Assessing Athletic Misconduct and Discipline at Evangel University
JonChristopher Collins
Hypothetically, campus buzz spreads that an athlete displayed inappropriate behavior contrary to Evangel University’s rules; some people even criticize the punishment decided on as unfair. Do critics really understand how the process works?
Dennis McDonald, director of athletics, said reports of athletes violating Evangel conduct rules is low; according to statistics provided by EU administration, as of March 5. 2019, 2.8% of students were on Probation Level 1 [P1] discipline status or higher (as defined by the Evangel University Student Handbook) and 42% of that 2.8% were athletes.
Evangel is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Within NAIA, Evangel is a Division I school in the Heart of America Conference (HOA). Phillip Dowden is Evangel’s assistant athletic director. Dowden said the NAIA is the governing body for Evangel athletics; it is a large umbrella that houses conferences. NAIA member schools must follow NAIA guidelines and the guidelines of their conferences; for Evangel, that conference is HOA. “The majority of their [NAIA] institutions are private, religious affiliated schools,” Dowden said.
Dowden said that what athletic misconduct is and how it is handled is partially governed by the NAIA. Dowden said it depends on the violation; while the NAIA and HOA have rules, it is Evangel’s rules that restrict social behaviors like drinking alcohol. The NAIA does not govern those kinds of actions; instead NAIA deals with competition behavior and ethics. The Evangel University Student-Athlete Handbook reflects the NAIA’s rules but also includes more in conjunction with the Evangel University Student Handbook. On top of that, all 14 Evangel intercollegiate teams have their own rules regarding discipline; those rules can add to the discipline outlined in the student handbook.
McDonald oversees Evangel’s intercollegiate athletics. He said that EU’s Student-Athlete Handbook is probably more restrictive than the NAIA and HOA rules. “Our handbook needs to be completely consistent with the student handbook of Evangel University,” McDonald said. McDonald said he links the student handbook to the athletic handbook to promote consistency with Evangel’s expectations regarding certain conduct behaviors. McDonald said reports of athletes violating Evangel conduct rules is low. However, if athletes are reported and found to be in violation, disciplinary action is taken. McDonald said in a situation like this, university administration works with his office and the coaches involved. “We can never give a lesser consequence than what the institution would require,” he said. McDonald said that he or the athlete’s coach can provide a stronger consequence. If McDonald learns of any athlete’s conduct that needs to be investigated, he reports to EU administration and vice versa. The investigation is a team effort involving multiple parties.
Sidebar
Evangel Senior Garrett Bills played football for four years. He said he appreciates the discipline that Evangel football offers. Bills said that in his time playing for Evangel a player was suspended at least once every year. He also said he remembers a time when a player was suspended for half a season. “Honestly, I fully believe all this discipline is because most of our coaching staff loves each and every single one of the players,” Bills said. He credits Football Head Coach Chuck Hepola for providing healthy discipline. “He [Hepola] does an amazing job of making sure everything is taken care of the proper way,” he said. Bills said he does not see Evangel Athletics personnel playing favorites when it comes to punishing misconduct; team captains and top players get treated like all of their teammates.
Aside from EU’s disciplinary polices, Evangel coaches have their own methods to deal with team discipline. Bills said the five strike program that football has can be improved. “The way things currently work, is that if a player is on his fourth strike, but the team has accomplished something or is in a transition time, the coach can choose to clear the board,” Bills said. While Bills has completed his EU Football career, current EU Football athletes, Junior Micah Daniels and Senior Andrew Poppen said that clearing the board still happens. Daniels said that when Hepola clears the board he does it for every player on the team. “He usually does it twice a semester so four times total,” Daniels said. He added that it usually happens after breaks like Spring Break. Daniels said it is a way to show grace and mercy.
Bills said he thinks this practice needs to be reformed to remove one strike rather than all of them. “Although this keeps players on the field, it can be very frustrating sometimes to players who never get strikes because often times they are disciplined for the actions of their teammates. With that being said, I feel as though the policy should still be in place to reward players for their hard work however I think they should change it to were it is not fully cleared,” he said.
Dexter Smith March 27,2019
Tyler Edwards Sports Profile
Tyler Edwards (21), college Junior baseball player at Evangel University. Edwards is from Clever, Missouri where he spent his high school career after moving there from Michigan coming out of middle school. Edwards has loved the game of baseball from a young age and has been encouraged by his family to play as long as he can remember. Edward’s is an all around ball player capable of playing any position on the field. His main positions are pitcher and first base. Edwards stands at 6’ 6’’ so he is the perfect height for a first baseman as it is essential that the first baseman can stretch out as far as he can to ensure that the out is made before the batter gets on base.
