By: Ashlee Conley, public relations office
April 17, 2008
Two Bluffton University seniors and a devoted community member were recognized at the institution's annual Athletics Awards Forum on April 15. Michael Zapolski, director of athletics at Anderson University, spoke to faculty, staff and students about the role NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics has at private, faith-based, liberal arts institutions.
An athlete at Pepperdine University, Zapolski wanted to be a sportswriter after graduation. In his junior year, he was offered the position of sports information director at Pepperdine, and he held that position for 20 years before moving on to Anderson University.
Zapolski spoke about priorities and how one's Bluffton experience impacts priorities such as academics and athletics. Addressing students, Zapolski said, "You came here because this is the place where you can mix those two things together. You play a sport, but more importantly you earn your degree. That's ultimately the bottom line of what we're all about-providing the opportunity for young people to grow and to learn and receive an academic degree in the field of their choice and then to use that knowledge to go out in the world and make it a better place."
After Zapolski's presentation, two senior athletes were recognized for their performances on the court and in the classroom. The A.C. Burcky Award went to TIM KAY, a sport management major from Alpharetta, Georgia, for his outstanding baseball career. He has accrued a variety of awards, including: two first team All-HCAC selections and a second team All-Midwest region selection as a junior. Kay's individual career marks include: ranked fourth in batting average at .397, ninth in slugging percentage, ninth in total hits and 11th in total bases. "Tim is an excellent example of what a student-athlete should be," said head baseball coach James Grandey. "He excels in the classroom and on the diamond, and he demands the best of himself every day in every facet of his life."
The Katherine E. Little Award was presented to SARAH HUMPHREY, a health and physical education major from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, for her record-setting career in cross country and track and field. Humphrey has been named Academic-HCAC five times and is the school record holder in five events and one relay. In track, she holds three of the top times in the 10K on the HCAC championship performance list, three of the top-10 times in the 5K on the top-10 Bluffton all-time performance list, three of the top times in the 10K on the top Bluffton all-time performance list, and is ranked fourth in the Bluffton all-time list in the 1,500m. In cross country, Humphrey was the number one runner for four years at every meet. She was named All-HCAC twice and Most Valuable Player four times. She recently broke her own school record in the 3,000m steeplechase.
The Larry W. Jones Memorial Award was presented to Christine Purves, a Bluffton community member. She is a former Bluffton University instructor and Bluffton exempted village schools teacher. She remains a role model for many Bluffton student-athletes, sending them encouraging notes, e-mails and attending and supporting many athletics contests.
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