duer Scholarship Award Selection Committee, and Emil S. Liston Award Selection Committee.
Dr. Zimmerman’s talent for balancing diverse perspectives and steadfast support for student-athletes and fellow FARs have solidified him as a leading figure within the NAIA.
Since joining the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) in 2016, Tommy Chasanoff has played a critical role in advancing the athletics department into one of the nation's premier programs.
As the assistant athletics director for sports information, Tommy’s leadership has been instrumental in significantly increasing Cumberlands’ visibility. Under Tommy’s guidance, the Patriots’ social media followers have nearly doubled, gaining more than 6,000 X (formerly Twitter) followers and 8,000 Instagram followers in just the past year. Additionally, Tommy’s efforts to remodel the athletic website and maximize website views resulted in a record-breaking 2.2M page views.
Tommy’s passion for highlighting student-athlete success has helped to garner local, state, and national recognition. Throughout the past year, Tommy has been at the helm of highlighting the Cumberlands’ impressive accomplishments, including three NAIA national championship titles, the Mid-South Conference’s President Cup, and the prestigious Learfield Sports Director’s Cup.
Since joining Southeastern University (Fla.) in 2013, Donnie Smith has been a key proponent of advancing the interests of sports information directors across the industry.
Throughout his expansive career, Donnie has held numerous leadership positions within the NAIA, including president of the Sports Information Directors Association. Donnie’s significant contributions to the association and broader industry have earned him several distinct honors, including being named the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year twice, Sun Conference Sports Information Director of the Year three times, College Sports Communicators Writing Contest District Honoree three times, and the 2023 College Sports Communicators’ Rising Star award winner.
His influence in the field goes well beyond his numerous accolades. Donnie has been a transformative figure, inspiring and mentoring many students, graduate assistants, and colleagues looking to advance their careers in communications.
Throughout his football officiating career with the NAIA, Randy Hagedorn has officiated a national championship, more than 20 playoff games, and has consistently been the GPAC's top choice for playoff referrals.
Both on and off the field, Randy exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding official. In a sometimes volatile environment, Randy approaches officiating with an empathic yet knowledgeable approach that makes him a trusted and respected officiant in the football community. His expertise, paired with clear and honest communication, ensures that every game is conducted with the efficiency and fairness that coaches and student-athletes rely on.
From the pre-game handshake until the game’s final whistle, Randy upholds the highest standards of officiating in the NAIA, setting a new benchmark for officiating performance across the association.
As the director of athletic training at Sterling College (Kan.), Dr. Pete Manely has been a driving force in fostering positive change within the association.
In his role as the NAIA-Athletic Training Association President, Dr. Manely has participated in numerous NAIA councils and committees, including the National Advisory Council, Council of Student-Athletes, National Coordinating Committee, and the National Drug Testing Education Committee. Dr. Manely's contributions to these groups have been crucial in developing and approving several key initiatives, such as the mandatory day off policy and the updated NAIA National Championship Medical Handbook.
Dr. Manely’s passion for athletic training and innate ability to spearhead meaningful change have cemented him as one of the leading athletic trainers in the NAIA.
Kathy Hinderliter has been a pivotal force in Ottawa University (Kan.) athletics for the past 30 years. As the assistant athletics director for compliance and operations, Kathy’s institutional knowledge and experience have propelled the institution through exponential growth and development.
With more than 30 varsity sports and nearly 100 athletics personnel, Kathy is the cornerstone of the athletics department, ensuring every task is completed efficiently and to the highest standard. Beyond her daily responsibilities, Kathy is consistently available to offer solutions, guidance, and mentorship to anyone who stops by her office.
Kathy’s steadfast commitment to the athletics department and the broader Braves community has been instrumental in the success of Ottawa University and thousands of student-athletes.
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes has set a new standard of excellence for intercollegiate athletics. As the first African American woman commissioner of the NAIA, Dr. Barnes has played a pivotal role in shaping NAIA RISE initiatives across the association and industry. In her various roles, Dr. Barnes has used her visionary leadership to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to participate, excel, and advance in their athletic, academic, and career pursuits.
Most recently, Dr. Barnes transitioned the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference to the HBCU Athletic Conference – a change that honors the legacy and importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. At the conference “Where Winners Thrive,” Dr. Barnes has fostered an environment where individuals can fulfill their athletic and academic potential through the HBCU culture and experience.
Dr. Barnes’ unwavering dedication to NAIA RISE has not only transformed the landscape of intercollegiate athletics but has inspired the next generation of character-driven leaders.
Just as their motto states, "not for school, but for life," Carroll College (Mont.) embraces a rich tradition of preparing students for a lifetime of character-driven growth and community service.
In the athletics department, this begins with their model of excellence and the expectation that all Fighting Saints will: 1) lead with passion, courage, and integrity; 2) demonstrate a commitment to the team, a spirit of service above self, and respect for themselves and others; 3) excel as champions in the classroom, community, and competition. This model has established a foundation for success while fostering a culture where every team meaningfully contributes to both Carroll College and the wider Helena community.
In practice, this is demonstrated through numerous initiatives across the athletics department.
On the men's football team, players participate in and lead "Coaching Boys into Men" programming, which teaches healthy relationship skills, mental health practices, and violence prevention methods.
On the women's basketball team, players not only coach a Special Olympics team but also facilitate a work program for a Special Olympics participant, equipping them with career skills and integrating them as a valued member of the team.
On the women's soccer team, players partnered with local nonprofits to provide sanitary products to individuals in need while also spearheading an on-campus initiative to provide supplies in restrooms across Carroll College's campus.
Lastly, to address food insecurity on campus, the Carroll College Association for Student-Athletes collectively worked to establish the campus? first-ever food pantry, where students, faculty, and staff are welcome to take items at no cost.
These examples highlight only a few of the impactful contributions made by Carroll College's athletics department.
Carroll College's strategic vision and dedication to developing both accomplished student-athletes and civically engaged individuals distinguish them as the inaugural recipient of the School of Character award.
Jessica Pistole, head softball coach at Southern Oregon University (SOU) has been selected as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character.
Coach Pistole has been SOU’s head coach for eight years, building one of the best softball teams in the country during that time with seven World Series appearances and three national championships. Remarkably, Pistole coached success on the field as well as off the field, boasting achievements like a team 3.5 GPA and over 250 community service hours annually through campus and community outreach opportunities.
While being a fierce competitor, Coach Pistole leads by example in displaying an unwavering commitment to compassion and respect. Her interactions with officials epitomize sportsmanship and serve as a model for all coaches. Even in the heat of championship play, Coach Pistole's team showed up to support their Cascade conference rivals, went out of their way to thank event staff for their efforts, helped the grounds crew pull the tarp during a rain-out, and welcomed young girls into the dugout to sign balls during the championship game.
Coach Pistole’s impact extends beyond her softball expertise. She fosters character development through challenges like the “Ruck” (a 15-mile overnight hike to the top of Mt. Ashland to demonstrate teamwork and overcoming self-doubt) and allowing teammates to award “Hawks” logos to one another in situations when character values are exemplified. Pistole also serves as the advisor for SOU's Fellowship of Christian Athletes club.
In her coaching journey, Coach Pistole exemplifies the true essence of respect and integrity, imparting life lessons beyond the realm of sports. A rival coach within the conference noted Pistole’s motivation, honesty, respect for others, and the positive learning environment she creates, stating “Occasionally you come across a person that you know is going to be successful regardless of the task. Jessica is that person.”
Grand View University’s Troy Plummer has been selected as the NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for 2022-23 for his leadership of the institution’s athletics department and achievements at a national level.
Plummer serves as the Vice President for Athletics and a member of the university’s Strategic Leadership Team, Plummer providing leadership to 760 student-athletes in 26 sports for Grand View University.
Under Plummer’s leadership, the Vikings enjoyed enormous success in the 2022-23 academic year, finishing 11th in the Learfield Directors Cup and winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup for the third consecutive year. This year the Vikings men’s wrestling team was crowned national champions, boasting three individual national champions, and securing their 11th team national championship in 12 years. A stunning 50 Viking athletes earned the honor of being named All-Americans this year. In 2022-23, the Vikings had 24 NAIA Scholar Teams and 180 individual NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.
Plummer has worked for the Vikings for over 25 years, leading the athletics department since 2007. During that tenure, the department has added 10 sports and nearly tripled the number of student-athletes it serves. Accordingly, the department has added 48 full-time athletic department staff members and fundraised over $5 million in facility upgrades.
In addition to his leadership on campus, Plummer serves on the Board of Governors for the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Nationally, he is a member of the NAIA Athletic Directors Association, the NAIA National Administrative Council and Championship Subcommittee, is the NAIA liaison for Men’s Volleyball and is on the oversight committee for the NAIA Men’s Volleyball ratings.
For his leadership, Plummer has been named the conference Athletic Director of the Year eight times, and twice been named the NACDA Under Armour NAIA Athletic Director of the Year (2014 and 2017).
Brittney Kellar has been selected as the NAIA Charles Morris Administrator of the Year for 2022-23 for her leadership, commitment and passion for intercollegiate athletics and the student-athletes she serves. This honor, which was created in memory of the former NAIA Associate Executive Director Charles Morris, recognizes an NAIA member who has made significant contributions as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics, while also exemplifying the loyalty and enthusiasm that Morris had for the association.
As the assistant athletic director at OUAZ for six years, Kellar not only helped build the entire athletics department from scratch but also showcased an extraordinary aptitude for managing diverse responsibilities. Kellar’s responsibilities included sport oversight, budget oversight, ongoing business operations, event promotions, ticket sales, primary event management duties, fundraising, collaboration with the city and local school district, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and senior woman leader. As campus president Dr. Dennis Tyner put it “Since she is so well-respected throughout our entire institution, Brittney is often one of the first people from campus to be selected by our university chancellor whenever he creates a university-wide committee to review an institutional problem.”
In reflecting on his tenure throughout higher education, Ottawa University Chancellor Dr. William Tsutsui said “I have come to recognize (and cherish) real leadership talent and potential among athletics staff members. Brittney has something special, born of character and experience and passion and focus and compassion and a strong work ethic… she is a true believer, not just in our university and the work of our athletic department, but in the NAIA and all that we do.”
In recognition of these contributions, Kellar was named the Golden State Athletic Conference Administrator of the Year in both 2021 and 2023. Kellar is now at Southeastern University as the Associate Director of Athletics.
Dr. Bryce Bernard of Corban University is the 2023 winner of the Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the year. Dr. Bernard continues to put forth dedicated service and guidance on the many committees he serves both on campus and at the national NAIA level. Dr. Bernard is concluding his 10th year on the National Eligibility Committee where he has served as chair for the committee since 2021. In addition to his leadership with the NEC, Dr. Bernard has served on four other national task forces and committees as well as served the Cascade Conference as conference FAR and served on the eligibility committee.
Many who work with Dr. Bernard espouse his dedication to the NAIA, both on the campus level and nationally. Dr. Bernard aims to help all NAIA students develop as champions of character and has been a visionary in reviewing bylaws that can be amended to support current and future NAIA student-athletes.
Bryce’s colleagues say he has a gift for always answering questions with incredible grace and kindness and is always willing to help. For his long-term service as FAR and contributions to The Cascade Conference and national association, we recognize Dr. Bryce Bernard with the Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year Award.
The 2023 recipient of the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year is Alisha Alexander of Lewis-Clark State (Idaho). A graduate of Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., Alexander has quickly risen to the top in her profession. Since her arrival at LC State, Alexander has been no stranger to the big stage, as she has hosted several conference championships, NAIA National Championship Opening Round and First & Second Round tournaments, along with her role in both the planning and execution of the Avista NAIA World Series for the past five years.
In addition to her role in the production of the LC Awards Program (the LCSPY’s), she takes a large planning role in all fundraising efforts for Warrior Athletics. In 2022, Alexander was elected to the NAIA-SIDA Executive Board, where she has taken a large role in Continuing Education Programming. Her work has also led her to be named to the inaugural class of the College Sports Communicators’ 30 Under 30 Honors.
“Ms. Alisha Alexander is a quality person and professional, said Lewis-Clark State Director of Athletics, Brooke Henze. “She works hard, works smart and delivers results. She is compassionate and passionate about intercollegiate sport and the positive difference it can and does make in the lives of student-athletes. She's highly deserving of this recognition and award.”
The 2023 recipient of the NAIA-SIDA Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Brad Cygan, Director of Athletics Communications at the NAIA National Office. His undergraduate was from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. and his graduate studies from Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Mo. He has guided the NAIA’s media and communications coverage of over 28 championship, invitational and emerging sport in the association. Brad’s impact on the profession of sports communicators is seen daily as he works with representatives from all 250 schools and 21 conferences. He has identified and facilitated the advancement of integral national partnerships including, PrestoSports, Reely, BoxOut Sports, to name a few, as well as the local media coverage of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championships hosted annually at Municipal Auditorium in Downtown Kansas City.
In addition to his duties to the National Office, Cygan was an influential member of NAIA-SIDA during his time at Missouri Baptist University. An inductee into the MBU Spartan Hall of Fame in 2022, he built the MBU Communications Department from the ground up culminating in being named the American Midwest Conference SID of the Year in 2015 and then earned the recognition of NAIA SID of the Year the same year. Active in NAIA-SIDA, he served on the board as an at-large representative in 2016 and was elected to the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors in 2017. Cygan has served as a panelist and presenter at multiple College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) Conventions and picked-up first place in the NAIA-SIDA Publication Contest in the Season Preview category for his preview of MBU Baseball in 2013.
“Brad has always been a forward thinker and has pushed to find ways to promote his school, and now the NAIA,” said former Ike Pearson recipient and Assistant Commissioner for Championships and Information at the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Jay Stancil. “In the five years, he has been with the NAIA National Office, he has elevated the organization’s status and has shined a light on all the innovators we have in our ranks. The professionalism Brad brings is second-to-none and he is constantly and tirelessly working to enhance the NAIA’s reach.”
Lauren Burish, assistant athletic trainer at Indiana University-South Bend has been selected as this year’s NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year.
Burish is known for her aptitude for research, enabling her to lead several task forces for the Beacon Health System and the “go-to person” for IU-South Bend during the pandemic including service on the university's Restart Athletics Committee. She is a key contributor for the NAIA ATA Research & Education Committee, and the university’s Emergency Planning Committee. The NAIA National Administrative Council has enacted several healthcare-related policies that directly relied on Burish’s research. Burish also serves on the Indiana Athletic Trainers Association’s scholarship committee, creating opportunities to grow the profession.
In her “free time,” Burish is always willing to guest lecture in the College of Health Sciences. Burish was also solely responsible for developing an IU-South Bend Athletic Training Therapy Dog Program, putting in countless hours drafting policy and getting approvals, and undergoing training to become a handler. The program allows student-athletes to spend time with Tucker, a service dog, during treatments or injury and provides comfort during these difficult times.
Burish is known for her compassion, dedicated work ethic, and team player mentality. At IU-South Bend, student-athletes and coaches alike respect and trust her as she has proven to be a top-notch athletic trainer and even better human being. When there is voluntary work, she takes it on. When someone needs help, she is there. IU-South Bend head athletic trainer Kara Werner-Sanders said Burish is a "you say jump and she says how high, then she jumps higher” type of athletic trainer.
In recognition of her talent and achievements, Burish was awarded the prestigious NATA ICSM Staff Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2021, an award given to one athletic trainer each year across all of college athletics.
Albert Martins, head men’s soccer coach at UC Merced (Calif.), has been chosen as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character. To Coach Martins, the teaching of character is what he does each day with his student-athletes. From recruiting to coaching to teaching, the importance of building character is ingrained in all of Coach Martins’ interactions.
Martins is committed to reaching out to student-athletes in the Central Valley of California for whom college has not been a priority, much less to play soccer at the collegiate level. It is this commitment to providing access to higher education, with a focus on developing character, that is the starting point for Martins to begin building the family spirit of his team. Current student-athletes say coach Martins “serves as a father figure and role model when they need it the most.” Martins genuinely loves giving back to the community and being an example for young people.
Martins’ commitment to the development of character with his student-athletes is unparalleled. Helping develop young men into great members of society is just as important as wins and losses to Coach Martins.
The College of Idaho’s Reagan Rossi has been selected as the 2022 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for her contributions and achievements within her institution’s athletics department and at a national level. This prestigious honor is awarded to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletics administration over the course of the previous academic year.
In 6 years as the athletics director at The College of Idaho, Rossi has proven to be a strong leader to her university, coaches, administration, student-athletes and the NAIA membership. Under her leadership this past year, the Yotes’ had 10 athletic programs appear in postseason play. Off the field, Reagan’s athletic programs had 146 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, 156 Academic All-Conference honors, 6 Academic All-Americans, and all 18 teams were named NAIA Scholar Teams.
Over the last year Rossi has been successful in fundraising and development. She worked with her development team on the first ever Athletics Give Day “Clash of the Coyotes” event and lead the Go Purple Steak Feed fundraising efforts to a record $200,000. Additionally, she worked with Training the Whole Athlete to assist coaches, athletic department staff, and student-athletes to address mental health concern, building necessary strengths and skills for help with the growing pandemic.
Rossi’s serving and leadership doesn’t stop at the campus level. She serves on the conference ratings oversight committee, is an at-large member on the NAIA National Administrative Council and serves on both the NAIA Women’s Volleyball and NAIA Women’s Basketball Selection Committees.
For her leadership, Rossi has been named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Athletic Director of the Year two times (2019 and 2021).
A native of Mukwonago, Wis., Rossi is a 1994 graduate of Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where she played four years of basketball for the Queen Bees. She received her Master's in Sports Administration at Morehead State in 2000. In 2006, she was inducted into the Mukwonago High School Hall of Fame. Rossi and her husband, Rudy, live in Caldwell with their twin daughters, Maggie and Darby.
A Master’s University alum, Steve Waldeck just completed his 11th year as an athletic administrator. His peers see his hard work and dedication to the university and his accolades reflect that. Waldeck was selected as the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Athletic Director of the Year in both 2015-16 and 2016-17. He currently represents the GSAC on the National Administrative Council (NAC), which establishes policies and procedures for the NAIA. His other involvement includes serving on the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship selection committee.
The Master’s University has continued a tradition of quality athletics under Waldeck’s leadership. In 2015-16, the Mustangs achieved their program’s best Director’s Cup standing by finishing 24th, garnering a position in the top 10% of NAIA athletic programs. The Mustangs' five best years of Director’s Cup finishes have each occurred during Waldeck’s tenure.
During the last year, he took on an increased role with compliance and eligibility, with the change to a brand-new faculty athletic representative and a new registrar on campus in the same year. He was very involved in the training and partnering with the FAR to bring him up to speed. At TMU, he is involved in every aspect of athletics, including but not limited to gameday operations, budget, eligibility, team travel, hotel reservations, facility management, scheduling, and hospitality.
For 25 years, Steve’s professional experiences and personal interests have included a variety of athletic, sporting, and recreational administration within the setting of higher education. Throughout his career, Waldeck has fostered an environment for teamwork, communication, and leadership development, while recognizing that an organization’s strength is found when a team of people partner and share both the responsibility and accomplishments.
Steve is married to his wife, Glory, and together they have been blessed with four sons, Riley, Derek, Caleb, and Bodey. Each of their sons is involved in athletics, as two played college soccer, one is currently playing college basketball, while the youngest is a two-sport athlete with the Special Olympics of Southern California.
Dr. Elfie Farchmin of Webber International University (Fla.) is the 2022 winner of the Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year. Dr. Farchmin continues to put forth dedicated service and guidance on the many committees she serves both on campus and at the national NAIA level. Her expertise is shared on many curriculum and standards committees at Webber, as well as currently serving eight years on the National Eligibility Committee and Constitution and Bylaws Committee for the NAIA. Dr. Farchmin has also served The Sun Conference as eligibility chair since 2008.
Many who work with Dr. Farchmin espouse her dedication, caring, and selflessness in helping both student-athletes and fellow FARs across the country. Other conferences’ FARs look up to Dr. Farchmin as the “go-to person” for the cases of the most challenging rules.
For her long-term service as FAR and contributions to The Sun Conference and national association, we recognize Dr. Elfie Farchmin with the Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year Award.
The 2022 recipient of the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year is Camal Petro of Loyola University of New Orleans (La.). A graduate of Ole Miss in 2013, Petro has quickly made his mark on the NAIA. During Hurricane Ida, after just one volleyball match, the team had to evacuate to Montgomery, Ala., and away from New Orleans for two weeks. His work publicizing Loyola’s determination and unwavering resilience, with so much going on around the team and in the south, garnered attention from ABC’s Good Morning America which produced a feature about the team.
Petro’s work was also on display during the men’s basketball season as the Wolfpack captured the red banner in Kansas City. His constant contact with media in a saturated sports market in New Orleans helped the team to break through with multiple stories and interviews, both inside and outside the market.
In addition to all the excellent coverage of his teams, Petro was also critical in the negotiation of a radio deal to have all home men’s and women’s basketball games broadcast on Catholic Community Radio.
“Camal came to us without any previous experience in sports information,” said Brett Simpson, Loyola (La.) Director of Athletics. “He was able to leverage his previous experience as a sports journalist and adapt to the role of generating publicity. Like much of the University Sports Complex, Camal’s office sustained significant damage in the hurricane (Ida) and was displaced across campus the entire academic year. There were many times that Camal took the “show on the road” to facilities across New Orleans. He and his team did so flawlessly. He did so without any complaint, only a willingness to provide our student-athletes and staff with a first-class experience.”
The 2022 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Dawn Harmon, who has been a constant in the NAIA in her 23 years as a Sports Information Director. The graduate of Friends University (Kan.) not only has experience at the conference level but was a guiding force at the NAIA National Office early in her career.
Harmon worked closely with the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association in her time with the national office, setting the association down a path of success. Much of NAIA SIDA’s growth and influence can be traced directly back to Harmon.
Harmon’s strength is of a quiet nature, but her light toughness in the engagement of others has set her apart as one of the best the profession has ever produced in the NAIA. She quickly became a leader in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and is looked on by her peers as the go-to person with any number of questions with her years of dedicated service and experience.
“I have seen her succeed and I have seen her fail, but I have always seen her give her best while always putting others’ needs ahead of her own needs and interests,” said Rob Miller, former commissioner of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. “Understanding what this award is about, this is Dawn. She has given so much to the NAIA, the profession, and the people. It is time to honor that commitment.”
Tracy Collins of Lewis-Clark State College has been named the 2022 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. As the head athletic trainer for Warrior athletics teams, Collins provides oversite to the healthcare delivery for over 200 student-athletes. Tracy has served LC State for over 20 years and over the course of the past three years, she has been at the forefront of the institution’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to her regular work duties, Collins has been a part of the LC State institutional team that determined protocols for athletics, students, faculty, and staff. She helps coordinate with local health facilities and professionals with hands-on, in-person response to all individuals in need of direction and advice relating to the pandemic response.
Collins is responsible for all medical coverage at the NAIA Baseball World Series, which also included hosting additional tournaments this year. This speaks volumes on her ability to handle the ever-changing demands of the profession. Collins is often the first person that people come to with their injuries and illnesses for advice and referrals. This says a lot about the respect and high regard people have for her and her commitment to her profession and helping others.
Jeff Bowen, head football coach at Arizona Christian University, has been selected as this year’s NAIA Coach of Character. Bowen is in his sixth season at Arizona Christian and has compiled an overall record of 36-14, tallying a winning record each year as a head coach. He relentlessly implements character through leadership and spiritual development for his team and professional development for his staff.
Former student-athletes describe him as “a father to the fatherless, a counselor to the hurt, and a role-model to all of us.” His steadfast leadership remains a source of wisdom, direction and strength for those in his program. One of his customs is to integrate their team’s core values, “The XII…The Uncommon Storm,” at the beginning of each practice. This activity teaches student-athletes to create a culture where their individuality and spirituality can connect to practice, the team, and their daily lives. Bowen believes this helps his student-athletes learn that their faith should not be compartmentalized, but rather a part of them as the individual.
Bowen has impacted the lives of hundreds of young men he has coached and mentored. Bowen has implemented a peer mentoring program, co-facilitated a weekly leadership council, and held regular Bible studies for his coaches on staff. His colleagues have stated that they have never experienced a coach or program do more to develop the entire person than Coach Bowen.
