Beacon News

Beacon News A PLACE OF HOPE

2019 PERSEVERANCE AWARD WINNER KAYLYNN BUSH REFLECTS ON A DIFFICULT JOURNEY WITH A REWARDING END.

Women's Basketball student-athlete Kaylynn Bush '19 developed a strong reputation in just two years at Northwest Christian University as a great student, a great friend, and a force to be reckoned with on the court. Head Coach Chad Meadors said the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of Kaylynn is her grit and her toughness. "She really enjoys doing the difficult things on the court, taking charges and playing lights-out defense," he said.

There was a time when that tough exterior did not match how Kaylynn was feeling on the inside.

Coming out of high school at Valley Christian High School in Portland, Kaylynn was a highly touted basketball player. Recruited by multiple schools, including NCU and former coach Heath Alexander, she landed at an NCAA Division II school in Colorado with a plan to play basketball and get a degree in environmental business.

She said, "I went there planning to make an impact in the classroom and on the court. I thought this was a school that would give me the opportunity to succeed. I didn't know what to expect, but I had always been taught to avoid distractions and work hard to make friends and have the time of your life, but first and foremost to get your degree. Never once did I learn that things would be so hard."

Things quickly took a turn when she stepped on campus. Adjusting to the life of a driven student-athlete began to feel overwhelming and she was stretching herself too thin. "Finding the balance between getting it done in the classroom and then being in the gym all day every day was very hard," she said. "I was over doing it and I ended up in the hospital with an abscess in the back of my throat. I was in the hospital for five days and not once did my coach come to see me."

Upon her return, her coach told her to get back on the court as quickly as possible and to get ready for the upcoming season. She said, "He basically told me he didn't care that I was practically on my death bed, he just needed me to be in practice so our team could be successful."

At 17, Kaylynn struggled to know what to do. She was supposed to be on bed rest for a month, but was instructed to be at practice, running or riding a bike when should couldn't get on the court. The side effects of her medications made these tasks difficult and she was feeling singled out. "Of course, I don't have mom and dad there to fight my battles for me so I had to do it on my own," she said.

Miraculously, Kaylynn fought through adversity to play all 30 games as a freshman, but it took its toll. A new coach came in for her sophomore season and she convinced herself to give it another shot. Kaylynn continued to battle through sickness, and struggled to keep her head in the game. She said, "The new coach didn't know me and my history and she told me she didn't trust me or believe in me. I began to question why I would play for a school that didn't believe in me and support me."

Kaylynn was now playing off the bench, feeling defeated and her mental health went from bad to worse. She said, "I was constantly sick, I was losing weight and being away from family was so hard. I felt like my mind was going to explode and I was trapped. I would cry, pull out my hair and make myself throw up. It wasn't going to get better and there was nobody who was going to help me make it better. I questioned whether my existence on the planet was worth it. Clearly there was no meaning and my life wasn't going to get better."

Finally making her way to a counselor at the encouragement of her teammates, Kaylynn was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and put on medication. She made the decision to transfer and knew she wanted to come home. "I needed to be closer to my family," she said, "and even though Eugene was two hours away, it still felt like home."

Kaylynn called up Coach Alexander to see if he might still have a spot for her on the team and he enthusiastically said yes. "Coming to NCU was a great opportunity for me and I am forever grateful that Coach Alexander still believed in me and in my talents," she said. "It was such a blessing because I thought my dream might have been over."

That dream became a reality as she stepped foot on the corner of Alder and 11th Avenue. "Right when I got on campus I knew I made the right choice," said Kaylynn. "Everyone was friendly and encouraging. Not knowing me or my story, people would still pray for me and care for me. NCU put a smile on my face and gave me hope that all was not lost."

Her first season with the Beacons proved to be a memorable one as the team reached new heights, earning their first trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament. Kaylynn said, "Coming from a program where we won eight games over my freshman and sophomore years combined, it felt amazing to accomplish things I never thought I would be a part of."

Success, however, came at a cost as Alexander left to take an NCAA Division I Assistant Coach position at the University of Cincinnati. Heading into her senior season, Kaylynn was facing her fourth coach in four years at two different schools. Old wounds began to resurface. "I definitely had my guard up after everything I had gone through," she said. "I wasn't sure what to expect or if basketball would still be an option for me.

She met with Coach Meadors early on and had a good conversation about her past. "I told him everything that had happened to me and he told me he just wanted me to have fun," she said.

Starting nearly every game, Bush had what she called the best year of her basketball career despite the team having a losing season. She said, "Coach told me I deserved to have fun and to love the game again and this year I have done that. The culture that Chad established was different and I enjoyed being in a culture that emphasizes team dynamics. We were a team of fighters and being a part of this was nothing short of amazing."

