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Lyon College to join American Midwest Conference on July 1 Lyon College will join the American Midwest Conference effective July 1. Competition will begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year. The American Midwest Conference Council of Presidents voted unanimously to admit Lyon to the conference. The addition of Lyon will increase AMC membership to 10 institutions. Most of the AMC schools are in Missouri; one is in Illinois and another in Arkansas. “The Presidents of the American Midwest Conference are pleased to welcome Lyon College to the American Midwest,” said Dr. Dianne Lynch, chair of the AMC Council of Presidents and president of Stephens College. “Lyon College is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.” Lyon President Dr. Donald Weatherman said, “While Lyon has enjoyed its association with the colleges in the TranSouth for over a decade, we are excited about our move to the AMC. We are delighted to receive an invitation to join this fine group of colleges and universities and look forward to developing healthy rivalries within this new conference.” With the move to the AMC, Lyon is ending its affiliation with the TranSouth Athletic Conference. Lyon joined the TranSouth Conference in 1997, competing against schools mostly in Tennessee. The TranSouth has been losing members, however, with Union University, Cumberland University, and Trevecca Nazarene University scheduled to leave the conference after this year. Lyon Athletic Director Kevin Jenkins explained that a conference must have at least six members competing in a sport in order to qualify for post-season tournaments. With the loss of the three members this year, only six schools would remain, but not all of them compete in all varsity sports. “We believe the American Midwest Conference will provide us with more stability and allow our athletes to compete in post-season play,” Jenkins said.
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Jenkins said, “We are excited about the opportunity to join the AMC, which will provide great competition for all our teams and allow each sport to compete in conference championships immediately. The AMC has strong institutions that provide quality educations to student athletes as well as great competition on the playing courts and fields. The comfort level we saw in the AMC is outstanding for us. Those are the kind of characteristics we are looking for.” AMC Commissioner Lowell Pitzer said, “I am pleased to officially welcome Lyon to the AMC family on behalf of our presidents, athletics directors, students, and fans. Lyon is an outstanding academic institution with a strong athletic program. We look forward to having the Scots compete in our league starting in 2012.” Members of the AMC are Benedictine University (Springfield, Ill.), Columbia College (Columbia, Mo.), Hannibal-LaGrange University (Hannibal, Mo.), Harris-Stowe State University (St Louis), Missouri Baptist University (St. Louis), Park University (Parkville, Mo.), Stephens College (Columbia, Mo.), William Woods University (Fulton, Mo.), and Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, Ark.). The Scots sponsor nine varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, golf, and soccer. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Lyon participates in every sport sponsored by the AMC except men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
The Piper