Bowen is a proud husband and father of three children and three grandchildren.
Reinhardt University’s Bill Popp has been selected as the 2021 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his contributions and achievements within his institution’s athletics department and at a national level. This prestigious honor is awarded to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletics administration over the course of the previous academic year.
In 18 years as the athletics director at Reinhardt, Popp has proven to be a steadfast leader to his university, coaches, administration, student-athletes and the NAIA membership. Under Popp’s leadership the Eagles earned the 2020-21 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Duard Walker All-Sports trophy, which recognizes the AAC’s most successful all-around sports program each year. Reinhardt took home 11 regular-season or conference championships, sent 14 programs to NAIA national championships, and took home their fourth consecutive Men’s Lacrosse red banner. Even more impressive, Reinhardt produced 162 AAC All-Academic student-athletes during the 2020-21 academic year.
Off the field, Popp was instrumental in guiding his conference and the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC) through a challenging year. Popp serves as the Vice President for the AAC, is the conference representative on the NAIA’s Athletics Directors Association Board of Directors and also served as the chair of the NAC during the 2020-21 academic year. Popp completed his most crucial work as NAC chair, helping to lead the NAIA and its membership though numerous rule changes due to COVID-19 and mapping out a course on how to navigate a severely condensed national championship calendar.
Beyond his leadership roles, Popp launched the #finishRUStrong scholarship fund for returning fifth year seniors. In addition, Popp led the charge to upgrade Reinhardt’s athletic facilities, as the university just replaced the turf at Ken White Field, built a new baseball press box and added a new state of the art sound system to Brown Gymnasium. Popp also oversaw locker room renovations for Reinhardt’s wrestling and baseball programs.
For his leadership, Popp has been named the Appalachian Athletic Director of the Year four times (2013, 2016, 2018 and 2021). Additionally, Popp was named the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year in 2016-17 and the NAIA Athletics Director of the Year in 2017-18. On top of all of his responsibilities leading Reinhardt University’s athletics, Popp recently earned a master’s degree in Sports Administration and Leadership during the pandemic and works as a consultant for small private institutions
Jones loyally served as the backbone of the Carroll College Fighting Saints for over 36 years, most recently as the Director of Athletic Operations and Facilities where he managed Carroll’s athletic events and oversaw the upkeep of facilities, before retiring in June of 2021. His Saints’ career began back in 1985 when he started out as a strength coach and athletic trainer, while also serving as an assistant football coach, helping Carroll to win three national championships.
His contributions have gone far beyond event management, facilities and working directly with student-athletes, as Jones was a board member and president of the Century Club, the premier fundraiser for Carroll College athletics, from 1992 – 2000. Jones helped launched the first Carroll athletics auction, which helps support Saints’ athletic scholarships, and helped generate over a million dollars for student-athletes during his tenure.
Jones helped open one of the premier and most distinguishable NAIA football facilities in Nelson Stadium in 2001, as he was a part of the conceptualization and planning of the stadium and also served as its chief of maintenance over the years. He coordinated the new seating in the Carroll College PE Center and oversaw the replacement of two basketball floors in the venue. Jones always took pride in finding ways to improve the experience for Carroll College student-athletes and made a career of it by dedicating himself to that cause.
Jones has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Carroll College Nelson Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by Carroll College athletics, recognizing an individual who demonstrates unselfish goodness in the promotion and support of Carroll athletics. Jones has also received the Frontier Conference Service Award, the Helena Chamber of Commerce Service Award and the Carroll College Athletics Servant Leadership Award.
Dyer serves as Indiana Tech’s Faculty Athletics Representative and has been a steadfast advocate for Warrior student-athletes as well as the NAIA. Dyer has been an active member of the NAIA Council for Faculty Athletic Representatives since 2016, served on the WHAC Eligibility Committee, as the Faculty Advisor to Indiana Tech’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Chapter and the Sport Management Society student organization.
Dyer is known for being very giving of his time and willingness to serve on any committee or task force, both locally and at the national level. Others speak of Dyer’s ability to be a leader and provide valuable insight at his institution, conference and national level. His awareness of the long-term implications of policy proposals is humbly offered but greatly valued by his peers.
Dyer shares a common bond of loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty for working with student-athletes to ensure they enjoy the intercollegiate athletic experience, honoring the legacy of Wally Schwartz.
The 2021 recipient of the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year is Donnie Smith of Southeastern University (Fla.). With this honor, Smith becomes the first person in the history of the award to earn it twice. Smith has served in his role at Southeastern for the past eight years and has a highly decorated history serving both Fire Athletics and The Sun Conference.
Over the past year, Southeastern’s athletics website was ranked No. 6 in the NAIA by his peers across the country in the annual NAIA-SIDA Publications Contest.
Smith, no stranger to covering his student-athletes at a high level, has overseen several successful media campaigns that have landed multiple Southeastern student-athletes in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd section. Additionally, Smith is a two-time recipient of The Sun Conference’s SID of the Year award, handed-out annually by the SID’s in the conference.
Smith currently serves as the NAIA-SIDA First Vice-President and is in rotation to become the association’s president in 2024. He has served on the board as an at-large member since 2017, prior to rising to First Vice-President.
In addition to his work at Southeastern, Smith was the pronouncer for the 2021 Central Florida Spelling Bee, which was a qualifier for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Further, the IU South Bend (Ind.) graduate serves as the official scorer in the MiLB Florida Complex League.
“Donnie’s willingness to assist the conference is second to none. He is one that I, without hesitation, will call on for feedback, advice, and suggestions,” said Paul Dodson, The Sun Conference Director of Communications. “His past experiences in dealing with league matters make him a vital person within the conference and one who understands the “big picture” when promoting our student-athletes.”
The 2021 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Matthew Hicks, whom has been with the Southern States Athletic Conference since 2016, and is currently serving as the Associate Commissioner. Additionally, Hicks served as the Assistant Commissioner for his first four years with the conference. Prior to his time in his current role, the Mississippi State graduate spent 10 years as the sports information director at Mobile (Ala.).
Over the course of his career, Hicks has filled a number of roles at NAIA national championships, including the media coordinator at the NAIA Tennis Championships from 2007 to 2016, and the same role at the NAIA Men’s Soccer and Softball National Championships. As one of the most trusted veterans of the field in the NAIA, Hicks regularly answers the call to assist in any number of roles at national championship final sites, opening rounds and within the conferences he has worked in prior to his time in the conference office.
Hicks was named the Southern States Athletic Conference’s Sports Information Director of the year in both 2014-15 and 2015-16, thanks in large part to his contributions to the field while at Mobile.
“Matthew is not a 40-hour per week person. His entire professional life and his time is committed to college athletics and anything he can do to promote student-athletes, coaches and teams,” said Mike Hall, Southern States Athletic Conference Commissioner. “I have been in college athletics since 1984, starting my 38th year. I was an athletic director for almost 20 years and now a commissioner in my ninth year. Matthew Hicks is without a doubt my best hire. He is selfless, always says yes and does everything with perfection.”
BJ Geasa of Southeastern University has been named as the 2021 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. As the head athletic trainer for Fire athletics teams, Geasa provides oversite to the healthcare delivery for nearly 450 student-athletes. He was also recently named the 2021 Sun Conference Athletic Trainer of the Year.
Aside from the increased workload placed on athletic trainers this past academic year with all championship seasons being conducted in the spring, Geasa served on the NAIA-Athletic Trainers Association Board and as one of four NAIA Athletic Trainers on NATA’s Intercollegiate Sports Medicine Council.
Drew Watson, Southeastern Director of Athletics, says of Geasa, “BJ kept our department running smoothly during this COVID season. The manner in which he conducts himself with co-workers and colleagues around the conference and the country should be a model for every ATC. Sacrifice, integrity, and a sense of humor have not only served to get him through the year, but have positively affected those around him, especially during a very trying and emotional time. He is an exceptional professional, an outstanding person, and well-deserving of this award.”
The 2021 Larry Lady Officiating Award is presented to Danny Harris of Joplin, Missouri. Harris has served as the NAIA National Coordinator of Football officials since 2016 and added the National Women’s Basketball coordinator position in 2020.
Currently, Harris’ additional administrative duties include serving as the Heart of America Athletic Conference football coordinator (eight years), Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference coordinator (2 years) and NCAA postseason game evaluator and film manager. Also, since 2006 Harris has been the Junior College Region 16 women’s basketball assignor.
Harris’ distinguished officiating career in football encompasses 23 years at the collegiate level working games in junior college through NCAA Division II. His postseason work includes five different bowl games and numerous playoff games.
Harris has been officiating NAIA basketball since 1993 in four different conferences and has worked in 20 conference championship games. From 2008 through 2011 he was selected to officiate the NAIA Women’s National Championship, working the title game three times. He was also tabbed to officiate in eight Junior College National Championships, including five championship games, plus 14 Regional Championships. Additionally, he currently officiates in two NCAA Division II conferences.
To give back to the world of officiating, Harris has conducted many clinics and seminars assisting officials on how to improve their ability and skills. He is tireless in his pursuit of helping officials be prepared to perform to the best of their ability. Harris is always willing to help officials work to reach the next level, with some mentees advancing to work games in the National Football League.
In supporting Harris for this award, Paul Troth, Missouri Valley College head football coach states, “What stands out is his passion. He has improved the officiating in our conference and is always looking to make it better each year. In my 35+ years, I believe him to be one of the best in the game.”
Grand View (Iowa) head football coach Joe Woodley adds, “We are extremely fortunate to have Danny. He is a guy that would never want all the credit, but he has earned this award.”
Heart of America Athletic Conference commissioner Lori Thomas sums up why Harris deserves this award. “Danny is an individual who adheres to the highest code of ethics in his personal and professional life and is attentive to detail while always displaying a high degree of professionalism. He exhibits great character and has the respect of officials, coaches and administrators in the conference.”
Xavier University of Louisiana’s Jason Horn has been selected as the 2020 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his contributions and achievements within his institution’s athletics department and at a national level. This prestigious honor is awarded to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletics administration over the course of the previous academic year.
In six years as the athletic director at Xavier University of Louisiana, Horn has reached impressive levels of success through his ability to empower his staff, coaches and student-athletes to thrive during competition, in the classroom and throughout the community. Under Horn’s leadership, the department has grown in size and achievement, expanding from six sports back in 2008-09 to sponsoring 13 sports heading into the 2020-21 season. Xavier will bring back baseball for the first time since 1960 and will debut a softball team for the first time ever this year. In 2019-20, women’s indoor track and field returned to XULA, while competitive cheer was introduced for the first time in Xavier’s history.
In 2019-20, Xavier won the Thomas Howell Cup, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference all-sports award, for the fifth time in Horn’s six-year tenure, earning six GCAC team championships last year. Horn was also named the league’s Athletic Director of the Year for the third time in the last four years. Horn saw a school record 167 honorees on the Sister Grace Mary Flickinger Honor Roll in 2019, which has nearly tripled from its 66 honorees in 2016. Additionally, the Xavier student-athletes collectively earned a 2.99 GPA for the 2019-20 academic year, the highest mark in the past 10 years.
Horn has quickly ascended to leadership positions within the NAIA, serving on and contributing to numerous committees on the campus, conference and national levels. He has been an instrumental part of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, most recently heading up the COVID-19 Task Force, while also serving on the Awards Policy, Constitution and Bylaws and Membership Expansion committees. Horn has chaired the GCAC’s Council of Athletic Directors and is completing a two-year term as the conference President. On a national level, Horn was recently appointed as the 3rd Vice President of the NAIA-Athletic Directors Association Board Directors and also is an active member of the NAIA’s National Administrative Council. Additionally, Horn is a board member of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.
Horn’s wealth of experience and knowledge has been vital to Xavier’s growth and continued success, supporting its athletic and academic mission in creative and impactful ways. He inspires everyone around him to reach higher, instilling in his department staff and student-athletes the motto, “Win, grow, graduate.”
Livingston serves as the NAIA Eligibility Chair for both the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac), overseeing student-athlete eligibility processes at 25 institutions across 32 different sports. She has been a part of the Golden State Athletic Conference since 1994 when she worked as the Faculty Athletics Representative at former NAIA member institution Point Loma Nazarene University. Livingston continued to work as the GSAC’s Eligibility Chair even after Point Loma left the NAIA and she retired from her teaching duties. Livingston also took over those same duties for the Cal Pac in 2016 following the unexpected passing of NAIA Hall of Fame member Dr. Jim Davies of William Jessup University, who had served as the league’s Eligibility Chair for nearly 20 years.
In addition to her duties as the Eligibility Chair, Livingston has also worked on various national committees, most notably an 11-year stint as a member of the NAIA Conduct and Ethics Committee, serving as the chair from 2001-05. She also was a part of the NAIA’s Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives in 2011-12. As a very active Faculty Athletics Representative, Livingston has been a part of seven site visit teams for potential new NAIA members, including five institutions that are now members of the Cal Pac. She has also traveled to nearly every conference member institution in both the GSAC and Cal Pac to provide a Rules Education Workshop for coaches.
She has shown a deep dedication and expertise in her role with the NAIA eligibility process. She has built close working relationships with administrators, coaches and student-athletes throughout her career. Her passion and level of care for each person she interacts with is evident in her everyday life. Livingston is truly a woman of character, professionalism and commitment who truly reflects all that the Charles Morris Administrator of the Year Award stands for.
Lashley has significantly contributed to Missouri Valley College for over 30 years in a variety of roles. Her most valuable contribution has been in her role as registrar and faculty athletics representative for the past 25 years. In addition, she serves on numerous NAIA committees, including chair of the National Competitive Experience Committee, member of the Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives and as a representative of the NAIA on campus visits with potential members.
Along with her roles at the national level, Lashley holds important roles with the Heart of America Athletic Conference. For the past eight years, she has served as the Heart Eligibility Chair and currently serves in the important capacity as a member of the Heart’s COVID-19 task force.
Lashley’s peers can attest that she truly embodies the NAIA values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. She exhibits all of those qualities daily as she works with the student-athletes of Missouri Valley College. Lashley has developed lifelong relationships and made a positive impact in the lives of thousands of young people throughout her 35 years working for Missouri Valley College.
The 2020 recipient of the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year is Tommy Chasanoff from the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.). Chasanoff has led the communications and media efforts for the Patriot’s athletics department for the past four years. In that time, he has managed the communications of 28 varsity sports with both written and digital mediums, in addition to garnering both local and national publicity for his teams.
Chasanoff has invested heavily in the Cumberlands’ social media presence for its department and that investment has paid significant dividends. UC Athletics gained nearly 900 new Twitter followers, over 1,100 Instagram followers and just shy of 1,000 Facebook followers, all over the course of the year. Many of these wins are due to new and exciting social media campaigns he has implemented including the “Most Memorable Moment Challenge” on Twitter. Additionally, in perhaps the most challenging year in college sports history in terms of content in the spring semester, the communications veteran both developed the concept and implemented several campaigns after the halt of sports including “This Day in History” and “Senior Spotlights” in March and April.
In addition to his contributions to his institution, Chasanoff has made similar outstanding contributions to the NAIA through his work on the NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association Board of Directors (NAIA-SIDA). His work throughout his career has made Chasanoff one of the most well-respected athletics communications professionals in all of college athletics. He currently serves the board in an at-large position and is the liaison to the statistics committee, where he lobbies for improvements in all facets of statistics collection and submission on behalf of the association. Additionally, he also serves on the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Health and Wellness Committee in addition to the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
A two-time recipient of the Mid-South Conference Bill Sergent Sports Information Director of the Year award, Chasanoff was also honored on his campus for his work. In 2019, he was named the Staff Member of the Year by the Student Government Association.
University of the Cumberlands Provost, Dr. Emily Coleman stated: “Even with sports coming to a grinding halt in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Chasanoff found creative ways to highlight graduating student-athletes whom were not able to compete in their final season through the web production of the 2020 Pats Awards. With (his) demonstrated leadership and talent coordinating our sports information department, I am excited to see what the future will bring at UC.”
The 2020 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Cindy Potter, whom has been at Columbia College since 2006, currently serving as the Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations and Compliance. Additionally, Potter served as the Co-Conference Sports Information Director of the American Midwest Conference with past Ike Pearson Award Recipient Steve Wilson from 2011 through 2015. She was also the Region V Sports Information Director from 2007 through 2008.
Potter is perhaps the most decorated Sports Information Director (SID) in the history of the NAIA. In June of 2021, she will become the first NAIA SID to become president of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). In addition to also serving as the NAIA-Sports Information Directors’ Association President previously, she is also a past winner of the CoSIDA Rising Star Award in 2008, awarded to the SID with 10 years or less of service that is making the greatest impact in his or her profession at a young age.
In addition to her longstanding tenure with Columbia College as an administrator, Potter was inducted into the Columbia College Hall of Fame for her work on the softball diamond while a student-athlete there.
Former Ike Pearson Award winner and current Kansas Wesleyan Director of Athletics Steve Wilson said of Potter, “No other communications professional, outside of those whom work at the national office, has ever given the NAIA such a strong, powerful voice at the national level in the College Sports Information Directors of America. Cindy is everything we, as either current or former NAIA administrators, should want in our national body. Honesty, integrity, character, and a big heart.”
The 2020 recipient of the NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year is Katie Pierce of the University of Saint Mary. In 2019, Pierce came to Saint Mary after serving as an athletic trainer at Kansas Wesleyan University for 10 years. In just one year at Saint Mary, she conducted research on athletic training internships and graduate assistants and was an integral part in USM’s administration, converting one GA position to two full-time athletic training positions.
Since beginning her position as the Secretary of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Athletic Training Association in the fall of 2019, Pierce created a survey regarding Junior Varsity teams and athletic trainer coverage. She also created and sent out the first-ever KCAC ATA Newsletter, informing the league’s athletic trainers of the conference's happenings. Pierce also serves on the NAIA-Athletic Training Association Newsletter Committee.
Pierce is an adjunct faculty member with the Master of Athletic Training program at Saint Mary, teaching Pharmacology and the Organization and Administration of Athletic Training, and serving as a lead preceptor within our clinical site. While at Kansas Wesleyan, Pierce also worked as an adjunct faculty member in the Sport and Exercise Department, overseeing the SPES club for eight years. Pierce has volunteered her time for several events, including Coyotes for the Cure cancer campaign, the American Heart Association Red Out and various events held through the SPES club.
Pierce is always willing to go the extra mile, with anything from her athletic training duties, teaching and volunteering. Pierce is dependable and trustworthy and truly cares about her athletes and their health. In addition to her professionalism, she makes the Saint Mary athletic training room fun with her sense of humor and is a great leader and mentor to the other athletic training staff and students.
The 2020 Larry Lady Officiating Award recipient is Bill Gomoluch of Deerfield, Michigan. Gomuluch has served as the National Coordinator and umpire-in-chief for the NAIA World Series for the past 14 years. During the past five years, he has also added the duty of Softball Resource Advisor to the NAIA. Since 2011, Gomoluch has been the Wolverine-Hoosier Conference supervisor of umpires while also coordinating officials at various NCAA Division II and III conferences.
Gomoluch umpired in the NAIA World Series from 2004 through 2007 and he continues to umpire in multiple collegiate conferences during the regular season. He has been assigned to numerous postseason games at all levels of the NCAA, including the Division I World Series Championship game in 2014. Gomoluch was also named the 2018 National Pro Fast Pitch “Umpire of the Year.”
Gomoluch was instrumental in founding a local officiating association where he serves as the secretary/treasurer to give back to the game. This association has grown to include multiple sports, and he also assists with required mandates from the Michigan State High School Activities Association. Gomoluch also leads several clinics throughout the year, where he mentors umpires to enhance and grow the world of softball umpiring.
Grand View University head coach Lou Yacinich says, “Bill is a true steward of the game. His passion for and his commitment to the game is exemplary. Bill takes great pride in all of his roles with thought, insight and humor.”
Laura Klutsarits of Siena Heights University, who has served as an NAIA World Series Tournament Committee member throughout the years, states ”When everything is at stake, Bill shows grace and humility with coaches, students and fans alike to help ensure a strong experience for all involved.”
As Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Commissioner Rob Miller has noted, “Bill’s professionalism is second to none. His relationships with our coaches and athletic directors are so positive and the respect for him is real. I truly feel that Bill is one of the top people in the profession and one of the great people to receive this award. While showing his incredible commitment to the NAIA, he demonstrates the class and character in which this award is intended for.”
Southeastern University’s Drew Watson has been selected as the 2019 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his contributions and achievements within his institution’s athletics department and at a national level. This prestigious honor is awarded to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletics administration over the course of the previous academic year.
In seven years as the athletic director at Southeastern University, Watson has significantly grown and enhanced the athletics department through his vision, execution, and ability to nurture both students and coaches. Under Watson’s leadership, the department has grown both in size and achievement, expanding from 134 student-athletes in eight sports to 430 student-athletes competing in 18 sports, and has won 29 conference titles, 22 individual conference championships, and 63 all-Americans. In the last two years, Fire teams competed in 24 national championships and won the NAIA Baseball World Series in 2018 for the first time in school history. In 2018-19 alone, Southeastern won eight conference championships, had 12 nationally ranked teams, saw 19 students named NAIA All-American, finished in the top 20 of the Learfield Director’s Cup for the second year in a row, and for the won The Sun Conference Commissioner’s Cup for the first time since joining the league in 2009.
Off the field, Watson has been instrumental in further enhancing the Southeastern athletics department through further development. Watson was an integral part of instituting a booster club focused on raising capital to support the department, has added eight full-time staff positions, and oversaw the design and building of football and wrestling facilities. Additionally, in 2018 Southeastern student-athletes logged over 7,000 hours of community service, achieved an average GPA of 3.0 (outranking the general student body) and saw nine teams achieve NAIA Scholar Team designation.
Beyond being the architect behind the Southeastern Fire’s competitive success, Watson is significantly involved at the conference and national levels. Within The Sun Conference, he is a past member of the conference’s executive committee and serves as the liaison for men’s soccer and softball. In addition, he currently serves on the NAIA Conduct and Ethics Committee, NAIA Competitive Experience Committee and the NAIA Athletic Directors Association (ADA) Board of Directors. Watson also just completed a lengthy stint serving as the chair of the task force that studied divisions in basketball.
For his leadership, Watson has been named The Sun Conference Athletic Director of the Year three times, in 2013-14, 2015-16, and 2018-19 and honored with the NACDA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in 2017. Locally, he was honored by the Polk County All-Sports Awards Committee as the Bernie Little Sports Executive of the Year in 2015.
Since its inception in 2008, Breidenthal has served as the commissioner of the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), helping create the association and providing oversight of conference operations for the league from the beginning. The uniqueness of the A.I.I. makes for challenging management at times, yet Breidenthal has guided the league’s institutions to becoming some of the most competitive in the NAIA. Breidenthal successfully manages a constantly changing league, and his leadership, advocacy and support for the institutions in the A.I.I. is immeasurable. Breidenthal has been a knowledgeable resource to his member schools, as many in the A.I.I. are new to the NAIA, helping develop their athletic programs and institutional presence.
The A.I.I. had developed into a fully operational conference under Breidenthal’s leadership and provides numerous student-athletes the opportunity to compete for conference championships and participation in the NAIA National Championships. The A.I.I. championships provide student-athletes with an outstanding experience and recognize their accomplishments. Although there is no conference schedule due to geographic challenges, Breidenthal has implemented a top-notch awards program for all sports, including all-conference, academic all-conference and all-tournament awards.
Breidenthal is an active member of the NAIA’s Conference Commissioners Association (CCA), also serving as the unaffiliated groupings administrator. He also represents the A.I.I. on the NAIA’s National Administrative Council (NAC) and serves on the NAIA Championship Competition Committee, where he currently acts as the vice-chair. Breidenthal is also a member of the NAIA’s National Drug Testing and Education Committee.
His contributions as a commissioner and leader have been extremely valuable to the NAIA membership. Breidenthal’s dedication and commitment are only surpassed by his character and valued friendship to many of his colleagues, as he truly reflects all that the Charles Morris Administrator of the Year Award stands for.
