Lindenwood Magazine - Fall 2018: Connecting to Alumni and Friends

CAMPUS NEWS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT UPCOMING EVENTS LINDENWOOD SPORTS ALUMNI EVENTS AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES 19 Lindenwood University / SPORTS LINDENWOOD TO JOIN GREAT LAKES VALLEY CONFERENCE Lindenwood University and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced on Oct. 4 that Lindenwood University has been admitted to the conference as its 16th member institution and will formally join the GLVC on July 1, 2019. “The GLVC Council of Presidents is pleased to endorse the recommendation from the league’s faculty athletic representatives to admit Lindenwood University as our 16th member,” said Dr. Rob Manuel, University of Indianapolis president and chair of the GLVC Council of Presidents. The university will at that time move from its current conference, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, in which it has competed since joining the NCAA Division II in the 2012-13 academic year. In the GLVC, the Lions reside within 15 to 60 minutes of three GLVC member institutions, within three hours of eight conference campuses, and within 300 miles of all league schools. “Lindenwood will be a terrific addition to the GLVC,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. “Their commitment to the academic success and graduation of student-athletes, expansive sport sponsorship, outstanding facilities, stable enrollment, strong fiscal standing, and an engaged leadership team are but some of the positive attributes that the institution brings to the GLVC.” In the MIAA, the Lions have captured 11 MIAA regular season or tournament titles in the sports of baseball, women’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s soccer, and wrestling. “The GLVC will provide our student-athletes with top-flight competition and unparalleled visibility throughout the region and across the nation,” said Lindenwood University System President Dr. Michael Shonrock. “We arrived at this decision after careful consideration of the long-term best interests of our university. We would like to thank the MIAA for the years that we spent in this highly competitive conference. It was a great home for the past seven years.” Lindenwood currently fields teams in all 22 sports the GLVC sponsors, in addition to women’s lacrosse and field hockey under the NCAA Division II banner. “We are beyond excited to be joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference as full members, beginning in the 2019-20 academic year,” said Brad Wachler, Lindenwood’s vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics. “The GLVC is an elite NCAA Division II conference that is steeped in great history and tradition both in the classroom and on the field of play.” Established in 1978, the GLVC is currently one of the largest NCAA Division II conferences in the country, featuring 14 schools and 22 sports. The current members of the GLVC are Bellarmine University (Louisville, Ky.), Drury University (Springfield, Mo.), University of Illinois Springfield (Springfield, Ill.), University of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Ind.), Lewis University (Romeoville, Ill.), Maryville University (St. Louis, Mo.), McKendree University (Lebanon, Ill.), Missouri University of Science & Technology (Rolla, Mo.), University of Missouri-St. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.), Quincy University (Quincy, Ill.), Rockhurst University (Kansas City, Mo.), University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, Ind.), Truman State University (Kirksville, Mo.), and William Jewell College (Liberty, Mo). “The GLVC will provide our student-athletes with top-flight competition and unparalleled visibility throughout the region and across the nation.” Lindenwood University System President Dr. Michael Shonrock