WALESKA, Ga. -- The 2012 Reinhardt University softball team was recently chosen as the recipient of the Buffalo Funds Five Star Champions of Character Team Award. Only one of the more than 200 NAIA softball squads from across the country and Canada receives the award, which is selected by the NAIA national tournament committee.
The mission of the NAIA Champions of Character program is to provide training to ensure character is demonstrated through conduct as well as competition, so students know, do and value the right thing in all areas of life. Through the Champions of Character program, the NAIA is promoting five core character values that are crucial to the development of our youth: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Over time, valuable life lessons – working together for team goals, building personal strength of purpose to achieve victory, and sharing in the proper winning (or losing) spirit – can be instilled in sports participants.
This past season, members of Reinhardt's softball team combined for a 3.49 grade-point average. Five players earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors for having cumulative grade-point averages of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. The Lady Eagles also placed 11 players on the Appalachian Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Last fall, team members helped incoming freshmen with their move on to campus and held their annual Susan G. Komen for the Cure game to benefit cancer research.
On the field, Reinhardt also enjoyed great success in 2012. The Lady Eagles claimed a share of the AAC regular season championship with a 14-4 record after winning it outright the previous two seasons. Under fifth-year head coach Glen Crawford, Reinhardt captured the AAC Tournament crown for the second straight year and made a second consecutive trip to the NAIA national tournament, where the Lady Eagles went 2-1, falling just short of an Elite Eight berth. Reinhardt concluded this past season at 36-12 overall and ranked 18th in the NAIA Softball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll.