Dr. Edward Loeb III of Southwestern College is the 2019 Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year. This prestigious award, in honor of past vice president of NAIA Legislative Services and NAIA Hall of Famer Wally Schwartz, looks to recognize a faculty athletics representative who exemplifies the loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty that Mr. Schwartz showed on behalf of the NAIA.
ed loebDr. Loeb began his tenure at Southwestern College in 2011 and he has continued to make a lasting impact on campus ever since. In addition to his position as the faculty athletics representative at Southwestern, he serves on numerous NAIA committees, including the Conduct and Ethics Committee, Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives and Eligibility Taskforce. Along with his service to the NAIA, he is an associate professor in the mathematics department. His passion for athletics stems from his own experience playing baseball at Bethany College.
Dr. Loeb oversees all aspects of Southwestern’s eligibility processes and is a valued member of the Governing Council of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Dr. Loeb’s election to the NAIA’s National Coordinating Council and designation as chair by his colleagues is further affirmation of his service to the NAIA. Southwestern College has seen many recent changes to their athletic department and Dr. Loeb has been a reliable constant providing counsel and guidance on matters related to both academics and athletics.
Dr. Loeb is a dedicated advocate for athletics outside of Southwestern as well. He is the academic director of Builder Bound youth summer camp for disadvantaged, inner-city middle school students and was previously the director of the Winfield Youth Soccer Organization. He has been recognized as the “Southwestern College Professor of the Year” and was the 2019 commencement speaker, as voted on by the senior class.
Dr. Loeb loves to see his students succeed in and out of the classroom. His service to the KCAC conference has been exemplary and he has the respect and admiration of his peers. Dr. Loeb shares a common bond of loyalty, enthusiasm, and honesty for working with student-athletes to ensure they enjoy the intercollegiate athletic experience, honoring the legacy of Wally Schwartz.
The 2019 recipient of the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year is Tyler Stevenson of Indiana Tech. For the past four years, Stevenson has led the media and communications efforts for the Warriors. Thanks to his work, the institution garnered more than 100 different article clips and coverage from local media in 2018-19.
Stevenson has worked to promote the success that Indiana Tech saw throughout the 2018-19 season, resulting in ten feature stories run on local media. Due to his work, in eight short months, Stevenson was a key contributor in the addition of over 500 new Twitter followers and nearly 800 new Facebook followers.
Despite being an office of one, Stevenson is active on campus as a member of the NAIA Student-Athlete Awards Committee, Hall of Fame Committee and the Wellness Warriors Committee. Additionally, he has served on five different search committees for head coaches, showing that his voice is an important one in the landscape of Indiana Tech Athletics.
Stevenson is a two-time recipient of the Patrick Moore-Mike Dean Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference SID of the Year award.
Former Indiana Tech SID and current women’s soccer coach Jim Lipocky said of Stevenson, “25 sports, one SID, tremendous coverage – enough said.”
The 2019 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Rich Tortorelli, who has been the assistant athletic director for communications at Oklahoma City since 2005. Not only has Tortorelli served as the primary media relations contact for all of the Stars’ athletics programs, but has also been the sports information director for the Sooner Athletic Conference since July of 2018.
Throughout his 15 year career, Tortorelli has become known as one of the top professionals in the business. He served as the media relations coordinator for the NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance Championships in addition to working in similar capacities for the Sooner Athletic Conference baseball and softball tournaments, the inaugural conference wrestling championships and multiple NAIA Baseball and Softball National Championship Opening Rounds.
Tortorelli has garnered both conference and national attention for his work. He was named the 2016-17 National Wrestling Media Association Small College Sports Information Director of the Year, the 2015-16 Sooner Athletic Conference Sports Information Director of the Year and is a three-time winner of various NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association publication contests.
Derek Port, of Campbellsville University, has been named as the 2019 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. As the director of athletic training services at Campbellsville, Port provides oversite to the healthcare delivery for nearly 800 student-athletes on three different campuses. On his main campus alone, he leads the healthcare team that provides patient care to 30 varsity teams in 20 sports.
Port’s impact in athletic training extends beyond his own campus. He has been the Mid-South Conference athletic training representative for several years and was recently awarded the Above and Beyond Award for outstanding service to the Mid-South. He coordinates the patient care for all of the Mid-South championship events. Port assumed the presidency of the NAIA Athletic Trainers’ Association (ATA) in June of 2019. As the president-elect, he was instrumental in leading the ATA through a complete governance restructuring. His professionalism and service has impacted thousands of student-athletes throughout our association.
The 2019 Larry Lady Officiating Award is presented to Jeff Pon of Windermere, Florida. Pon is a men’s basketball official who officiated in the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship three times, working the title game each year. He has been recognized as the Sun Conference and Sunshine State Conference Official of the Year for his regular-season and postseason work. Pon has also officiated in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship and works in multiple NCAA Division I conferences throughout the season.
To give back to the game of basketball, Pon volunteers his time to training officials at the University of Central Florida and the Kissimmee Park and Recreation Department. He has also served as a training clinician at various college camps and clinics. Pon demonstrates expertise in the three areas that make a great official; the accuracy of the call, the ability to communicate and proper management of the game.
His supervisors note that he demonstrates exemplary leadership qualities, discipline on and off the court, as well as commitment, talent and a desire to excel. With his humble actions and deeds, Pon truly illustrates what it means to be a Champion of Character.
Reinhardt University’s Bill Popp has been selected as the 2018 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his numerous accomplishments within his institution’s athletics department. This prestigious award has been given annually to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletic administration over the course of the previous academic year.
After 13 years of service, Bill has transformed the Reinhardt University Athletics Department into one of the most respected and accomplished NAIA institutions, and his achievements during the 2017-18 academic year are his best yet. Under Bill’s guidance, Reinhardt claimed 11 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) regular-season and tournament championships, winning the AAC’s prestigious Duard Walker All-Sports Trophy, which recognizes the AAC’s most successful all-around sports program each year, for the first time in program history. Reinhardt sent eight teams to their respective national championships, while also sending qualifiers in three individual sports. The Eagles collected the men’s lacrosse NAIA red banner for the second-straight year, was the national championship runner-up in football in just its fifth year of the program, advanced to the national semifinals in men’s tennis and earned its first-ever appearance in the NAIA Baseball World Series.
Beyond the competitive success seen last season, Bill continued to serve the NAIA in meaningful ways, serving as the vice president of the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC), the chair of the NAIA National Drug Testing Education Committee and as a member of NAIA Athletic Directors Association (ADA) Board of Directors where he has been a part of the mentoring program since its inception. Bill also serves on the President’s Cabinet and leadership team at Reinhardt, where he was recently promoted to vice president for athletics and director of athletics, while also operating as the vice president of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.
Under Bill’s leadership, 2017-18 marked Reinhardt’s first-ever “RESPY'S,” an all-sport awards banquet and fundraiser to offset budget costs and promote the success of Eagles’ student-athletes and staff. The 2017-18 academic year was also Reinhardt’s first year of a licensing agreement with Learfield Sports, where the Eagles have already shown a positive return on investment.
The 2018 Charles Morris Administrator of the Year award winner is Farnum Smith of William Jessup University (Calif.). This honor, which was created in memory of the former NAIA Associate Executive Director Charles Morris, recognizes an NAIA member who has made significant contributions as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics, while also exemplifying the loyalty and enthusiasm which Mr. Morris had for the association.
Farnum has served William Jessup University for nearly 30 years in numerous athletic-related capacities and has done so with unwavering loyalty and enthusiasm for both the institution and the NAIA. His role is instrumental in the day-to-day operations of the William Jessup Athletics Department, including coordinating and executing the eligibility process and NAIA rules education, assisting with the strategic development of athletic policies and procedures, executing game management and oversight of all game-day staff, managing on-site athletic facilities, equipment and field maintenance and organizing William Jessup athletic fundraisers.
Farnum oversaw the application process and transition of William Jessup University into the NAIA. Since joining the NAIA in 2004-05, Farnum has led the Warriors’ Champions of Character initiative and consistently models the “Live 5” mantra to William Jessup’s student-athletes, coaches and administrators on a daily basis. The Warriors’ current presence in the NAIA and consistent growth in sport sponsorship and performance at a high level can be attributed to the hard work, loyalty and enthusiasm that Farnum displays in his everyday life and his ability to impact everyone he comes in contact with.
Dr. Clay Robinson of Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) is the 2018 Wally Schwartz faculty athletics representative of the Year. This high honor, put into place in honor of past Vice President of Legislative Services and NAIA Hall of Famer Wally Schwartz, looks to recognize a Faculty Athletics Representative who exemplifies the loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty in which Mr. Schwartz showed on behalf of the NAIA.
Dr. Robinson’s tenure, as Lewis-Clark State College’s FAR, began in 2002 and he has continued his positive influence on campus ever since. In addition to his position as the FAR at LCSC, he has served on the Frontier Conference Eligibility Committee for over a decade and is a professor of Kinesiology on the Lewis-Clark State campus. His passion for athletics began at a young age where he excelled in rodeo in both high school and college, and he has carried that enthusiasm into his career in his ability to impact others.
Lewis-Clark State College Athletics has seen a direct impact of Dr. Robinson’s influence on campus through his work in the formation of the Athletics Academic Advisory Committee. This committee can largely be credited for 12 of 14 varsity programs earning NAIA Scholar Team Awards and an average 3.34 GPA for all student-athletes. His commitment to the betterment of LCSC does not go unnoticed, being presented the Outstanding Educator of the Year in 2014. A devoted family man that still carries a work ethic developed through a rural ranching background, Dr. Robinson is admired by his consistent and unwavering dedication to his student-athletes. When assessing situations, everyone listens to Dr. Robinson for his in-depth knowledge and the occasional glimpse of his sense of humor that lightens the room. Peers consider him a man that embodies the mission of the NAIA, is extremely loyal to his fellow FARs and well respected by all.
The 2018 Sports Information Director of the Year award winner is Danny Day from Corban University (Ore.). This honor is presented to one SID based on the accomplishments during the previous year in the areas of athletics communication, sports information, promotion and service to the NAIA.
Danny has become one of the rising stars in the field and has already garnered accolades for his work. His publicity video was honored at the 2017 NAIA-SIDA Convention as the best in the nation. Overall on his campus, he oversaw 85 total videos produced in the 2017-18 academic year, including game highlights/recaps, features, promos, season-preview interviews and student-athlete interviews.
In 2017-18, Day implemented a new social media strategy where he utilized photoshoots to capture high-quality photos for use during the season. In addition, he shot video to create Corban University branded social media content for use in GIF content, original videos and graphic treatments.
Day’s efforts on the Corban Athletics website (CorbanWarriors.com) not only drew 300,000 more views in 2017-18 than the previous year but helped earn the site second place in the NAIA-SIDA Website contest.
Day’s contributions spread past Corban Athletics, where he has hosted or has been a primary contributor in several Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships. His efforts have not only garnered the respect of his colleagues from around the NAIA, but have made him one of the top young professionals in Athletics Communications.
The 2018 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Chad Waller, who spent the last 11 years at the NAIA National Office as the Director of Athletics Communications. In his time at the National Office, Waller was instrumental in placing NAIA National Championships on the ESPN platform, both on streaming and linear networks, and has been the direct contact for many championships such as Division I Men’s Basketball, Softball and Men’s Soccer.
Waller assisted in high-media placements that gained nearly $3 million in publicity value in five NAIA National Championship events in 2017-18.
In addition to his work at the National Office, Waller has been a part of the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors since the beginning of his time with the association. He helped to lead continuing education program efforts for NAIA-SIDA, in addition to his daily responsibilities of overseeing a $100,000 budget, serving as content editor for NAIA.org and managing a staff of two to strategically and effectively promote 26 NAIA National Championship events.
Waller has been a guiding force for both the communication efforts of the NAIA and the strategic communicators of its member institutions.
Rashaun Bailey of the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) has been named the 2018 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. Rashaun was credited with saving the life of one of the Patriot men’s basketball players in 2017. In only his first week on the job, he rendered emergency care to by administering CPR and applying an AED to the patient. Because of the rural location of the school, it took EMS over 20 minutes to respond. Had Rashaun, in collaboration with another athletic trainer, not been properly trained and acted promptly and professionally, the outcome may have not been so positive.
Beyond the lifesaving care, he remained by the patient at the hospital until his family arrived and continued to work closely with the student-athlete throughout his recovery. Rashaun unselfishly committed himself to not only the affected student-athlete but to his family and the other student-athletes affected by this tragedy.
Rashaun is described as a loyal, unselfish, creative, fun-loving professional. He is constantly striving to better himself and the profession of athletic training through a commitment to learning and application of evidence-based patient care.
The 2018 Larry Lady Officiating Award is presented to Matt Shute of Bozeman, Montana, who has been a Men’s and Women’s Basketball official for 30 years and has officiated the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship seven times. Along with officiating multiple divisions in basketball, Matt has served as a basketball camp instructor for the past 10 years, while also making presentations at many officiating association meetings.
Off the court, Matt is a member of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and is involved with the local cancer support community. Matt is known as a person that keeps his cool during intense situations and a great communicator who is respected by coaches and fellow officials alike. His game management skills and his constant professional attitude provide an invaluable resource for his crew in every game he officiates. With his actions and deeds, Matt truly illustrates what it means to be a Champion of Character in all walks of life.
Oklahoma City University’s Jim Abbott has been selected as the 2017 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his numerous accomplishments within his institution’s athletic department. This prestigious award has been given annually to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletic administration over the course of the previous academic year.
After 15 years of outstanding service at the helm of the Oklahoma City University Athletics Department, Jim’s accomplishments during the 2016-17 academic year are some of his best yet. Under Jim’s guidance, Oklahoma City claimed the Learfield Sports Directors Cup for the first time in school history, qualifying 16 of 18 Stars’ teams to their respective National Championships, while also collecting NAIA red banners in four sports – Competitive Cheer, Division I Women’s Basketball, Women’s Golf and Softball. Oklahoma City claimed seven of 11 Sooner Athletic Conference Championships awarded in 2016-17, with an incredible 16 Stars teams registering a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Beyond the overwhelming competitive success seen last season, Jim continued to serve the NAIA in meaningful ways, serving on the NAIA-ADA Board of Directors, the NACDA Executive Committee and the NAIA Growth Advisory Panel. Oklahoma City University also successfully hosted the first-ever NAIA Competitive Cheer and Competitive Dance National Championships and Opening Rounds in both Baseball and Softball in 2016-17.
The focus of Jim’s tenure has always been on providing a championship experience for all student-athletes athletically, academically and socially, while establishing a culture of excellence throughout the department. Last year, Jim championed the fundraising efforts for the opening of two new athletic facilities on campus, including a new soccer facility and wrestling practice facilities.
The 2017 Charles Morris Administrator of the Year award winner is Mark Pope from The Sun Conference. This honor, which was created in memory of the former NAIA Associate Executive Director Charles Morris, recognizes an NAIA member who has made significant contributions as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics, while also exemplifying the loyalty and enthusiasm which Mr. Morris had for the association.
Since 2011, Mark has served as the Commissioner of The Sun Conference, but his contributions to the NAIA extend far beyond his daily conference responsibilities. Mark has served on numerous committees throughout his tenure, providing his knowledge, perspective, leadership and humility in working towards raising the level of performance in his member institutions and the NAIA. He currently serves as the Chair of the Conference Commissioners Association and on the Executive Committee of the National Administrative Council, which highlight his level of commitment to the NAIA and its continued success. Mark’s dedication to his profession and passion for life is evident in his daily routine, as he has the innate ability to make everyone around him better.
Dave Bass of Valley City State University (N.D.) is the 2017 Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year. This high honor, put into place in honor of past Vice President of Legislative Services and NAIA Hall of Famer Wally Schwartz, looks to recognize a Faculty Athletics Representative who exemplifies the loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty in which Mr. Schwartz showed on behalf of the NAIA.
Dave recently completed his 21st year of service as the Faculty Athletics Representative at Valley City State University and is actively involved in all aspects of the Athletic Department at VCSU. Dave is also currently the eligibility chair for the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) and the FAR liaison to the Conference Board of Directors. At the national level, Dave has served on the Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives and as a member of the Learning Disabilities Advisory Committee.
Dave is an invaluable resource for Valley City State student-athletes and coaches, as well as others around the North Star Athletic Association, working tirelessly behind the scenes to advance VCSU and the NSAA. He makes himself available at any hour to his student-athletes and coaches and works diligently on campus to build relationships with the faculty members to provide a high level of success for everyone around him. Dave goes above and beyond the typical duties of a Faculty Athletics Representative with his dedication to Valley City State, the North Star Athletic Association and his heartfelt concern for student-athletes and coaches.
The 2017 Sports Information Director of the Year award winner is Donnie Smith from Southeastern University (Fla.). This honor is presented to one SID based on the accomplishments during the previous year in the areas of athletics communication, sports information, promotion and service to the NAIA.
Since arriving on campus in 2013-14, Donnie has been instrumental in developing the media relations efforts at Southeastern, providing exceptional coverage for all 15 of Southeastern’s sports. In his short time at Southeastern, Donnie has already added live streaming for every home contest, a weekly studio show and one-on-one interviews with student-athletes and coaches, as well as landing SEU in the NAIA’s Top-10 for social media growth for three of the past four years.
Donnie also serves as the Associate SID for The Sun Conference, providing coverage for the league’s Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis and Baseball programs. He helped to host three Sun Conference Championships in 2016-17, acted as the Media Coordinator for the 2016 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship and as the Official Scorer at the 2017 NAIA Softball World Series. Additionally, Donnie is the Chair of the NAIA-SIDA Branding Committee.
In addition to his contributions to Southeastern University, The Sun Conference and the NAIA, Donnie serves as an excellent resource to his colleagues and is always working to move the Sports Information industry forward.
Given annually to a member of the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SIDA), the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award honors outstanding contributions to the profession. The award is named in honor of the former statistical crew chief of the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in Kansas City, Mo.
The 2017 recipient of the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is Aaron Sagraves from Cornerstone University (Mich.). A 2004 graduate of Cornerstone, Aaron returned to his alma mater in 2014 and has helped to expand the Golden Eagles’ Sports Information efforts in unprecedented ways, including helping to develop the Cornerstone Sports Network. Over the past several years, Aaron has garnered multiple Top-10 finishes in NAIA-SIDA Publication contests, including the top award for a splash page that featured the rivalry between Cornerstone and Davenport in 2014-15. Aaron’s outstanding work also made him a CoSIDA Rising Star selection in 2016.
An active member of NAIA-SIDA, Aaron served two years as an At-Large Representative on the Board of Directors, before being voted into the Vice President seat from 2014-17. He began his three-year tenure as the NAIA-SIDA President in the summer of 2017. In addition to his leadership role in NAIA-SIDA, Aaron also just completed a three-year team as a College Division representative on the CoSIDA Board of Directors.
Aaron is an extraordinary role model for the next generation of Sports Information professionals and his leadership is evident in his investment in the mission of the NAIA, CoSIDA and Cornerstone University.
Kim Haddow, the head coach for both the Men’s and Women’s Golf programs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.), has been selected as this year’s Coach of Character. In 2010, Kim was hired at Embry-Riddle as the first-ever head coach to build the men’s and women’s programs from the ground up. In just seven years, together with her husband and associate head coach, Mike Haddow, Kim has developed Embry-Riddle into one of the premiere golf programs in the California Pacific Conference and the NAIA.
Since 2013, Coach Haddow’s teams have earned a combined nine Cal-Pac Conference Championships, including five titles for the women’s team and four championships on the men’s side. The Eagles consistently rank in the NAIA’s top-25 and have performed successfully at the NAIA Men’s and Women’s Golf National Championships. In 2017, Embry-Riddle finished as the runner-up at the Women’s Golf National Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla. Coach Haddow has earned numerous Cal-Pac Conference Coach of the Year Awards, but her coaching philosophy embedded with high character and standards of excellence are what set her apart from the rest. Kim and her husband create a culture of positivity and respect that allows the student-athletes to build personal relationships and develop a sense of ownership and accountability for their actions. By striving to live each day by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Kim establishes a bond of mutual respect amongst the student-athletes, coaches, administrators and the community.
The NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year recognizes an NATA certified athletic trainer at an NAIA institution who has distinguished themselves as a model of the profession in personal conduct and professional allied health service to the NAIA student-athletes.
Nichole Borst of Montana State University-Northern has been named the 2017 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. Nichole serves as the department’s head athletic trainer and has been helping MSU-Northern student-athletes stay healthy for more than a decade. She is an active member of both the NAIA-Athletic Trainers Association and the National Athletic Trainers Association, and was also appointed to the Montana Board of Athletic Trainers by the Governor of Montana.
In addition to her dedication to aiding the student-athletes at Montana State University-Northern, Nichole also serves as the Student-Success Advisor on campus and is an adjunct professor in the Health Promotions and Secondary Health and Physical Education Departments.
Nichole stays involved with many local organizations, including the Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club, and also provides special training to community EMS workers and Emergency Room staffers on current techniques and protocols that provide the best care for student-athletes. Nichole also provides continuing education to the local and regional high school and collegiate coaches staffs, so that they can retain their teaching and coaching certificates.
The Larry Lady Officiating Award, named in honor of the former NAIA Coordinator of Officials for basketball, football and baseball, recognizes officials of outstanding quality, high moral character, fine officiating ability and who are held in high esteem by their colleagues, administrators and athletes.
The 2017 Larry Lady Officiating Award is presented to Lois Holmes, the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coordinator of Officials. Lois has been providing her service and expertise to collegiate women’s basketball officiating for over 30 years. She has served as the Supervisor of Officials for both the Mid-South Conference and the River States Conference since 2006, helping recruit, train, assign and evaluate officials for the betterment of the sport.
Her contributions as an official and now as a coordinator have been instrumental in the growth of women’s basketball officiating across the country. Lois’ hard work and dedication at all levels of women’s basketball, and especially the NAIA, are second-to-none
Dr. Darin S. Wilson has been selected as the 2016 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year for his accomplishments within his institution’s athletic department. This prestigious award has been given annually to an athletics director for their success and development within all facets of athletic administration over to course of the previous year.
After departing Union College (Ky.) where he served as athletic director since 2003 as well as a baseball coach, Dr. Wilson was named the Athletic Director at Georgia Gwinnett in 2011. During his time with the institution, Dr. Wilson has led the athletics department to five national championships and seven conference championships, both within the first three years of competition. He also developed a new website for the department and created all athletic staff policies and student athlete handbooks.
In 2015, Dr. Wilson was named an Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year, and he also currently serves as President of the NAIA Athletics Directors Association (ADA). He also serves on the NAIA’s Direct Qualification Task Force and Growth Advisory Panel.
2016 Charles Morris Administrator of the Year award winner is Valerie Beeson from the American Midwest Conference. This honor, which was created in memory of the former NAIA Association Administrator of the Year, recognizes an NAIA member who has made significant contributions as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics, while also exemplifying the loyalty and enthusiasm which Mr. Morris had for the association.
Since 1994, Ms. Beeson has been serving as the AMC Eligibility Chair, the only one in the history of the conference. She understands and goes by and knows the NAIA Official & Policy Handbook better than most. Valerie is a member of more than a dozen national committees and task forces, including the National Eligibility Committee and Constitution and Bylaws Committee. In 2001, Valeria was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service category.
Elfie Farchmin of Webber International University (Fla.) is the 2016 Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative. This high honor, put into place in honor of past Vice President of Legislative Services and NAIA Hall of Famer Wally Schwartz, looks to recognize a faculty athletics representative who exemplifies the loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty in which Mr. Schwartz showed on behalf of the NAIA.
In 2014, Ms. Farchmin started as the representative for Webber International, as well as the chair of The Sun Conference Eligibility Committee. Within both of these jobs, she is responsible to ensure that all athletes and participants at the institution and conference are in accordance with the rules and regulations of eligibility in the association. She also serves as the Associate Dean for Title IX Compliance within Webber International.
Within this position, Farchmin also exemplifies all the qualities in which Mr. Morris himself had. Her colleagues understand she is an honest and loyal worker who will help her institution by making sure all assets are covered in compliance with the rules. With her service on multiple committees, it is evident she possesses all qualities necessary in this position. Farchmin is passing along all of her knowledge as she is also an associate professor at Webber International in the Sport Management department.
This is the third year for this award presented to one sports information director based on accomplishments during the previous year in the areas of athletics communication, sports information, promotion and service to the NAIA. Each affiliated conference and the Association of Independent Institutions nominate one sports information director for this award.
