At this evening's Annual Champions of Character Banquet, several BCU student-athletes were recognized for their on and off the field successes over the past year. Aside from honoring the school's NAIA All-Americans (Julian Gunnels-wrestling, Liz Grider-basketball and Kyle Semprini-basketball), the program also included speeches from three Charger seniors, a meal and the presentation of this year's Champions of Character Awards.
This year's Male Athlete Award was given to sophomore cross country/track athlete Luke Sachau. The Female Athlete Award went to junior Rosemary Bernth. Bernth is extremely active on campus aside from participating in both cross country and track. Tony Consentino, a sophomore member of the track team, was the recipient of this year's Male Student Fan Award. In addition to competing in track, Consentino also served as a Crew Coordinator for the Chargers' student fan group, the BLUE CREW. The Female Student Fan Award went to sophomore volleyball player Samantha Bock. After honoring this year's student-athletes, the final award of the night, the Adult Fan Award, was handed out. Dr. Jay Gunnels, chairperson of the HPER Department, was this year's honoree.
The NAIA "Champions of Character" initiative strives to create an environment in which every NAIA student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through the five core character values of respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
