ANNUAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2014
CONTENTS • AD Address/Letter • Significant Accomplishments • Academic Integrity • Rules Compliance • Facility Enhancements • Events Hosted • Financial Prudence Budget Purple Circle Corporate Gifts • Student-Athlete Well-Being/Success Life Skills Diversity Gender Community Support
Dear Bear Nation, The 2013-14 academic year was again an outstanding year for UCA Athletics. Our 8th year of DI competition was a banner year. UCA has transitioned to DI with as much success as any program in the country. The success is measured in academics, service, and athletics competition. The fact that UCA achieved such success in our infant stage is remarkable and a tribute to our fine student-athletes and coaches. At UCA, we embrace the NCAA DI principles of Academic Integrity, Rules and Governance, Financial Prudence, and Student-Athlete Well-being. These characteristics shape our program as we excel at providing a great place to live, learn, and compete. UCA is a total package program. We succeed in academics, socially, and life skills; while winning championships. Our goal is to provide a wonderful educational experience for our student-athletes which is further enhanced through athletics success. The fondest memories come from our great teams and programs. We want all to have that experience. Our image is very important to our success. Through our branding, facilities, and media; our image is impacted. We will ensure our image elicits a perception of a first-class program. We have been successful due to our re-branding of our logos and trademarks. We have been successful due to our abundant facility improvements over the last seven years. We have been successful due to our forethought in social media and communications. We have been successful due to our staff creativity and innovation. UCA Athletics is committed to providing a rewarding student-athlete experience, an enjoyable fan/donor experience, and a professional and classy image. We will do this while contributing to the university’s educational experiences. UCA Athletics cherishes the role it plays on this great educational campus of UCA. We are also dedicated to Academic Vitality, Integrity, and Diversity (AVID), furthering the values and mission of the University of Central Arkansas. Go Bears!
Brad Teague, Ph. D. Director of Athletics
At the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year, the athletics department administrative staff engaged in a dialogue to focus on our mission. From the session, our staff developed core values and guiding principles for the department. These values and principles truly describe our work and our plan to be the best Division I program. Our decisions are scripted by these and we strive to do what is right and true for all.
CORE VALUES 1. Student-Athlete Success 2. Excellence 3. Accountability 4. Innovation 5. Collegiality GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Student-Athlete Experience 2. Fan/Donor Experience 3. Image
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ACADEMICS
The football Bears once again led the Southland Conference in APR (Academic Progress Rate), marking the program’s 4th consecutive year to do so. The Bears led the way with a yearly score of 916 and have a 4-year average of 949. UCA student-athletes led the way for the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall with 113 on the list, including 24 with 4.0 GPAs. For the full year, 209 Bears & Sugar Bears were named to the honor roll (which requires a minimum GPA of 3.0), with 36 holding perfect 4.0 GPAs.
NCAA REVENUE UCA Athletics received the second ever annual installment of NCAA Revenue Sharing. The majority of the share is based on total number of sports and the total number of scholarships awarded to Student-Athletes. An additional amount is provided for student-athlete well-being and for academic success. Last year UCA received $842,531 which was third most in our conference. This year UCA received $892,716 which placed UCA second overall in revenue sharing. This supports that UCA is one of the largest programs in our conference.
