Malone pre-season No. 1 in NAIA men's cross country;
Cedarville women ranked No. 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (8.22.2007) - Malone is pre-season ranked No. 1 in the NAIA men's cross country poll. The Pioneers grabbed the top spot despite earning just one of a possible six first-place votes. Cedarville is rated No. 15.

On the women's side, two AMC schools appear in the Top 10. Cedarville is No. 3 while Malone is No. 8. [SEE NAIA TOP 25 RANKINGS - MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY - WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY]

Houghton women kick off AMC season with scoreless draw
HOUGHTON, N.Y. (8.21.2007) - The 2007-08 American Mideast Conference season opened officially when NAIA No. 5 Houghton played visiting Madonna to a 0-0 double overtime draw in women's soccer. It marked the third straight campaign that the two schools opened their respective schedules with a tie.

Houghton plays at Ohio Dominican on Aug. 24 in their next match. The Panthers are the only other AMC school in the preseason NAIA Top 25 checking in at No. 21. [FULL STORY - Houghton vs. Madonna]

Five AMC teams rated in NAIA pre-season Top 25 polls
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (8.15.2007) - Five teams from the American Mideast Conference appear in their respective NAIA Top 25 pre-season rating. Rio Grande has the highest position at #4 in men's soccer and Ohio Dominican is #23.

Houghton comes in at #5 in women's soccer while Ohio Dominican is #21. Walsh is ranked #13 in women's volleyball. [SEE NAIA TOP 25 RANKINGS - MEN'S SOCCER - WOMEN'S SOCCER - WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL]

Bill Ek named AMC men's basketball supervisor of officials
CEDARVILLE, Ohio (8.1.2007) - Veteran referee Bill Ek has been selected the American Mideast Conference supervisor of men's basketball officials. He replaces Joe DeRosa, who resigned in July after holding down the position for nine years.

"The AMC is pleased to have Bill Ek join our staff," said Dr. James Houdeshell, AMC Commissioner. "He has had a distinguished career as a referee, is very respected, and comes highly recommended to serve as our supervisor of officials."

Ek has been a college basketball official for the past 20 years. He has officiated extensively in the NAIA to go along with numerous assignments in all three divisions of the NCAA. Among his many highlights, Ek has worked the Mid-American Conference Tournament, American Mideast Conference championship games, Ohio Athletic Conference championship games, the NCAA Division III Final Four, and the McDonald's All-American championship game.

Ek officiated five high school state championship games as a 25-year veteran of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. He has also officiated at over 20 camps throughout his career and has been a clinician at more than 25 camps. Ek assumes his role within the AMC while also serving as the supervisor of men's basketball officials for the NCAA Division III Ohio Athletic Conference.

Urbana leaving AMC, NAIA for NCAA
URBANA, Ohio (7.19.2007) - Urbana University is in the early stages of shifting its affiliation from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Urbana Director of Athletics Doug Young received a letter from NCAA officials to inform him that the University has been accepted into the exploratory phase of the process to achieve NCAA Division II status. [FULL STORY]

NAIA Scholar-Team list includes 46 AMC squads
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (7.16.2007) - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released its list of Scholar-Teams for the 2006-07 academic year and the American Mideast Conference is well-represented. The group includes 46 teams from 13 AMC institutions.

Houghton and Malone had the most teams on the list with eight apiece while Ursuline's 3.76 GPA in volleyball was the highest among all AMC teams. Other schools to have at least one scholar-team are Carlow, Cedarville, Daemen, Geneva, Ohio Dominican, Roberts Wesleyan, Shawnee State, Tiffin, Urbana, and Walsh. A nominated NAIA Scholar-Team must possess a minimum combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher. [2006-07 NAIA SCHOLAR-TEAMS]

Ryan Short

Cedarville's Ryan Short earns NAIA Liston Award by Mark Womack, CU sports information director CEDARVILLE, Ohio (6.25.2007) - Cedarville University men's basketball player Ryan Short has been named the 2007 recipient of the prestigious NAIA Emil S. Liston Award. The annual award recognizes a male and female junior basketball player based on scholarship, character and playing ability. Short, a 6-foot-2 guard who will be a senior at the University this coming year, was named to the NAIA Division II All-America Third Team after leading the 23-8 Yellow Jackets to an Elite Eight appearance. The exercise science major was also recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. [FULL STORY]

Cedarville finishes No. 4 in NAIA Directors' Cup standings.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (6.18.2007) - The Cedarville University athletics program placed 4th overall in the NAIA United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings for the 2006-07 academic year. It's the highest finish the Yellow Jackets have ever had in the all-sports competition.

Azusa Pacific (Cal.) easily repeated as champion with 978.25 points with the total based on how a school fares in NAIA national championship competition. Rounding out the top five were Lindenwood (Mo.), 796.25; Concordia (Cal.), 740; Cedarville, 698.50; and Oklahoma Baptist, 639.50.

The Yellow Jackets recorded seven Top 10 NAIA finishes including national runner-up performances in women's cross country as well as women's outdoor track & field. Cedarville was 3rd in women's basketball, 5th in men's basketball, 6th in women's indoor track & field, 10th in men's cross country, and 10th in men's indoor track & field.

Three other AMC schools placed in the Top 50 of the final standings. Malone was 28th, Tiffin was 44th, and Walsh was 47th. [NACDA RELEASE AND FINAL STANDINGS (pdf)]

Laura Kot

MVNU's Laura Kot named Academic All-America® Player of the Year by Dave Parsons, MVNU sports information director MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (5.30.2007) - Laura Kot, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's fastpitch softball team, was honored when the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Softball Teams were announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Kot, a senior second baseman from Tallmadge, Ohio, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® First Team as she became only the sixth MVNU athlete in any sport and the first softball player to be named to a CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team. She also was selected as the College Division Academic All-America® Player of the Year - which is a first for an MVNU student-athlete in any sport. [FULL STORY]

Roberts Wesleyan grad Jen Stuczynski sets American pole vault record
CARSON, Cal. (5.20.2007) - Jen Stuczynski, a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College, set a new American record in the women's pole vault. She cleared 15-feet 10.50-inches at the adidas Track Classic to surpass the old record of 15-feet even.

Stuczynski was the 2006 U.S. Outdoor champion in the pole vault. She established the American Mideast Conference record of 14-feet even in 2005. [USATF FULL STORY]

Tiffin, Malone repeat as AMC All-Sports Awards champions
CEDARVILLE, Ohio (5.16.2007) - Tiffin University captured the AMC All-Sports Award in the women's division for the 2006-07 season and Malone College won the men's title. It's the second year in a row for both schools to earn the awards.

Tiffin picked up AMC women's trophies in golf and softball while totaling 57 points. Runner-up Cedarville won more league championships than any other school (basketball, cross country, track & field) and recorded 51.5 points.

Malone took the men's division by the narrowest of margins over second-place Cedarville by a 49.5 to 49.0 score. The Pioneers were winners in cross country and golf with the Yellow Jackets sharing the South Division basketball crown. [AMC ALL-SPORTS AWARD STANDINGS]