Miscellaneous: Southeast Missouri State University volleyball coach Renata Nowacki and her student-athletes completed a “Dig for Life” campaign recently that raised more than $15,000 for the fight against breast cancer. Team members presented a check to Saint Francis Medical Center President and CEO Steven C. Bjelich during pregame activities of a recent men’s basketball game. Bjelich formerly was a track student-athlete at Indiana University, Bloomington. Since its establishment in 2000, Dig for Life has raised more than $50,000 to support breast cancer education and treatment efforts for women in the region. “It is amazing to see the positive impact of this program on our community,” said Cindy Gannon, Southeast Missouri State associate athletics director and Dig for Life founder. Dig for Life is held annually in October to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month ... The National Consortium for Academics and Sports has announced that La Salle University has been cited for excellence in community service for its Project Teamwork program for the fifth consecutive year. Under the auspices of the program, La Salle student-athletes and coaches serve as role models and as active participants in mentoring and tutoring for youth groups and other organizations in the Philadelphia area. La Salle Director of Athletics Thomas Brennan said, “It really has been rewarding to watch the Project Teamwork efforts gain momentum and positively affect the lives of so many area youngsters.” Brennan said the program’s success was embedded in student-athletes’ willingness to get involved. “No effort like this is possible without a core group of solid student-athletes to take the time out of their personal lives to become active.  That’s part of what makes La Salle such a great place — excellent young adults representing the school positively in the athletics arena and the community.” ... Pennsylvania State University football coach Joe Paterno and former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who are among the NCAA’s 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes  named as part of the Association’s Centennial celebration, participated in this year’s National Student-Athlete Day festivites at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Tenafly, New Jersey, April 6. The school claims a unique place in NSAD lore in that it was the first elementary school to fully participate in the annual celebration. The school typically honors student-athletes and their parents and invites speakers from Ivy Group institutions to address the group. Paterno is a Brown University graduate, while former President Bush graduated from Yale University. This year’s topic was “Parents Supporting Student-Athletes.” In a letter to the elementary school students, Bush noted the relevance of the theme. “Because childhood and adolescent experiences help to shape one’s identity and values for a lifetime,” he wrote, “every young person needs the steady affection, encouragement, discipline and guidance of his or her parents. Barbara and I  commend student-athletes for recognizing the importance of a strong, supportive family unit.”