Edwards shared a bit of his passion for baseball and the relationships he has made through the sport over the years. He talks about traveling with his high school team and the nickname of Big Eddie they gave him because of his sheer size. Tyler enjoys connecting with his high school friend and lifelong best friend Skylan Atskins who even through college has remained in touch. The two friends are not able to spend as much time with one another as they once were able to in high school, but they have made it a point to get together a few times a month to get wings at Buffalo Wild Wings as often as possible.
Outside of spending time with friends, Tyler loves to be at home with his family. His family has helped shape him into the person he is. Often times Edwards will go home to spend time with his parents and younger sister and enjoys spending his free time cooking a number of different meals. Edwards says, “I love looking up new recipes and buying the ingredients, and putting the whole meal together myself.” One of his favorite things to cook is gumbo, a southern dish typically found in southern states.
Edwards is a kinesiology major, which is the study of movement. His dream is to take his major and work for a professional or college sports organization helping athletes train and provide assistance to athletes recovering from injury. Edwards has suffered from several injuries and recently recovered from a ruptured achilles tendon. Doctors say he landed on his feet in a weird way and in so doing caused the tendon to roll up like a fruit snack you see on tv. Edwards stayed dedicated to his recovery and has come back stronger and is looking forward to continuing his college baseball career.
Tyler Edwards playing baseball in high school
Tyler Edwards with Family
Taylor Cruzado: RunnerR
Emily Groves
Track and field is a sport centered around running, jumping, and throwing (Category 2019). It includes events like sprints, long distance, hurdles, and relays (Athletics 2019).
It’s a sport that has been around since ancient times and continues to be popular today. The first Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC. During the beginning years of the Olympics, one of the only athletic events was track and field. A cook from the town of Elis was the winner of the first recorded foot race. Although the sport had been around for centuries, it didn’t come to the United States until 1860s. The Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America held the first collegiate races in 1873, (Track 2019). While Taylor Cruzado hasn’t been running nearly that long, she has run her entire life.
Junior Taylor Cruzado is a track and cross country runner at Evangel University. She was first introduced to the sport in the second grade by her father, who was a high school track and cross country coach, and has been running ever since. “I would always go to events and meets when I was young. The coaches and players were my role models from a young age and I wanted to be just like them,” Taylor Cruzado said.
Cruzado joined cross country in the seventh grade and has run ever since. As a sophomore at EU, she runs the 5K, which translates to roughly 3.1 miles. “I start warming up around 40 to 45 minutes before my race, and then I run it and hope I can run faster than I ever have before,” Cruzado said. At her most recent 5K, she clocked in at 24:55:65 and placed 81st in a group of 138. As a distance runner, she trains all year round, preparing for future meets. Workouts consist of various distance intervals or simply running miles at a time. Although the sport can be taxing physically, Cruzado said the biggest obstacle is the mental aspect. “If you train enough, your body will be totally capable of doing what you have been training for. But if you aren’t mentally strong, your physical ability may not even matter. The second you start to think negatively, your body can just shut down on you.”
While the sport is physically rewarding, that is not the part Taylor enjoys most. The element of a team united as one is a compelling aspect. Enduring such a demanding activities with a group of people forms a unique bond, and one that Cruzado said she cherishes. Throughout the sport, she is always found with a positive outlook that pushes her to do her best. Often, she sings Dare You To Move by Switchfoot to push herself to continue running, step after step.
For nearly all of her life, Taylor has been running. Surrounded by the sport since her childhood, it has always been a constant, continually motivating her and giving her a sense of purpose.
In the Green
Taking a closer look at Evangel’s new woman’s golf team.
by Gracie Ayers
EVANGEL – Fall of 2018 the Evangel sports community got a little bigger with the addition of a woman’s golf team. Head Coach for both men and women’s golf, Jon Jenkins was the first player signed to the men’s golf program in 1998. Working as assistant coach for his father, Steve Jenkins, who is also the long-time men’s basketball couch. Jon Jenkins became head coach of the men’s golf team in 2016 before launching the women’s team, officially in the spring of 2019.
The five women’s golfers are freshmen or sophomores. The team meets for practice in different locations, sometimes in the field house by the baseball field and other times at area courses such as Twin Oaks, Bill & Payne Stewart and Millwood where they also compete against other schools.
