Inspire, Spring 2012

yellowjackets.cedarville.edu Cedarville Takes Lead in Forming New Athletic Conference by Tim Cary ’04 On February 17, 2012, the NCAA Division II membership committee approved the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a member conference. Cedarville is one of six charter members. Cedarville had competed in the NAIA- affiliated American Mideast Conference since 1949. When the University decided to pursue NCAA Division II membership in 2009, the Yellow Jackets needed a new athletic conference to call home. As Cedarville prepared to transition to the NCAA, the University decided, with several other Ohio schools, to explore creating a new conference (rather than joining an existing league), an approach that would limit travel distances, ensure competition against similar-size schools, and avoid the possibility of regular-season Sunday games. “We loved the idea of putting together our own conference,” said Cedarville’s president, Dr. Bill Brown. “We wanted a good experience for the student-athletes, something that would set us apart as the model.” The end result was the formation of the G-MAC, with charter members in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Cedarville played an important role, as Dr. Alan Geist ’83 helped lead his fellow athletic directors through the myriad tasks and documents that had to be finalized by December 1, 2011. This included developing a constitution and bylaws as well as completing the NCAA New Conference Application. Chad Jackson ’05, creative director at Cedarville, and Joshua Wurzelbacher, graphic designer, led the design of the conference logo and style guide. G-MAC Commissioner Tom Daeger commended them, saying, “They worked diligently to develop a brand our membership can embrace, and they illustrated the dedication to detail and quality I have come to realize is the standard at their institution.” Daeger came on board last fall as the conference’s first commissioner. “A big part of why I took on this job was the positive opinions many of my colleagues in college athletics shared for Cedarville,” he said. “They certainly have a tremendous reputation, and that reputation is transferring into the Division II world as well.” Dr. Brown is chair of the Council of Presidents, and Dr. Geist is chair of the Athletic Administrators Council. The next year is an important one for the new conference, which will host its first-ever championship event at Cedarville this October (men’s and women’s cross country). Expansion will be an immediate priority in the G-MAC’s quest to become an “active” NCAA Division II conference by 2013. The league plans to add other like-minded schools in the Cleveland- Nashville footprint, which could lead to future North and South divisions. According to Dr. Geist, the goal is for the G-MAC to sponsor championships in all of Cedarville’s current sports, and the University is also beginning to discuss what sports it could add to help the conference. The creation of the G-MAC offers Cedarville the exciting opportunity to both continue old rivalries and develop new ones. “This is a whole new mission field,” said Dr. Geist. “An opportunity to share Christ, share the Gospel, and do all things with excellence.” Tim Cary ’04 is a social media editor for CBSSports.com. He and his wife, Molly (Earley) ’04, and their daughter, Janna, live in Springfield, Ohio, where Tim is the worship pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church. You may contact him on Twitter (@TimCary) or at timcary2004@yahoo.com . National Champions! Congratulations to Pat Estepp ’98 and the Yellow Jackets for bringing home Cedarville’s first NCCAA Division I men’s basketball championship. The No. 1 seed Yellow Jackets defeated No. 6 seed Emmanuel College Lions 74–56 at the national tournament, held at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. Junior forward Zimmy Nwogbo (pictured above) was named the tournament’s MVP. Photo credit: Jeff Ryan 6 SPRING 2012 campus news