Coach Meadors said, "I think teammates are everything. They become sad when a teammate is down and then they all rally around her. Those pick-me-ups can mean everything to an athlete and Kaylynn really thrived with that additional support system in place."

Although it had started as a source of anxiety for Kaylynn, basketball proved to be her source of strength. On the court and beyond, she continues to work on herself. "It is really about mental toughness," she said, "and I'm still learning that. It is part of my growth."

As Coach Meadors put it, basketball provides a beautiful canvas for

personal growth. He said, "There is just no way you are going to go through even three minutes on the floor without making mistakes. It is in those mistakes that we get to develop our skills. Strength and growth are felt in the coping and getting back up again. In a way, you are working on this game but the whole time you are really working on yourself."

Kaylynn graduated in May with her degree in business administration, earning conference and national scholar-athlete honors in the process.

Moving forward, she plans to find ways to advocate for others that may be in similar situations to what she experienced. "Being able to tell my story about mental health and battling through adversity is pretty cool," she said. "Every college athlete should get to enjoy the college experience, but it isn't always easy. I learned the hard way and I don't want others to go through the same things."

Her first opportunity to put her advocacy into action will come this fall when she begins her role as a graduate assistant for Coach Meadors and the women's basketball team. "I am excited to be on the coaching side of the ball," she said. "I definitely have seen a lot of different things having had four coaches in college. I will be able to take little bits and pieces, the best and the worst of all of them, and identify who I want to be as a coach."

"Having the support system and community that I have at NCU has been incredible. Having a family and people that I can go to for guidance is something everyone should have. I want athletes in similar situations to know that they are not alone. There are other people fighting the same battles they are."

In April, Kaylynn was named an "Athletic Training Perseverance Award" winner at the Beacons' end-of-year award ceremony. She said, "If I didn't come to NCU I would probably still be in the dark, and confused, and scared, and dealing with my everyday stressors. Coming here showed me that there was hope and allowed me to persevere."

Beacon News TWO ATHLETES AND TWO TEAMS JOIN HALL OF FAME

Hall of Fame Inductees Jim Newport '87 and Jeanette (Scofield) McHarness '75

The 2019 NCU Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on Sunday as the school welcomed in two national championship teams, and two individuals.

Joining the Hall of Fame are the 1986 and 1987 men’s basketball teams, men’s basketball player Jim Newport ’87 and women’s volleyball player Jeanette Scofield-McHarness '75.

1986 Men’s Basketball Team The 1980’s were a remarkable time in the legacy of NCU basketball. The 1983, 1984 and 1985 NBCAA National Championship came home to Eugene and all three of those teams have already been enshrined in the NCU Athletic Hall of Fame. A new coach continued a long tradition in 1986 as the Crusaders won their fourth consecutive NBCAA title. Hallof-Fame coach Dave Lipp '71 left the school after the 1985 season to join the women’s basketball staff at the University of Oregon and former team chaplain Don Kennedy '69 took over the reins for one season.

The 1986 team started the season 14-1 and went on to finish 24-7. The regular season included a 68-59 December victory on the road at Oregon Institute of Technology that would be the only NCC victory in Klamath Falls until 30 years later.

In the national tournament quarterfinals they dominated Southwestern College (Texas) 116-68, a post-season scoring record that still stands. Hall-of-Famer Jon Willis led the way

with 21 points and six rebounds and 11 players found their way into the book.

An 83-70 victory over Pillsbury College (Minnesota) came after leading by just three-points at half-time. Willis scored 27 points despite sitting out much of the second half with four fouls, and Jim Newport added 24 points as the Crusaders shot 61% from the field.

One night later, NCC rolled to an 80- 67 championship victory over North Central Bible College (Minnesota). Willis ended his collegiate career in that game by scoring 30 points and fittingly hitting the first and last buckets of the game, scoring on a slam dunk as the final buzzer sounded. He was named tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Jim Newport.

Along with Willis and Newport, members of the 1985-1986 team including Hollie Darden, Mike Delaplain, John Gilles, Greg Gittins, Jeff Knox, John Leach, John O’Haver, Mickey McGraw, Greg Olson, Mike Parham, and Carl Swan. Coach Kennedy was assisted by Tony Carvey and Dan Oleson.

With his inclusion in this class, Jon Willis joins Jim Newport this year as the first two five-time inductees into the NCU Athletic Hall of Fame.

1987 Men’s Basketball Team The 1987 men’s basketball team continued the mid-80’s small-college dynasty, recording their fifth straight NBCAA National Championship. Led by first-year head coach Paul Halupa, the Crusaders had their share of adversity during a 13-16 regular season, but emerged when it counted at the national tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

NCC opened the season 8-5 before Christmas, but an injury to leading scorer and University of Oregon transfer Brian Trendell sent the team on a sevengame losing streak and nine losses in a ten-game stretch. Trendell returned and the Crusaders went 4-2 over the final six games of the regular season to head to the national tournament with some momentum.