Golfer Abby Voelker said that being freshmen, all the women golfers have a connection have a connection they experienced the first-year nerves together. “That was good that we were all first years and just having fun, and I think that’s like the greatest part of it all we don’t compete, [with each other] we are competing as a team. It’s fun. We all play our best.” Abby said she realizes they’re not up there with the other teams yet, due to their inexperience.
Shelby Smith said that she’s learned a lot and made friends she wouldn’t have met otherwise. While Abby Null said that the team makes it worth playing.
Spring of 2019 is the conference tournament and Jenkins said six players will be competing at some level. Jenkins said its different then high school golf; the competitions are bigger, and the courses are longer. In these 36-holes tournaments the scores are measured by the lowest four scores of the five players that compete. “It’s unique because you’re playing as individuals and also as a team,” Jenkins said “I think there’s a little bit of a learning curve for them getting started, but now they’ve all got four tournaments under their belts, so I’m looking forward to them settling in and finding out what it takes to be successful.” Voelker shares this sentiment She said, “I think the coolest part of it all is us being freshmen and being able to grow as a team and getting better, because we will get better as we get older.”
According to the Evangel Athletics website, they team started out their Fall 2018 season at the Evangel Fall Invitational in 8, place, their score has fluctuated as low as 11, in October at the Drury Invitational and coming in 5, at their last tournament on March 26, at Missouri Spring Valley Invitational. Their next tournament is the Baker Spring Invitational on Monday, April 15 in Lawrence, KS at the Eagle bend Golf Course.
Crusader Baseball Team Loses Against Pride Baseball Team
By: Taylor Bergquist
Evangel University Crusader’s baseball team came out in game two of their Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader with Clarke University Pride feeling energized. They had beat Pride in game one with a final score of 3-2, but then they went on to lose game two. The final score of game two was 6-3.
The battle between the Crusaders and Pride began with the Crusaders getting two runs early on in the game. The first run was scored by Mason Baur a junior infielder, and the second run was scored by Jordan Yates a senior infielder. Yates sliding into home brought Crusaders fans to their feet. “It is a real confidence booster seeing our fans up on their feet,” Yates said.
The battle was far from over though, and Pride gained the lead at the top of the fourth inning. Bryan Adames a senior had in earlier innings hit three other batters with his pitches. At the top of the fourth inning, he hit Austin Mettica a junior first baseman. This led to Connor Floyd a senior infielder that Adames had walked, advancing to second, and stealing third before gaining Pride’s first run. Mettica scored the second run for Pride.
Adames got replaced by Zach Johnston who is a freshman as the pitcher for the rest of the fourth inning. Coach Brand is the Crusaders head coach, and he believes in giving students opportunities. “I wanted to give Zach the opportunity to pitch, and replacing Adames seemed like a good time to do it,’ Brand said. Pride after this pitcher switch went on to score their third run gaining the lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The battle raged on into the top of the sixth inning when Clarke University scored another two runs. Yates scored another run in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Crusaders bringing the score to 5-3. Pride scored another run in the top of the seventh inning after the Crusaders replaced Johnston pitching with Levi Loughridge, another freshman.
The Crusaders rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning by putting two runners on, but the game ended with those runners stranded on second, and third. Stephen Belcher a freshman outfielder was stranded on third at the end of the game. “Sometimes being stranded at the end of the game can feel like having unfinished business, and can make me have doubts,” Belcher said. The final score of the game was 6-3.
Coach Brand the Crusader’s head baseball coach rallied his team after the loss by reminding the players of what is ahead. “We are keeping on par with really great teams in this conference, and we have the opportunity to rectify this loss at our next game.” The next game for the Crusaders will be on Saturday, March 2nd at 12pm against Mount Mercy.
Evangel Baseball Season Profile
By: Micah Daniels
Experience is the best teacher, has never been more relevant than now for the Evangel Crusader baseball team. They are loaded with upperclassmen in their starting lineup for this year. With their best start in the last five seasons, Evangel looks to continue the success on the diamond.
On Crusader Field, the Evangel baseball team has been on a hot streak. After back-to-back .500 winning seasons, the Crusaders continue the hot trend with a great start in 2019. Currently with a 11-5 season record and 4-2 conference record, things are looking promising for the Crusaders. Freshmen Catcher Aaron Everett said, “As a team we have meshed together as a brotherhood. The reason for our early success is the unity between each other and our combined talent, that makes us a lot more competitive. The production you see on the field as well as the chemistry demonstrated reflects that.”