The 2016 Sports Information Director of the Year is Lindsey Wilson’s (Ky.) Chris Wells. For 16 years, Chris has been the SID for the college after he graduated from the journalism and communication program at Lindsey Wilson in 2001. Chris runs all social media accounts for Lindsey Wilson including Twitter, Facebook, Periscope and Instagram and has helped the accounts finish in the top-10 the past two years in most gains on Twitter. He is also in charge of all content on the athletic website, and is the president of the Lindsey Wilson Athletics Hall of Fame.
Chris also serves as the Mid-South Conference Sports Information Director and just completed a two-year term as an NAIA-SIDA Board at-large representative. After that, he was elected as the second vice president for the board. He has been named the Mid-South Conference SID of the Year nine times and was the 2015 NAIA Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award recipient.
Given annually to a member of the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SIDA), the Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award honors outstanding contributions to the profession. The award is named in honor of the former statistical crew chief of the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in Kansas City, Mo.
This year, Ron Smith from Westmont College (Calif.) has been awarded the honor. Ron has been in the profession for 12 years with all of those years being spent at Westmont. Being at the institution for so long, Ron has been able to create high standards for the work done in the sports information department. He maintains and develops the athletic website, video broadcasting of competitions, and also upkeeps history books and records for the school. He is also noticeable on game day creating programs and media guides, helping with statistics and scoreboard control, as well as helping all media.
Ron has served as the SID representative for the Golden State Athletic Conference Executive Committee, as well as been on the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors. Ron also redesigned the GSAC website and added many functions which revamped the website.
The Coach of Character Award is presented by Herff Jones and is annually given to an NAIA head coach who has been with the institution for a minimum of five years, and who has embraced all five cores values of the NAIA Champions of Character program. This is demonstrated through sport and how they instill a culture of community leadership through volunteering or service within their program.
Tracy Gastineau, the head softball coach at William Woods (Mo.) has been selected as this year’s Coach of Character. Tracy is from Fulton, Mo., and became the head coach for the program that she also played for in 1998. Tracy has led her team to four American Midwest Conference championships and has taken them to six national championships. She also has helped her team become the leading team on campus when it comes to volunteer hours. Tracy has implemented a team covenant of “Our Three Outs.” This stands for out-work, out-class and out-play. She says this promotes her team to focus on playing the game with character and less about the outcome of the game.
The NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year recognizes an NATA certified athletic trainer at an NAIA institution who has distinguished themselves as a model of the profession in personal conduct and professional allied health service to the NAIA student-athletes.
Tracy Collins of Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) has been named the 2016 NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year. Tracy serves as the department’s head athletic trainer and has been helping all Warrior athletes stay healthy for more than a decade. She is a member of the National Association of Athletic Trainers and the Idaho Athletic Trainers Association. She has been on the Idaho State Board of Medicine for Athletic Trainers from 2000-08. She has been the head athletic trainer at the NAIA World Series since its return to Lewiston in 2000. Tracy led the establishment of the first ever Frontier Conference Athletic Training guidelines and policy manual. Tracy also has a love for running and that is evident as she helped to start up the cross country and track and field teams at LCSC.
This award, named in honor of Larry Lady, the former NAIA Supervisor of Officials for basketball, football and baseball, recognizes officials of outstanding quality, high moral character, fine officiating ability and who are held in high esteem by their colleagues, administrators and athletes.
The 2016 Larry Lady Officiating Award is presented to John Drake, a men’s basketball official. John worked the Mid-South Conference Basketball Tournament from 1997-2012, and was chosen to officiate the championship game 14 times. He also worked the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament from 1989-2012, working the championship three times. He was selected to officiate the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship tournament from 2009-12 and worked a semifinal game in 2012. Since 2013, John has assisted with the DI Men’s Championship, serving as the coordinator of officials in 2015 and 2016.
John received the NAIA Service Award in 2013 and the KIAC Commissioner’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2013. In 2011, he was elected to the Kentucky High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. During his time officiating, John has worked for 10 NAIA Hall of Fame coaches.
Gary Newsome of Olivet Nazarene University is the 2015 NAIA Athletics Director of the Year. This prestigious award is given annually to an athletics director for his or her accomplishments in all facets of athletics administration over the course of the previous year.
Gary’s tenure as Athletics Director at ONU has been characterized by strong commitment to service, character development and growth. ONU has consistently led the NAIA in the number of scholar-athletes and teams each year, boasting an NAIA-best 19 Scholar Teams in 2013-14. In addition, ONU has been a Champions of Character 5-star institution for the past 7 years that Gary has been the athletics director.
Newsome's efforts have signifcantly grown ONU's athletics department, increasing the number of athletes by 150% and adding three varsity sports, three junior varsity sports and one invitational sport. In 2014, 12 ONU teams made NAIA national tournament appearances.
Kent Paulson, Commissioner of the Frontier Conference, has been named the 2015 Charles Morris Administrator of the Year. This prestigious honor, initiated in memory of former NAIA Associate Executive Director Charles Morris, recognizes an NAIA member who has made significant contributions as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics, while exemplifying the loyalty and enthusiasm Charles Morris had for the NAIA.
As Commissioner of the Frontier Conference for the past six years, Kent inspires others through his positivity and commitment to doing the right thing for his conference and for the national association. Kent serves as the chair of the CCA and as a representative on the National Administrative Council and is an indispensable asset to the Frontier Conference and the NAIA.
Last winter, Kent suffered a near fatal automobile accident. Kent’s inspiring recovery and return to the helm of the Frontier Conference is a true testament to his perseverance, fortitude and dedication to his member institutions.
Bryce Bernard of Corban University is the 2015 winner of the Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the year. This illustrious award, initiated in honor of past NAIA Vice President of Legislative Services and NAIA Hall of Famer Wally Schwartz, recognizes a Faculty Athletics Representative who exemplifies the loyalty, enthusiasm and honesty Schwartz showed on behalf of the NAIA.
Dr. Bernard has had a distinguished career at Corban University. He has been a professor in the Hoff School of Business for 28 years and has served as FAR for 27 of those years. On the conference level, he has served as a member of the Cascade Conference Eligibility Committee for 16 years and has been the CCC FAR Chair since 2012. On the national level, Bryce has devoted himself to numerous leadership roles, serving on the National Eligibility Committee, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and the NAIA Fifth Year of Eligibility Task Force.
Each affiliated conference and the Association of Independent Institutions nominate one sports information director based on accomplishments during the previous year in the areas of athletics communication, sports information, promotion and service to the NAIA. This is the second time this award has been presented.
The 2015 Sports Information Director of the year is Brad Cygan of Missouri Baptist University. During the past four years, the overall footprint of MBU Athletics has grown significantly, due mainly to Brad’s efforts and his established media contacts. Missouri Baptist has had outstanding coverage in the St. Louis market, garnering more press than most of the other DII and DIII schools in the St. Louis Metro Area. In addition, Brad spearheaded the creation of the Spartan Digital Network, a live streaming service that continues to improve each year. Due to his highly successful writing and communication, the Missouri Baptist faculty invited Brad to teach Sport Communication, beginning this spring.
Mike Safford, College of Idaho, is the 2015 winner of the NAIA-SIDA Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award. The Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award is given annually to a member of the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SIDA) to honor outstanding contributions to the profession. The award is named for the former statistical crew chief of the NAIA men’s basketball national championship in Kansas City, Mo.
Mike has been with the College of Idaho for 14 years. Until the fall of 2014, Mike was the sole person responsible for covering the 17 varsity sports at the College of Idaho, often on duty from morning to midnight each day. Mike is the creator of the first-ever Cascade Conference SID Manual that is still used by the Cascade and Frontier Conferences after 12 years.
Mike’s ability to collaborate with colleagues in the marketing and communication department has resulted in dozens of awards for the college at the CoSIDA National Convention. This year, Mike was elected to the NAIA-SIDA Board as an at-large representative.
Mattias Johansson of Vanguard University has been named to the 2015-16 NAIA Hall of Fame and is the 2015 NAIA Coach of Character. The Coach of Character award is presented by Herff Jones and is given annually to an NAIA head coach who has embraced the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program, demonstrated character through sport and instilled a culture of community leadership through volunteering or service.
Coach Johansson coached men’s and women’s tennis at Vanguard since 1996. During his tenure, the tennis program at Vanguard was extremely competitive nationally and consistently modeled the core values of Champions of Character. Mattias’ coaching has led to 85 All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athletes, 39 All-GSAC players, 15 All-Region players, and over 15 players with awards for their stellar play at NAIA Championships.
William “Bill” Dill of Lindenwood University-Belleville is the 2015 NAIA Athletics Trainer of the Year. The NAIA Athletic Trainer of the Year Award recognizes an NATA certified athletic trainer at an NAIA institution who has distinguished himself as a model of the profession in personal conduct and professional allied health service to athletes.
Bill has worked at an NAIA institution for more than 10 years and was an NAIA student-athlete. Under Bill’s leadership, ten new athletic training positions were created at Lindenwood-Belleville, allowing more student-athletes to gain valuable hands-on experience. Several former students of Bill have gone on to be successful athletic trainers and physical therapists in the St. Louis area. Bill has also initiated the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Association on campus, which is an organization that helps young student-athletes grow and strengthen their faith.
The award is presented annually to an official of any sport recognized by the NAIA. It is named in honor of Larry Lady, current NAIA Supervisor of Officials for basketball, football and baseball and recognizes persons of outstanding quality, high moral character, fine officiating ability and those who are held in high esteem by their colleagues, administrators and athletes.
This year’s Larry Lady Officiating Award winner is Bruce Doane, baseball umpire at all levels of amateur baseball and independent league baseball. Bruce has been umpiring for 41 years and has worked over 15 NAIA District, Regional and Opening Round events, as well as all 19 WHAC Conference Tournaments. He also serves the NAIA through his work as a conference coordinator/assignor. He is currently the Coordinator of Umpires for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and the Co-Assignor of Umpires for the Crossroads Conference. Outside of the NAIA, Bruce umpires primarily in the Big Ten, American and Big East Conferences.
Brandt joined the Red Raider athletic staff in 1984, serving as track and field coach for 15 years, offensive coordinator for the football team for 14 years and also taught in the college's kinesiology department. In 2001, he became athletic director. Since then, Northwestern has won Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championships in men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, golf, softball and soccer. Additionally, he has overseen seven NAIA national championship-winning teams – men’s basketball in 2001 and 2003 and women's basketball (2001,08,10,11,12).
Brandt also has played a big role in upgrading Northwestern's athletic facilities. Major improvements have been made to De Valois Stadium and the campus’ soccer complex, and construction is scheduled to begin this fall on a new indoor practice and training facility. He served as president of the NAIA Athletic Directors’ Association in 2011-12 and is a man who promotes balance between the pursuit of excellence on the playing field/court, in the classroom and in one's spiritual life. Brandt announced on April 1 that he would assume the associate athletic director's role this summer as he prepares to retire in May 2015.
Rob Miller has been a hand of guidance since arriving at the WHAC. The conference has increased membership and the number of sports offered, increased the number of championship events, enhanced the competitive experience for student-athletes and has enhanced the conference presidents’ involvement in conference activities. He is a tireless worker that continues to push the envelope regarding the quality and function of the WHAC. Miller conducts business with integrity and fairness and looks for ways to support membership in all facets of the athletics departments.
He currently serves on several NAIA committees, including the National Administrative Council (NAC), and has been very instrumental in promoting the Champions of Character program since he was a staff member of the NAIA national office in the early to mid-2000s. Miller’s integrity and fairness to increase the competitive profile of the conference is evident by three of the WHAC institutions placing in the top 25 of the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup – a program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program that achieves success in both men’s and women’s sports – this past year.
Larry Bos began serving as Cornerstone's faculty athletic representative in the spring of 1990 when Cornerstone (Mich.) joined the NAIA. As a founding executive member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), he has served on numerous NAIA committees in strategic planning and program implementation. Bos also served as the conference FAR from 1995-2007 and currently serves as the eligibility chair of the WHAC. In addition, he has been chair of the NAIA Faculty Athletics Representative Association (FARA), worked three terms on the Council of FARs and spent two years on the NAIA Hall of Fame selection committee.
Rob Huizenga has been the SID at Saint Xavier (Ill.) for 11 years, working tirelessly at getting a smaller college athletics program media coverage in a large Chicago market. He has succeeded in getting his school noticed in all areas of media, most importantly on social media. Huizenga created and maintained the SXU Athletics Facebook, Twitter and YouTube social media pages. In December 2009, the school’s athletics department was featured on the front page of the Chicago Tribune’s sports section with a two-page article highlighting the tradition of success the department has built. Huizenga has also helped SXU get its student-athletes featured nationally in Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine over the years as well.
He is responsible for the design, growth and maintenance of the Saint Xavier Athletics website. He completed his fourth re-design of the website in the summer of 2013 adding numerous new features, including a scrolling scoreboard, Cougar Spotlight section, Twitter widget, photo galleries and Featured Video section. Huizenga also writes all the content included on the website, including press releases, previews and biographies. He was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) SID of the Year for 2013-14.
Chris Wells has more than 10 years of experience promoting all aspects of Lindsey Wilson’s (Ky.) athletic department. He has become accustomed to providing immediate information for 33 athletic programs and more than 700 student-athletes. He also is a liaison for media relations, publications, website design and gameday and event management. Wells has coordinated all aspects of media guide production, photos, statistical/historical research and event promotions. Because of his efforts, Wells has been named Mid-South Conference Sports Information Director of the Year five times (2003,’07,’09,’10,’11).
Russell Smelley is in his 35th year at Westmont (Calif.) teaching a variety of kinesiology courses and physical education electives while serving as the men’s and women’s head coach for cross country and track & field. In the fall of 1999, he was inducted into the NAIA Coach’s Hall of Fame, and in both 1988 and 2002, Smelley received the Westmont College Social Sciences Teacher of the Year award.
By sharing his coaching philosophy with athletes and parents, Smelley teaches character by becoming a role model for character. He also opens himself up to being held accountable to the character standards which he advocates. He holds weekly meetings where he provides lessons centered on character development, not athletic development. Each semester, Smelley has individual meetings with each member of his teams in which he "explores their perception of the development of their individual character."
Dr. Gary Turbak, has been named the NAIA-ATA Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Athletic Trainers Association. He has completed his 19th year as head trainer at College of the Ozarks (Mo.). In his 28th year as a certified athletic trainer, he has worked in the NAIA at Missouri Western, Tarkio (Mo.) and Central Methodist (Mo.). In addition to his training duties, Dr. Turbak is an associate professor in the physical education department, serves as an academic advisor and on numerous academic committees. He is the athletic trainer for the School of the Ozarks Preparatory High School, and he has been the volunteer athletic trainer for the Pilz High School All-Star Basketball Games for the past 14 years.
Dr. Turbak has been very active on the national level, serving as the head trainer/medical coordinator for the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship (2000-present). He has been a leader in NAIA-ATA serving on the board.
Athletics Director of the Year - Marty Holly, College of Idaho
Charles Morris Administrator of the Year - Scott Crawford, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Wally Schwartz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year - Byron Noordewier, Northwestern College (Iowa)
Clarence "Ike" Pearson SID - Jared Bodammer, Briar Cliff (Iowa)
NAIA Coach of Character - Ford Mastin, Oklahoma Baptist University
Athletic Trainer of the Year - Gary Turbak, College of the Ozarks (Mo.)
In December 2023, 44 members of Benedictine College’s (Kan.) baseball team embarked on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The team donated more than 10,000 items, including medical kits, clothing, educational items, sports equipment, and two laptops, to areas in need. The team also engaged with the local community by visiting an orphanage, painting houses, and hosting a free youth sports camp for 125 children.
In the spring of 2024, Northwest University’s (Wash.) women’s volleyball team traveled to Mexico to volunteer with Yucatan Helping Hands, a Christian ministry working to bring transformational and sustainable change to local communities. During their trip, the women’s volleyball team helped construct a water plant designed to provide a sustainable supply of clean water to the surrounding Chalmuch community. Beyond their construction efforts, the team also organized and led a youth sports camp focused on creating community and developing the skills needed for volleyball.
The Pioneers dedication to the association’s five core values was showcased through their involvement in Havencroft Elementary's Hawks in Harmony Event. This initiative exemplified the core values of respect and responsibility, as MNU athletes organized and conducted engaging activities for young children and their families, fostering a sense of community while embodying the essence of the NAIA's character ideals.
Furthermore, an umpire at the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament recognized their outstanding behavior and recommended them for special recognition. Their conduct serves as an example of integrity and servant leadership.
Their involvement with elementary schools in Lewiston, Idaho, during the NAIA World Series not only highlighted their dedication to leadership but also showcased their dedication to education. By sharing the Five Core Values through interactive activities and personal engagement, the team demonstrated their commitment to excellence in all aspects of life
The Sterling College softball team exemplified the NAIA’s five core values through outstanding commitment to character development and community service. The team consistently demonstrated their dedication to making a positive impact through various community service activities.
These initiatives included community clean-up projects, multiple youth softball campus, an Elves for Santa community outreach program, and volunteering for WWLC events. Additionally, each individual player completed five hours of community service independent of these team activities.
When considering the five core values of this award and the idea of “champions,” the Loyola (La.) Wolf Pack men’s basketball program is the perfect example. Led by Head Coach Stacy Hollowell, the Wolf Pack has had numerous obstacles to overcome this past year. After Hurricane Ida came and went, it was clear that the devastation that affected an entire community left the basketball program with a lot of questions as well. Damage to the facility caused the program to completely overhaul the structure of its season. This included holding practices in Dallas, Texas for two weeks after the hurricane. The Wolf Pack would not play a true home game until January due to the destruction of the storm.
Despite all the obstacles, the Wolf Pack still found a way to start the season 16-0, which is a program record. After suffering their first loss, which came after the team had a bout with COVID, they won the next 21 games en route to an SSAC Regular-Season title, SSAC tournament title, and an NAIA National Championship.
The St. Thomas University (Fla.) Women’s Tennis team, led by Head Coach Matt Roche, finished the year not only by making school history with their first birth to the NAIA National Tournament, but also by winning their opening round in a resounding upset. They also succeeded off the court, exemplifying the Champions of Character pillars of responsibility, integrity, respect, sportsmanship, and servant leadership throughout the year.
While the team competed hard in every match, they did so with dignity and respect for their opponents, having no issues with other teams during dual matches and allowing for the integrity of the game to be the shining light. The team faced early season adversity by playing several top NCAA Division II teams and then difficult NAIA opponents, which resulted in a 1-8 start to the season. But instead of folding, the team continued to fight, work together, build team chemistry, and compete every day. Their hard work and determination led to their success on the court.
However, more impressive was their work off the court. The team successfully launched Aceing Autism on campus, having 12 sessions where they taught autistic children how to play tennis. Each of the 16 players individually completed at least 10 service hours throughout the season. The team also ran concession stands at every home game for football, and men’s and women’s basketball to increase the fan experience at sporting events on campus. At NAIA nationals, the team served as one of seven volunteer teams to provide a community clinic to local Mobile, Ala. youth. In the classroom, the team carried a 3.49 cumulative GPA, earning them both ITA and NAIA All Scholar Team honors.
The Toppers embraced the association’s core values of Integrity, Respective, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership despite a difficult 2020-21 academic year that included the death of a teammate – Christopher “Boomer” Maurin.
In early February, the Blue Mountain baseball team held a memorial service on campus honoring the life of Maurin. Numerous members of the campus community and Maurin’s family attended the event. The team dedicated the 2021 season to their teammate, and players from the Blue Mountain baseball team still regularly call and text the Maurin family.
Throughout the season, the Toppers rallied around the NAIA’s core values within the team and to their opponents. Blue Mountain’s approach to the season is summarized in this excerpt from its award nomination:
“Our young men spent the season displaying sportsmanship through outreach before and after games with opponents. They spent more time learning about their opposition by talking and sharing interests with student-athletes from other states, building bonds that will last a lifetime.”
The Grand View University softball team, led by head coach Lou Yacinich, exemplified the NAIA’s core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership through a number of different service activities.
One of the many ways that they make an impact is through community involvement. During the 2020-21 academic year, the Vikings adopted a parking lot and maintenance projects within their community. The team devoted their time to removing trash and debris to make the lot usable to the greater area.
Additionally, the Vikings ran a softball equipment drive for a local high school in need. The players gathered gloves, bats, catchers gear, and shoes, and delivered the items to the team in need. One of Grand View’s players even heard one of the high school students say, “this is my first pair of new shoes.”
Yacinich, who has been the head coach at Grand View for 20 years, keeps the core values in the forefront of his player’s minds with a “Thought of the Day.” This is a daily message intended to engage the group beyond the field.
During the 2019-20 academic year, the Williams Baptist University men’s wrestling team completed 1,488 man-hours of community service in their local area. The team helped with a several different events ranging from youth wrestling clinics to physical labor.
The Eagles kicked off the 2019-20 academic year with a community cleanup project on a section of the Lawrence County Rail-Trail. The rail-trail is a 6-mile walking/biking trail that stretches from the Williams Baptist campus through Walnut Ridge, Ark. The team spent time trimming weeds and picking up debris from the trail to allow runners/bikers an easier route between campus and downtown Walnut Ridge.
Williams Baptist also volunteer much of their time in the local wrestling community, hosting three different youth clinics and serving as table workers for the Arkansas State Duals, which is an annual high school event.
“It is never our intention to be praised for the servant leadership our men display, it is just inherent to the culture of our program,” said head coach Todd Allen after winning the American Midwest Conference Team of Character award. “These guys selflessly give their time and effort throughout the community and campus.”
The Knights, led by head coach Matt Gregg, were constantly putting the association’s core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership into action during the 2019-20 academic year.
For the last four years, the Knights have honored Lexi De Los Reyes as their “Sixth Man.” Lexi, who has a brain tumor that has left her blind, is the most faithful fan of the Knight’s women’s basketball team. When Lexi is able to attend a WPU home game, she is announced with the starting lineup and sits on the bench to cheer the Knights to victory. She is an integral part of the team.
Once a month, the women’s basketball team partners with Potluck in the Park to provide warm meals to the homeless community in downtown Portland, Ore. On average, the Knights serve between 400-500 people.
The Knights also put on “Hoopin’ for the Homeless” every February in conjunction with the Warner Pacific men’s basketball team. During this event, socks are collected at home contests over a weekend and then donated to the community.
The Warriors, led by head coach Oliver Drake, put the association’s core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership into action in a number of ways during the 2018-19 academic year.
After major flooding impacted the Fremont area, the men’s basketball team aided in the cleanup efforts. Additionally, the Warriors organized and executed a campus clean-up event and a free youth basketball camp for the city and surrounding community.
Working in conjunction with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletics teams, Midland added Colton Humphrey to their roster in January. The 12-year old from Blair, Neb., was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth and has endured more than 50 surgeries in his lifetime.
The basketball team attended the Keys to Independence event, where they were guest servers for the LifeHouse nonprofit organization, which serves the homeless and less fortunate in the community. Midland also participated in the Howard Elementary Read Across America program.
During the 2018-19 academic year, the Park University softball program completed 278 hours of community service in the Kansas City area. The team served the community through service projects with the Platte County Senior Service, KC Pet Project and Millhouse Thunder Softball.
The Park softball team displayed the association’s core values through the completion of yard work and household chores for senior citizens, cleaning kennels and aiding in animal shelter responsibilities, and providing teachable moments and discussions about Champions of Character to youth softball players.
Outside of the team events, many of the Pirate softball players are involved in community organizations, including animal shelters, soup kitchens, after school programs, Special Olympics and many more.
Dr. Cliff Hamlow’s illustrious career began during his junior year at Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) when he was named the head men’s basketball coach in 1954. This was followed by a 58-year career in intercollegiate athletics, including 32 years as head men’s basketball coach, 35 years as athletics director, and 21 years as the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) commissioner.
At the helm of Azusa Pacific’s men’s basketball program, Dr. Hamlow led his team to 16 20-win seasons, including its first NAIA National Tournament appearance. Dr. Hamlow was named the NAIA District Three Coach of the Year twice (1974, 1980) and was inducted as a Coach in the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1981.
As athletics director, Dr. Hamlow expanded Azusa Pacific’s athletic offerings by adding 15 new sports, including cross country, football, baseball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and track & field. By the time he left in 1993, Azusa Pacific had captured ten NAIA national championship titles.
