Inspire, Fall/Winter 2008

6 fall/winter 2008 yellow jacket sports The Cedarville women’s soccer team is nearing the end of one of its most successful seasons, having won 10 matches for the first time in four years. The prolific scoring from forward Kelly Wise ’10 and the addition of several talented newcomers have contributed significantly to this success. Kelly, a junior multi-age physical education major from Mohnton, Pennsylvania, has been a dominating force on offense. Despite missing several games because of a serious knee injury, she still leads the team in scoring with 14 goals. When asked about the team’s success, Kelly is quick to give the credit to the Lord and her teammates. “The returning players have come together as a team and built on the foundation of last year’s squad,” she said. “A huge factor is the incredible group of freshmen God has brought. They have blended well into the program.” The coaching staff and captains have made a dedicated effort to create a strong and unified team. As co-captain, Kelly explained, “We grow together in a weekly Bible study, and our prayer partners help build a solid foundation of love and concern for our teammates. The upperclassmen have taken a special interest in helping the freshmen adjust to the college game and sense their importance to the team.” Kelly has used her injury as an opportunity to display that God is in control of all things. Despite having to watch from the sidelines, she has been an encouraging force to her teammates. After Cedarville, Kelly hopes to continue using her passion for soccer, either on the mission field or in an organized sports ministry in the U.S. “My desire is to be involved in soccer missions and use it as a ministry to tell others about God,” she said. But until that happens, Kelly hopes to return to the field to lead the talented team in a postseason run toward the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament. Lady Jackets Soccer Excels On and Off the Field Cedarville Ranks in Region’s Top Five Quality faculty and students along with rigorous academic programming have once again led to top-tier ranking for Cedarville. The editors of U.S.News & World Report ranked the University fourth in the Midwest region among baccalaureate colleges for 2009. The annual rankings appeared in the magazine’s August 25, 2008, issue and are also available at www.usnews.com . U.S.News used peer assessment and objective factors such as graduation rates, class size, and student/faculty ratio to determine the rankings. “Academic excellence is a significant component of Cedarville’s mission,” shared Dr. Bill Brown, Cedarville president. “We are extremely pleased by this positive, independent evaluation of our quality and value.” Cedarville ranked fourth in the Midwest overall and finished at or near the top of the region in several areas. For example, Cedarville’s percentage of freshmen who graduated in the top quarter of their high school class was among the highest at 65 percent. The University’s 74 percent graduation rate was second highest in the Midwest. And Cedarville was in the Midwest’s top five for its freshman retention rate of 83 percent. what ’s abuzz