Athletics: A year of success and new beginnings

Cougar athletics celebrated its most successful year ever during the 2018-2019 school year.

The Cougars won the conference championship in volleyball, won the RSC West Division in men’s basketball, tied for the divisional lead in women’s basketball and reached the RSC baseball championship finals finishing third in the regular season. Those four teams had a combined record of 114-42 (.730) for the year.

Two athletes from the women’s cross country team and women’s track team also qualified for their national finals.

Student athletes also excelled in the classroom, with a spring and fall grade point overage of 3.14, higher than the student body average. Retention rates for student athletes also topped the student body.

The Cougars hired Terry Stewart to lead the first women’s soccer team, set to kick off play in fall 2019. Stewart, who previously was the top assistant coach at Fresno Pacific University, recruited his team during the 2018-2019 year.

Capping this year of accomplishment, Greg Cooper, the Cougars athletic director, was voted River States Conference Athletic Director of the Year by his peers.