Spring 2017 Colonels Insider

Insider

Among the Nation’s Best Centre recognized as one of the nation’s Top-50 colleges for athlete opportunities

A Look at Centre College’s Intercollegiate Athletics Department Spring 2017

CENTRE EARNS LOFTY RANKING A new Sports Illustrated and MONEY magazine joint venture has ranked the 100 Best Colleges for Sports Lovers, and Centre came in at #47 in the nation in the “Athlete Opportunities” category and #79 overall.

Centre is the only Kentucky college or university to appear on the list that, while dominated by Division I schools, includes a surprising number of Division III colleges.

But then again, the new ranking, SI and MONEY insist, “would never advocate choosing a school solely based on gridiron greatness or Olympic medal hauls.” Instead, they sought “to compile a list of great colleges for students who love sports—but who also want a high-quality, affordable education that positions them for career success.”

Stanford, Notre Dame, Michigan, Duke and Virginia lead the list, but D3 Middlebury in Vermont and Bowdoin in Maine cracked the top 10. In all, 27 D3 colleges made the list.

To even be considered for the list, all top 100 schools were first held to high standards that focused on “affordability, academic excellence and career outcomes” (20 percent of overall ranking).

Deemed one of the nation’s best values, Centre has also been among the top 50 colleges in America in the U.S. News & World Report ranking 23 times in the last quarter century. Outcome rates for Centre graduates have been similarly remarkable. Based on a 96 percent response rate, 98 percent of the most recent graduating class is employed or pursuing advanced study within a year of graduation.

From there, the ranking focused on “athlete opportunities” and “fan experience” (40 percent each), and it was in terms of student-athlete opportunities that the College ranked among the nation’s top-50 colleges.

Centre’s varsity teams have maintained a high level of success for more than a century. Today, nearly 600 student-athletes (or some 40 percent of the overall student body), compete in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports, and since joining the Southern Athletic Association for the 2012-13 season, Centre has claimed 38 conference titles.

Increasingly, Centre student-athletes have access to some of the finest facilities in the country at the D3 level as well. In addition to nearly $100 million in campus improvements and capital projects over the last eight years, Centre has strengthened its athletic facilities.

Over the last five years alone, additions include a new turf field (for field hockey and women’s lacrosse), softball field, throws area for track and field, an indoor practice facility for baseball and softball, and a new grass soccer field and facility that features a 75×120-yard playing surface, a 7,000 square foot locker room building, seating for 500 fans and a brand new press box.

2016-17 FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

DURING THE 2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR, FOUR CENTRE STUDENT-ATHLETES HAVE BEEN NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS MEET THE FIERCE FOUR: DESTINIE GRAVES (WOMEN’S SOCCER), SERENA GALE-BUTTO (CROSS COUNTRY), NICOLE DEHERDE (FIELD HOCKEY), AND SARAH HAYHURST (SWIMMING & DIVING)

HIT THE LINKS FOR THE COLONELS! MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THIS SUMMER’S FUNDRAISING GOLF OUTINGS! 40TH ANNUAL HERBIE MCGUIRE PRAYING COLONELS INVITATIONAL MONDAY, MAY 22 • DANVILLE COUNTRY CLUB • DANVILLE, KY REGISTER ONLINE: ALUMNI.CENTRE.EDU/PCI2017 INAUGURAL CENTRE LOUISVILLE OPEN MONDAY, AUGUST 14 • AUDUBON COUNTRY CLUB • LOUISVILLE, KY MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON! For information on supporting the praying colonels fund, visit centrecolonels.com/pcfund or call Andrew Gavin ’06 at 859.238.5872

COLONEL NEWS & NOTES

1

2

3

4

1. Centre junior Logan Oatman (Paducah, Ky.) recently concluded one of the decorated individual seasons in the history of Centre men’s swimming and diving. Oatman became the first male Colonel swimmer to earn an invitation to the national finals since Centre Hall of Famer Jon Oldham in 1996, competing in three different events in Shenandoah, Texas. He raced in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke before his season culminated with a 17th place finish in the 200-yard backstroke.

2. Under the direction of second-year head coach Currie Martin, the Centre women’s tennis team continues its ascent up the Southern Athletic Association ranks. The Colonels advanced to the title match of the conference championship for the first time in school history before falling to nationally ranked Sewanee. Centre also ranked in the top-10 in the South Atlantic Region, thanks in large part to the play of sophomore Neha Rao (Louisville, Ky.) and junior Aliza Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio) at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Rao and Williams also teamed up in doubles to post a 15-0 record against Division III opponents. Martin’s squad wrapped up its 2016-17 season with a 14-7 record, 6-1 in SAA play.

3. Rhoman James (Lexington, Ky.) enjoyed a terrific sophomore season in track and field. The sophomore sprinter ranks among the top-10 nationally in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. At the SAA Championships, James finished second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and helped Centre finish second in the 4x100-meter relay.

His time of 10.77 seconds improved his own school record set earlier in the season, which broke a school record which had stood for 15 years (Sean Smith, 2002).

4. Just 10 games into a new era of Centre Baseball under head coach Drew Briese ‘00, the Colonels had made a cross-country trek to play a four-game series they will likely never forget. Invited by Whitman College, Centre played four games against the Blues in Safeco Field, the 47,943-seat home of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners. The two schools played four competitive games, with Centre winning games one (4-2) and three (10-7) to improve to 8-2 on the season.