The tournament started on an ominous note with not one but three key players hampered with injuries leading up to the trip. Senior Jim Newport and junior Jeff Knox sustained sprained ankles while junior John Gilles was diagnosed with a stress fracture. All three players were questionable to play and both Knox and Gilles would end up remaining on the bench for the entire tournament.

After a quarterfinal win over Nebraska Christian, the Crusaders once again defeated Pillsbury College in the semifinals, 89-79 behind 28 from Trendell to advance to the championship game.

They then won the title, 66-59 over Simpson College (California). Trendell again led the way, scoring 20 points including a clutch three-point shot at the 3 ½ minute mark of the second half after Simpson had pulled within two points. Jim Newport was able to get back onto the court and provided 11 crucial points in just 15 minutes in his final collegiate game, securing his fourth national championship.

Newport, Knox, Gilles, and Trendell were joined on the 1986-1987 team by Darden, Gittins, Leach, McGraw, Olson and Swan as well as newcomers Ken Farmer, Marty Lanz, and Bruce Thompson. Coach Halupa was assisted that season by Kent Landerholm.

Jeanette (Scofield) McHarness ’75 For the first time, the Northwest Christian University Athletic Hall of Fame honors pre-NAIA women’s athletics with the selection of a true pioneer in Jeanette McHarness '75. A member of the 1974 and 1975 volleyball teams, McHarness went on to coach the Crusaders for the next seven years and was a strong voice for women’s collegiate athletics in the early Title IX era.

In 1975, McHarness was named the Most Valuable Player for the only team in NCU history across any sport to go undefeated. The Crusaders went 12-0 on the season including an 8-0 championship run through the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Conference.

After her two seasons in uniform, McHarness took over the reins of the program for the 1976 season and led the team to a third-place finish in the PNCC and 21 wins, a program record which stands to this day.

The following season she led the Crusaders back to the top as they won the PNCC Championship for the second time in three years behind a 13-1 record. McHarness went on to coach the team for five more years.

Jim Newport ’87 Jim Newport was one of a rare handful of players who could claim membership on four NBCAA National Championship teams. Already a member of two Hall of Fame teams, Newport is now being recognized as part of two more teams and for his individual athletic accomplishments, making him just the second five-time inductee along with Jon Willis.

Newport was a key contributor on all four of his teams and his role steadily grew throughout his career. By his senior year he was named the team MVP and was also named an NBCAA AllAmerican.

A role player during his first two seasons, Newport averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. As a junior, Newport started coming into his own and was an integral piece of the NBCAA Championship run. In the quarterfinal round he scored 13 points, scored 24 in the semifinal and was named to the AllTournament team.

As a senior, Newport averaged 17.1 points per game and led the team with 538 points, 192 rebounds and 17 blocks. He also was the teams’ best shooter, hitting 55% of his shots from the field and 80% of his free-throw attempts. Newport still ranks in the top-15 alltime for scoring and he is seventh alltime in rebounding.

Newport’s best game was his 38-point performance against Northwest University on February 20, 1987 which at the time set a new NCC single-game scoring record. It still ranks as the seventh-highest scoring effort in school history. Newport also played a key role in the 1987 NBCAA championship game as he came off the bench to score 11 points in just 15 minutes of action as he was hobbled with an ankle injury.

BEACON WINTER & SPRING SPORTS

RASUBALA REIGNS

Junior Anika Rasubala ran away from her competition over the final 800 meters, claiming an NAIA National Championship victory in the 3000m Steeplechase on Saturday at the NAIA National Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.

Rasubala said, "It feels incredible. I still pinch myself because I can't really believe it happened. It is surreal to me when I look back on the race and the entire season leading up to that point. It was a lot of hard work and for it to come together was such a blessing.

"First and foremost I thank Jesus for giving me the ability to run and the love for running. My family is amazing and coming out here to be with me was incredible. My teammates were so supportive, sweating and doing the workouts right alongside me and I love them so much."

Rasubala finished the race in 10 minutes, 44.89 seconds, breaking the NCU record despite running in 90 degree heat and heavy humidity. The previous record was held by current

assistant coach and former AllAmerican Michelle Tyler '17 for the past three years.

This is the second individual national championship for the Beacons and it comes just one year after the first NAIA crown was won by Bailey Dell '18 in the Javelin.

"I truly felt that God was running right beside me throughout the race," she said. "He gave me a lot of peace this morning and I had some confidence going in, but as a competitor you always question things and I just felt his presence on every lap. I just knew to be patient and wait for the right moment to make my move and it worked out."

