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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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By Jack Copeland
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
Conferences: College Misericordia has accepted an invitation to join the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation Freedom Conference, effective in 2008-09. The college, which has been a member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference since 1992, cited its proximity to other Freedom Conference members — including local institutions King’s College (Pennsylvania) and Wilkes University — and the league’s sponsorship of championship competition in swimming and track and field among reasons for the move. “We are proud to be a part of a conference that has been a staple in the region for more than 50 years,” said Misericordia President Michael MacDowell, who added, “With the departure of the University of Scranton, Misericordia is a logical fit to replace Scranton in the three-way local rivalry” with King’s and Wilkes. The school’s athletics director, David Martin, said several Freedom Conference teams already are familiar opponents. “Our schedules have included many MAC opponents since we began Division III competition. In many ways, the move will appear seamless to our student-athletes and fans.” Misericordia was a charter member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, and MacDowell paid tribute to the league and its presidents and administrators “for all they have done and will continue to do to promote Division III athletics.” Misericordia’s move will make the Freedom Conference an eight-team league ... Huntingdon College and LaGrange College will compete as affiliate members for football in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, beginning in 2008. The resulting eight-team football conference would become eligible to receive automatic qualification to the Division III Football Championship in 2010. Three SLIAC schools — Blackburn College, Principia College and Westminster College (Missouri) — will compete this fall as affiliate members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, and Eureka College, Greenville College and MacMurray College will compete for one more season in the soon-to-disband Illini-Badger Conference before joining with Huntingdon and LaGrange in the new arrangement. The announcement comes two months after four UMAC members that previously planned to join the SLIAC as affiliate members decided not to do so. The SLIAC football schools then declined an offer from the UMAC to join that league. SLIAC Commissioner Rick Meckfessel said, “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the more than 500 student-athletes of eight football-playing schools to be able to compete for a conference championship and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.” ... Dominican University will join this fall with two other Division II schools currently competing in the Coleman Division of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Carthage College and Milwaukee School of Engineering also compete in the division, along with Division II member Central State University (Ohio). The MIVA, which now will have 11 members in its divisions, has an AQ for the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship.
Milestones: Gregg Thompson became the all-time career wins leader in baseball at Muskingum College when he notched his 240th victory during a March 6 doubleheader sweep of Notre Dame College of Ohio. Thompson is in his 12th season ... Greg Henschel collected his 100th victory in men’s soccer this fall. Henschel, who ended the season with a 102-44-8 record through nine seasons, also coaches women’s soccer at the school.
Miscellaneous: Bluffton University officials announced the baseball team will play this season despite five players being killed in a March 2 bus accident (see the March 12 NCAA News). “After consulting with members of the team and their coaches, with bereaved families of the players, with Bluffton’s athletics department and with the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, I can announce that there will be a 2007 baseball season at Bluffton,” said school President James M. Harder. Assistant coaches Todd Miller and Jason Moore will guide the team while head coach James Grandey recovers from his injuries. The student-athletes will wear all-black jerseys to honor teammates Scott Harmon, Tyler Williams, Cody Holp, David Betts and Zach Arend, who lost their lives in the accident. The Beavers will open the season at home March 30 against HCAC rival College of Mount St. Joseph.
Milestones: Gregg Thompson became the all-time career wins leader in baseball at Muskingum College when he notched his 240th victory during a March 6 doubleheader sweep of Notre Dame College of Ohio. Thompson is in his 12th season ... Greg Henschel collected his 100th victory in men’s soccer this fall. Henschel, who ended the season with a 102-44-8 record through nine seasons, also coaches women’s soccer at the school.
Miscellaneous: Bluffton University officials announced the baseball team will play this season despite five players being killed in a March 2 bus accident (see the March 12 NCAA News). “After consulting with members of the team and their coaches, with bereaved families of the players, with Bluffton’s athletics department and with the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, I can announce that there will be a 2007 baseball season at Bluffton,” said school President James M. Harder. Assistant coaches Todd Miller and Jason Moore will guide the team while head coach James Grandey recovers from his injuries. The student-athletes will wear all-black jerseys to honor teammates Scott Harmon, Tyler Williams, Cody Holp, David Betts and Zach Arend, who lost their lives in the accident. The Beavers will open the season at home March 30 against HCAC rival College of Mount St. Joseph.
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