In 1991, Dr. Hamlow became the GSAC commissioner, a position that he held until his retirement in 2012. During that time, he served on numerous committees, including the National Executive Committee, Conduct and Ethics Committee, District Chairs Committee, National Administrative Committee, and most notably, the Character Committee. As a member of the Character Committee, Dr. Hamlow was a leading voice in developing the NAIA Champions of Character initiative. In 2003, Dr. Hamlow was awarded the NAIA Charles Morris Administrator of the Year for his work as commissioner.
Dr. Hamlow held many titles throughout his 58-year career with the NAIA, but none are more fitting than “Coach.” Dr. Hamlow was a coach not only to his student-athletes but also to fellow athletics directors, commissioners, and NAIA National Office staff. Dr. Hamlow’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of others has had a lasting legacy on the NAIA and its members.
In 1977, Denny Grub began serving Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) as a volunteer historian and statistician, covering more than 2,500 Warrior home athletic events and establishing all of Lewis-Clark State’s official record books. When the NAIA Baseball World Series moved to Lewis-Clark State in 1984, Denny volunteered to be the official statistician of the games, a title he still holds today.
Since 1984, Denny has recorded statistics for nearly 600 NAIA World Series games, and in the process, he created the official record book for the NAIA World Series. Denny spent hundreds of hours reviewing microfilm and newspaper archives to ensure no details were excluded. The official records include information as specific as “the last time a team won with just one hit” or “the last time a team pulled off a triple steal.”
It's important to note that Denny has never been officially employed by the NAIA or Lewis-Clark State. His contributions have been purely voluntary, and in some cases, he has utilized personal vacation days to provide services at NAIA games.
Denny was inducted into the Lewis-Clark State Hall of Fame in 2013 as their first “Special Contributor,” and the Lewis-Clark State press box is now named in honor of him and his contributions to the school.
No individual has had a greater impact on athletic statistics and historical bookkeeping than Denny. His selfless commitment to preserving NAIA records has ensured that decades of history remain intact.
Rob Miller’s esteemed career with the NAIA spans more than 30 years, during which time he served as a conference commissioner and was a pivotal member of the NAIA National Office staff.
After graduating from Spring Arbor University (Mich.) in 1986, Rob began his career in athletics, joining Spring Arbor as their athletic facility director, sports information director, and assistant basketball coach. While obtaining his master's degree at Michigan State University, Rob was appointed the first part-time commissioner of the newly formed Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), serving from 1992 to 1997. In 1995, Rob transitioned to the NCCAA to serve as their director of development and eventual executive director before returning to the NAIA in 2000, this time at the national office.
Rob joined the NAIA National Office to spearhead the creation of Champions of Character®, an initiative where student-athletes are encouraged to find balance by keeping five core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – at the heart of their athletics experience. Under Rob’s guidance, the Champions of Character initiative quickly became a cornerstone of the NAIA, shaping a new era of intercollegiate athletics focused on instilling values and building character.
In 2008, Rob left the national office to become a partner and presenter with Proactive Coaching and be the first full-time commissioner of the Sun Conference. Rob worked with the Sun Conference until returning to WHAC in 2011. As the WHAC commissioner, Rob was awarded the Charles Morris Administrator of the Year honor for increasing WHAC membership, sports offerings, championship events, and membership involvement. Rob was the WHAC commissioner until 2022.
Today, Rob continues to work with the NAIA on membership recruitment and retention efforts. Rob’s ongoing contributions have left a lasting impression on the landscape of intercollegiate athletics and serve as inspiration to all who aspire to lead with integrity and purpose.
Originally from Guatemala, Allan Ayala was a dominant force in NAIA track and field during his expansive career at Dickinson State University (N.D.).
Allan’s accolades include 12 All-American honors and seven NAIA national championship titles in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. Allan was also named Dakota Athletic Conference’s “Outstanding Track Performer” four times and honored as the conference’s “Outstanding Senior” of 2010.
Remarkably, Allan only lost the 400m hurdles twice during his collegiate career, solidifying his status as one of the most dominant hurdlers in NAIA history. Today, Allan still holds school records in the 400m hurdles, 4x400m outdoor relay, and 4x400m indoor relay, in addition to a Guatemalan national record in the 400m hurdles.
Following his standout career at Dickinson State University, Allan spent four years representing Guatemala at international track and field competitions. Allan retired in 2014 and became a coach, advocate, and interpreter, helping advance track and field initiatives throughout Guatemala and across the globe.
With a 140-22 overall record, including 69 pins, Justin Schlecht’s wrestling career at Dickinson State University (N.D.) was defined by remarkable success and an unrelenting commitment to the sport.
After finishing third at his first NAIA national championship in 2005, Justin won three consecutive national championship titles from 2006 to 2008 in the 197-lb weight class. Justin’s 17-1 record at these championships helped propel his team to three top five finishes. In recognition of these achievements, Justin received the 2008 NAIA Outstanding Wrestler of the Year award and was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s NAIA Wrestler of the Year in both 2006 and 2007.
Today, Justin remains at the forefront of the sport as the head men’s wrestling coach at Dickinson State.
Originally from Lincolnshire, England, Sam Atkin is the most decorated runner in Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) history.
From 2011 to 2016, Sam was a prominent competitor in NAIA cross country and track and field, securing four national championship titles - two in the indoor 3,000 meters and two in the outdoor 5,000 meters. Sam was selected as a Frontier Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week seven times and an NAIA National Runner of the Week multiple times. Additionally, Sam was a 10-time NAIA All-American and was selected as the USTFCCA NAIA Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2016.
Sam's achievements are still honored at Lewis-Clark State, where he continues to hold records in the 8K cross country, indoor 3,000 meters, outdoor 5,000 meters, outdoor 10,000 meters, and indoor distance medley relay.
Following his remarkable collegiate career, Sam started running professionally as a PUMA athlete, representing Great Britain at international competitions. Most notably, Sam competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10,000 meters and the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 5,000 meters.
Sharla Harrison Rich’s storied basketball career at Wayland Baptist University (Texas) was marked by record-breaking success and a commitment to elevating the game.
From 1985 to 1989, Sharla helped lead the Flying Queens to four straight NAIA national tournament appearances. Along the way, Sharla racked up numerous achievements herself, including earning spots on the American Sports Federation All-American Freshman Team (1986), NAIA All-American Second Team (1987), and NAIA All-American First Team (1988, 1989). Additionally, Sharla was awarded NAIA District Eight Newcomer of the Year (1986), American Women’s Sports Federation All-American (1987, 1988, 1989), Kodak All-American (1988, 1989), NAIA Scholar-Athlete (1988, 1989), NAIA All-District and Academic All-District (1987, 1988, 1989), NAIA District Eight Player of the Year (1988), and the NAIA Emil S. Liston Award (1988).
Sharla’s legacy endures at Wayland Baptist, where she continues to hold school records for career scoring (2,461), career rebounds (1,230), career field goals (1,070), most points in one game (49), most field goals in one game (20), and best field goal percentage for a season (.661) and career (.624). Today, Sharla resides with her family in Sudan, Texas, and serves as the Director of Customer Support Operations at Abbott Laboratories.
After graduating from William Carey University (Miss.) in 1976, Coach Bobby Halford returned to the institution as an assistant baseball coach and the first head coach of the women’s basketball team. Nearly 48 years later, Coach Halford remains a dedicated member of the William Carey coaching staff.
Throughout his tenure at William Carey, Coach Halford has held numerous roles, including athletic director, head coach, and assistant coach. Most notably, Coach Halford has been at the helm of William Carey’s baseball team for the past 38 years. With more than 1,337 game wins, Coach Halford has guided the Crusaders through 17 regional tournaments, nine opening rounds, and three NAIA World Series appearances. Additionally, more than 40 of Coach Halford’s former baseball players (and three former women’s basketball players) went on to play professionally.
Coach Halford was named the NAIA’s Baseball Coach of the Year in 2017 and was inducted into William Carey’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
With a 538-176 record, Coach Brian Orr is the winningest coach in Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) women’s basketball history. Over his 22-year tenure, Coach Orr led the Warriors to five Frontier Conference regular season titles, seven Frontier Conference tournament titles, and 19 NAIA national tournament appearances, including four quarterfinals, one semifinal, and one national championship game.
Under Coach Orr’s guidance, the Warriors were selected as an NAIA Scholar Team 13 times and had a collective average GPA that exceeded 3.30. Among his players, 64 were chosen as Daktronics Scholar-Athletes, and nine were named CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees.
Coach Orr’s commitment to athletic and academic success earned him the Conference Coach of the Year award six times.
Jim Abbott retired at the end of 2021 after a 19-year career as athletic director at Oklahoma City University. Under his guidance, OCU completed more than $17 million in athletic facility construction and renovation projects, including the Ann Lacy Softball Stadium, the Devon Boathouse, the Knight Strength and Conditioning Facility and the Jim Wade Athletic Office Suite. His tenure also saw new facilities and renovations for OCU baseball, soccer and wrestling.
The OCU athletic department experienced major growth during his tenure through the implementation of several new sports on campus. OCU added men’s and women’s cross country and track & field, volleyball, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s wrestling, competitive cheerleading, competitive pom/dance and STUNT under Abbott’s guidance.
Student-athletes thrived academically during Abbott’s tenure with an annual cumulative grade point average above a 3.0 each year. He created the first chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, a national student-athlete honor society, in the state of Oklahoma to recognize the academic achievements of OCU student-athletes.
Athletically, Oklahoma City won an astonishing 48 of their total 72 national championships under Abbott’s leadership. OCU captured three Learfield Sports Directors' Cup titles, and the department placed in the top 15 of the Director’s Cup rankings in all of Abbott’s 19 years as AD.
Abbott was named the 2008-09 and 2016-17 NAIA National Athletic Director of the Year. He was also recognized as the 2010, 2015 and 2018 Under Armour Central Region Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Sooner Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year on six occasions. Abbott gained induction into the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017-18, and was inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame in June 2023.
He served as the OCU Champions of Character liaison to the NAIA and spearheaded the department's commitment to academic achievement, sportsmanship and community service. OCU student-athletes and coaches annually volunteered more than 3,000 hours to community service. Among these efforts is the department’s annual food drive for Skyline Urban Mission, an ongoing effort that has delivered more than 128,000 food items being donated since 2007.
Abbott is, or has been, a member of the NACDA Executive Council, NAIA Membership Committee, Jim Thorpe Association Executive Council, chairman of the NAIA Hall of Fame selection committee, treasurer of the Greater Oklahoma City Sports Consortium, NAIA Athletic Director’s Association Board of Directors and staff sponsor for the OCU Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle. He also previously served as president of the NAIA Athletic Directors Association, vice chair of the NAIA Hall of Fame selection committee and as a member of the NAIA National Administrative Council.
Personally, he worked in athletic and higher education administration for over 30 years, including a previous stint at OCU as assistant athletic director from 1991-94. Abbott earned a master of science degree in sports administration from the University of Oklahoma and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and physical education from Huntingdon College (Ala.). Abbott and his wife Annetta have two adult children (Kyle and Katelyn).
While at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, Jeff Criswell was a four year starter as an offensive lineman, twice named first team all conference, first team NAIA all-district and NAIA Honorable mention All-American his senior year. Additionally, he was selected as a team captain his senior year. Jeff came to Graceland as a tight end and was only introduced to the offensive line his freshman year because of injuries. He found his calling as at left tackle. Jeff was inducted in to the Graceland Hall of Fame in 2001 and is the only player to ever have his jersey number retired, number 69.
After the completion of his collegiate career he was drafted in the 10th round by the USFL Orlando organization. He eventually became a 12-year starter as a tackle and guard for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a part of the AFC Western Conference Champions in 1995 and 1997. Jeff started 146 games and played in a total of 171 in his career.
Since his playing days concluded, Jeff has returned to his alma mater and has been instrumental in helping rebuild the football program as well as serving on many boards that support the athletic programs.
Liz Howerth is the all-time leading scorer in Indiana Wesleyan history with 2,658 points, second with 1,060 rebounds, and fifth with 470 assists. She led the Wildcats to the 2007 NAIA Division II National Championship with a perfect 38-0 record and was named the NAIA National Tournament MVP. Howerth earned NAIA All-American First Team honors three times (2005-2007) and was voted the MCC Player of the Year three times (2005-2007). She is a four-time NCCAA All-American and the NCCAA named her the 2007 Kathy Freese Player of the Year. Howerth holds various Indiana Wesleyan program records including Points in a Single Season (763), Most Field Goals Made in Career (1,051) and Single Season (302), Free Throws Made in Career (522), and Steals in a Career (313) and a Single Game (10).
Marek Jedrzejek began his tenure at UBC in 1987, first as head coach of the cross country team before adding head coach of the track & field squad to his portfolio in 2001.
He developed both teams into perennial top 10 teams in the NAIA and had his best season ever in 2013-14, his penultimate year with the Thunderbirds before his retirement in 2015. In cross country the UBC women won its second straight NAIA Women's National Championship, while the men finished in eighth place. At the 2014 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Thunderbirds combined for 12 medals (5 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze). The women finished third overall, their best finish ever at the time, while the men finished in fifth place.
Jedrzejek is a two-time NAIA women's cross country coach of the year (2012 & 2013).
In addition to their more recent NAIA success, Jedrzejek led the 'Birds to a CIS title in cross country in 1993 when he was named the coach of the year.
Jedrzejek has been involved at every level of international competition, coaching at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, acting as Canadian head coach at six Cross Country World Championships, three FISU Games, and is the former Athletics Canada off-track coordinator for cross country and road running.
His athletes have also had success at every level, winning medals at FISU, Commonwealth, and Pan-Am Games throughout his career. He has coached athletes to nine Canadian records, including Jeff Schiebler who still holds two Canadians records in the 5000m and 10000m and Liz Gleadle who owns the women's javelin mark. His athletes have won 33 national titles and he has coached 18 BC high school champions.
Over the past 25 years, John has faithfully devoted his service to collegiate athletics serving as a Director of Athletics, President of the AAC, and eventually being named the first commissioner of the AAC. He has been an advocate for the NAIA serving on several committees that have helped to strengthen the membership through legislation and membership growth. John has overseen the growth of the AAC membership as it is one of the largest conferences in the NAIA. John is a retired Colonel within the US Marine Corps who has a proven record of leadership.
Col. John Sullivan served as Commissioner of the Appalachian Athletic Conference from 2003 until 2022. John served on many different roles within the AAC and NAIA during his time of service, including service as Chair of the NAC. John Sullivan was an advocate of the NAIA Champions of Character program from the inception and stressed the importance to his conference and colleagues on the importance of character driven athletics. John was an avid supporter of the NAIA membership as he continuously searched for new members to join the NAIA and the AAC.
NAIA Region XII AD of the Year: 1999, 2003. NAIA Charles Morris Administrator of the Year 2010-11. National Administrative Council: Chair of NAC, Chair of Experience and Enhancement Sub-Committee. Conference Administration Committee. Marketing Committee. Letter of Intent Taskforce. National Coordinating Committee.
Prior to entering academia, he served for 28 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam, a fighter pilot, squadron commander, senior staff officer, base commander, and professor, retiring as a colonel.
He is married to Roberta Rice Sullivan and they have nine grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California (BA-Political Science), Webster University (MA-Management) and the Naval War College.
Hazel Taylor played three seasons for the Flying Queens at Wayland Baptist University. In her time there her teams qualified for the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament three times, making it as far as the third round twice. In her final year, 1999, she was named NAIA National Player of the Year and Rawlings Player of the year. She finished her decorated career as a three time NAIA First Team All-American, three time Kodak All-American and the Flying Queens all time career scoring average leader at 24.5 points per game. She is a member of the Wayland Baptist Hall of Honor and a 2014 Inductee in to the Wayland Baptist University Sports Hall of Fame.
After she was through playing collegiately, Taylor served as a student-assistant coach for three years at Wayland Baptist. In 2004 she played professionally for the Lubbock Hawks during their inaugural season in the National Women’s Basketball League.
The Heart of America Athletic Conference heads into its 9th season under the leadership of Lori Thomas, who started her role as the league's new commissioner in July 2014.
Thomas started with the NAIA in 1998 as a Marketing Assistant and was quickly promoted through the ranks to her final position as Senior Vice President for Membership and Character Initiatives. Her responsibilities include leading efforts for membership recruitment and retention, achieving greater efficiencies and consistency in the delivery of the Champions of Character program, and advancing student-athlete experiences within national championships.
In addition, Thomas served as a senior executive while overseeing human resources for the national office staff. She supervised the NAIA championships department, which was responsible for 23 national championship events, emerging sports, site selection, host contracts, championship merchandising and apparel, coaches associations, councils, and committees. Thomas served as the national office liaison to the NAIA-National Administrative Council through 2011 and was a liaison to three NAIA conferences.
Prior to joining the NAIA, Thomas served as an assistant volleyball coach at Missouri State (1993-1996) and the University of Tulsa (1996-1998).
Born and raised in Kansas City, Thomas began her post-secondary education at Johnson County Community College. While at JCCC, she played volleyball and basketball and was recognized as a Junior College All-American in volleyball in 1988. She then went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Business Management – emphasis in Human Resources from Idaho State University in 1992. She played volleyball for the Bengals for two years and ended her student-athlete experience with basketball in her 5th year.
Following graduation, Thomas moved to Kieldrecht, Belgium to play professional volleyball for a year before starting her coaching career. She was also a member of the Kansas City Lightning women's professional volleyball team in 1996.
In 2003, Thomas was inducted into both the National Junior College Athletics Association Hall of Fame and Johnson County Community College Hall of Fame for the sport of volleyball. She was inducted into Idaho State University's Hall of Fame the next year for volleyball and basketball. In 2015, Thomas was selected as the Women Leaders in College Sports "Administrator of the Year".
Thomas served on the NAIA National Administrative Council Executive Committee, the Olathe Chamber Board of Directors, and the CVB Advisory Board. She also is on the Board of Directors for the United States – International University Sports Federation since 2004 and is currently Vice President. Lori has attended the World University Games on 5 occasions, most recently in Naples, Italy for the 2019 World University Games as a USA staff member.
Thomas is a presenter for Proactive Coaching which works with coaches, student-athletes, parents, and business leaders to help intentionally create character-based team cultures. She has spent her personal time coaching club volleyball and basketball for both her daughters. She resides in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband, Alan, and their daughters, Ava and Sophie.
Westbrook College had created an athletic program only two years before Derek Vogel arrived on campus in 1992.
With Derek was a four year starter and three year captain and while on the team, Westbrook College won 102 games, with a winning percentage of 71%. Derek is the all time leading scorer in the history of Maine collegiate basketball with 3,050 points.
As a freshman he was named rookie of the year in the conference, NAIA District 5 and the State of Maine. He was all-conference each year at Westbrook, including Conference Player of the year two times and he was twice named an NAIA Division II All-American. In 1996 he led NAIA Division II basketball in scoring at 28.8 PPG. Upon graduation he set the records for career scoring and most field goals made in all of NAIA Division II.
Derek would go on to play professionally for nine years. His final four years he played in the top division in Germany.
Derek then went on to be a successful businessman and family man. He excels at everything he does because of his attitude and perseverance.
A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Ramon Miller did nothing but win on the track at Dickinson State University (N.D.). Signed at DSU in 2006, he was a part of the Outdoor National Championship team that year and then followed it up with three straight runner-up finishes in 2007, 2008, and 2009. A part of the team's success, Miller excelled individually as well capturing 12 National Championships in individual or relay events. Miller was the anchor leg for the indoor/outdoor 4x400 relay that won six national championships and two runner-up finishes.
Miller also was the National Championship in the 400 five times and the 200m National Champion in 2009. For his exceptional effort in 2009, winning five national championships that year, he was named the NAIA National Most Outstanding Performer at both the indoor and outdoor championships.
Outside of his dominance on the track at Dickinson State, Miller made the Bahamas National Team as a member of the 4x400 relay in 2008 and won silver at the Beijing Olympic Games. He participated in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018, and the World Championships in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. In 2012, Miller became an Olympic Gold Medalist in London as the anchor leg for the 4x400 meter relay, the first men’s gold medal for the Bahamas.
Miller is currently back home in the Bahamas where he is a police officer. He still finds time to stay close to the sport by training athletes in his home country.
A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Trevor Barry enrolled at Dickinson State University (N.D.) in the spring of 2002 and helped transform the Blue Hawk track program. While there he helped the program bring home the Red Banner in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Barry was an All-American high jumper in 2002 before redshirting in 2003. In 2004 he was a national champion in the long jump, the first of five indoor and outdoor individual titles. He finished in the high jump with five national runner-up and one national title. He also ran on the DSU national record 4x400 team in the 2006 National Indoor meet.
Barry was an honors student as well. He was on the Dean’s list and finished with a double major in Biology and Spanish. After college, he competed professionally and represented the Bahamas in World and Olympic Competitions for several years. He was the bronze medalist in the 2015 World Championships and competed in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games.
Since retirement from competing Barry has been very successful as a coach. He coached at North Dakota State before becoming the jumps coach at Moorehead State in Minnesota. He has recruited top-notch athletes to his program and also teaches at the school.
Born in Junction City, Kan. the son of a U.S. Army Drill Sergeant, Bobby Lashley joined the Missouri Valley men’s wrestling program in 2005. Throughout his time there, he would go 144-26 and set a program record with 520 career takedowns.
Lashley was a four-time NAIA All-American (1995-1998) and a three-time individual National Champion at 177 lbs from 1996-1998. His success helped the MVC program win back-to-back team National Championships in 1996 and 1997. Lashley was also recognized as the 1998 Kansas Collegiate Wrestler of the Year.
Lashley graduated with a degree in human-service agency management and recreation administration in 1999. He entered the U.S. Army after graduation was on a course to be a member of Team USA wrestling at the 2004 Olympic Games, but suffered a knee injury that required surgery.
Bobby began his career as a professional wrestler in 2005, first for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and later the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), winning several national championships. From 2008-2016, Lashley moved to other wrestling organizations and became a mixed martial artist. During the eight years, Lashley finished with a 15-2 record, which included six wins by knockout and six wins by submission. After more than a decade away from the organization, Bobby returned to WWE in 2018, where he currently performs. Bobby has also been involved in five movies, and two television shows and has been featured in six video games during his professional career.
Lashley has three children. He has been active in returning to his alma mater over the years to help the men’s wrestling program.
Kirk Walker, a four-year starter at shortstop for Oklahoma City University Baseball team quickly became an anchor for the Stars defense. While at OCU, Walker helped the team reach the NAIA World Series each year, finishing third twice. Walker played in 256 career games and ended his career with a .416 batting average. In his career, he set OCU program records with 897 at-bats, 289 runs scored, 373 hits, and 77 doubles. In 2011, his senior season, was named the NAIA Baseball Player of the Year. Other honors for Walker include the 2011 NAIA Gold Glove team, 2010 NAIA World Series Gold Glove (best defensive player at the World Series), and numerous Sooner Athlete Conference awards as well.
Following graduation, Walker was drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 806th selection in the 2011 Major League Baseball first-year player draft. Walker currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas working as an electrical design engineer for Oncor Electric Delivery.
Steve Ryan has guided the Mustangs to a 208-41 record for an 83.5 winning percentage in 20 seasons for the most football coaching victories and the highest victory rate in Morningside (Iowa) history. Ryan has led the Mustangs to 18 consecutive post-season appearances in the NAIA National Championship Series, where the team has advanced to at least the semifinals nine times in the last 10 years and gathered three national championships. He has led the Mustangs to 12 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championships, including their current run of 11 consecutive league titles.
Ryan is a four-time NAIA/American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. He earned his first such accolade in 2012 when the Mustangs went 13-1 and appeared in the national championship for the first time. His second occurred in 2018 as the Maroon rolled through an unbeaten campaign in route to the school’s first national title. His third was earned in 2019 following Morningside's second successive unbeaten campaign and national championship. And his fourth was gained following an unbeaten 2021 and third national championship. He's also a member of the AFCA's Board of Directors.
Ryan’s success on the field has earned him numerous honors including being named the GPAC Coach of the Year 10 times, AFCA NAIA Region Coach of the Year four times, and was the 2004 NAIA Football.net National Coach of the Year.
Ryan is a 1989 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter as a linebacker. He received his master’s degree from National-Louis University in 1997.