It’s still early in the season, but this team plays with a lot of passion and they can’t wait to get on the field and showcase their hard work. “When you play 50 plus games a season you have to be pretty steady throughout this time because there are so many games left. The more that you can do and accomplish early, the better it is for us to be where we want to by the end of the season,” Eli King, redshirt freshman, said. The changes and adjustments throughout the roster and lineup is what keeps players fresh from getting drained too early. “There is so much excitement and adrenaline going into a new season with 15 new players and having no clue what the actual results will look like. I’m sure after this hot start the team is responding just the way me and my staff had wished for,” Coach Brand, said. The Crusaders have a .300 batting average and .375 on base average, which are both better than they were at this same time a year ago. Senior Infielder Jose Vargas said, “Coaches are getting us ready for the game in practice. By the drills and tips that we hear and learn from the coaches, it translates to how we play out on the field come gametime.” Vargas said “That opponent William Penn’s team is a great opponent, with great competitors. That will be a tough test for the Crusaders, but I feel that this is exactly what we need at this point.”
Its All In The Leg
Five seconds are left on the game clock. The score is 21 to 20 and Evangel’s Football Crusaders are one point down and on the 40 yard line. Head coach Chuck Hepola makes the decision to send out the field goal unit.
At this point everything has to go perfectly for Evangel to win, from the snap to the hold and, finally, the kick. The few seconds of silence is broken by the announcement “It’s good”!
These are the moments that freshmen Noah Collins who is the kicker for the Crusaders football team lives for. Noah Collins tried out for the Evangel football team last fall when the team had just lost their kicker due to injury. Noah Collins came to Evangel to be a part of the soccer team, but when the football team announced kicking tryouts, he jumped on the opportunity and did well enough to get the position. Collins said “The Football team took me in as one of their own right away and was very encouraging.”
Senior holder and wide receiver Noah Pierce said “He seemed insecure and short-tempered right away; however, he did grow on me, and his mental toughness grew as he became more comfortable with practice”. Collins went 3 for 4 on his point after kicks in his first-ever college football game. Collins also did was also responsible for kicking off for the team during his first game.
Not only did Collins liked among his teammates, but the coaching staff also appreciated him. “Noah came in very passionate. He had the mindset that he was willing to do whatever he could do to help the team,” Hepola said. Collins said that the biggest difference in joining the football team was the team atmosphere. On the soccer team, all of the players would get into fights and only play for themselves. There was also not a lot of leadership or discipline from the coaching staff. Although the football team would get into a couple competitive fights every once and a while, it was handled correctly and everyone of the field new that they were brothers at the end of the day and that we were all there for the same reason. “Overall I just felt more excepted.” Collins said.
Collins older brother JC who is a senior said he was excited for his conversion over to football. “I have heard great things about the Evangel Football team and the kind of men they help create and I am so excited to see what personal growth Noah gets from the program.” JC Collins said.
Collins went on for the season to have a 6 out of 7 record with Point after kicks is on the practice field every day trying to improve his kicking skills an doing his best to get as good as possible in hopes of earning a scholarship for this upcoming season.
Jose Vargas: From Nothing To Something
By: Andrew Edwards
SPRINGFIELD, MO – From Barquisimeto-Lara, Venezuela, to Springfield, MO, Jose Vargas has proven time and time again that he belongs on a baseball field. “Jose is one of those guys with both rare and raw talent to play the game of baseball,” said Russell Brand, head coach of the Evangel University baseball team. “And he’s able to bring that talent to the field every single day.” Vargas has manned the middle infield at the shortstop position and the middle of the lineup for three years at Evangel. Though the real testament to Jose’s success is where he came from.
Vargas not only is a rare talent on the field, he also has a rare story. He was born and raised in a country where dictatorship and poverty were a common norm. During his time in Venezuela, Vargas and his family would go without power or food for multiple nights at a time. Because the country could not afford to properly accommodate its citizens. Yet, one thing kept Vargas motivated. He lived 18 years of his life growing up and playing baseball in Barquisimeto-Lara, Venezuela. Baseball was not just the constant in his life, baseball was his life. Vargas spent his days playing for various baseball academy’s throughout Venezuela, and he even played on semi-professional team, unassociated with Major League Baseball. His dream was to play collegiate ball in the U.S., so he could advance his baseball career and leave Venezuela. After reaching out to various junior colleges and working to obtain a student visa, Indian Hill Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa offered him a scholarship to play baseball. After accepting the scholarship and making the move to Iowa on a student visa, Jose was taken in by a host family associated with the school.
