3 Earn CCC Champions of Character Honor

6/16/2010 7:38:49 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. – Dylan Smith of Concordia University, Dolores Christensen of Southern Oregon University, and Ian Logan of Corban University have been voted the 2009-10 recipients of the Cascade Collegiate Conference’s Champions of Character Award, the conference office announced. Christensen was the female winner, while Logan and Smith shared the male honor.

The Champions of Character Awards, symbolic of the NAIA’s signature national program designed to promote character development in youth and change the culture of sport, are given annually to the male and female student-athletes in the CCC who best exemplify the core tenets of respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

Christensen, a senior on the Raiders’ volleyball team, graduated summa cum laude from Southern Oregon, achieving a perfect GPA the final six terms of her academic career. She has been accepted in to University of Denver’s sports sciences master’s program.

Off the court, Christensen had extensive involvement in community outreach. She has served as a volunteer youth volleyball coach and been a leading member of SOU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Christensen has also been involved in a host of community service activities, including Thanksgiving food drives, Toys for Tots, campus spring cleanups, blood drives, and food collection for Haiti, among many others. She also has served on the steering committee for the athletic department’s three-year strategic planning process; was a dedicated an influential member of the athletics task force which made a recommendation to the SOU administration on the future of Raider athletics; and served as team captain of the volleyball team.

"Dolores Christensen is a very special student, athlete, and community member,” said SOU volleyball coach Josh Rohlfing. “I feel fortunate that I was afforded the opportunity to coach her for the past three seasons. She embodies the term ‘Champion of Character.’ Our university is a much better place from having her on campus. She set standards that will be lofty for future Raider student-athletes to attain. However, she also created a fantastic blueprint due to her ability to foster positive relationships with her teammates and student peers."

Logan, a junior on Corban University’s men’s basketball team, was recently named the recipient of the NAIA’s Emil S. Liston Award, an annual honor based on scholarship, character and playing ability. The health sciences/pre-med major is committed to excellence in his academic and athletic pursuits and has demonstrated the highest personal character during his time at Corban. His future plans include medical school where he will pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

“This is a great honor for Ian and our basketball program,” said Justin Sherwood, Corban’s men’s basketball coach. “Ian is a quality individual that truly understands that basketball is only a part of being a student-athlete. He demonstrates all the characteristics of a Champion of Character.”

Smith, a senior pitcher on Concordia University’s baseball team, was honored as the NAIA’s Dr. LeRoy Walker Champion of Character Award winner earlier this spring. A history major from Vancouver, Wash., Smith has been actively involved in service projects both on and off the CU campus. Outreach efforts include volunteering with the Portland Rescue Mission, the Portland AIDS Walk, the Rancho Milagro orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico, and an internship in the Dominican Republic with a group called Children of the Nations. He also has taught English in the Haitian village of Los Robles. At Concordia, he has served as a Social Change Coordinator; acted as a campus tour guide for the admissions department; and served as a residence hall assistant.

"Dylan is one of those kids we get to coach who does things because he thinks it's the right thing to do,” said Concordia baseball coach Rob Vance. “He doesn't care about the recognition. He approaches baseball the same way; work hard and do the right thing because that's what you are supposed to do."