The Lindenwood - Fall 2020

18 19 FALL 2020 EDITION FALL 2020 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD LINDENWOOD LAUNCHES eSPORTS TEAM LINDENWOOD RANKS THIRD NATIONALLY WITH 182 D2 ADA ACADEMIC AWARD RECIPIENTS LONGTIME ATHLETIC TRAINER, BIGGERSTAFF ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Lindenwood University announced the formation of the 46th intercollegiate athletics team with the establishment of an eSports program. The eSports team is an adaption of the Lindenwood University Gaming Association, which has been active as a student organization since 2019. “As we look to find new innovative ways to provide a premier experience for students, adding eSports to our sport sponsorship is a perfect fit,” said Brad Wachler, Lindenwood Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics. “This allows us to provide a tremendous opportunity to engage our current students, but also a terrific platform to recruit new students and to promote our video game design major and other top-level academic programs.” Lindenwood will begin by immediately sponsoring Overwatch and League of Legends teams and look to grow their teams to other games in the future. Lindenwood Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler announced the 2020 induction class for the Lindenwood Sports Hall of Fame . Seven individuals and one team comprise the 2020 class, which will soon take its place among the University’s all-time greats. ANDREW BRADBURY Andrew Bradbury spent two seasons as a member of the wrestling team, donning the black and gold during the 2003–04 and 2004–05 campaigns. Bradbury earned All-American status in each of his two seasons and won back-to-back national titles at 125 pounds. In 2005, Bradbury guided Lindenwood to the second team title in program history, while also helping the Lions claim top honors at the prestigious National Dual Championships. MICHAEL COURSAULT Michael Coursault was a member of the men’s lacrosse team for four seasons from 2006–09. Coursault played in 56 games for the Lions, accumulating 133 goals and 50 assists during his career for a 3.27 points per game average. Coursault earned All-American honors three times. In addition, Coursault was a three-time first-team all-MCLA performer and served as team captain for Lindenwood from 2007–09. GRAEME HOSSACK Graeme Hossack was a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse team, leading the Lions from 2012–15. Hossack was a ground ball machine for Lindenwood, ranking fifth all-time in NCAA history by collecting 452 ground balls during his career. As a senior in 2015, Hossack established the Lindenwood single-season record with 153 ground balls. Hossack was a first-team All-American in 2015, becoming the program’s first All-American during Lindenwood’s NCAA era. JIM LANGE Jim Lange was a four-year starter for the men’s lacrosse team from 2004–07. Lange concluded his career in 2007 as the program’s all-time leading scorer, eclipsing 200 career points. Lange was a four-time all-conference performer and was selected as a MCLA All-American in 2005. Lange captained the Lions for three seasons, helping lead the team to three straight conference championships and three consecutive appearances in the MCLA National Championship Tournament. TRAVIS MEARS Travis Mears was a member of the shotgun sports team from 2005–10, helping lead the Lions to ACUI Collegiate National Championships in each season during the program’s historic stretch of 15 consecutive titles. Mears had three top-ten finishes at the ACUI Collegiate National Championships, including a second-place finish in 2009, and won the overall individual National Championship in 2010. In all, Mears amassed seven individual Collegiate National Championships. CHRISTOPHER MILESKI Christopher Mileski served as head coach of the cycling program for six seasons from 2009–14 and was at the helm of the cycling program during the 2014 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships as the Lions finished second overall. Mileski has dedicated over two decades to the sport of cycling and helped lay the foundation for the program at Lindenwood. RYAN NICKLAS Ryan Nicklas was a four-year starter for the Lindenwood men’s volleyball team from 2003–06, finishing as one of the most decorated players in program history. Nicklas guided the Lions to a 112-33 record, twice leading Lindenwood to the NAIA National Championship Match. The Lions won four consecutive conference championships during Nicklas’ tenure. Nicklas was a two-time All-American, and a three-time all-conference performer. Nicklas accumulated 1,157 kills and 462 blocks as a Lion. 2015 LION LINE The 2015 Lion Line is remembered for winning the program’s first national championship in the open jazz division. At the time, the national title for the Lions was the sixth in program history, with each of the previous five trophies coming in the open hip-hop division. The Lions earned the best score of the group, en route to the title. The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) announced the 2019–20 recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards, and Lindenwood Athletics had 188 student-athletes receive recognition, which led the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and finished third in all of NCAA Division II. In order to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the student-athlete had to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work, and must have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year. Lindenwood ranked third nationally, with an impressive 188 student-athlete recipients. Athletic trainer and Lindenwood Sports Hall of Famer Randy Biggerstaff announced his plans to retire earlier this year after more than two decades at Lindenwood. During his tenure, Biggerstaff served as the department chair of the School of Sport, Recreation, and Exercise Sciences, the Athletic Training Education Program Director, and Head Athletic Trainer. “The last 24 years on the faculty and staff, and the 9 years before that on LU Boards, have been a wonderful journey,” said Biggerstaff. “I made many friends, taught many athletic trainers, and mentored new and old professionals. In addition, I have had the great opportunity to work with outstanding faculty and administrators, as well as some of the finest athletes and greatest coaches.” Among his many achievements are the National Athletic Trainers Service Award in 2017 and induction into the Missouri Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame in 1995, Missouri Sport Hall of Fame in 1997, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2010. LINDENWOOD ATHLETICS LINDENWOOD ATHLETICS UNVEILS 2020 HALL OF FAME CLASS Computer setup for eSports team at Lindenwood Biggerstaff retires after three decades with Lindenwood FUN FACTS Did you know that the Lindenwood athletic teams were first called the Lions in 1970? The actual mascot was not used until much later. ? LU Mascot, Leo the Lion