“Coming from Venezuela to Iowa was a huge change for me. It was unlike anything I had experienced before because I had to learn how to speak English, play in the cold, and understand the culture of America,” said Vargas.
Adjustment, he said, was the hardest thing for Vargas when coming to America, but after four years with no true family in the U.S. besides a host family and coaches, Vargas has been successful in making the transition. Vargas learned English after the first year he lived in the U.S., and he is earning a Spanish Education degree that will allow him to translate on an educational level for those taking the same path he has as a student. Being bilingual is one of Vargas’ greatest accomplishments, according to his best friend Harold Alverez, a senior first and third baseman on the Evangel baseball team and another Venezuelan native.
“Speaking in our native language of Spanish has been an essential piece to our friendship. We love it,” said Alvarez.
Vargas’ passion to translate is also revealed in his post-undergraduate plans. He plans to attend graduate school and earn his master’s in education. With this degree, Vargas will be able to teach both English and Spanish. Though, Vargas also plan to continue his baseball career. After Vargas graduates this May, he plans to become a professional baseball player by joining an independent league. Through an independent team, he will earn an income playing baseball, and he will have the opportunity to be picked up by a minor league team associated with Major League Baseball. Vargas will also begin his fight to obtain full U.S. citizenship.
“I am looking forward to becoming a U.S. citizen and continuing my playing career after my time here at Evangel,” said Vargas “I have gained so many loving relationships, and I want to have success in education and baseball.”
Vargas’ college career stats have been exceptional throughout his time at Evangel. He is a career .312 hitter and has consistently hit over .300 for the Crusaders. At the shortstop position, Vargas has obtained a fielding percentage of .914 and has earned the reputation of one of the smoothest gloves and strongest arms in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
“Baseball has been my life for so long, and Evangel has allowed me to live out my dream everyday” said Vargas.
Vargas and the rest of the Evangel baseball team will complete their regular season this upcoming Friday and Saturday in a conference matchup as they make a push for the playoffs. On Friday the Crusaders will play Graceland in Lamoni, Iowa, and on Saturday they will play Peru St. in Peru, Nebraska.
Women’s Golf: Coming back swinging!
By Breanna Berry
Evangel University—Ace, birdie, knee-knocker, fore and many more terms to be shared regarding golf lingo, and important for the players to understand regarding their game. When it comes down to giving the best game, the new women’s golf team has been working hard to achieve this goal. The team was reintroduced to Evangel students in 2018 after being discontinued in 2008 and is making a name for itself, attracting and exciting young women on campus like Maya Martinez.
Martinez, a sophomore, said she enjoys being a part of the new golf team and believes this new addition will open more doors for recruiting new students, especially young female golfers. Martinez, who is from Chicago, said she was surprised that the university did not have as many sports as she enjoyed in high school, such as swimming, golf and water polo. Once the women’s golf team was brought back, Martinez said she wanted to be part of a college athletic team that would allow her to participate in more activities. “I never meant to actually play, but when I found out about the golf team, it just felt like the perfect opportunity. I felt welcomed at Evangel since they are taking sports seriously,” Martinez said. Wanting to explore more outside of Chicago, Martinez said praying to God about her life is what guided her to Evangel, which is eight hours from home. “I had never visited Missouri before,” Martinez said. “But I felt a calling here, and I knew this is where God wanted me to be.”
Martinez said her parents inspire her to be the best she can be in whatever circumstances life throws at her. “My parents made me who I am today. They shaped me into being a godly woman and showed me how to respect others, carry myself and take my education seriously,” Martinez said. Head Golf Coach Jon Jenkins said Martinez is a quick learner and is driven to play competitively. “I’m excited to see if in the next year or two she’ll contribute at the varsity level,” he said.
Jenkins said that the new team has given him more opportunities to do what he does best: coaching both men and women’s golf teams. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s allowed me to coach more full time,” Jenkins said. “The players are great, they’re fun to work with, and they’re eager to learn. I enjoy teaching them.”
Multimedia journalist and junior, Taylor Bergquist says that she believes this team is more than just a typical sports story. “I love seeing women be involved in sports,” Bergquist said. “I love the fact that it’s equal. Women having an opportunity to do a sport they love and are passionate about on a college level, that’s great.”
The reinstatement of women’s golf marks the 14th intercollegiate sport offered by the Evangel Athletic Department. The team started competition in the fall of 2018 and will be eligible to compete alongside the men’s team at the 2019 Heart of America Championships.
Evangel News Reporting 