VOLLEYBALL
Put together the program’s best season, going 29-4 and sweeping its run through the Southland Conference en route to the program’s 2nd straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Started the season with win over No. 9 Kansas, which would go on to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, then proceeded to rip through the Southland with a 21-0 record, including a perfect 15-0 mark at home. In all, they tallied 17 sweeps throughout the season. By winning both the league regular season and tournament titles for the 2nd year in a row, the Sugar Bears became the 1st Southland team to do so in 23 years. With their only regular-season losses coming to national champion Penn State, and ranked foes in Marquette and Arizona, the Sugar Bears reached a program best by climbing into the top 45 of the national volleyball RPI. The two-year win total of 59 ranks 2nd behind only Penn State for most in the country since the start of the 2013 season. David McFatrich was voted as the Southland Conference Coach of the Year, while Marissa Collins became the only player in Southland history to be named the league’s Player and Setter of the Year in the same season. It was the 3rd Setter of the Year award and 4th All-Southland honor for Collins, who ranked 4th in the nation in assists. Heather Schnars and Jessica Nagy also garnered 1st team All-Southland honors, while Shelbee Berringer and Fulani Petties were among those receiving honorable mention.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BASEBALL
Despite losing 9 seniors and having another junior, Jonathan Davis, drafted off their 42-win, Top 25, NCAA Regional finalist team in 2013, the baseball Bears nearly made it back to the national stage in 2014 as they advanced to the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament, falling to Southeastern Louisiana. The Bears set attendance records at Bear Stadium during the tournament, drawing the two largest and 4 of the top 6 crowds in stadium history during the tournament – with 1007 showing up for the championship game. Senior outfielder Doug Votolato, in his only season as a full-time starter after being behind the aforementioned Davis, put together one of the program’s all-time great seasons – earning 1st Team All-Region and All-Southland honors after hitting a UCA D-I record .379 with a .456 OBP, 50 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. Following the season, he became the 4th Bear drafted in the last two seasons, being selected by the Texas Rangers in the 9th round. Senior pitcher Bryce Biggerstaff also moved into the program’s career top 10 in wins (3rd most in D-I era) and was named 3rd team All-Southland.
SOFTBALL
The Bears made their 3rd straight Southland Conference tournament, winning their 1st round game 1-0 over Sam Houston State before dropping their next two. Sophomore 3B Sam Forrest was voted 3rd team All-South Region, one of just three Southland players to make the team - which featured players from schools such as Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M. Junior pitcher Kylee Studioso was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year and was a 1st team All-Southland Conference selection. Sophomore 2B Sarah Bigej was also 1st team All-Southland, while Forrest was 2nd team and freshman OF Briana Whisenhunt was 3rd team. Sophomore catcher Jessie Taylor broke the school single-season RBI record with 49, and Bigej had a record 41 bases on balls.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Senior guard LaQuentin Miles was named 1st team All-Southland after leading the conference in scoring at 23.2 points per game, and was 4th in rebounding at 7.5. He became the 21st Bear to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for his career, getting 1,289 during his three years in a UCA uniform. Miles also earned Southland Player of the Week honors twice during the season. Following the season, Russ Pennell – a UCA letterman in the 1980s and teammate of Scottie Pippen – was hired to lead the program after successful stints at the University of Arizona (Sweet 16), Grand Canyon University (back-to-back NCAA Tournaments) and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury (Western Conference Finals). He and his staff signed 12 new Bears, including point guard Jordan Howard, who led the state of Arizona in scoring as a junior, and Canadian prep star Otas Iyekekpolor, who averaged 28 points, 17 rebounds and 3 assists per game last season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Sugar Bears made their 4th straight Southland Conference tournament appearance, one of just four teams to qualify for each of the last four league tournaments. Senior center Courtney Duever kept the Southland’s Player of the Year award in Conway for the 4th straight year, selected as the league’s top player after averaging 15 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. She was also selected as the @NCAAWomensBKB national Player of the Week in November. Brianna Mullins, the Sugar Bears’ 2nd-leading scorer at 10 points per game and top free throw shooter at 79.2 percent, was voted as the league’s Freshman of the Year, the 2nd time in 5 years the award has gone to a Sugar Bear. After leading the team to a 3-win improvement overall and 4-win improvement in conference play – falling 1 win short of a league title, Sandra Rushing was chosen as the Southland’s Coach of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com. The Sugar Bears defeated Ole Miss 66-63 in Oxford in the 2nd game of the season, making it their 2nd straight victory over an SEC foe, having also defeated Alabama in 2011.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
MEN’S SOCCER
Had four named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference teams, with juniors Logan Miller and Matt Taphorn along with senior Taylor Hart being named to the 2nd team; and Wes Carson being selected to the All-Freshman team after leading the Bears with 7 goals on the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Made program history by qualifying for the Southland Conference tournament for the first time. Senior Adriana Lucar earned 1st team All-Southland honors for the 2nd consecutive season after scoring a team-high 9 goals – 3rd most in the league. Senior Alexa Herbers, who broke the program record for career games and minutes played, was All-Southland honorable mention, as was freshman Kate Koch.
TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY
The UCA track & field teams sent 3 participants to the NCAA West Prelims at the University of Arkansas, including Erika Setzler, Tanesha Maxwell and Anthony Farris-King. Brooke Cassar was the Southland Cross Country Athlete and Freshman of the Year, winning races at Vanderbilt, Memphis and UALR, and was 1st team All-SLC in both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field.
FOOTBALL
The football Bears endured an injury riddled season that saw nearly 10 players lost for the year due to severe injuries, and were still able to salvage 7 wins, including a 49-31 win over No. 9 and two-time defending national runner-up Sam Houston State in the season finale. Senior linebacker Justin Heard, senior defensive end Markeith Gaines, senior defensive back Marcus Peters and sophomore defensive end Jonathan Woodard were named 1st team All-Southland, while senior tight end Chase Dixon, junior wide receiver Dezmin Lewis, senior offensive lineman Dominique Allen and junior offensive lineman Cole Caruthers were 2nd team. Senior defensive back Jestin Love, junior noseguard TJ Randall, freshman wide receiver Desmond Smith and freshman kick returner Jatavious Wilson were honorable mention. The Bears had five Southland Players of the Week, and quarterback Ryan Howard earned a pair of national Player of the Week awards. Seven Bears were also named to the Southland All-Decade team, including TE Marquez Branson, QB Nathan Brown, DB Pieri Feazell, OL Lane Freiwald, OL Jeremy Ford, RB Brent Grimes and DE Larry Hart.
Setzler was also 1st team All-Southland Cross Country and Outdoor Track & Field, and was 2nd team All-Southland in Indoor Track & Field.
Following the season, with Clint Conque’s departure to Stephen F. Austin, the program came under the direction of new head coach Steve Campbell, who has won national championships both in NJCAA and NCAA Division II, has a career winning percentage of .768 and has never had a losing season.
In men’s cross country, Edward Limo earned a Top 20 finish in the NCAA regional before leaving school early to enlist in the United States Army and earn his American citizenship.
Chase Dixon (Seahawks) and Jestin Love (Falcons) became the latest Bears to get a shot in the NFL, being picked up as free agents following the draft.
In all, the UCA track & field and cross country teams earned 22 All-Southland honors.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
MEN’S GOLF
TENNIS
Angles led the Southland with a 71.14 stroke average, won two medalists honors, had 8 Top 10 finishes, was 2nd at the Southland championship and made the NCAA regionals for the 2nd straight year. He then went on to help lead Europe to a victory over the United States in the Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup style competition for amateur golfers.
Kelsey Williams was selected as the Southland’s Newcomer of the Year, the program’s first Southland year-end individual award.
Pep Angles continued his outstanding career, sweeping the Southland Golfer and Student-Athlete of the Year awards for the 2nd straight year and earning his 3rd All-Southland Conference honor.
Sophomore James Newton also earned All-Southland honors, was medalist at UMKC, and cracked the top 150 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Sophomore Sarah Brown earned Southland Golfer and Student of the Year Honors, combining with Pep Angles of the UCA men’s team to sweep the Southland year-end individual awards. Brown was medalist at the Southland Championship, had two runner-up finishes during the season and six times finished in the Top 5 en route to being the conference’s top golfer. She becomes the 4th UCA women’s golfer to earn the award, joining Julia Roth (2013), Rebecca Sorenson (2010) and Nicole Forshner (2008, 2009). The UCA women finished 3rd at the Southland championship, and were 2nd behind Nebraska at the Nebraska Chip-N Club Invitational, where Brown was 4th and junior Malin Senneryd led the way for UCA by finishing 3rd.
The Sugar Bears had the program’s best season of its Division I era in 2014, recording high marks for wins both overall (13) and in conference play (5), including putting together a 4-match win streak during league play.