Tim Bauer has been a mainstay on the campus at Siena Heights University for over 40 years, graduating in 1982 after a standout running career as a student-athlete, and continuing on as the head coach of the Saints’ men’s cross country and track and field programs since 1984. In addition to his coaching duties, Bauer now also serves as the Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Operations at SHU.
Coach Bauer has led his Saints’ programs to win a combined 30 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) titles, while also earning two 4th-place team finishes at the NAIA Men’s Indoor Track and Field National Championships in both 2013 and 2016.
Bauer has coached over 160 NAIA All‐Americans, 102 honorable mention All‐Americans, 36 NAIA Scholar‐Athletes, 28 individual National Champions, three Olympic Trials qualifiers and one American Champion. He was also named the WHAC Coach of the Year 10 times in cross country and track and field.
Outside of his coaching accolades, Coach Bauer was named the Siena Heights Alumni of the Year in 1999‐2000. He has also served as the President of the NAIA Track and Field Coaches Association (2004-06) and as President of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches Association (2005-07). He currently has the pleasure of coaching his nephews, Bradley and Brandon Bauer, who are members of the SHU cross country and track and field teams.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Nelson Bolden was arguably the best fullback in the history of University of Findlay football. Bolden was a key component on the Oilers’ offense from 1977-1980, as he helped lead Findlay to become the 1978 NAIA Division II National Runners-Up and the 1979 NAIA Division II National Champions.
Bolden was a four-year starter at Findlay and still holds school records as the Oilers’ leader in career touchdowns (62) and scoring (378 points). He is also second all-time in Findlay football history in rushing yards (4,009), rush attempts in a season (322), and career rush attempts (958).
Bolden was named a two-time NAIA first team All-American (1979, 1980), a four-time NAIA District 22 selection, a three-time Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference (HBCC) All-Conference selection, and was a member of the 1980 Kodak All-American Division II Team. He also holds career HBCC records in rushing attempts, rushing yards, touchdowns and points scored, and was the first two-time 1,000-yard rusher in HBCC history.
Bolden earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Findlay and upon graduation he earned tryouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and the USFL Boston Breakers and Pittsburgh Maulers.
He was inducted into the University of Findlay Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, the Toledo St. Francis Hall of Fame (1994) and the Hancock County Hall of Fame (2007).
Bolden is currently a salesman at the Wyatt Johnson Kia in Clarksville, Tennessee. He and his wife, Juanita, have two children, Nelson III and Angelica Maria.
The late Scott Cummings of McKendree University was a highly respected member of the college athletics communications industry for many years, and was synonymous with the NAIA in the countless ways he served the association. Cummings spent his last 22 years as the Sports Information Director at McKendree, and also had an eight-year stint as the SID at his alma mater in Union College (Ky.) before his untimely passing in December 2020 after an 18-month battle with throat cancer.
His contributions to the NAIA over his 30-year career include serving as a media coordinator, a statistician and a mentor to new SIDs and many NAIA staff. Cummings served as the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship media coordinator for 15 years (1997 – 2001) and also worked in the same capacity for the NAIA championships at Women’s Golf (2000), Men’s Wrestling (2000) and Outdoor Track & Field (2008-09). Additionally, he was the official statistician at the NAIA Football National Championship for 13 years (1999 – 2011).
Cummings also served as the Mid-South Conference Football Information Director (1993-99), NAIA Region V Information Director (1999-2000), Mid-South Conference Baseball/Softball Information Director (1998-99), American Midwest Conference Sports Information Director (2005-11) and basketball public address announcer at Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) (2012-19).
He wrote thousands of press releases, traveled thousands of miles, mentored limitless individuals and called the play-by-play for hundreds of games, including a streak of 295 consecutive football games dating back to 1992 and his days at Union. Cummings also served as the Gateway Grizzlies' official scorer since 2012, and was the second-longest tenured member of the Grizzlies' press box staff.
Cummings received the NAIA’s Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award in 2005, the highest honor that can be given to an SID at the NAIA level, and was recognized in 2020 with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) 25-Year Award for his long-time commitment and service to the athletic communications profession. He was a winner of 57 NAIA-SIDA Publication Contest Awards, including 10 first-place awards, and was a two-time Mid-South Conference Sports Information Director of the Year (1996-97, 1997-98).
He was a member of CoSIDA and NAIA-SIDA for 30 years and served as president of the NAIA Sports Information Directors from 2003-05.
Following his passing, the American Midwest Conference (AMC) changed the naming of the Conference’s annual Sports Information Director (SID) of the Year award in honor of the late Cummings. He was also inducted into the McKendree Hall of Fame in 2021.
An avid New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New Jersey Devils fan, Cummings enjoyed spending time with his family and supporting his children while playing sports. Some of his favorite memories include getting to work with his daughter Hailey at the scorer's table at McKendree and son Ryan at McKendree and Gateway Grizzles games.
The impact Cummings had on the NAIA, the sports information industry and every individual he encountered will be felt and remembered for generations to come.
A native of Lindsborg, Kansas, Tim Bishop paved his way to Black Hills State University following a standout two-year stint at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. After transferring to Black Hills State in 2000, Bishop played an integral role in the growth and continued success of the Yellow Jacket cross country and track & field programs.
Bishop was a nine-time NAIA All-American, earning the honor once in cross country (2002) and a combined eight times in indoor and outdoor track and field. He brought three individual NAIA national titles, including the indoor 1,000-meter run (2002), indoor mile run (2002) and outdoor 1,500-meter run (2003), while also adding one team NAIA national title in the indoor distance medley relay (2001).
Bishop set numerous Black Hills State track and field records, including seven indoor (600-meter, 800-meter, 1,000-meter, 1,500-meter, mile, 4x800-meter relay and distance medley relay) and four outdoor (800-meter, 1,500-meter, 4x800-meter relay and distance medley relay). He won six Dakota Athletic Conference titles and was named the Dakota Athletic Conference Most Valuable Senior in cross country in 2002 and track & field in 2003 at the DAC outdoor championship.
Bishop also earned Dakota Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete honors each season he competed as a Yellow Jacket and was a five-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Bishop was inducted into the Black Hills State University Athletic Hall of Fame on two different occasions, in 2012 as a member of the 2000 NAIA Cross Country National Championship runner-up team and in 2014 for his individual accomplishments in cross country and track.
Upon graduation, Bishop remained at Black Hills State University, serving two years as an assistant coach before beginning his teaching career at Spearfish Middle School in Spearfish, South Dakota. From 2005-2012, he taught middle school Physical Education and was an assistant coach on the Spearfish High School track team.
Bishop currently resides in his hometown of Lindsborg, Kansas, with his wife Wesleigh, and three boys – Kaden, Evan and Kallen. He works as a Physical Education and Health teacher at Salina Middle School in Salina, Kansas, and is also an assistant coach for the cross country and track and field teams at Salina South High School.
A native of Redlands, California, Brian Charles DeRoo was a three-sport athlete at Redlands High School, excelling in football, basketball and golf, before becoming an All-American in both football and track and field at the University of Redlands.
On the football field, DeRoo led the University of Redlands to four-straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships (1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977). The Bulldogs finished as the runner-up in the NAIA Division II National Championship game in 1976, where DeRoo was named the Outstanding Player of the Game. He was a three-time All- SCIAC First Team honoree (1975, 1976 and 1977), earned three consecutive All-District First Team honors (1975, 1976 and 1977) and was named a two-time NAIA All-American (1975 and 1976).
DeRoo also was a standout in track and field, excelling in both the decathlon and the triple jump. He won the SCIAC triple jump title in 1975, was a three-time District champion in the decathlon (1976, 1977 and 1978) and was a two-time NAIA All-American after two third-place finishes in the National Championships decathlon (1977 and 1978).
DeRoo was a fifth-round pick by the New York Giants in 1978, where he played for more than four seasons with the Giants and the Baltimore Colts before spending three more seasons playing in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Concorde. In 1979, DeRoo was named the Special Teams Player of the Year by the Baltimore Colts and recorded the season’s longest touchdown reception in a game against Tampa Bay.
DeRoo was inducted into the University of Redlands Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984 and his Bulldogs’ No. 2 football jersey was retired in 1978. He was also inducted to the Redlands High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Following his highly successful athletic career, DeRoo returned to Southern California where he served as a teacher and coach for more than 30 years. He has taught Physical Education, Math and Science, while also serving as a Counselor. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from Azusa Pacific University (1988) and received his Education Services Credential from Chapman University in 1998. DeRoo currently resides in Indio, California, with his wife Penny and twin children – Shianne and Nicholas.
A native of Boise, Idaho, Hillary Holt dominated the NAIA track middle-distance and cross country events during her College of Idaho career, becoming one of the most decorated athletes ever to don a Coyotes uniform.
Holt’s list of accolades at The College of Idaho are impressive, including earning 17 NAIA All-America honors, nine individual NAIA national titles and two additional relay national championships. She also produced eight total Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) individual championships. Holt was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year twice (2012, 2013) and Track & Field Athlete of the Year twice (2013, 2014), while earning CCC Athlete of the Year (all sports) in both 2013 and 2014.
In Cross Country, Holt was dominant during both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, winning nine individual races, including two-straight NAIA National Championship titles. She also helped her College of Idaho team to two consecutive national runner-up finishes.
In Indoor Track, Holt recorded a rare three-peat in back-to-back NAIA National Championships, winning the 3,000-meter and mile run in 2013 and the mile and 800-meter run in 2014, while also anchoring the College of Idaho’s distance medley relay to national titles in both years.
In Outdoor Track, Holt won three-straight 1,500-meter NAIA National Championship crowns. Her victory at the 2013 Oregon Relays established the fastest 1,500-meter time in NAIA history (4:11.62), while also meeting the standard for the U.S. Track and Field Outdoor Championships, where she was one of only three collegiate athletes to advance to the 1,500-meter final.
In addition to her numerous honors on the track and cross country course, Holt was also an exceptional student in the classroom. She received a degree in Exercise Science in 2014, while also earning minors in Spanish, Political Economy and Coaching. Holt was named to the Cascade Collegiate Conference All-Academic Team six times and also earned four NAIA Scholar-Athlete plaudits. Holt is also only one of two College of Idaho student-athletes to be honored as a two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Following her standout career as a student-athlete, Holt ran professionally for Adidas in Austin, Texas, before returning home to run for the Idaho Track Club, a group led by her former College of Idaho head coach, Patrick McCurry. After several injuries ended her running career, she spent time as an assistant coach at Concordia-Irvine. Holt currently resides in Costa Mesa, California, where she works as an instructor at SoulCycle.
Hailing from Mitchell, South Dakota, Scott Morgan left an imprint on the history of basketball in his hometown, starring first at Mitchell High School before becoming one of the most dominant players in the history of Dakota Wesleyan University.
Morgan totaled 2,810 career points in four years at Dakota Wesleyan, which stands as the second-most points in Tiger program history and remains as the fourth most points scored in the state of South Dakota collegiate basketball history. As a junior at DWU, Morgan led the NAIA Division II in scoring, averaging 30.6 points per game, while his rebounding average of 12.8 ranked fourth in the NAIA. He still holds the state record for most points scored in a college game (57) and his 887 points in the 1991-92 season are the second most points scored in a season in program history.
Morgan was a four-time South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) first-team All-Conference selection and was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player three times. He led the Tigers to two SDIC championships, in both 1990 and 1992. Morgan was named to the South Dakota All-College Team three times and was selected as the South Dakota College Male Athlete of the Year in 1993.
Morgan was a two-time NAIA first-team All-American (1992, 1993) and recognized as the NAIA Division II National Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1991-92 and 1992-93).
He became the fifth player in Dakota Wesleyan University men’s basketball history to have his jersey retired and was also elected to the DWU Hall of Fame in 2000.
Following his storied career at Dakota Wesleyan, Morgan remained in his hometown of Mitchell, South Dakota, with his wife Stacy, and three children – Cole, Connor and Payton. As an alumnus, Morgan is a key contributor to Dakota Wesleyan as a local business owner in Mitchell, frequently giving back to the Tiger athletic program and is a significant member of the DWU Booster Club.
A native of Dennison, Ohio, Bruce Polen was arguably the best defensive back in the history of William Penn University football. Polen was a key component on the Statesmen’ defense from 1969-1972, as he was known for covering the opposing teams’ best receiver and completely taking them out of the game.
Polen was a starter on one of the best defensive units in a four-year span at William Penn. In 1970, Polen played an important role on the Statesmen defense that allowed an average of 126 yards per game, which still remains an Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record. That same year, the Statesmen defense set two other school records, including fewest yards allowed in a game (3 yards) and lowest average rushing yards allowed in a season (68.5 yards). In 1972, Polen was on one of the winningest teams in WPU football history (10 wins), while the Statesmen’ 76 points allowed that season is also a William Penn school record.
Individually, Polen was a three-time first-team all-conference and all-region player at William Penn, while also being named a two-time NAIA first-team All-American. His 14 career interceptions are tied for the fifth most in Statesmen football history, while his seven interceptions in 1972 also rank tied for fifth all-time at William Penn.
Polen was drafted in the 14th round by the Oakland Raiders in 1973 and played on both the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders squads.
Following his playing career, Polen earned his Master of Arts degree at Central Missouri State University. He then entered the coaching ranks, serving as the defensive coordinator at Pittsburg State University for their 1981 National Runner-Up team. He also served as the Gorillas’ head coach during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, compiling a record of 13-6.
Polen was inducted into the William Penn University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
After his coaching career, Polen became a successful business owner. Polen is currently retired and resides in Pittsburg, Kansas, with his wife Vicky. They have two children, Jenny and Drew, and four grandchildren.
Jeff Bain, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, has been a mainstay on the campus of Martin Methodist College (MMC) for nearly 30 years. Bain first came to Martin Methodist in 1993 as the special assistant to the president with the responsibility of overseeing the transition of MMC from a two-year institution to a four-year institution before taking over as Athletic Director, a position he has held for 27 years.
Throughout his career at Martin Methodist, Bain has spearheaded many different campus initiatives, including the creation of the MMC Sports Hall of Fame, the development of the MMC Intercollegiate Athletic Policy and Procedure Manual, the startup of the RedHawks’ Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Champions of Character program, Student-Athlete Enhancement Program and Sport Management academic and intern program. He has also taken a lead role in the acquisition of land and the building of athletic venues at the school's East Campus Athletic Complex, the development of creative marketing and funding opportunities for Martin Methodist sports, while also launching eight new intercollegiate sport teams during his tenure.
Under Bain’s leadership, RedHawk athletic programs have captured over 30 conference championships, four NAIA National Championship crowns, four SCTP Clay Target National Championships, as well as had several National Coaches and Players of the Year.
Bain has been recognized by his peers on numerous occasions for his leadership at Martin Methodist, most recently named the NAIA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in 2014-15. In addition, he has been the TransSouth Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year five times, the NACDA Athletic Director of the Year on three occasions and the Southern States Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year once.
Bain’s most notable work has been his involvement and leadership within the NAIA. He helped initiate the development of a new NAIA-Athletic Directors Association (NAIA-ADA) structure that provided athletic directors a greater voice throughout NAIA membership. Bain helped foster a very strong relationship with the NAIA-ADA and the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors (NACDA), which brought the NAIA within NACDA’s official membership body.
Bain has also served on various NAIA committees, including the NAIA Region XI Management Committee, President and member of the Board of Directors of the NAIA-Athletic Directors Association and the National Administrative Council (NAC). He has also been heavily involved in the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), where he served on their Board of Directors culminating to his tenure as president in 2009-10. During his involvement with NACMA, Bain brought significant programming to the NAIA Convention each year in which he served.
Bain has been an important member in helping shape and guide the membership in important decisions and changes and his loyalty to Martin Methodist College and the NAIA have made him one of the most respected administrators in the NAIA.
Prior to joining Martin Methodist, Bain served the State of Tennessee for 15 years as a classroom educator and football and track coach at Tullahoma High School, Farragut High School and Giles County High School. Currently, Bain resides in Pulaski, Tennessee, with his wife, Donna, a retired teacher at Southside Elementary School. Bain and his wife have two children, Nathan and Rachel.
John Reynders came to Morningside College as its 12th president in 1999 and is now the longest serving president in the history of the institution. Reynders brought his successful approach to strategic planning and his philosophy of the relentless pursuit of excellence to Morningside, and has been the driving force for a period of great transformation for the campus throughout his 21-year tenure.
Reynders spearheaded Morningside’s transition from a struggling NCAA Division II institution to a flourishing NAIA success story. He developed a plan and worked tirelessly to execute those ideas to enhance the overall experience at Morningside College throughout many aspects of the campus community, including athletics, academics, fundraising, enrollment and facility renovations, ultimately making Morningside more attractive to prospective students and the community.
Under Reynders’ leadership, Morningside has thrived in athletics since moving to the NAIA, expanding from 12 varsity sports in 2000-01 to 28 varsity sports in 2019-20. The Mustangs have won six NAIA National Championships since 2004, including four in women’s basketball (2004, 2005, 2009 and 2015) and two in football (2018 and 2019), while also garnering numerous individual national honors in track and field, swimming and wrestling. Morningside has received the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) All-Sports trophy in six of the last nine years.
Over the last 20 years, Reynders helped raise more than $125 million, with $70 million dedicated to new and renovated facilities. He increased full-time enrollment by 75-percent and graduate enrollment by 700-percent and supported the successful launch of expanded research opportunities and opportunities for students to study abroad. Reynders introduced several new academic program offerings at Morningside, including Applied Agriculture and Food Studies, Criminal Justice, a Master of Science in Nursing program and the college’s first-ever doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Reynders’ guidance extends well beyond the campus at Morningside College, as he has been very involved at both the conference and national level. His involvement and leadership on numerous committees has greatly impacted the NAIA, including the NAIA’s Council of Presidents Executive Committee, Growth Advisory Panel, Drug Testing and Education Committee, Membership Committee, Competitive Experience Committee, Eligibility Task Force and the Football Championship Task Force.
The success of Morningside College during Reynders’ career is clearly visible from the outside, but more importantly, he has invigorated a sense of community that helped to build a culture of pride that continues to permeate the campus today.
Currently, President Reynders and his wife Robin, reside in Sioux City, Iowa, where they are dedicated supporters of Morningside College athletics and many other campus programs. Reynders and his wife have three sons – Matthew, Chuck and Jeremy.
Mark Campbell begins his 21st season at the helm of the Union University (Tenn.) women’s basketball program, having compiled a record of 613-94 and a winning percentage of .867 as the head coach of the Bulldogs.
Few programs in the NAIA have seen the levels of success and consistency that Campbell brought to Union in his tenure. Under Campbell’s direction, Union advanced to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship in each of his 13 seasons in the NAIA, including earning four National Championship red banners (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010).
The Bulldogs finished as the NAIA Division I National Runner-Up in both 2011 and 2012, while also compiling nine total appearances in the semifinals. They also won 11 TranSouth Conference regular-season titles and nine TranSouth Conference Tournament championships with Campbell at the helm.
Campbell was named the TranSouth Conference Coach of the Year six times and was awarded the Phyllis Holmes NAIA National Coach of the Year four times, including earning NAIA-WBCA National Coach of the Year honors twice (2004, 2008). Under Campbell, the Bulldogs have garnered four NAIA National Players of the Year and three NAIA National Championship Most Valuable Player honors.
Since making the transition to NCAA Division II in 2012-13, Campbell continued his success at Union, winning the Gulf South Conference (GSC) regular-season title five times, including two GSC Tournament championships. His Bulldog teams have qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship four times, including one trip to the Sweet Sixteen, one appearance in the Elite Eight, while advancing to the national semifinals in 2018. On January 10, 2019, Campbell made college basketball history, becoming the fastest coach at any level, both men and women, to win 600 career games.
Bill Cronin enters his 23rd season as the head coach of the Georgetown College (Ky.) football program, has built a resume that rivals the best in the NAIA coaching ranks.
Cronin has developed one of the most dominating programs in the recent history of NAIA Football, as the Tigers have assembled an impressive overall record of 199-56 (.780) in his 22 seasons at the helm. His 199 wins at Georgetown rank third all-time in the NAIA coaching ranks. Cronin has led Georgetown College to 15 NAIA Football postseason appearances, including two NAIA National Championship red banners (2000, 2001) and two NAIA National Runner-Up finishes (1999, 2002).
Under the direction of Cronin, the Tigers have won 14 Mid-South Conference championships, including nine consecutive from 1998-2006, for one of the most dominating runs in NAIA football history.
Cronin has been named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year eight times, including earning NAIA National Coach of the Year honors in both 2000 and 2001, as well as being named the AFCA Region Coach of the Year two times.
Under Cronin, the Tigers have produced nine Mid-South Conference Players of the Year and four NAIA National Players of the Year. Georgetown College has produced a total of 26 NAIA All-American selections since Cronin’s arrival in 1997, including 29 first-team honorees.
In addition to his tremendous success on the football field, Cronin has been an invaluable member of both the NAIA Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He served as the president of the NAIA Football Coaches Association in both 2007 and 2008 and became the first NAIA coach to be named to the AFCA Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2007. In 2018, Cronin became the first-ever NAIA coach to serve as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. He has been instrumental in advocating the NAIA as a recognized member of the AFCA and has been an active member of numerous AFCA committees and boards throughout his career.
Scott Morrissey enters his 31st season as the head coach of the Rio Grande University (Ohio) men’s soccer program, having built one of the most dominant programs in the history of the NAIA. In his 30 seasons leading the RedStorm, Morrissey has compiled an impressive record of 480-120-34 (.760). His 480 victories rank third all-time in the NAIA, while his .760 winning percentage is the second-best among active NAIA coaches.
Since 2001, Morrissey has led the University of Rio Grande to 18 consecutive NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship appearances, including two NAIA National Championship red banners (2003, 2015) and two NAIA National Runner-Up finishes (2008, 2016). The RedStorm advanced to the NAIA semifinals on six occasions, while also making 10 appearances in the quarterfinals.
Under the direction of Morrissey, the RedStorm have won 18 conference championships, including 10-straight from 1998-2007, for one of the most dominating runs in NAIA men’s soccer history. The RedStorm have been a fixture in the NAIA rankings under Morrissey, having appeared in 118 consecutive top-25 polls, which is the second-most all-time, and also churned out an unbelievable 112-game regular-season unbeaten streak from October 21, 2000, to September 16, 2006.
Morrissey has been named the River States Conference Coach of the Year 11 times, including earning NAIA National Coach of the Year honors in both 2003 and 2015. He has produced a total of six NAIA National Championship Most Valuable Players (two Championship MVPs, three Defensive MVPs, and one Offensive MVP), in addition to one NAIA National Player of the Year (William Paulino, 2015). The University of Rio Grande has produced a total of 58 NAIA All-American selections since Morrissey’s arrival in 1989, including 29 first-team honorees.
In addition to his tremendous success on the soccer pitch, Morrissey has been an active member of the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Association, serving on the NAIA All-American Selection Committee, functioning as a national rater and also as the Major League Soccer coordinator for the NAIA.
Before joining the coaching ranks, Morrissey was an outstanding soccer student-athlete at Tiffin University from 1985-88, earning conference player of the year honors in 1988, and was also a two-time NAIA All-American (1987, 1988). He is a member of both the Tiffin University Athletic Hall of Fame as a student-athlete and the University of Rio Grande Athletic Hall of Fame as a coach. Morrissey, who also serves as assistant director of athletics and director of compliance at Rio Grande, currently resides in Gallipolis, Ohio, and has two daughters, Allison and Samantha, and one son, Brenen.
Keith Veale begins his 31st season as the skipper of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) baseball program, having amassed an overall record of 1,016-525 (.659), and is one of just seven active NAIA coaches with over 1,000 career wins. In his 30 seasons leading the Cougars, he has posted 30 or more wins 22 times, while topping the 40-win plateau six times. In 1996, Veale set an NAIA record for the best winning percentage in a season, posting a record of 43-3, for an impressive .935 winning percentage.
Veale has led the Cougars to 10 regular-season conference championships between the American Mideast Conference (eight) and the Crossroads League (two), while also taking home conference tournament titles two times each in both the AMC Tournament (2010, 2011) and the Crossroads League Tournament (2012, 2014). He had six-straight appearances in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round from 2010-2015, while earning a berth to the NAIA World Series twice (1997, 2004).
