HOUGHTON
HONORS TWO WITH SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
HOUGHTON,
N.Y.
– The Houghton College Athletic Department has awarded the 2004-2005 Velma M.
Hewson and Dr. Marvin H. Eyler Champions of Character Sportsmanship Awards to
seniors Steve Cox (Markham, Ontario, Canada / Stouffville District) and Dana
Benedict (Mountville,
Pa. / Hempfield).
The awards,
which were presented at the annual college-wide Distinguished Service Awards
Assembly in April, are the highest honor Houghton gives to current athletes.
They have been described as recognizing athletic excellence and Christian
character or more appropriately, “the ideal Houghton athlete.”
Cox,
a goalkeeper for the
men’s soccer program, played every minute in goal for the Highlanders last
fall, recording a 1.51 goals against average and tallying six shutouts. He
started every game (70) in his four-year career, recording 25 shutouts. He
earned first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and senior was a
second-team all-conference selection as a freshman.
“Steve Cox is the ultimate competitor on the soccer field. His desire to
compete is unmatched. However, the level of sportsmanship he displays on the
field is also unmatched,” said men’s soccer coach Matthew Webb. “Steve never
lets his competitive juices interfere with his perspective of playing the
game with integrity, respecting those he is playing with and against, and
ultimately representing Jesus Christ on the field. It is not uncommon to see
Steve help an opponent up off the ground after a collision in the goalmouth.
He is always looking out for the good of those around him and plays the game
the way it should be played.”
Benedict
has been a four-year starting defender for the Highlander women’s soccer
program. She scored 11 goals and 12 assists, while earning numerous personal
honors. She was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection in each
of her four seasons, earned NAIA Honorable Mention All-America honors as a
freshman and junior, and capped her career by earning NAIA Second-Team
All-America honors last fall.
“Dana has been a quiet, consistent leader throughout her four-year career at
Houghton,” said head coach David Lewis. “She models what it means to be an
ideal student-athlete: exceptional work ethic, teachable spirit, strong
performance in the classroom, and a person of quality character. She is
highly respected by her teammates and the coaching staff.”
The recipients
must be varsity letter winners, preferably seniors, who routinely demonstrate
the core character values of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program:
respect, responsibility, integrity, servant-leadership, and sportsmanship.
The recipients must encourage others to better performance and gracefully
accept the results as they happen during the contest. They must be respected
on campus and be exemplary representatives of Houghton College.
Both Mrs.
Hewson and Dr. Eyler were outstanding student-athletes during their time at
Houghton and have continued to live by the ideals that these awards honor.
The awards are
sponsored by the Alumni Office and selected by the Athletic Department.
Other nominees
for the 2004-05 award included: Laura Kline (field hockey), Kerri Koch (track
and field), Kirsten Nelson (volleyball), Katy Sykes (cross country) and Peter
Wheatley (track and field).