CHEER
The UCA Large Co-Ed team won its first Division I national championship, the third straight year a UCA cheer squad has won a national title after the Small Co-Ed team won back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Athletics programs utilize several metrics to evaluate the success of their student-athletes in academics. Grade Point Average (GPA), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), Federal Graduation Rate (FGR), Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Completed Athletics Eligibility Grad Rate (CEGR) are all part of the evaluation system. As detailed below, UCA has improved significantly in most categories below. The major improvements are in GPA and GSR scores. GPA
2007 Women 3.02 Men 2.74 Total 2.77
2008 3.03 2.75 2.85
2009 3.11 2.73 2.87
2010 3.17 2.78 2.92
2011 3.16 2.79 2.94
2012 3.18 2.82 2.98
2013
GSR
Women 76% Men 48% Total 55%
77% 49% 57%
79% 52% 61%
90% 62% 73%
86% 68% 74%
95% 82% 75% 67% 81% 73%
FGR
Women 58% Men 35% Total 48% All UCA 45%
56% 50% 54% 43%
60% 39% 49% 41%
61% 41% 51% 41%
55% 50% 53% 42%
58% 43% 50% 41%
50% 43% 47% 41%
APR
Women 929 Men 902 Total 914
956 919 933
947 938 941
979 955 966
960 957 959
986 955 969
973 944 956
CEGR Total
93% 89% 96% 99%
3.19 2.88 3.02
COMPLIANCE & FACILITIES
COMPLIANCE 1. The most important part of Compliance is that all individuals associated with UCA Athletics promote and support the interest of the athletic department to ensure full compliance with NCAA, Southland Conference and University Rules. 2. Increased rules education and updates to coaches, staff, boosters, and student-athletes. These updates occur in a variety of ways from face to face, email blasts, website notices, and individual meetings with coaches or student athletes. 3. Conversion to e-filing system for all student-athlete records. 4. Financial Aid will enter student-athlete data without the assistance of athletics staff. 5. Implementation of JumpForward to make tracking many aspects of Compliance simpler for coaches as well as the compliance office. This year will add the component of all the preseason NCAA paperwork to JumpForward which will help make the beginning-of-year meetings with Student-Athletes more productive. 6. Reorganizing departmental manuals over the summer to make them complete and more user friendly. 7. Compliance Committee will be active for in the Fall 2013 and beyond. 8. Compliance staff and general counsel will continue semi-annual meetings.
FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS
EVENTS HOSTED
1. Begin work on basketball practice facility in Farris
1. Southland Conference Baseball Tournament
Center 2. Additional office space in Estes Stadium for coaching staff 3. Fencing around softball complex 4. Tennis Court resurfacing 5. Expansion of Estes Stadium training room 6. Addition of outfield deck at Bear Stadium
2. Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship 3. Arkansas Activities Association All-Star Week
FINANCIAL PRUDENCE
PURPLE CIRCLE ANNUAL FUND UCA Athletics has a strong fundraising arm in the Purple Circle. During the move to Division I, the fund grew over 400%. Membership is strong at 350 members and over $300,000 annually is contributed to the fund for priority seating at football games.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS In the past 12 months, UCA Corporate Sponsorships have grown over 65% thanks to strong partnerships with Conway, Little Rock and statewide businesses. By the end of this fiscal year, UCA expects to double UCA Corporate Sponsorship dollars in the previous 24 months.
BUDGET UCA and UCA Athletics is committed to reducing the amount of state funding for Athletics while increasing the amount of external funding from ticket sales, fundraising, corporate sponsorships, and NCAA Revenue. This trend is demonstrated below.
