Andy Hawley

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced that 1,590 teams from across the nation have earned the distinction of Scholar Teams for the 2015-16 academic year, including 15 of Spring Arbor University's athletic programs.   The women’s cross country team led all SAU programs with an impressive 3.70 grade-point average while seven other squads owned a GPA of 3.5 or higher – women's soccer (3.60), volleyball (3.60), softball (3.58), women's indoor track and field (3.55), women's outdoor track and field (3.55), women’s basketball (3.55) and women's golf (3.54).   For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) as defined by the institution. The team grade-point average includes all eligible varsity student-athletes.   In addition to the Scholar Team awards, a total of 63 Spring Arbor student-athletes were honored as Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete this past year for being a junior or senior academically with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or better.   Team                                                              GPA Women’s Cross Country                             3.70 Women's Soccer                                          3.60 Volleyball                                                       3.60 Softball                                                           3.58 Women's Indoor Track & Field                  3.55 Women's Outdoor Track & Field              3.55 Women's Basketball                                    3.55 Women’s Golf                                              …

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University head men’s and women’s bowling coach Michael Hall has announced the addition of Rich Bradley as an assistant coach with the Cougar bowling programs.   Bradley began his bowling career at the young age of five years old. His love for the sport continued to grow over the years and, after teaching his children to bowl, the transition to coaching others seemed inevitable.   After coaching two seasons at Western High School in Parma, Michigan, in 2013 Bradley moved on to be the assistant boy’s and girl’s coach for the successful Vikings of Jackson High School. He currently is lucky enough to coach both his kids at the high school level. While coaching for the Vikings, he has helped coach individual State qualifiers at both the Division I and Division II levels. Also, Bradley was instrumental in leading the Lady Vikings to several first place tournament wins, back-to-back regional championships and a runner-up finish in the Division II State Championship.   Bradley and his wife, Emily, and their two children, reside and bowl in Jackson, Michigan.   The Cougars will begin their inaugural season at the Warrior Classic, hosted by Rochester College, in…

Coed Blue Division ASA Accounting Services 12  Duffy's - Hayden 10.  Nathan Stanford went 2 for 2 with 2 doubles and Kenla Kelly went 2 for 3 to lead ASA Accounting.  Tony Deneka went 3 for 3 with a triple and a double for Duffy's.   Martinrea Misfits 8  The Chase Sports Bar 3.  Josh Dingee went 4 for 5 with a triple and 2 doubles and Carly Dingee also went 4 for 5 to lead Martinrea Misfits.  Brian Sears and Jaime Phelps each went 3 for 3 for The Chase Sports Bar.   Coed Tan Division Classic Metal Finishing 11  Maggie's Playhouse 7.  Adam Coolbaugh went 4 for 4 with a triple and a double and Stephanie Chmiel went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs to lead Classic Metal Finishing.  Sara Lyons went 3 for 4 for Maggie's Playhouse.   Duffy's - Webb 13  Multiple Scoregasm 11.  Barry Webb went 3 for 3 with a double and Chris Salkowki went 4 for 5 with a home run and a strike out for Duffy's.  Jason Helmic went 3 for 3 to lead Multiple Scoregasm who had a late 7th inning rally fall just short.   Shamrock Bar 20  Done Right…

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Receiving the highest athletic honor bestowed by the conference, Bethany Balcer (Hudsonville, MI / Unity Christian HS) has been named the 2015-16 Crossroads League Female Student-Athlete of the Year after piecing together one of the most decorated campaigns in Spring Arbor University Athletics history as a member of the women’s soccer program.   In a league that produced 46 All-Americans among its nine sponsored women’s sports and saw more than 1,300 female student-athletes compete during the year, Balcer earned the league’s pinnacle award following a season where she guided SAU to its first-ever NAIA national championship and was honored as the NAIA National Player of the Year – the first freshman to win the award since its inception in 1997.   “Bethany has the athletic tools that all college coaches want in their players,” said head women’s soccer coach Jason Crist. “She’s tall, fast, strong and athletic. She’s capable of playing anywhere on the field for us. Beth is great in the air and can absolutely hammer the ball with either foot. She is still improving and has not reached her potential yet.”   Dominant throughout the year, Balcer became the first women’s soccer player in…

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Crossroads League has announced its Academic All-Crossroads League award winners for the 2016 winter and spring seasons, and 34 Spring Arbor University student-athletes were recognized for their academic excellence.   A total of 237 student-athletes from the Crossroads League's 10 member institutions participating in men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, men's track and field, women's track and field, baseball and softball received the honor. Spring Arbor and Taylor University were tied at the top of the league with 34 honorees.   The SAU softball program led all teams with seven players honored while the women's track and field team landed six on the list. Baseball, women's basketball and men's track and field had four student-athletes earn a nod. Men's basketball, men's golf and women's golf posted three apiece.   In order to be eligible for Academic All-Crossroads League, a student-athlete must have reached junior status academically and possess a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the entire academic semester in which the student-athlete participated in the league sport.   In addition to the 29 student-athletes honored from the fall sports season, the Cougars boasted an impressive 63…