May 18, 2011

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recently announced the spring honorees of the HCAC All-Academic awards for the 2010-11 school year. Seven Bluffton University spring athletes were recognized for their efforts in the classroom. Outdoor track and baseball led the way for the Beavers with four and three honorees, respectively.

Sophomores Kyle Niermann (Napoleon), also a member of the First Team All-Heartland Conference baseball team, Matt Calhoun (Bonita Springs, Fla./South Fort Myers) and Mark Hadaya (Beavercreek) were all recognized in their first year of eligibility.

Four members from outdoor track and field received Academic All-Conference honors for 2010-11. Andrew Chaffee (Clarkston, Mich.) and Chris Arnold (Fort Wayne, Ind./Canterbury) from the men's team as well as Megan Neal (Arlington) and Allison Trent (Orrville/Smithville) from the women's squad were recognized. Chaffee, Smith and Trent earned Academic All-HCAC honors for the second consecutive year.

To be named All-Academic HCAC, a student-athlete must have completed a full year at the institution, be a varsity athlete and carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 through the semester preceding the end of the season.

Bluffton University is a liberal arts residential campus with 39 undergraduate programs, adult degree completion programs in organizational management and human resource management and master's degree programs in education, organizational management and business administration. Founded in 1899 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, Bluffton is located in northwest Ohio. The institution has a growing enrollment of more than 1,100 students and 14 NCAA Division III athletics teams. Bluffton's hundred-year legacy is expressed today in its enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service that are woven into the academic program and campus life. Bluffton students go into the world prepared for life as well as for their chosen vocation.

-BEAVERS-