Beginning the race boxed in by three other runners, Rasubala was able to bide her time, sticking in the lead pack of four over the first 1800 meters before moving in front and leading the race for the final five laps. With the last two laps remaining, Rasubala gave herself some separation from UBC's Madeleine Brunt, the Cascade Conference Runner-Up, and she never looked back.

This is her second straight All-American finish in the event after finishing eighth in 2018. She said, "It was so exciting that my parents and my teammates got to be there with me. It was a completely different experience than last year, getting to celebrate afterward with more of my teammates and with my parents there."

With the ten points scored with Rasubala's victory, NCU finished the championships in 29th place, fourth among schools from the CCC. UBC won the national championship, Oregon Tech finished tenth and the College of Idaho was 28th, scoring one more point than the Beacons.

Meanwhile, on the men's side, senior Dan Carrier closed out his NCU career on a high note Saturday, taking tenth place in the NAIA 3000m Steeplechase championship. The Cascade Collegiate Conference runner-up was languishing in the back of the pack in humid gulf temperatures reaching the low 90's at race time, but passed six runners over the final five laps to come in tenth. Carrier ran a 9:43.58 and missed out on All-American honors by just six seconds.

Also running the event was senior Conner Covey who pushed through to finish the race in 15th. NCU's other scheduled competitor on Saturday was senior Michael Andrews in the Pole Vault. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered during mid-week training made him unable to compete.

Beacon News BEACONS CCC AWARD WINNERS

Connor Covey '19

This year the Northwest Christian University athletic department was honored with four of the six major individual awards given out by the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Seniors Britnee Joaquin and Conner Covey were named the U.S. Bank Scholar Athletes of the Year while Joaquin and junior Kaleb Miles were the winners of the Les Schwab Champion of Character honors. The annual awards are voted on by the conference athletic directors.

Covey, from Medford, Oregon, graduated with a 4.0 GPA in exercise science program and became the first Beacon male studentathlete to complete a career with a perfect grade point average. He earned U.S. Bank Academic All-Conference honors six times, NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athlete recognition four times and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Covey was also inducted into the NCU chapter of the National Scholar-Athlete Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma this past year. A four-year member of the men's cross-country and track/field teams, Covey was the 2019 CCC Steeplechase Champion.

Joaquin, a senior soccer player from Simi Valley, California, completed her undergraduate degree this year in Education finishing her career with a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA). She was named the NCU Student Teacher of the Year and was the recipient of the Presidential Scholar Award. Joaquin

Britnee Joaquin '19

became only the fourth student-athlete to earn the prestigious honor in the 47-year history of the award.

Joaquin was twice named NCU's ScholarAthlete of the Year, was a three-time U.S. Bank Academic All-Conference selection and a two-time NAIA-Daktronics ScholarAthlete. On two occasions she also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. The four-year soccer player for the Beacon’s was also inducted into the NCU chapter of the National Scholar-Athlete Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma.

Joaquin has been an active participant in mission trips throughout her four years as a Beacon, as well as service in Eugene, Oregon. This past year Joaquin traveled to Kenya as part of the NCU mission team. Along with teaching the gospel to villagers in door-to-door ministry, Joaquin helped to organize a track meet that attracted over one-hundred men, women and children throughout the villages that participated. Other mission trips during her time at NCU include disaster relief work in Puerto Rico and fighting human trafficking in Nicaragua.

Locally, Joaquin played an instrumental role in the organization of service projects for the women’s soccer program. Last fall, along with her teammates, a forgotten walking path in Hendricks Park was revitalized by clearing overgrown brush and removal of debris in order to make

Kaleb Miles '20

the path usable by the public. This spring Joaquin helped to lead multiple “Little Tykes” soccer clinics for area preschoolers to participate in which the women’s and men’s soccer players served as the instructors.

Miles, a junior from Puyallup, Washington plays soccer for the Beacons and returns for his senior season this fall while working towards his degree in Biology.

Like Joaquin, Miles took part in the NCU mission trip to Kenya. While serving in remote churches, Miles was, without notice, asked to present a session to young children. With little preparation time he created a fifteen-minute message about David and Goliath in which he acted out the various parts in order to keep the children engaged. Miles also assisted in organization of the track meet that attracted over one-hundred men, women and children throughout the villages that participated.

On campus Miles spearheaded the launch of NCU’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and served as the men’s soccer Chaplain Captain. He was the men’s soccer representative on the athletic department’s Student- Athlete Advisory Committee and was NCU's Champion of Character Award winner for 2018-2019. Miles also participated in the Hendricks Park walking path cleanup efforts and the “Little Tykes” soccer clinics.