Conferences: William Penn University, a charter member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is withdrawing from the 77-year-old league and dropping its membership in the NCAA. The move will be effective July 1. William Penn Athletics Director Mike Laird declined to give specific reasons for the school's decision. "Institutional autonomy ranks right up there," he said. William Penn will seek membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Statesmen offer 19 sports: 10 for men and nine for women. William Penn has won 26 Iowa Conference championships, the most recent being the women's soccer title this fall.

Facilities: Shenandoah University recently announced that it had entered into a naming rights agreement with Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel) as part of the school's efforts to build a 2,500-seat stadium. The agreement, believed to be one of the first of its kind in Division III history, establishes the Shentel Stadium at Shenandoah, which will serve as the permanent home for the Hornets' football, men's and women's lacrosse and women's field hockey teams. The telecommunications company's $750,000 contract ensures that the facility will be named Shentel Stadium for 10 years. In return for its financial support, Shentel will receive signage at all entrances into the stadium, along Interstate 81 and on a planned 25-foot by 35-foot scoreboard at the stadium. The Shentel logo also will be featured on program covers at all stadium-related events.

Sports sponsorship: A new women's ice hockey program has begun at Hamline University this year. The program is playing its inaugural season in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Rob Burke, a 1992 graduate of State University College at Fredonia, and a former varsity hockey player at the school, was hired as head coach.

Milestones: Yvonne Kaufman, head coach of the field hockey and women's basketball programs at Elizabethtown College, reached 1,000 combined career wins in the sports of field hockey, women's basketball and women's tennis. Kaufman reached the milestone with her 343rd win in 33 seasons coaching field hockey. At that time, Kaufman also had 549 wins in 30 seasons of women's basketball -- second among active Division III coaches -- and 108 wins in 13 seasons of women's tennis. Kaufman still coaches women's basketball and field hockey ... Phil Kahler, women's basketball coach at St. John Fisher College, reached 600 wins in the sport. Kahler began coaching women's basketball at St. John Fisher in 1974, only four years after the school opened its doors to women. With only 34 women attending the college at the time, fielding a successful team was difficult that first year, and the Cardinals won only one game. That turned out to be the only losing season the program has ever known. Kahler and the Cardinals took only 715 games to win 600, and the school boasts a 600-115 record, making it the all-time winningest women's basketball program in Division III. Kahler holds the Division III record for most wins by a coach, and he also has the distinction of the best winning percentage (.839) over a 27-year span in NCAA basketball -- all divisions, both genders ... Don Lane,

Transylvania University, 500 victories in men's basketball. Transylvania is a provisional member of Division III ... John Dzik, Cabrini College, 400 victories in men's basketball. Dzik also is the school's athletics director ... Dan Gilmore, Rowan University, 400 wins in men's soccer. Gilmore has guided the Profs to 21 appearances in the NCAA tournament -- 11 straight -- as well as two NCAA titles, one runner-up finish and three third-place finishes ... Sharon Pfluger, College of New Jersey, 300 victories in field hockey. Pfluger was just the first of three coaches at the school to hit milestones in a three-week period. Joe Russo, women's soccer coach, collected his 200th victory a week after Pfluger's milestone. And Brian Bishop, the Lions' men's swimming coach, tallied his 100th career win the next week ... Both the men's and women's basketball coaches at Muhlenberg College recently reached career milestones. Dave Madeira, the men's coach, notched 200 victories, becoming only the third coach in the school's history to reach 200 wins in one sport. Tammy Smith, the women's coach, earned her 100th career win only one game into her seventh season ... Matt Cushing, men's soccer coach at Wheaton College (Massachusetts), posted his 100th career win, becoming the first Division III men's soccer coach to reach the 100-win mark. Cushing has led the Lyons to seven consecutive postseason appearances, including two NCAA tournament bids.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes