New Athletic Identity Announced Brand rollout includes contemporary university and athletic logos
2016 Summer Issue
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University of the Ozarks
New Athletic Identity: Contemporary Logos Released
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NCAA Record Holder: Josh Berard Scores 60 Points
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WHAT’S INSIDE
Surfing In Ireland: Nena Evans Completes Internship
EAGLE Insider is a biannual publication of the Sports Information Office. @uofoAthletics
University of the Ozarks
Editor: Josh Peppas Photography: U of O Sports Information Office, U of O Public Relations Office Print Production: U of O Public Relations Office
University of the Ozarks + 415 College Avenue + Clarksville, Ark. 72830
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CONTENTS
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2016
New Athletic Identity Released
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he University of the Ozarks Department of Athletics unveiled a new primary logo as part of a university-wide visual identity effort on April 15, at a brand rollout ceremony in Robson Library. The new athletic identity is the result of a yearlong process that included extensive research on the distinctive attributes of Ozarks and feedback from 800 students, faculty, staff and alumni. Jump Company, an advertising and marketing firm in St. Louis, developed the identity. “The new Eagle embodies energy, spirit and strength, >>>
traits reflective of our student-athletes,” said Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. “I commend Jump Company for conveying the Eagle with power and boldness. The contemporary look has a resilient feel and is distinctive. I believe we have captured the University’s strong academic and athletic tradition with the logo. Through our research, we found that our students and alumni really have an affinity for and identify with the Eagle.” The new Eagle is more illustrative and iconic in design and incorporates purple and grey to produce a contemporary look. University of the Ozarks
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The logo will serve as the primary visual identity for the athletic department moving forward into the 2016-17 academic year. Beginning with the fall sports season, team uniforms, equipment, apparel, facilities, scoreboards, and other signage will begin the transformation to reflect the new image. During April’s unveiling ceremony, officials also released a new series of identities for the University. According to Clark, the athletic identity was designed to establish connectivity and consistency with the new University logo. Additionally, Clark announced a multi-year partnership with Under Armour for all of its teams. “We are thrilled to partner with a globally known brand like Under Armour,” said Clark. “They have a prominent and unique brand. It is a great opportunity for us because Under Armour resonates and connects with college-age students. And, we will be able to brand our teams under one umbrella.”
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Dillon Murray Picks Up ASC Honor; Leads Team To Playoffs
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Junior tennis standout Dillon Murray was named the American Southwest Conference East Division Men’s Tennis Player of the Week in February. Murray, a native of West Helena, Ark., went 4-2 during the week, highlighted by a 4-0 record against conference foes Sul Ross State and Howard Payne. Playing at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, Murray picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win against Sul Ross and an 8-2 win in doubles. Against HPU he dominated doubles with an 8-1 victory, and then pulled out a comeback win in singles 3-6, 6-3, (10-7). 4
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Fueled by his play on the court, Murray helped Ozarks to its third straight conference tournament appearance. Murray, who is on pace to rank among the top-15 in career singles and doubles wins at Ozarks, has excelled off the court, too. He has been a two-time member of the ASC AllAcademic Team. He has been on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete Team three times during his collegiate career. Murray has additionally volunteered at a number of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee activities and was a member of the Dean’s List and Physical Education/Health Science Club. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
wins (4) since 2009 and had its highest conference finish since 2002. Ozarks (5-11-2) posted five shutouts during the regular season. Six players were named All-Conference after the season. Freshman defender Katherine Zamora earned a spot on the All-ASC Second Team. Sophomore forward Brittanie Gragg, junior midfielder Tiffany Robinson and freshman goalkeeper Megan Bradford were named to the All-ASC Third Team. Freshman defender Chance Koy and junior forward Frances Adams made the All-ASC Honorable Mention Team. >>>
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For the first time in program history, the women’s soccer team qualified for the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament in 2015. Ozarks suffered a 1-0 setback against Mary HardinBaylor in the first round, but first-year head coach Natalie Dreyer was pleased with how her team battled throughout the season. “We went through a lot this season with injuries,” she said. “They could have easily chosen to give up, but they continued to buy into the process.” Under Dreyer, the Eagles posted their most conference
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Women’s Soccer Team Makes History With Playoff Appearance
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Clay Target Team Caps Season With Impressive State-Wide Showing
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The men’s and women’s clay target team won three first-place trophies and posted the second highest score at the Arkansas State Collegiate Shoot in April at the Delta Resort in Tillar, Arkansas. Ozarks had its most dominating performance of the season as it won three of the event’s five major competitions. The team of John Guthrie, Jeff Proctor, Regan Puryear, Grace Brown and Paul Jarvis won first place in the American Skeet competition. Guthrie, Brown, Caleb Hemphill, Proctor and Jarvis posted another 6
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first-place victory in Five Stand. Ozarks also won first place in International Bunker Trap, with Guthrie, Puryear, Brown, Hemphill and Proctor completing the team. Prior to the state-wide competition, Ozarks went to the Association of College Unions International Collegiate National Tournament in San Antonio. There, Brown won a silver medal in International Trap (Class B) and Olympic Trap (Class B). Jarvis won a silver in Five Stand (Class C) and International Trap (Class C). Additionally, Caleb Hemphill tied for third in American Trap (Class C). Puryear and Brown were Ozarks high overall top scorers. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
hit-streak during the season, hitting .494 during that stretch. He recorded 14 multiple-hit games and posted six three-hit games during the season. Taylor, a right-hander, posted a 2-4 record in 12 appearances and 42.1 innings of work. Taylor struck out 24 while owning a 4.89 ERA. He fanned a season-best six against Texas-Tyler April 15. He was named ASC Pitcher of the Week after tossing a three-hit complete game shutout against Mary Hardin-Baylor March 19. Taylor issued only one walk over seven innings and allowed just five base runners. >>>
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Andrew Beck and Brady Taylor were named All-Conference by the American Southwest Conference following the 2016 season. Beck, a junior centerfielder from Conway, Ark., made the All-ASC First Team. Taylor, a freshman pitcher from Plano, Texas, made the Honorable Mention Team. Beck ranked second in the ASC in batting (.429), and led the team in hits (48), total bases (61), slugging percentage (.545), on-base percentage (.454) and home runs (2). He also drove in 16 runs and scored 17 times. He owned a .977 fielding percentage. Beck had a 22-game
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Beck, Taylor Named All-Conference
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Aaron Brueckner Hired To Lead Tradition-Rich Soccer Program
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The university turned to a familiar face to lead the tradition-rich men’s soccer program. Former Ozarks assistant coach and standout player Aaron Brueckner will take the reins of the program. Brueckner served as an assistant coach at Ozarks during the 2010 season and played from 2006-2009, helping the program to four consecutive playoff appearances and one regular season championship. Brueckner spent the previous four seasons as the assistant men’s coach and recruiting coordinator at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. 8
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“I’m very excited to be the new coach,” said Brueckner. “It is a privilege and honor to be here. It has been a goal and dream of mine to come back and continue the program’s academic and athletic success. My experience as a player and coach at Ozarks is a big reason why I am the person I am today.” Brueckner, who played defender, earned All-Region status from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A 2010 Ozarks graduate, Brueckner received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. The 2015 Eagles qualified for the post-season, the 13th time overall. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
DeGeus, who swam at University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Henderson State University, has over 15 years of coaching experience at the collegiate, High School, USA Club Swimming, US Masters and youth summer league levels. He was a standout swimmer at Henderson State, earning a combined seven All-America honors. Ozarks will train and host meets at Clarksville’s multi-million dollar aquatic facility. The program will compete as an affiliate member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. >>>
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The university has added women’s and men’s swimming to its NCAA Division III intercollegiate programs and has hired David DeGeus to coach the new teams, which will begin competing in 2016-2017. “This is another opportunity for us to grow enrollment through athletics and provide an additional avenue for student-athletes to compete and receive an outstanding education,” said Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. “David has a considerable amount of experience with a wide skillset. There are only a few collegiate swim programs in Arkansas and Oklahoma, so that is a tremendous opportunity for us.”
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Women’s and Men’s Swimming Set To Open Season
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Women’s Basketball Team Garners Sportsmanship Award
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The women’s basketball team won the American Southwest Conference Team Sportsmanship Award for the 2015-2016 academic year. The Team Sportsmanship award honors the member institution in each ASC championship sport that best displays positive qualities of sportsmanship and fair play from its student-athletes, coaches and fans throughout the season. It was the third time the women’s program has won the award. Under Head Coach Carl Ramsey, the program received the award for the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 10 > > >
seasons. Ozarks also won the award for men’s basketball, softball and women’s tennis in 2015-2016. Fueled by an outstanding season from senior guard Ashley Hipps, Ozarks just missed the playoffs in 20152016. Hipps was named All-Conference, Female Athlete of the Year and HERO of the Week. She ends her career ranked fourth at Ozarks in assists (349). For her career, she scored 1,042 points, grabbed 381 rebounds and hit 157 three-pointers. Junior forward Bryanna Moltz also earned All-Conference for the Eagles. The program produced seven members of the ASC All-Academic Team. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
The Eagles have been among the most successful teams in the ASC recently. Within the last three seasons, Ozarks has been ranked by the ITA, and had a doubles team ranked regionally by the ITA. Individual honors have been the norm, too, as numerous players have earned All-Conference honors, ASC All-Academic honors and ITA Scholar-Athlete honors. The program produced its most prestigious honor when Todd Turner was named to the Academic All-America First Team in 2015. The tradition-rich program has now been to the post-season in 2014, 2015 and 2016. >>>
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For the third consecutive year, the men’s tennis team advanced to the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. Under first-year head coach Cullen Dees, Ozarks took on No. 1 seed Texas Dallas in the first round, but dropped the match 0-5 to end the season. Fueled by the strong doubles play of Dillon Murray and Jacob Organ, and the veteran leadership of its seniors, Ozarks posted a 1-3 conference record in 2016 to secure a spot in the tournament. Bryant Ford ended his career with an outstanding season, including winning the C Draw Consolation at the USTA/ITA Regional in the fall.
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Men’s Tennis Team Makes Third Straight Post-Season Appearance
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Cheer Program Competes In Nationals; Mills Named New Coach
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The coed competitive cheerleading team competed in its first-ever National Cheerleading Association national championship event in April in Daytona Beach, Florida. Ozarks finished seventh in its division. In just its second year of existence, Ozarks also competed in the intermediate coed II division and advanced to the finals after winning the challenge cup. In the finals, Ozarks was just one point away from fourth place. Frances Mills will take the reigns of the program. Mills, a native of Wayne, Mich., served as the assistant 12 > > >
competitive cheer coach at Concordia University (Mich.) since 2014. She helped the program to a second place finish at nationals in 2015. Mills was a member of the competitive cheerleading and STUNT teams at NCAA III Alma College (Mich.) from 2012-2014 year. “Ozarks is an institution that values education as well as athletic competition, and that is important to me,” said Mills. “Not a lot of schools offer both cheer and STUNT, so this is a wonderful opportunity.” Mills received a bachelor’s degree in integrative physiology and health science from Alma College in 2014. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
national championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. “It is an honor to be the head coach at Ozarks,” said Gardner. “It is clear to me the university’s support for its student-athletes is tremendous, and that’s priceless. I really see the value in education and athletics.” Gardner received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wartburg in 2003. He earned his MBA in finance from University of Rhode Island. Gardner serves as an officer in the United States Navy. >>>
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Collegiate Hall of Fame wrestler LeRoy Gardner III was named the new head men’s wrestling coach in June. Gardner, a native of Golden Valley, Minn., was the head coach at University of Houston-Downtown, where he was named the 2016 National Collegiate Wrestling Association Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. There, he coached the university’s first All-American and Academic All-American. Prior to UH-Downtown, Gardner coached at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and Wartburg College. He wrestled at Wartburg where he was a three-time All-American and led his team to a pair of
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Hall of Fame Wrestler To Lead Wrestling Program
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EAGLE Insider
Josh Berard’s 60 Points Stands As NCAA Best
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Junior forward Josh Berard burst onto the national scene with a school and American Southwest record 60 points February 8 against Concordia University Texas. His 60 points were the most by an NCAA player at any level during the 2015-2016 season. Berard not only broke the scoring record, but also now owns the school record for most field goals in a game (18) and the ASC record for most free throw attempts (25) in a game. He also tied the conference record in free throws made with 21. The 6-foot-3 native of Fort Smith, Ark., was showered with awards following his 14 > > >
performance. He was named U.S. Basketball Writers Association NCAA Division III National Men’s Player of the Week, ASC Player of the Week and made the D3Hoops. com Team of the Week. For the season, he earned All-ASC, All-East Division First Team and D3Hoops.com All-Region. Berard, who earned ASC Player of the Week four times during the season, won the league scoring title with 599 points and a 24.0 points per game average. He finished the regular season ranked 12th in NCAA III in scoring per game. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds and hit 51 percent from the field. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
“I’m very proud of our effort,” said head coach Jeremy Provence. “The course was more difficult than we expected with the wind and cold, but they went out aggressive and gave great effort. The women represented Ozarks well. This provides us with strong momentum going into the 2016 season.” Bell was named ASC Runner of the Week once during the season after winning the Arkansas D-III Championship race. The program had two athletes - Madison Sherrer and Evans - on the American Southwest Conference All-Academic Team. >>>
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Caitlyn Bell, Nena Evans and Stephanie Alderson represented the women’s cross country team at the NCAA III South/Southeast Regional Championships November 14 at Kernstown Battlefield in Kernstown, Virginia. The 6K race hosted by Shenandoah University featured more than 200 runners. Bell, a freshman, paced Ozarks with a time of 26:01.9 to finish 122nd overall. Evans, a senior, ran a 27:22.8 to finish 154th overall and Alderson, a sophomore, posted a 28:53.3 to finish 179th overall. The winning time for the race was 22:05.8.
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Women’s Cross Country Competes In NCAA III Regional
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Austin BENNER Oler, Moore Honored With All-Conference
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The softball duo of Haleigh Moore and Hannah Oler were named All-Conference following their strong play in 2016. Moore, a sophomore centerfielder from Van, Texas, made the At-Large All-ASC First Team. Oler, a sophomore designated player/pitcher from Needville, Texas, made the All-ASC Third Team as a designated player. Moore led the team in batting (.377), runs (31), total bases (65) and stolen bases (9). She recorded one triple, posted a .570 slugging percentage, hit three home runs and drove in 14 runs. A starter in all 36 16 > > >
games, Moore hit safely in 23 games and posted 17 multiple-hit games. She had two hits in seven straight games. She owned a .906 fielding percentage. Oler led the team in RBI (23) and slugging percentage (.573), and ranked second in batting (.354), home runs (4) and on-base percentage (.398). She also had 47 total bases to go along with four doubles. Oler recorded seven multiple-hit games and six multiple-RBI games. In the circle, Oler posted a 5-8 record in 89.1 innings pitched. She threw one shutout and six complete games. She recorded 26 strikeouts on the year. University of the Ozarks
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University of the Ozarks
Athletic Office Manager Lisa Thomas and professor Amy Oatis. NCAA Division III Week is a positive opportunity for all individuals associated with a Division III institution to observe and celebrate the impact athletics and student-athletes have on campus and in the surrounding community. SAAC has been among the strongest campus supporters of volunteer work the past several years. SAAC has spearheaded food drives, assisted at Special Olympics events and raised funds for the Salvation Army and Johnson County Girl’s Club. >>>
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University of the Ozarks’ student-athletes celebrated NCAA Division III Week by hosting students from Clarksville’s self-contained classrooms for a day of fun in April. Student-athletes participated in kickball, soccer and baseball games with the local students. A craft table was also set up for the students. Following the games, the visiting students ate lunch on campus and took a group picture with Ozarks softball team. Each local student received a NCAA III Week tee-shirt and a gift bag from U of O. The event was organized by Ozarks’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC),
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Student-Athletes Volunteer At Field Day For NCAA III Week
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Cross Country’s Nena Evans Hones Leadership, Surfing Skills In Irish Internship
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ena Evans spent her summer not only developing her outdoor and leadership skills, but also hanging ten at one of the best surfing spots in all of Europe. The recent environmental studies graduate and cross country runner from Bergman, Ark., spent 10 weeks during the summer of 2015 interning as a staff member at the Donegal Adventure Center in Bundoran, Ireland. Located in the northern part of Ireland, Bundoran is a renowned surfing area that was listed by National Geographic in 2012 as one of the World’s Top 20 18 > > >
Surf Towns. In her position with Donegal Adventure Center, Evans assisted in leadership and recreational activities for clients ranging from 7-years-old to adults. The activities included high and low ropes courses, a rock wall, an adventure challenge course, body boarding and group team-building games. “There were times when I was in charge of large groups of children, so it definitely helped me develop my leadership and teaching skills,” said Evans. “I learned a lot about working with children and walking that fine line between being University of the Ozarks
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I never would have thought that coming from a small town like Bergman, Arkansas, I would have these types of experiences while in college. Nena Evans
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surfing beaches in Europe was an extra bonus,” Evans said. “I ended up surfing three to four times a week. I had only tried surfing one time before then, so I had a lot to learn, but I really enjoyed it. I actually got pretty good on the foam board.” Evans’ first trip to Europe culminated with a week-long visit to Italy before returning to the States. “The whole experience was an amazing learning and growing experience for me,” Evans said. “Ireland has always been number one on my travel list and to get to spend the summer there and in Italy was an incredible blessing.” Evans was named the state’s 2014 Student Conservationist of the Year by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation for her efforts with conservation on the Ozarks campus. After graduation, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in sustainable agriculture. But first she wants to take a year off, perhaps working for an organization like the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). “I have a passion for sustainable agriculture and for promoting local foods and I want to travel and get some real-world experience working with organic farms in other parts of the country and world,” Evans said.
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an authority figure and also being a friend.” One of the most fulfilling aspects of her work was watching the children gain confidence while at the adventure center. “It was great to work with children and to see them develop and see their confidence grow as they went through the courses,” Evans said. “On the high ropes course, it was about 20 feet high and you had to reach out and grab a trapeze bar, which isn’t an easy thing to do even for adults. We had one kid who couldn’t do it the first couple of times but finally did it the third time and it was such a big accomplishment for him. It was quite satisfying to help children like that grow and do things they didn’t think they could.” Evans said her experience as a student worker with the University’s Ozarks Outdoors program helped prepare her for the internship. “I was familiar with a lot of the activities, like rock climbing and belaying, and was comfortable around the equipment,” Evans said. “That definitely made for a smoother transition.” Evans learned about the internship opportunity from former Ozarks Outdoors Director Jamie Hedges and Provost Dr. Travis Feezell, who traveled to Ireland last year for an outdoors conference. She secured funding from the University’s Academic Enrichment Fund to help pay for her expenses. “They helped arrange this opportunity and I’m so thankful to them and to the University,” Evans said. “I never would have thought that coming from a small town like Bergman, Arkansas, I would have these types of experiences while in college.” Despite the fact that the cool, damp Irish weather allowed her to wear shorts on only three days of her entire summer internship, Evans donned a wetsuit and braved the elements to hone her surfing skills. The nearby beach was about a 30-minute walk. “Having the opportunity to surf at one of the best
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By Larry Isch, Director of University and Public Relations >>>
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Women’s Tennis Team Qualifies For Post-Season
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Under first-year head coach Cullen Dees, the rising women’s tennis program advanced to the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament for the first time since 2007. Ozarks finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed from the East Division and played Texas Dallas. The Eagles dropped the match 5-0, but are in position for another solid 2017 season. “We were excited to add to our history by qualifying for the post-season,” said Dees. “To be back in the conference tournament was very special. I am proud of 20 > > >
this group of ladies. At the beginning of the season, we set a goal to make the playoffs. The team should feel good about setting that goal and making it happen. There are only good things ahead for these players and this team.” It is the third conference post-season appearance for the program. Ozarks posted a 2-2 conference record during the 2016 season to secure a spot in the playoffs. The future is bright for Dees’ program as Ozarks top three singles’ players were freshmen. With another strong recruiting class, the women’s program is expected to contend for another post-season appearance in 2017. University of the Ozarks
DISTINCTLY DIVISION III D I S C O V E R 40 percent of NCAA student-athletes compete in Division III - the largest division in college sports. D E V E L O P Research shows that nine of every 10 Division III student-athletes succeed academically. D E D I C AT E 82 percent of Division III first-year student-athletes receive some type of non-athletics institutional financial aid to attend college, averaging $17,000.
2016 Summer Issue
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