LOUISVILLE, Ky. – From the Galt House in the heart of the Bluegrass State, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference honored three impactful individuals on Monday night during the league’s annual spring awards banquet for the 2014-15 academic year.
Accomplished four-year seniors Marcus Reineke (Cedarville men’s basketball) and Kaci Britt Bell (Trevecca Nazarene women’s basketball) were announced as inaugural winners of the G-MAC Collegiate Achievement Award.
2015 Spring Awards Banquet Program (PDF)
Trevecca Nazarene’s Dr. Brenda Patterson graciously accepted the G-MAC Faculty Mentor of the Year award. Cedarville University also accepted the Presidents’ Cup for the second straight year after winning nine conference team championships.
The emergent conference celebrated an unprecedented year after Cedarville women’s basketball, Trevecca Nazarene softball and Trevecca Nazarene women’s golf individual Alexa Rippy all qualified for the NCAA Championship regionals as at-large selections.
Dinner and the awards ceremony was presented by Borden Perlman with G-MAC athletic directors, SWA’s and faculty representatives, all in attendance while conducting meetings for two days.
Collaboratively, the G-MAC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) raised over $7,000 to contribute to the NCAA’s Make-A-Wish campaign. The G-MAC’s SAAC also performed community service at the Ronald McDonald House in Louisville and donated many items to support the Athletes Collecting Toiletries in Action Service (A.C.T.S.).
The conference shadowed the G-MAC SAAC earlier this week and interviewed Kentucky Wesleyan representative Dalton Oliver (football) along with Alderson Broaddus members Emily Hosler and Melanie Goulding (acrobatics and tumbling) (story to follow later).
G-MAC Male Collegiate Achievement Award – Marcus Reineke (Cedarville University)
Reineke, a native of New Knoxville, Ohio, established himself as an offensive lynchpin for the Yellow Jackets as his accomplished career unfolded. He is the program’s career record holder in three-point percentage (.448) and free-throw percentage (.869) while evolving into one of the most deadly shooters in the Div. II ranks. His senior year saw him emerge as a First Team All-G-MAC pick and an NCCAA First Team All-American.
Embarking on missions trips through Athletes in Action to China and New Zealand while also traveling to Tohatchi, N.M. with the Cedarville program, Reineke has made his presence felt off the court as an ambassador for the university. Additionally within the community, he made several trips to Perrin Woods Elementary School in Springfield, Ohio, to mentor and read to students.
He graduated while focusing his academic studies in Business Marketing with a minor in Bible and was on the Dean’s List. Marcus is the son of Stan and Susie Reineke.
G-MAC Female Collegiate Achievement Award – Kaci Britt Bell (Trevecca Nazarene University)
Bell carved out an impressive four-year career for Trevecca Nazarene that has her name towards to the top of several statistical records in the program’s history. She is the first TNU basketball player, male or female, to score 1,000 career points in the Div. II era.
Her senior year saw her lead the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and rebounding at 6.8 per contest. She has served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee secretary, was the co-President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and her community service includes a variety of contributions (Trojan Workhorse, Nashville Rescue Mission, A Door to Hope).
Bell is currently working on her Masters of Education and is on pace to complete her graduate studies later this year. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in Math and a minor in Professional Secondary. Her career started after she accepting a teaching job in her hometown of Mt. Juliet, Tenn. She is the daughter of Tim and Jonna Bell.
About the Collegiate Achievement Award: The Great Midwest Athletic Conference annually selects one male and one female student-athlete to be awarded the Collegiate Achievement Award. This award shall be based upon an individual’s academic excellence, athletic achievements, character, leadership and engagment within the community and conference.
G-MAC Faculty Mentor of the Year – Dr. Brenda Patterson (Trevecca Nazarene University)
As decided upon by the G-MAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Dr. Patterson, Professor of Exercise and Sport Science at Trevecca Nazarene, is a deserving choice as the Conference’s Faculty Mentor of the Year.
As a former AD at TNU, Dr. Patterson has been influenced by her former coaches who served as mentors that shaped her life in positive ways. She has cultivated and shaped two programs in the Trevecca Nazarene athletics department, the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and the Student-Athlete Mentoring Service Club (SAMs).
Both programs under her leadership have provided TNU student-athletes with opportunities to improve their leadership both on and off the court/field. Her passion for servant leadership resonates behind the scenes and is made visible through these programs. She has helped elevate the athletics department to a different level and unlocked the potential for each student-athlete’s development.
Dr. Patterson’s vision is to prepare student-athletes “beyond the game” for real life. Her innovative ideas have helped student-athletes excel “beyond the game” and prepare them for their careers after athletics.