Veale is a nine-time conference Coach of the Year (seven in the American Mideast Conference, twice in the Crossroads League), and won the NAIA Regional Coach of the Year award three times (1996, 1997, 2007). He has also led the Cougars to five NCCAA National Championships during his tenure and was named NCCAA Coach of the Year six times.
Under Veale, Mount Vernon Nazarene University has produced 12 NAIA All-Americans, one NAIA National Player of the Year (Andy Heimbach, 1999), has had eight players selected in the MLB Amateur Draft, while a total of 14 total student-athletes have played professional baseball.
Since coming to Mount Vernon Nazarene after graduation, and in addition to coaching baseball, he has served as the volleyball coach (1983), men’s soccer coach (1988), softball coach (1987-1989), campus intramural director (1979-1988) and athletics director (2014-2017). Veale was inducted into the Cougar Wall of Fame in October 2007, and also continues as an assistant professor of physical education at MVNU. He currently resides in Mount Vernon with his wife, Toni, and have two grown children, Elyia and Kodi.
A native of Thomasville, Georgia, Nick Dodson was the first-ever signee in Shorter University track and field history and went on to become one of the most decorated athletes ever to don a Hawks uniform.
At Shorter, Dodson became the first-ever athlete to become a four-time Mid-South Conference champion in the 400-meter hurdles. In his four years, he was a 10-time Mid-South Conference champion in three different events. He remains the record-holder for both Shorter University and the Mid-South Conference in the 400-meter hurdles, running his fastest race at a clip of 50.84. During his career at Shorter, he also holds school records in the indoor 200-meters, indoor and outdoor 4x400-meter relay, 4x100-meter relay and the indoor distance medley relay. In addition to his individual accomplishments, Dodson also led the Hawks to four-straight Mid-South Conference team championships (2008-11).
Nationally, Dodson was the NAIA National Champion in the 400-meter hurdles in 2011, while also finishing as the national runner-up in the event in his other three seasons (2008-10). He was an 11-time NAIA All-American in five different events, while also being named a two-time NAIA Champions of Character Award recipient. Dodson led the Shorter University men’s track and field team to both the 2011 NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships, winning the team titles at both championships in just the fifth year as a program.
While at Shorter, Dodson was involved in numerous other campus initiatives, including serving as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader, a resident assistant, and intramural program coordinator. In 2011, Dodson was also named the Shorter University Male Athlete of the Year. Upon graduation from Shorter, he also qualified for the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles.
Following his standout career as a student-athlete, Dodson moved into the coaching ranks, with stops at Florida Institute of Technology, Brewton-Parker College and Loyola University New Orleans, before starting the Southeastern University men’s and women’s track and field program in 2019.
In the inaugural season at Southeastern, a group of mostly freshman won both the men's and women's Sun Conference titles, sending multiple student-athletes to both the Indoor and Outdoor NAIA National Championships. Dodson earned Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors on both the men's and women's side during the program’s first season and was also named the South Region Women's Coach of the Year. Dodson currently resides in Lakeland, Florida, with his wife Latasha.
A native of Columbus, Nebraska, and a two-sport athlete at Concordia University, Ross Wurdeman was a standout on both the football field and the baseball diamond. Named to the NAIA All-Decade team of the 2000s, Wurdeman ended his playing career at Concordia as the Bulldogs’ record-holder in receptions (168), yards (2,458) and touchdowns (24).
Wurdeman twice garnered NAIA First Team All-America honors (2000, 2001) and was also a two-time first-team All-GPAC (2000, 2001) selection. As a senior, Wurdeman snagged 48 passes for 647 yards and seven touchdowns in leading the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record, co-GPAC title and berth in the NAIA playoffs. The 2001 team’s ten wins are the most in Concordia football history. During Wurdeman's four-year career, Concordia posted a combined record of 26-15.
On the baseball diamond, Wurdeman’s 22 career home runs rank as the second-most in program history. In his four years in a Bulldog uniform, Wurdeman batted .254 (103-for-405) and enjoyed his best season as a sophomore when he hit .343 (42-for-119) with nine home runs and 29 RBIs while slugging .655, earning honorable mention all-conference.
Wurdeman currently resides in his hometown of Columbus, Nebraska, with his wife Jill, and four daughters – Libby, Abby, Lauren and Nora. He works at Cornerstone Bank and is a member of the Columbus Leadership Alumni and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and is licensed with the Nebraska Department of Insurance. An active member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wurdeman has served his church as part of the finance committee and mission team and as a youth group leader and on the trustee committee.
Stan Harrison has been a mainstay on the campus of Tennessee Wesleyan University for over 35 years, serving in numerous roles in both coaching and athletic administration. He started his career in 1982 as the head coach of the Bulldogs’ women’s basketball team, compiling over 500 wins and guiding Tennessee Wesleyan to nine conference championships and seven NAIA National Championship appearances in 24 years on the sideline. Harrison also spent time coaching the Bulldogs’ men’s and women’s tennis, baseball and women’s golf teams.
Aside from his coaching duties, Harrison has served in many administrator roles at the institutional, conference and national level. At Tennessee Wesleyan, he has existed as the dean of students, director of athletics, vice president of enrollment services and interim president. Harrison has also served on the Council of Affiliated Conferences and Independents (1998-2000), a member of the NAIA’s Council of Athletic Administrators (2000-08), chairing the CAA from 2006-08, a member of the NAIA’s National Coordinating Committee (2006-08) and served as the first-ever chair of the NAIA’s National Administrative Council in 2008-09 when the governance structure transitioned from the CAA to the NAC. He also served on the transition and implementation committee, chairing the subcommittee on national championships and served on the Champions of Character® Committee, which helped develop the host management manual.
Harrison has received many awards for his success as an athletic administrator, including being named the NAIA Athletics Director of the Year, Region XII Athletics Director of the Year and NACDA Southeast Region AD of the Year in 2003 and earned the Charles Morris Administrator of the Year Award in 2009.
Harrison has been an important member in helping shape and guide the membership in important decisions and changes and his loyalty to Tennessee Wesleyan University and the NAIA have made him one of the most respected coaches and administrators in the NAIA throughout his tenure.
Currently, Harrison resides in Athens, Tennessee, where he serves as the head coach of the Tennessee Wesleyan women’s golf team, a role he has enjoyed since 2006. He and his wife Debbie have two children, Chris and Jennifer, and eight grandchildren.
Mike Van Diest enters his 20th season as the head coach of the Carroll College (Mont.) football program, having built a resume that rivals the best in the NAIA coaching ranks.
Van Diest has developed one of the most dominating programs in the recent history of NAIA Football, as the Fighting Saints have assembled an impressive overall record of 198-48 (.804) in his 19 seasons at the helm. He has led Carroll College to an NAIA-best six Football National Championships, including a run of four straight titles from 2002-2005. Coach Van Diest has tallied a 39-8 (.830) record in 14 NAIA National Championship appearances, and his 39 playoff victories are the most by a head coach in NAIA history.
Under the direction of Van Diest, the Fighting Saints have won 14 Frontier Conference championships, including 12 consecutive from 2000-2011, for one of the most dominating runs in college football history.
Van Diest has been named the Conference Coach of the Year 10 times, including earning NAIA National Coach of the Year honors by the American Football Association in 2003 and 2005, as well as being named the AFCA Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2007, 2010).
Under Van Diest, the Fighting Saints have produced nine Frontier Conference Defensive Players of the Year and four NAIA National Players of the Year. Carroll College has produced a total of 42 All-American selections since Van Diest’s arrival in 1999, including 29 first-team honorees.
Kim Elders begins his 26th season at the helm of the Cornerstone University (Mich.) men’s basketball program, having compiled a record of 652-233 and a winning percentage of .732 as the head coach of the Golden Eagles.
Few programs in the NAIA have seen the levels of success and consistency that Elders has brought to Cornerstone in his tenure. Under Elders’ direction, Cornerstone has advanced to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship 16 times, including earning three National Championship red banners (1999, 2011, 2015), while amassing an NAIA-leading 39 wins in the National Championship.
The Golden Eagles finished as the NAIA Division II National Runner-Up in 2017, while also compiling four total appearances in the Fab Four (2001, 2002, 2003, 2017). They have also advanced to the National Quarterfinals four times (2005, 2007, 2010, 2018), won 10 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament titles and 10 WHAC regular-season conference championships with Elders at the helm.
Elders has been named the Conference Coach of the Year eight times, including earning NAIA/NABC National Coach of the Year honors three times (1999, 2011, 2015). Under Elders, the Golden Eagles have boasted seven WHAC Players of the Year and one NAIA National Player of the Year. Cornerstone has a total of 31 All-American selections since 1999, including eight first-team honorees.
Scott Walkinshaw enters his 21st season as the head coach of the Black Hills State University (S.D.) men’s and women’s cross country programs, while also serving as the assistant coach for the Yellow Jacket track & field teams, leading the distance runners. Walkinshaw was previously the head coach of the Black Hills State track and field teams from 1998-2010 when the Yellow Jacket’s made their transition to NCAA Division II.
As a part of the NAIA’s former Dakota Athletic Conference, Walkinshaw’s cross country teams captured a combined 19 conference titles over an 11-year span. During that same time, Walkinshaw led Black Hills State to a total of 17 top-10 finishes at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships, including a combined team championship in 2000, as well as national runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2002. The dominance of the Yellow Jacket cross country programs under Walkinshaw saw both the men’s and women’s teams qualify for the NAIA National Championships every year from 2000-2008, a feat no other NAIA institution accomplished during that period. Walkinshaw has a knowledge and expertise of training methods for distance runners that is unprecedented, leading his Yellow Jacket teams and individual runners to a significant number of accolades over the years. Under the direction of Walkinshaw, 32 Yellow Jacket cross country runners earned NAIA All-America accolades, while an additional 218 All-American honors were collected by Black Hill State track and field student-athletes. Walkinshaw was named the Dakota Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 24 times, including earning NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coach of the Year honors in 2000. He also earned NAIA Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year honors on seven separate occasions. Under Walkinshaw, the Yellow Jacket student-athletes also excelled academically, earning the NAIA Scholar Team Award in eight of their 11 seasons, including 25 individual scholar-athlete team members.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Paul Chapman made an immediate impact when he arrived on campus at Dickinson State University, starting as a freshman on the offensive line in 1986. The Blue Hawks tallied a record of 35-5 in his four seasons, winning three conference championships and advancing to the NAIA playoffs in each of those three seasons. Chapman was an all-conference selection in each of his four seasons at Dickinson State and was a three-time NAIA All-America selection, including first-team honors in both 1988 and 1989. Chapman and fellow NAIA Hall of Fame inductee Rory Farstveet are the only three-time All-Americans in DSU football history. He was a part of two Blue Hawk undefeated regular season teams (1986 and 1987) and was on the Dickinson State team that won its first NAIA playoff game in school history in 1989. In 2002, Chapman was elected to the Dickinson State University Hall of Fame.
Following his standout career at Dickinson State University, Chapman was a fourth-round selection of Saskatchewan Rough Riders of Canadian Football League in 1990, where he played two seasons. He transitioned to the University of North Dakota in 1992, where he served as the director of strength and conditioning until 2001. Chapman’s efforts were an integral part of a winning tradition at UND, as the football team was the Division II national champions in 2001, the men’s ice hockey team won a Division I national title in 2000 and 1997 and the women’s basketball team was the Division II national champion in 1997, 1998 and 1999. He currently resides in Durham, N.H., where he is in his 17th year as the director of strength and conditioning at the University of New Hampshire.
A product of Edmond, Okla., Sydney Cox was a key component of the most successful program in NAIA women’s golf. A member of the Oklahoma City University team from 2006-09, Cox was a part of four-straight NAIA National Championship red banners and one of the most dominant runs in the history of NAIA women’s golf.
Cox was a four-time collegiate individual champion, winning her first-ever tournament as a Star at the 2005 SNU Invitational while closing out her career on top as the 2009 NAIA Individual National Champion. She was a three-time All-America selection, including first-team honors in both 2007 and 2009, and also served as the team captain in her junior and senior seasons at Oklahoma City. During her time at Oklahoma City, Cox excelled in the classroom as well, being named to the President’s Honor Roll (semester GPA of 3.90 or higher) three times, while also earning the NAIA Scholar-Athlete award twice (2008, 2009). Cox also was a recipient of the Jim Wade Award at OCU, the highest honor a student-athlete can receive while on campus, which is an accolade that recognizes leadership, community service, academic and athletic achievement. Upon graduation from Oklahoma City University in 2009, Cox went on to play professionally for the past nine years, where she has maintained status on multiple tours, both domestic and international. She is a current member of the Symetra Tour, Suncoast Series Tour, CN Canadian Women’s Tour and Australian Tour. Her best finish on the professional circuit came in 2015 at the 2015 Remington GC Suncoast Event, where she finished in second place. In 2010, Cox was also elected to the Edmond Junior Golf Hall of Fame.
A product of Beach, N.D., Rory Farstveet was originally recruited to the University of Oklahoma by Barry Switzer. After spending one red-shirt season in Norman, Farstveet transferred to Dickinson State University, where he would go on to become one of the most dominant players in DSU history and the North Dakota Collegiate Athletic Conference as an offensive lineman. The Blue Hawks tallied a record of 35-8 in his four seasons, winning four conference championships and advancing to the NAIA playoffs in each of those seasons. In his four-year career, Dickinson State advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals in 1989 and 1990, and Farstveet helped lead the Blue Hawks to their best finish in school history in 1991, advancing to the semifinal round against Pacific Lutheran.
Farstveet was an all-conference selection in each of his four seasons at Dickinson State and was a three-time NAIA All-America selection, including first-team honors in both 1991 and 1992. He was also named the North Dakota Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year as an offensive lineman in his senior season in 1992. Farstveet and fellow NAIA Hall of Fame inductee Paul Chapman are the only three-time All-Americans in DSU football history. In 2004, Farstveet was elected to the Dickinson State University Hall of Fame. Farstveet currently resides in his hometown of Beach, N.D., where he is a successful farmer, rancher and family man. He also spent time coaching football at his former high school, Beach High.
A native of Rock Valley, Iowa, Deb Remmerde-Leusink ended her playing career at Northwestern College with a 108-26 record, including a 2006 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship semifinals appearance, a 2007 quarterfinalist finish and ultimately a 2008 National Championship title for her team.
Remmerde-Leusink is the Red Raiders’ all-time leading scorer (3,854 points), which ranks first all-time in NAIA Division II women's basketball history. She also holds several other career records at Northwestern, including three-point field goals made (481), three-point percentage (.542) and free throw percentage (.958). A sharp-shooter from anywhere on the court, Remmerde-Leusink also holds the record for the most points in a single NAIA DII Women’s Basketball National Championship, tallying 177 points in the 2008 event, nabbing Tournament MVP honors in the process. She was a four-time NAIA First Team All-American, while also earning NAIA National Player of the Year accolades in both 2006 and 2008.
Following her standout career at Northwestern College, Remmerde-Leusink received a tryout with the Houston Comets of the WNBA, and eventually went on to play professionally for a brief stint in Germany before suffering a career-ending injury. She began her coaching career in 2009 with a graduate assistant position at South Dakota State University, before returning to her alma mater in 2011 as an assistant coach under current Red Raiders’ leader, Chris Yaw. Remmerde-Leusink is a member of the Northwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame. She currently resides in her hometown of Rock Valley, Iowa, with her husband Barry, and is a full-time stay at home mom to their three young children.
A product of Turpin, Okla., Lynn Scott was a standout on defense and special teams for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University football program from 1997-2001. Amassing a career record of 38-9 in his four seasons in a Rangers uniform, Scott led his team to two-straight NAIA National Championship games, winning the title in 1999 and finishing as the national runner-up in 2000.
He was a three-time NAIA first-team All-American, earning honors as a punt returner in 1998 and as a defensive back in both 1999 and 2000. Scott earned Central States Football League Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2001 after tallying 72 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He also returned 26 punts for a school record 595 yards and four touchdowns. In his four seasons as a Ranger, Scott totaled 298 tackles, 13 interceptions, five touchdowns and a school record 1,337 punt return yards. Scott also excelled academically, graduating magna cum laude with his Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 2001, earning a cumulative GPA of 3.89.
Following his successful career at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Scott earned a spot on the Dallas Cowboys roster as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played three professional seasons with the Cowboys where he made significant contributions on both defense and special teams. Scott saw action in 66 games as a Cowboy before his career was halted by a herniated disc in his lower back. In 2004, before his injury, Scott started nine games alongside Cowboy greats Roy Williams and Darren Woodson.
In 2012, Scott was elected to the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame. He currently resides in his hometown of Turpin, Okla., where he works for Unit Corporation Oil and Gas Company, a diversified energy company engaged through its subsidiaries in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas.
A hometown product of Oklahoma City, Okla., Kesha Watson was a two-time Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA National Player of the Year in her 2003 and 2004 seasons. Watson led Oklahoma City to an incredible 142-7 record including four-straight conference titles and four trips to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship game, capturing the crown in 2001 and 2002 while earning two national runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004.
Watson shattered the Stars’ women’s basketball record book, finishing her career at the top of OCU’s charts in points (2,658), assists (675), steals (433), field goals (968) and free throws made (484). She also set single-season records in points (962), assists (179), steals (143), three-pointers (106) and three-point attempts (297).
Upon graduation from Oklahoma City in 2004, Watson enjoyed a five-year professional career in both the United States and abroad. Since then, she has joined the coaching ranks, with stops along the way as an assistant coach at Montana Tech (2013-14), Garden City Community College (2015-16) and Loyola University-Chicago (2015-16), before landing at her current post at Barton County Community College. In 2012 Watson became just the second women’s basketball player in Oklahoma City University history to be inducted into the Stars’ Hall of Fame.
Dr. James Coleman, a native of Jackson, Miss., has been a mainstay at Tougaloo College, from his years as a two-sport student-athlete on campus, to his service as men’s basketball coach, sports information director and professor of education, to his 33 years as the director of athletics of the Bulldogs’ athletic programs. Dr. Coleman has dedicated a remarkable 56 years to higher education and has been a pioneer in the development and growth of Tougaloo College and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).
Dr. Coleman’s lifelong commitment to intercollegiate athletics has stood the test of time as an educator, coach and administrator. As an educator and coach, Dr. Coleman accepted the ever-changing landscape of student-athletes and has guided young men and women through the challenges of societal pressures, taking pride in seeing the growth of his students and becoming productive beyond athletics. As an administrator, Dr. Coleman has provided the leadership at Tougaloo College to balance high academic standards with success in athletic competition, fielding teams that regularly compete for GCAC Championships, while also consistently graduating its student-athletes at a very high rate. He has served as a member of the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC) for the past six years and was named the GCAC Athletic Director of the Year twice in the past six years (2012, 2018).
Beyond his scope of work on campus, in the GCAC and as an NAIA member institution, Dr. Coleman’s career path has also encompassed a number of diverse experiences outside of athletics. He desegregated housing at Memphis State University and the University of Mississippi in the early 1960s, also becoming the first African-American assistant basketball coach at Ole Miss. Dr. Coleman earned the respect of community leaders and was named a member of the Red Cross Board of Directors (1999-2004), served on the City of Jackson's Planning and Zoning Board (1998-2004) and was chairman of the Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports for the State of Mississippi (1980-1986). In 1997 he was inducted into the Tougaloo National Alumni Association Hall of Fame for his service in athletics.
The contributions and accomplishments of Dr. Coleman over his long-standing tenure in intercollegiate athletics are immense. His leadership and dedication has extended beyond Tougaloo Collee, the GCAC and the NAIA, as Dr. Coleman is truly a trailblazer in intercollegiate athletics.
A native of Billings, Mont., Bruce Parker has dedicated nearly 40 years of his life to intercollegiate athletics, with the last 15 years spent at two successful NAIA institutions. Parker, who recently stepped down after three years from his full-time director of athletics responsibilities at Rocky Mountain College, transitioned to a part-time consultant role with RMC for the next two years. He had spent the previous 12 years as the director of athletics at Carroll College.
Parker’s impact on intercollegiate athletics is immeasurable, as his passion, dedication and wisdom to the profession has shaped the Frontier Conference into one of the most successful leagues in the NAIA. During his tenure at Rocky Mountain, the Battlin’ Bears made great strides. He was instrumental in the renovation of Herb Klindt Field in 2016, made tremendous progress in the corporate partnership program, solidified and directed a talented coaching staff and helped secure the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament in Billings from 2017-19.
Parker came to Rocky Mountain College after serving as the Director of Athletics at Carroll College in Helena. His accomplishments at Carroll include record attendance at home athletic events, hosting numerous NAIA Football playoff games, record-setting years with corporate fundraising and funds generated by the Saints’ Athletic Association. Parker exceeded Carroll’s expectations for fundraising, made strides toward initiating enhancements to athletic facilities and added eight athletic teams.
In his 15 years in the NAIA, Parker was named the Frontier Conference Athletic Director of the Year eight times, along with twice being recognized as one of the NACDA/Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year (2009, 2011).
Parker is a member of NAIA Athletic Director’s Association (ADA) Board of Directors and previously served as the ADA’s president. He served on the NAIA’s National Administrative Council (NAC) for 15 years, keeping the Frontier Conference in the forefront of NAIA athletics. Parker has served on the NAIA National Strategic Planning Council, a position appointed by NAIA CEO and President, Jim Carr, and has also served as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors (NACDA) National Executive Committee for five years.
With a clear vision for athletics and through his leadership, passion and commitment, Parker has positioned both Rocky Mountain College and Carroll College, the Frontier Conference and the NAIA for more great things to come. He is a valued and respected administrator who has served the NAIA in many facets, creating a positive and winning atmosphere in all walks of his life.
A hometown hero who stayed in Orange City, Iowa, to play for Northwestern College (Iowa), Brandon Woudstra ended his Red Raider playing career with an incredible 112-21 overall record, leading Northwestern to two NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championships (2001, 2003) and another NAIA National Championship semifinal appearance (2002).
Woudstra is the Red Raiders’ all-time leading scorer (2,478 points) and assists leader (348), while also ranking sixth all-time in career rebounds (896) at Northwestern. He was a three-time NAIA All-America selection (2001 – Honorable Mention; 2002 – Second Team; 2003 – First Team), a two-time NAIA National Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player (2001, 2003) and earned NAIA National Player of the Year honors in 2003. Woudstra was also a two-time NAIA Scholar Athlete and the recipient of the NAIA Emil S. Liston Award in 2002.
Following his standout career at Northwestern College, Woudstra played professionally in Europe for six years where he was a five-time All-Star and scoring leader. Woudstra was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2017 and currently resides in Orange City where he is the Market President at American State Bank.
A product of Tulsa, Okla., Jeff McLaughlin was a key component on one of the most dominant four-year spans of any Oklahoma City University baseball team to date, helping the Stars to an amazing 252-40 overall record during his four years on campus. McLaughlin was a part of three NAIA World Series teams, including one NAIA National Championship red banner (2005) and two NAIA World Series runner-up finishes (2003, 2004).
McLaughlin pitched in 95 games in his Oklahoma City University career, notching a record of 29-6, while also collecting 35 saves. He is the Stars’ all-time leader in career saves (35) and strikeouts (270) and also holds the OCU single-season saves record (19). His 19 saves logged in 2004 is also an NAIA record.
He was an NAIA All-America selection in 2006, a two-time NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team selection (2003, 2005) and a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete honoree (2005, 2006). McLaughlin also was the inaugural recipient of the Jim Wade Award at OCU, the highest honor a student-athlete can receive while on campus, which is an accolade that recognizes leadership, community service, academic and athletic achievement.
Upon graduation from Oklahoma City University in 2006, McLaughlin played one season with the Fargo Red Hawks, an Independent professional team, winning the Northern League Championship title. After his baseball days were over, McLaughlin was employed as a probation and parole officer with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. In 2014 he was awarded Employee of the Year for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Internal Affairs and was recently promoted in 2016 to as the PREA Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
A native of Bloomington, Ind., Eric Brand helped Bethel College (Ind.) to an unbelievable 135-22 overall record during his four years on campus, leading the Pilots to two NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championships (1997, 1998) and another NAIA National Championship runner-up finish (1999).
Brand is the Pilots’ all-time leading scorer (2,696 points) and also holds three other career records at Bethel, including field goals made (1,018), free throws made (659) and games played (157). He was a three-time NAIA All-America selection (1998 – Honorable Mention; 1999 – Second Team; 2000 – First Team), a two-time NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team selection (1998, 1999) and a three-time first team All-Conference selection in the Crossroads League.
