GRACE NAMED "BEST MIDWEST COLLEGE" FOR 2009

Grace College is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review.

The New York City-based education services company selected the school as one of 159 institutions it recommends in its "Best in the Midwest" section on its website feature 2009 Best Colleges: Region by Region.

According to The Princeton Review, the selection was made based on excellent academic programs, data collected from colleges in the region, campus visits, and opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations the company solicits. “We also take into account what each school’s customers–their students–report to us about their campus experiences at their schools on our 80-question student survey,” explained Robert Franek, Princeton Review's vice president of publishing.

The 159 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year’s "Best in the Midwest" designations are located in twelve states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Princeton Review also designated 212 colleges in the Northeast, 120 in the West, and 139 in the Southeast as best in their locales on the company’s 2009 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its site. The 630 colleges named "regional best(s)" represent only about 25% (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.

The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) is a New York-based company known for its test preparation courses, books, and college admission and other education services.

GRACE ATHLETIC TEAMS EARN NAIA SCHOLAR HONORS

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has named nine of the 14 athletic programs at Grace College to its list of 2007-2008 scholar teams, recognizing the achievement of academic excellence by Grace College athletes.

NAIA student-athletes around the country work diligently throughout the year for academic excellence at their respective institutions. All teams on the list of scholar teams have earned at least a 3.0 team grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during the 2007-08 academic year.

“This honor is an accurate reflection of the hard work our women have put in off the soccer field,” said women’s head soccer coach Michael Voss. “Our academics are one of the things we are known for and I am super proud of them.”

The women’s programs at Grace College receiving this honor include: women’s outdoor track and field with a GPA of 3.21 coached by Neal Butler, women’s soccer with a GPA of 3.39 coached by Michael Voss, softball with a GPA of 3.13 coached by Stephen Liebsch, women’s tennis with a GPA of 3.24 coached by Deron Datzman, and volleyball with a GPA of 3.54 coached by Andria Harshman.

“I am very proud of the team for working so diligently on their academics as they do their athletics,” said head softball coach Stephen Liebsch. “It shows that our athletes are committed to the entire collegiate experience.”

The men’s programs receiving this honor include: men’s basketball with a GPA of 3.10 coached by Jim Kessler, men’s golf with a GPA of 3.33 coached by Bo Wright, men’s outdoor track and field with a GPA of 3.36 coached by Neal Butler, and men’s soccer with a GPA of 3.08 coached by Matt Hotchkin.

“Credit goes to our athletes and our coaches,” said men’s basketball head coach Jim Kessler. “We take pride in achieving excellence both on the field of competition and in the classroom.”

These nine programs combined hold a total grade point average of 3.26 and had the second highest total of athletic programs to be honored within the NAIA Mid-Central Conference.

The NAIA is committed to high standards and to the principle that participation in athletics serves as an integral part of the total education process. Furthermore the Association is dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics and provides student-athletes an environment that values academic and athletic excellence.

“This is a great honor for our athletic department,” said Grace Athletic Director, Chad Briscoe. “It is great to see our student athletes recognized for their academic efforts throughout the year. Our students do a great job of balancing academics with the athletic season. Our coaches and student athletes are dedicated to pursuing excellence in all areas of the Grace College experience.”

Grace College is a member of the Mid-Central Conference and affiliated with both the NAIA and NCCAA.

GRACE TO HOST 2009 NCCAA WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

The National Christian College Athletic Association has released the new site for the 2008-09 Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament.

The Division I tournament will be hosted by Grace College and the community of Winona Lake, March 12-14, 2009. Grace’s Orthopaedic Capital Center will be the site of all 12 games. It will serve as one of the finest arenas to ever house an NCCAA Championship.

“From your first step into this facility, the quality and the atmosphere that should surround an NCCAA Championship is evident,” states NCCAA Executive Director, Dan Wood. Fans will enjoy the 2,200 seat arena and the teams will appreciate the outstanding locker room and VIP facilities. Under the direction of Grace Athletic Director, Chad Briscoe, his staff, and various community agencies, the support is present for a long term relationship for this event with Grace set to host through the 2009-10 season. Grace is a member of the NCCAA, NAIA, and Mid-Central College Conference. For more information, go to http://www.grace.edu/athletics.