Aug. 24, 2016
For Immediate Release
By Jordan Alves, sports information director
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - The college experience at Campbellsville University is more than just the classes you attend and the friends you make.
At Christian campuses across America it's often about the journey you take on both a personal and spiritual level. One of the most prevalent examples of these additional experiences at Christian colleges and universities lie within the athletic programs at Campbellsville University.
CU has adopted the “More Than A Game” mantra and it has been recognized nationally by Theology Degrees as one of the top Christian athletics department in the country at No. 2.
“We are pleased to be ranked as one of the top institutions that place a priority on our mission as a Christian university,” said director of athletics Rusty Hollingsworth.
CU athletics proves that it is “More Than A Game” by focusing on building Champions of Character on and off the field. In the past two seasons, Campbellsville student-athletes have received 13 Champions of Character awards, while 272 have earned Academic All-Conference recognition with at least a 3.25 GPA and 165 earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Athlete awards with at least 3.50 GPAs. Also, the men's and women's swimming programs earned the NAIA Team Champions of Character award this past year and the football and women's basketball programs have earned this year in the past.
This past year, 14 athletic programs were named NAIA Scholar-Team with at least 3.50 GPAs, as women's golf team led the way with a 3.69 GPA.
In addition to the success in the classroom, CU athletics registered over 5,000 hours of community service. Also, the department brings speakers to campus throughout the year to talk with student-athletes on the importance of the five core character values adopted by the Champions of Character initiative - respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Also, the athletics department has been fortunate to raise the funds for 60 coaches, staff, and student-athletes to take mission trips to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in two of the past three summers. The coaches and athletes teach sport clinics in these countries and use the vehicle of athletics to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Our coaching staff does a great job of stressing the importance of academic success and servant leadership,” said Hollingsworth. “We have 17 sports, 28 teams and 1 goal - to help student-athletes find success and experience the love of Christ.”
On the field, CU has experienced its two best seasons to date. In this span, the Tigers and Lady Tigers have won a combined 22 Mid-South Conference championships with 11 student-athletes earning Player of the Year honors, 12 coaches earning Coach of the Year awards and five freshman being named Freshman of the Year.
At the national level, CU appeared in 14 NAIA National Championships last season and another eight competed in National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) National Championships.
Also, CU has brought home six national championships - five individual titles and one team championship. Davion Caston won the 2015 NAIA championship in men's wrestling, while Tiaira Scott and Kayla Miracle have won back-to-back WCWA national titles in women's wrestling and the men's tennis squad won the 2015 NCCAA national title.
Overall, the athletics department finished with its highest ranking ever in the Learfield Directors' Cup, which ranks the best NAIA programs across America, at No. 13.
Campbellsville ranks No. 2 behind King University, a private institution located in Bristol, Tenn.
The names of Christian universities and colleges on the list have athletic programs rooted in the arts and sciences, combining textbook education and spiritual commitments. The athletic programs are focused on strengthening social interactions while retaining academics. As teams participate in sports encouraging self-confidence, students learn to adapt and contribute in real world environments preparing to enter chosen professions. These top athletic programs are members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities with foundations built on religious faith and beliefs.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering over 80 programs of study including 24 master's degrees, seven postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is http://www.theologydegrees.org/best-christian-college-athletic-programs/