Following his standout career at Bethel College, Brand played professionally in Europe and the United State for seven years, winning the International Basketball League Championship in 2006 while also being named the IBL Most Valuable Player (2006). Brand was inducted into the Bethel College Hall of Fame in 2003 and also had his Pilots’ No. 55 jersey retired. After his playing days were done, Brand’s love for the game has seen him in a number of coaching positions, including his alma mater, Bethel College, as well as New Mexico State University, Baylor University and Texas State University. Brand recently nabbed his first head coaching job as he took over the program at Riley High School in South Bend, Ind.
Dale Neal begins his 24th season at the helm of the Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) women’s basketball program, having compiled a record of 639-172 and a winning percentage of .787 as the head coach of the Lady Lions.
Few programs in the NAIA have seen the levels of success and consistency that Neal has brought to Freed-Hardeman in his tenure. Over that time frame, the Lady Lions are one of only two programs to have won at least 20 games and competed in the NAIA National Championship every year.
Under Neal’s direction, Freed-Hardeman has been a fixture in both the NAIA Top-25 poll and the NAIA National Tournament. The Lady Lions have made five total appearances in the Fab Four (1999, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014) and one appearance in the National Championship game (2014). They have also advanced to the National Quarterfinals three times (2004, 2005, 2006), won seven conference tournament titles and six regular-season conference championships.
Neal has been named the Conference Coach of the Year eight times, including earning WBCA/NAIA National Coach of the Year honors for 2016-17. The Lady Lions have boasted 10 Conference Players of the Year and three WBCA/NAIA National Players of the Year. Freed-Hardeman has a total of 26 All-American selections since 1999, including 13 first-team honorees.
T.J. Nelson served as the head coach of the University of Montana Western wrestling program from 1987 to 1996, during a time in which the Bulldogs achieved unprecedented levels of success. In just 10 seasons, Nelson led Montana Western to two NAIA District 12 Championships (1989, 1994) and eight top-10 finishes at the NAIA National Championship, including five top-five finishes (1989 – 4th, 1990 – 3rd, 1991 – 3rd, 1992 – 3rd) and one National Championship (1994).
Nelson’s Montana Western program produced 36 NAIA All-Americans, eight individual national champions and three Academic All-Americans. He was named the NAIA District 12 and National Coach of the Year in 1994 and was also selected as the Rookie Coach of the Year by Wrestling News magazine in 1988.
While at Montana Western, Nelson played an integral role in bringing the NAIA National Championship to Butte, Montana for two seasons (1993, 1994). Nelson also served on the National Championship Committee from 1991-94 and spent five years as a part of the NAIA National Seeding Committee. Nelson was inducted into the Hall of Fame at both the University of Montana Western (2005) and Whitehall (Mont.) High School (2017).
A native of Trail, British Columbia, Gary Picone has been a mainstay on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College in a variety of roles throughout his storied career. Picone first came to Lewiston in 1972 as an outfielder on the Warriors’ baseball team, and after a three-year playing career he joined the baseball coaching staff as a student assistant. He also served as the Warriors’ pitching coach from 1983-1989 under NAIA Hall of Fame coach Ed Cheff.
In 1991, Picone began his first stint as the Lewis-Clark State College Director of Athletics and was instrumental in bringing the NAIA World Series back to Lewiston. The Series was held on the campus of LC State for an eight-year period from 1984-1991 before moving to several different cities through the 1999 season, but Picone engineered a plan for the World Series to return to Lewiston where Lewis-Clark State College hosted its 18th consecutive World Series in 2017. Based on his leadership, vision and dedication to integrating the Lewiston community into the event, Picone has cemented the Baseball World Series as one of the most successful NAIA National Championships year after year.
Picone entered his second term as Director of Athletics in 2006, where he created a culture of excitement on the LC State campus and Lewiston community while spearheading the fundraising efforts for numerous facility enhancements and improvements. He headed the growth of the Lewis-Clark State College athletics programs, expanding from six sports and 85 student-athletes to its current level of 12 sports and over 200 student-athletes. Under his guidance, Warriors teams regularly compete at a highly successful level in both the Frontier Conference and in NAIA National Championship competition.
In addition to his work at Lewis-Clark State College, Picone has devoted many years of service to the NAIA as a member of the National Administrative Council, as well as countless other tasks forces and committees. Picone is a true ambassador of the NAIA and has helped shape Lewis-Clark State College into the forefront of the Frontier Conference and the NAIA.
Dr. Thomas Ronald Melton, better known as Ron to his friends and students, has been educating and inspiring student-athletes and administrators at Brewton-Parker College for 39 years. Dr. Melton began his career at Brewton-Parker in 1976 as a faculty member and has held numerous positions on campus, including Distinguished Professor of History, Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs, and Provost.
Dr. Melton served as the Brewton-Parker Faculty Athletics Representative for 30 years from 1986-2017, earning the NAIA Wally Schwartz Award Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year Award in 2001-02. He continues to serve as the Southern States Athletic Conference Eligibility Chair, a position he has held for over 35 years, and has been the Chair of the SSAC Eligibility Committee since 2011.
His service to the Association has shown no boundaries, as Ron has chaired three NAIA committees during his tenure, including the NAIA Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives, the NAIA National Coordinating Committee and the NAIA Committee on Competitive Experience, as well as serving in membership capacities on numerous other committees. Dr. Melton also continues to act as the Parliamentarian at the annual NAIA Convention.
Dr. Melton has enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career as a professor and administrator at Brewton-Parker College and remains a consistent supporter of and advocate for the NAIA throughout his time in higher education.
Meg Schebler, who hails from Davenport, Iowa, has played an integral role in the NAIA for nearly 20 years and has been successful in many different leadership positions throughout her tenure. Schebler began her career as the head women’s basketball coach and Director of Athletics at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, where she spent nearly 18 years before the institution closed its doors in 2015. Ashford’s Athletics Department grew tremendously and improved dramatically under Schebler’s leadership. She served on the Campus Leadership Team and her hard work helped establish positive relationships for Ashford with the Midwest Collegiate Conference, the Association of Independent Institutions and the NAIA.
For her diligence and progress at Ashford, Schebler was named the 2007 MCC Conference Athletic Director of the Year as well as the 2007 NAIA Region VII Athletic Director of the Year. In 2012, she was honored as the Women Leaders in College Sports Administrator of the Year and was the recipient of the 2012-13 NACDA Under Armour AD of the Year Award.
Schebler has been active at the NAIA conference, regional and national levels throughout her career, serving on multiple committees and in various leadership positions. She has served as an at-large member of the NAIA National Administrative Council, the NAIA Gender Equity Committee, Hall of Fame and Honors Committee and the Champions of Character Advisory Committee, as well as leadership positions within the Midwest Collegiate Conference and Association of Independent Institutions. She has been a past officer of the NAIA Athletic Directors’ Association, serving as President in 2006-07 and served for many years as the Chair of the NAIA DII Women's Basketball Tournament Committee. Schebler has been a guest lecturer and adjunct instructor in Sports Management courses, as well as a regular presenter at the NAIA and Women Leaders in College Sports National Conventions.
Schebler transitioned to her current role of Assistant Commissioner of the Association of Independent Institutions in January of 2017, where she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the league. Her long history of service and numerous contributions to the NAIA show her level of commitment to achieving the mission of the Association, its staff and member institutions.
A hometown hero who stayed in Orange City, Iowa to play for Northwestern (Iowa), Rachel (Binneboese) Leavitt ended her playing career with a 101-27 overall record. This record includes a 1999 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship second round appearance, a 2000 national runner-up and ultimately a 2001 national championship title for her team. Rachel made an immediate impact as a freshman for the Raiders and eventually led her team to the national championship her senior year. As a forward, Rachel scored 2,515 points, pulled down 1,118 rebounds and had 288 steals in her career. She was a 1998 NAIA Second Team All-American, 1999 and 2000 First Team All-American, NAIA Scholar Athlete, Emil S. Liston national winner and the National Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001. Rachel currently serves as a school principal in Iowa.
A 2001 NAIA National Wrestler of the Year, Turk Lords is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Montana State-Northern history. Turk had a successful athletic career at Montana State-Northern, achieving a 126-10 overall record in wrestling competition. He was a four-straight NAIA national champion, starting in 1998 until 2001 in the 197-pound weight class. He also earned All-America status all four years of his career. In 2013, Turk was inducted into the Montana State-Northern Hall of Fame. He continues to coach wrestling while also owning two businesses.
Just like most Montana State-Northern wrestlers, Emmett Willson found success on the mat during his career. After four years and a 163-16 overall record, Emmett is another legend coming out of the program. Every season during his collegiate career, Emmett placed in the top-three at the national championship, winning third place in 2001 before going on a three-year national championship winning streak (2002-2004). In 2004, Emmett was a Dan Hodge Winner which recognizes the most outstanding wrestler of the year, and was inducted into the Montana State-Northern Hall of Fame in 2014. Since his career has ended, Emmett has become the owner and project manager for his company, Diamond J.
A native of Jamaica, Dennis Williams-Mitchell was a four time NAIA National Champion for track and field. The Wayland Baptist (Texas) alum won the triple jump twice in the indoor season and once during the outdoor season, as well as winning the 100-meter hurdles in the outdoor championships in 1987. She was a 22-time All-American (10 indoor, 12 outdoor) and was a part of two team national championships. Denise held the Wayland Baptist triple jump record for 20 years, the 100-meter hurdle record for six and still holds the shuttle hurdle relay record at the institution. She was voted by her teammates as the 1988 Roscoe Snyder Award winner which is given to the top senior student-athlete. Since her collegiate days have ended, Denise moved to Canada where she became an account representative and now a real estate agent.
Larry Wilcox has been the head coach at Benedictine (Kan.) for 37 years and holds a 263-140 record heading into the 2016 season. In his time with the Ravens, he has led them to 12 football championship series appearances, including two semifinal appearances in 1992 and 2001. Within the Heart of America Athletic Conference, Wilcox has led his team to six conference championships. He is a two-time AFCA Region Coach of the Year and an NAIA District 10 Athletic Administrator of the Year. Wilcox has been a lifetime member of the AFCA for 33 years and is a former NAIA Football Coaches Association President.
His career wins total is the most of any four-year collegiate head coach in the history of the state of Kansas at any level and he has the second most active wins among all NAIA coaches heading into the 2016 season. He also holds the second-most all-time wins in NAIA history, only one of two football coaches with more than 260 wins.
Going into his 21st season at the head of the Vanguard (Calif.) women’s basketball team, Russ Davis has a record of 525-129. He took his teams to 19 national championship tournaments in 20 years, four of those including semifinal appearances. Russ is a four-time NAIA Coach of the Year and a member of the Vanguard Hall of Fame. He has led his team to 11 Golden State Athletic Conference championships and been named the GSAC Coach of the Year nine times. He is the all-time leader in wins and winning percentage for the conference, and also holds the GSAC record for most conference victories in a single season when the Lions went undefeated in conference in back-to-back seasons.
He has 29 wins at the NAIA national championship, which is the highest of any active coach. His teams have been ranked in 170-straight national polls as of the 2015-16 season and ranked No. 1 41 times, which is third overall in history. They are also one of only two teams to be ranked No. 1 all season.
Lonnie Kruse was the head coach for the Sterling (Kan.) women’s basketball team for 33 years where he amassed a 706-244 overall record, the most coaching wins in Kansas women’s basketball history. After his playing time ended at Sterling, he decided to take on the challenge of becoming a women’s basketball coach. That decision started a coaching legacy that is strong in Kansas history.
Under Kruse’s guidance, the Warriors won 12 KCAC regular-season championships and made the NAIA national championship 16 times, including 10 second round, two quarterfinal and one semifinal appearances. His personal honors include being inducted into the Sterling College Hall of Fame and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He is also the namesake for the Sterling College basketball court and the KCAC Coach of the Year award. Lonnie is now enjoying retirement in Sterling.
The amount of talent within the Montana State-Northern wrestling program is very evident. One of the leaders of this program, David Ray, has helped to promote that legacy of success. David led the wrestling program to four national championships in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004, when he was also named National Coach of the Year. At the end of his career with Montana State-Northern, he had accomplished an overall record of 158-96-5. After his coaching time ended, Ray had a four season-stint with Southern Illinois-Edwardsville before retiring.
or 2015, the Hall of Fame committee has selected Dr. Joyce Pigge of Bethany College for meritorious service. Joyce has been involved in intercollegiate athletics on the institutional, conference, and national levels for over 45 years. She began her career at Bethany when she pioneered the inception of women’s athletics in the 1970s. Joyce has served Bethany as professor of political science and took on the title of Faculty Athletic Representative in 1979, a position which she has held since.
On the conference level, Joyce has been the Eligibility Chair of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference since 1994 and the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference since 2007. She has served as the Eligibility Chair and Faculty Athletics Representative for the KCAC since 1996. Joyce has also been active in her participation with the NAIA, by serving on the National Executive Committee and the National Coordinating Committee.
Van Aswegen is a three-time All-American (2002, 2003, and 2004) from Oklahoma City University. He accumulated seven wins, including five wins his senior year. He was a member of four national championship teams and received NAIA Championships all-tournament honors in 2003. In his senior year, he led the NAIA with a stroke average of 70.73. In addition to winning the 2002 NAIA Player of the Year award, he also won the individual championship.
Tyrone is a Professional Golfer currently playing in his second season on the PGA Tour. Van Aswegen earned his PGA Tour card for the 2014 season after finishing in the Top 25 ranking on the Web.com Tour on 2013. He made 15 cuts in 25 PGA Tour starts and recorded four Top 25 finishes while finishing in a career-best 16th place at the HP Byron Nelson Classic.
Haines played basketball for the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers from 2000-2004. During that time, she became the biggest name in the history of DWU women’s basketball. The Tiger teams featuring Randi were the most successful in school history, with the team reaching the NAIA National Tournament three times in her four years.
Randi holds the DWU career scoring record by more than 700 points, with 2,557 for her career. She is the second-leading scorer in the history of South Dakota college basketball at any level and is South Dakota’s all-time leader in rebounds with 1,544. She was the National Player of the Year, three-time All-American, and the first Tiger to be named to the All-GPAC team for four straight seasons.
After graduation, Randi played professionally for BG Gottingen, Germany. She was inducted into the DWU Hall of Fame in 2009, and she was the first DWU women’s basketball player to have her jersey, No. 54, retired.
Hollis was an NAIA track & field national champion pole vaulter in 2006 and 2007. In 2014 he was the USA Outdoor National Champion, finished the season ranked second in the world, broke 19’ in Liege, Belgium – at the time, the highest jump in 2014Â –Â and was the runner-up at the USA Indoor National Championship.
Mark was inducted into the Olivet Nazarene Hall of Fame in 2013. Other accolades include winning the 2011 USA Indoor National Championships, and placing 6th at the 2012 and 2013 USA Indoor National Championships. He also represented team USA at the World Championships in 2011.
Coach Kessler has been the Head Basketball Coach at Grace College for 38 years. He has defined the program at Grace, leading his team to nine NAIA DII National Tournament appearances, four quarterfinal appearances, two semifinal appearances, and one NAIA National Championship title. Over the years, Kessler has been named Coach of the Year five times, and his team is currently ranked 4th on the All-Time Active Wins list for DII Men’s Basketball.
Coach Kessler is the longest-tenured head men’s basketball coach in the state of Indiana and was selected as the 2006 NABC Guardians of the Game National service award winner. In addition, he won the NAIA-NABC Men’s Basketball Merit Award in 2011-12 and represented team USA as the coach for the 2013 World University Games.
Lucias Mitchell was Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Kentucky State University. Coach Mitchell lived and breathed basketball, and his 325-103 record in 15 years more than speaks for itself. His Kentucky State teams won three straight NAIA National titles in '70, ’71, and ’72. During those championship years, two of his players were drafted in the first round of the NBA in back-to-back seasons, a first in men’s basketball history. Mitchell’s teams never lost a District game, winning six straight at Kentucky State and three straight at Norfolk State for a perfect 18-0 record. He ranks as the 28th all-time winningest coaches (all divisions) with a career win percentage of .759.
Coach Mitchell has been recognized nationally and internationally for his coaching. He was selected as a lecturer at the 1972 Summer Olympics and coached All-Star teams in Venezuela in the summers of '71 and '72. He was also named the first African American officer of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1970 as KSU was a dual member of both affiliations, NAIA Coach of the Year in 1971, and Universal Sports Coach of the Year in 1972.
Richie has served as the Olivet Nazarene Head Softball Coach from 1995-2000 and then again from 2002-2013. He has compiled an overall record of 887-293-1 and a conference record of 252-37-1. Richie is currently second in the top 25 softball active winningest coaches in the NAIA. He has led the Tigers to 10 regular-season Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and 12 CCAC Tournament championships.
Ritchie was named the CCAC Coach of the Year 12 times, NFCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year 10 times, NCCAA National Coach of the Year 5 times, NCCAA North Central Region 10 times, and NAIA Region Coach of the Year 5 times. Richardson was inducted into the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s Hall of Fame in October of 2005 and the Olivet Nazarene University Athletic Hall of Fame in November of 2011, both as a coach.
Mattias Johansson of Vanguard University has been named to the 2015-16 NAIA Hall of Fame and is the 2015 NAIA Coach of Character. The Coach of Character award is presented by Herff Jones and is given annually to an NAIA head coach who has embraced the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program, demonstrated character through sport and instilled a culture of community leadership through volunteering or service.
April (Reed) Hoy has spent the last 15 years at Azusa Pacific (Calif.) serving as the assistant athletic director and for the university's 19 sports. Since returning to her alma mater in 1999, she has held prominent roles on university and national committees, including three years as president of the NAIA-Athletic Trainers Association (2004-07). In the 2001-02 NAIA Medical Guidelines Handbook, she contributed NAIA guidelines in regards to eating disorders, one of numerous works Reed Hoy has had published throughout the years. Athletically, she became the first Azusa Pacific female athlete to earn AII-Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) honors in two different sports (softball and soccer).
For 36 years, John Hudson has served the NAIA as the only commissioner in the history of the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). Since its founding in 1978, Hudson helped develop the constitution of the conference and has been instrumental in guiding the SAC to the prominent level that it is at today, as the SAC has raised more national championship trophies than any other conference. Hudson has never taken a salary in his position – and has funded league initiatives out of his own pocket – symbolizing his dedication to his work and the betterment of the student-athletes. He also is a current member of the NAIA's Conference Commissioners Association.
Will Carlton played and lettered for Georgetown (Ky.) for three seasons (1997-2000) and helped the school win its first basketball national championship in his first season in 1998, beating Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 83-69. He was part of a 101-13 career record with the Tigers. Carlton was a three-time NAIA First Team All-American, a two-time Mid-South Conference Player of the Year and is in the top 10 in four school records – career points (2,197), rebounds (1,170), blocks (103), steals (158) and holds the school record for most points in a game (51).
Dr. Nicolas Cline, a native of Glendale, Ore., made an immediate impact as a true freshman on the Southern Oregon wrestling squad by making the starting lineup and qualifying for the 1994 NAIA National Championship. He was named an NAIA All-American three times in his career and was twice a national finalist; winning the NAIA title in 1997. Cline was inducted into the SOU Hall of Fame in 2013. He is second in all-time wins at the school (129-35), after holding the record for 15 seasons.
Josh Collazo made an impact the moment he stepped foot on the Oklahoma Baptist baseball diamond in 2008. As an incoming junior he batted .421 with 21 doubles, setting school records in runs (79), home runs (22) and runs batted in (100), earning NAIA First-Team All-America honors in the process. In his senior season, Collazo again set a new home run record with 24 big flies. His 90 hits in 2009 were second-best in school history. He finished with a .420 career batting average and 169 RBIs in just two seasons. Collazo spent two seasons playing independent baseball with the San Angelo Colts.
Heavily recruited by Kansas State University, Charles Dehlinger chose to be a member of the College of Emporia’s (Kan.) basketball team from 1952-1955 He was a four-year letterman who averaged 20.9 points per game during his tenure, including 28.6 points per contest as a sophomore. Dehlinger’s stellar sophomore year earned him All-America honors in 1953. He was a four-year all-conference selection in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) on his way to 1,720 career points. He later played for the Wichita Vickers from 1955-1956, a member National Industrial Basketball League, which was originally founded in 1947 to give mill workers a chance to play basketball.
Mislav Hizak, the top-ranked NAIA men’s tennis singles player for three-consecutive seasons (2006-2008), was a force to be reckoned with on the courts of Embry-Riddle (Fla.). During his tenure, Hizak put together a stellar 107-6 singles record and went 93-16 in doubles. His team reached the NAIA National Championship semifinal every season of his career. Individually, Hizak took home three Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)/NAIA singles championships (05-07) and the ITA/NAIA doubles title in 2006. He also was a three-time NAIA First Team All-American.
Chad Miltenberger was a leader in the clubhouse of the Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) baseball team during the 1983-84 seasons. He terrorized opposing pitchers during his stint with the Warriors. As a junior in 1983, Miltenberger hit .482, which stood as the school’s best single-season batting average for 22 seasons. He added eight homers, 61 RBIs and 93 hits, striking out just nine times in 193 at-bats. As a senior, he was second on the team in average, homers and RBIs (.428, 11 and 75), respectively. LCSC made appearances in the NAIA Baseball World Series in both seasons, and Miltenberger helped his school take home its first of 16 national championships in 1984.
Katrina (Kosmos) Hanquist is widely considered one of the best all-around women’s track athletes in the history of Doane (Neb.). She was an 11-time NAIA All-American and a two-time national champion in the indoor Pentathlon and outdoor Heptathlon. While competing within the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), she claimed 13 individual championships and two relay championships from 2004-2007. Additionally, Hanquist was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Lincoln Journal Star (‘06, ‘07) and Omaha World-Herald, also in 2007.
Since he began at Oklahoma Baptist in 1996, Ford Mastin is a 10-time NAIA National Coach of the Year, and has led his Bison cross country and track & field programs to nine NAIA national championships. Under his guidance at the school, Mastin’s programs have produced more than 400 All-Americans. The Lady Bison track teams have won 17- consecutive Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) championships, while the women's cross country team has won 14 of the last 19 SAC titles. The men's track team has won 14 out of the last 16 conference championships, including eight in a row. Mastin was awarded the NAIA Coach of Character Award in 2014.
Kevin Reid – the NAIA’s most successful track & field coach in history – put his stamp on the Azusa Pacific (Calif.) program in his 19 seasons with the team, earning 13 men’s Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) titles, 13 Coach of the Year awards and 12 NAIA national championships. Under Reid, the Cougars posted top-10 finishes in all 17 NAIA Indoor Championship meets that he was a part of, including a run of seven championships in nine years between 2002-10, winning four consecutive indoor titles (2007-10). Azusa Pacific also claimed outdoor national championships in 2008 and 2009 for a run of five national championships in a row during a three-year stretch. No other school has been able to duplicate the Cougars' five-consecutive championship streak.
Doug Tolin has been a mainstay in coaching boxes on basketball courts throughout Oklahoma since 1978, where he began his coaching career at Blackwell High School. After a 23-year journey through high schools in the Sooner State, Tolin made his way to Oklahoma Baptist. Since 2000, he has a career record of 365-93 at the school, including the 2010 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship title. Tolin has put together six 30-or-more-win teams, with his lowest win total being a 23-win campaign. He is the school’s all-time leader in victories and has won more games at the NAIA National Championship over the last 13 years than any other coach in NAIA Division I. Tolin won the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Coach of the Year award three times (2002, ‘03, ‘12), and was named the 2010 Rawlings-NAIA National Coach of the Year after his team’s championship season.
Since it was established in 1952, the NAIA Hall of Fame has welcomed just 1,183 members for an average of 19 inductees per year. The Hall of Fame consists of a division for each sport currently or formerly sponsored by the Association – with the inductees in each division broken down into three categories: athletes, coaches and meritorious service. The Hall of Fame also includes a separate division for general meritorious service to the NAIA.
The inductees will be recognized throughout the year at their respective NAIA National Championships, national coaches’ association meetings or at the 74th NAIA National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. More detailed information about each inductee will be released prior to these ceremonies. View the complete list of NAIA Hall of Famers.
Meritorious Service - Dr. James “Jim” Poteet