Revenue Student Fees Auxiliaries E&G External Funds Federal
Expenses Salaries & Fringes Scholarships Travel M&O Debt Service Medical Federal Facilities Other
FY15
FY14
FY13
FY12
FY11
$ 5,050,000 51% $ 1,600,000 16% $ 1,000,000 10% $ 2,200,000 22% $ 126,000 1% $ 9,976,000 100%
$ 5,050,000 52% $ 1,400,000 14% $ 1,000,000 10% $ 2,100,000 22% $ 126,000 1% $ 9,676,000 100%
$ 5,016,000 52% $ 1,400,000 15% $ 1,069,387 11% $ 1,950,000 20% $ 126,000 1% $ 9,561,387 100%
$ 4,973,184 53% $ 1,462,407 15% $ 1,154,142 12% $ 1,755,490 19% $ 92,466 1% $ 9,437,689 100%
$ 5,053,343 57% $ 1,375,481 16% $ 1,142,715 13% $ 1,159,498 13% $ 113,568 1% $ 8,844,605 100%
$ 3,117,500 31% $ 3,307,500 33% $ 1,275,000 13% $ 900,000 9% $ 526,000 5% $ 150,000 2% $ 126,000 1% $ 400,000 4% $ 174,000 2% $ 9,976,000 100%
$ 3,000,000 31% $ 3,150,000 33% $ 1,275,000 13% $ 900,000 9% $ 526,000 5% $ 125,000 1% $ 126,000 1% $ 400,000 4% $ 174,000 2% $ 9,676,000 100%
$ 3,000,000 31% $ 3,000,000 31% $ 1,250,000 13% $ 900,000 9% $ 562,000 6% $ 125,000 1% $ 126,000 1% $ 400,000 4% $ 198,387 2% $ 9,561,387 100%
$ 2,933,003 31% $ 2,850,844 30% $ 1,311,588 14% $ 894,794 9% $ 604,455 6% $ 125,966 1% $ 92,466 1% $ 389,990 4% $ 234,583 2% $ 9,437,689 100%
$ 2,843,884 32% $ 2,696,233 31% $ 1,140,164 13% $ 857,208 10% $ 420,826 5% $ 114,281 1% $ 113,568 1% $ 475,247 5% $ 163,490 2% $ 8,824,901 100%
STUDENT-ATHLETE WELL-BEING AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY COUNCIL ACTIVITIES • Collected can tabs for Ronald McDonald House; collected 172 lbs, increase of 20% over previous year. • Participated in Operation Christmas Child – providing Christmas presents to children all over the world. • Pancake Breakfast raised over $4,000 to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. • Held “Shoes of Hope” Event in which student-athletes washed the feet of and distributed shoes to 300 underprivileged Conway-area residents. • Aided in multiple clean-up operations in the aftermath of the Mayflower/Vilonia tornado disaster. LIFE SKILLS
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AREAS RECOMMENDED BY NCAA
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Alcohol and drug guidelines Personal development Leadership Sexual orientation Diversity Nutrition Personal counseling Gambling Career counseling AREA COVERED THIS YEAR • Sexual Orientation
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COMMUNITY SERVICE Tennis UCA Tennis Play Day Men’s Soccer TOPS Soccer Volunteered at New Life Church, setting up tables & chairs for events Ran “Futbol Para Todos” program for Hispanic community in Little Rock Volunteered at “Conway Kickers” youth soccer program Worked with youth team from Arkansas United Volunteered at Kids Run AR Volunteered at Pitza 42 mobile pack, sending food to Africa Ran coaching sessions for Episcopal Collegiate Middle School teams Softball Reading days at Theodore Jones Elementary Helped with landscaping project at Theodore Jones Volunteered at New Life Church events
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Men’s Basketball Helped distribute stocked backpacks for Pine Street Backpack Program Recess & Reading Program at Marguerite Vann Elementary
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Women’s Golf Helped with Baptist Birdie Bash Golf Tournament Volunteered at First Tee classes
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Women’s Basketball Bingo at UCA College Square Retirement Center Helped with “Brake For Bears” safety program
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STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Football • Arkansas Children’s Hospital visits • Reading at Conway-area elementary schools • Helped with Ace Expo Fair
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Men’s & Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Volunteered at Trick-or-Trot event Helped at Sexual Assault Awareness Festival
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Women’s Soccer Helped at Black Bird Dance Academy Festival Volunteered at Freezin’ For A Reason Helped with Pitza42 Mobile Food Pack program Volunteered at Woodrow Cummins Elementary 5K
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Cheer/Dance Helped with The Edge move-in day Assisted with Conway Kids Triathlon Sold “Bears for a Cure” t-shirts for athletic dept. charity fundraiser Worked Arkansas Children’s Hospital Phone-a-thon Helped with Margeurite Vann Kids Race Worked Blackbird Arts Parade Helped with Great Arkansas Workout Served as door greeters at Bear Nation Celebration & Hall of Fame Induction luncheon