Cedars, April 27, 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006 C EDARS | 13 C EDARS Sports This Year in CU Sports In a world that preaches “nice guys finish last,” Ce- darville University athletic teams are cracking the cli- ché with great character and consistency in com- petition. Away from the sports venue, Jacket teams have further solidified their respectable reputation by participating in Katrina re- lief trips and a multitude of ministries to the people in and around the Cedarville bubble. The fall season was highlighted as one of the most successful and excit- ing men’s soccer seasons in recent history. The Jackets finished the season 15-4- 1, including two wins in Mobile, Alabama, where the team helped distribute goods donated to Hurri- cane Katrina relief. The season ended when the Jackets were eliminated from the NAIA Region IX Final Four with a 2-1 deci- sion in the semifinals. Phil Ellis was honored as NC- CAA Player of the Year and Coach Ben Belleman was named AMC Coach of the Year. The pinnacle of the year for the men’s soccer team was an over- time “golden goal” win at home against a tough Ohio Dominican squad in the AMC tournament qualify- ing game. The men’s and women’s cross country teams each had another successful sea- son to add to their storied history. For the men, Dan Campbell, an NCCAA All- American, led the team to a third place finish at the · Ryan Short · Contributing Writer NCCAA meet and a 14th place finish at NAIA Na- tionals. For the women, Christina Reyes, a NAIA All-American, led the team to a second place finish at NCCAA Nationals and a fourth place finish at the NAIA meet. The Lady Jacket cross country team has finished in the top ten of the NAIA for six straight years, an incredible testimony to the recruiting ability of Elvin King, who was inducted to the NAIA Hall of Fame during the season. The women’s volleyball team continued to build upon the success of the pre- vious few years. The 2005 squad, who prepared for the season with a missions trip to the Dominican Re- public and Costa Rica, won the AMC for the second consecutive season, the NCCAA National Cham- pionship for the first time in school history, and ad- vanced to the NAIA tour- nament. Along the way, the Lady Jackets picked up multiple awards for their stellar play and incredible integrity. The team was awarded the NAIA’s first Buffalo Funds Five Star Award for excep- tional character on and off the court. Julia Bradley was named a third team NAIA All-American while teammate Kelsey Jones was named to the second team. Coach Teresa Clark, who retired after the sea- son, was recently presented with the NAIA Coach of Character Award. Continuing momentum from the fall season were the men’s and women’s in- door track teams. Both the men and the women won the NCCAA National Champi- onship. At the NAIA meet, Jason Scott won the pole vault, completing an unde- feated season in that event, with a school record vault of 17-feet 0.75-inches. Joel Smith picked up All-America recognition in the high jump for the second straight year after placing fifth with a season- best effort of 6-9.75. In the shot put, Freshman Ben Michaud placed seventh with a school-record toss of 52-feet 7.50-inches. For the women, Ce- darville had two athletes earn NAIA Indoor All- America honors with Keri Hilty placing fourth in the 600 meters and Samantha Maat finishing 6th in the 5,000 meters. Sarah Ens- slen placed eighth in the triple jump with a pulled hamstring. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams fell short of their postsea- son performances from the previous year; however, the seasons were not a com- plete loss. Senior Mugabe Thomas was named second team NAIA All-American for the second consecutive year, the first-ever Jacket hoopster to do so. The women’s teamwon their fourth consecutive AMC title. In the process, Brittany Smart was named to the NAIA All-American first team for the second consecutive year and Karah Walton was named to the third team. Spring sports have hit full stride, and with league championships and the postseason fast approach- ing, teams and individuals will have the opportunity to add their names to the long list of successful per- formances. The men’s ten- nis team is off to a good start at 11-4, while the women sit at 8-3. The golf team, which has already set a school record for 36 holes this spring, will look to find more consistency in their attempt to reach NAIA Na- C ONTINUED ON PAGE 14 “ Judging by the number of teams and coaches recognized for their outstanding character on and off the court, athletes are standing up for Christ and standing out to a lost audience. P HOTOS BY J OSH W ILCOX