This is the Missouri Valley Conference
MVC Info. 4
Creighton (2003), Drake (1999) and Illinois State (2009) have made semifinal trips to the WNIT postseason tournament. Indeed, the inclusion of women’s programs under The Valley banner has provided a boost. The Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference -- which began in 1982 -- merged with The Missouri Valley Conference and was unveiled as part of the new conference on July 1, 1992. While the inclusion of women’s sports under a comprehensive athletic umbrella is a recent development in the league’s storied history, over the years, Valley studentathletes and coaches have become household names during the league’s illustrious history, both during their collegiate careers and, for some, professional careers. In fact, The Valley began Jackie Stiles of Missouri State honoring that tradition in the is the all-time leading scorer summer of 1997, when the in NCAA women’s basketball. conference began its athletics Hall of Fame. Hersey Hawkins of Bradley, Larry Bird of Indiana State, Wes Unseld of Louisville, Coach Henry Iba of Oklahoma State, Dave Stallworth of Wichita State, Ed Macauley of Saint Louis, and Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati were members of the initial induction class. Currently, nearly 80 former players, coaches and alums dot the league’s Hall of Fame. Men’s basketball, perhaps, has the league’s most storied tradition, boasting the likes of Hall of Famers Bird and Robertson as former players, but The Valley has also produced national-caliber student-athletes in its other sponsored sports. In 2001, Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles became the first Valley woman to earn the Honda-Broderick Cup, given to the nation’s top female collegiate student-athlete. In the sport of track and field, Indiana State’s Holli Hyche captured seven national sprint titles in the early 1990s, Southern Illinois’ Darrin Plab won back-to-back NCAA outdoor high jump titles in 1991 and 1992, SIU’s Brittany Riley became the World record holder in the weight throw in 2007, and Kylie Hutson of Indiana State swept both the indoor and outdoor pole vault titles in 2009 and in 2010. Southern Illinois’ Jeneva McCall (three NCAA individual championships) and Illinois State’s Tim Glover (back-to-back javelin championships in 2011 and 2012) are the most recent multi-year NCAA champions in the league’s highly decorated history in track & field. In the fall of 1997, Creighton’s Johnny Torres was named the collegiate male soccer player of the year for a secondstraight year, while SMU’s Luchi Gonzalez (2001) and Tulsa’s Ryan Pore (2004) have also earned a National Player of the Year honor in men’s soccer. Meanwhile, league member Wichita State has produced three national collegiate players of the year in baseball, including Joe Carter (1981), Phil Stephenson (1982) and Darren Dreifort (1993). League members include Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, and Wichita State. Central Arkansas and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville are affiliate members in men’s soccer, while Dallas Baptist will join the league as an affiliate member for baseball in 2013-14.
Medical Glossary - Common Sports Terms AC Joint - Acromioclavicular joint; joint of the shoulder where acromian process of the scapula and the distal end of the clavicle meet; shoulder separations occur at this point. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) - A primary stabilizing ligament within the center of the knee joint that prevents hyperextension an excessive rotation of the joint. A complete tear of the ACL necessitates up to 12 months of rehabilitation. Arthroscope - Instrument used to visualize the interior of a joint cavity. Arthroscopy - A surgical examination of the internal structures of the joint by means of viewing through an arthroscope. An arthroscopic procedure can be used to remove or repair damaged tissue or as a diagnostic procedure in order to inspect the extent of any damage or confirm a diagnosis. CAT scan - Use of a computer to produce a cross sectional view of the anatomical part being investigated from x-ray data. Cartilage - Smooth, slippery substance preventing two ends of bones from rubbing together and grating. Acts as a shock absorber or cushion between bones. Concussion - Jarring injury of the brain resulting in dysfunction. It can be graded as mild, moderate or severe depending on loss of consciousness, amnesia and loss of equilibrium. Fracture - Types include simple, compound, comminuted, greenstick, incomplete, impacted, longitudinal, oblique, stress or transverse. Hamstring - Category of muscle that runs from the buttocks to the knee along the back of the thigh. It functions to flex the knee, and is often-times injured as a result of improper conditioning or lack of flexibility. Ligament - Band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone or to cartilage and supports and strengthens joints. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Imaging procedure in which a radio frequency pulse causes certain electrical elements of the injured tissue to react to this pulse and through this process a computer display and permanent film establish a visual image. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) - Ligament of the knee that connects the femur to the joint, stabilizing the knee joint. Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) - A primary stabilizing ligament of the knee that provides significant stability and prevents displacement of the tibia backward within the knee joint. A complete tear of this ligament necessitating reconstruction could require up to 12 months of rehabilitation. Quadriceps Muscles (Quads) - A group of four muscles of the front thigh that run from the hip and form a common tendon at the patella; they are responsible for knee extension. Rotator Cuff - Comprised of four muscles in the shoulder area that can be irritated by overuse. The muscles are the supraspinatus (most commonly injured), infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. Sprain - Injury resulting from a stretch or twist of the joint and causing various degrees of stretch or tear of a ligament. Strain - Injury resulting from a pull or torsion to the muscle or tendon that causes various degrees of stretch or a tear to the muscle or tendon tissue. Stress Fracture - A hairline type of break in a bone caused by stress. Tendinitis - Inflammation of the tendon and/or tendon sheath, caused by chronic overuse or sudden injury. Tendon - Tissue that connects muscle to bone.
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