³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ

Habibovic pilots Team USA to gold in World University Games

Hadzo Habibovic of ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ led the United States to its first men's eight gold medal in the World University Games earlier this year.

Habibovic, a senior from Chicago, manned the coxswain position for the U.S. crew. The United States took 20 gold medals in all during the event. Habibovic also helped ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ capture its first Western Sprints men's varsity eight title May 16 at Lake Natoma.

The Stars qualified for the first time for the 113th Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta on May 29-31 in West Windsor, N.J., after taking the Western Sprints title. ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ's crew consisted of Habibovic, Jackson Anderson, Milos Aleksic, Baruch Price, Kaleb Bledsoe, Yassine Berrehouma, Hunter Bingham, Marshall McCabe and Matt Nelson.

Bahreini earns second consecutive marathon championship

Photo by Tanner Ives

The Stars’ Arya Bahreini repeated as marathon national champion in the NAIA men's outdoor track and field championships earlier this year at the Gulf Shores Sports Complex in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Bahreini ran the marathon in a personal-best 2 hours, 24 minutes, 13.7 seconds. ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ took four all-American nods and finished 11th place among the team standings with 27 points. The Stars' Mackenzie Wahpepah-Harris picked up runner-up in the 1,500 meters, while David Mountford had all-American performances in the 5,000 (third place) and the 10,000 (sixth).

On the women’s side, Michaela Werner posted a runner-up finish in the marathon, while Sara Moore took fourth place in the 1,500 meters to give the Stars two women’s all-Americans.

Pontikes nominated for character award

Photo by Rocky Chen

³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ’s Kaitlin Pontikes has been chosen to represent the S Athletic Conference as the 2015 nominee for the NAIA Dr. Leroy Walker Character Award. Pontikes was chosen by a SAC committee from nominees submitted by the 10 member schools.

Pontikes, a senior from Elgin, Okla., on the women's cross country and track team at ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ, is actively involved in both her academics and her community. She has been selected as an NAIA scholar-athlete in both sports and has been on the President's Honor Roll for three consecutive years with a 3.93 grade point average in finance and economics. She is a member of ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ's Alpha Phi Fraternity for high academic standing.

Pontikes also spends a portion of her time serving her community as a member of the Red Cross/NAIA Collegiate Leadership program and continues to work at raising awareness of the organization around campus. She serves on the ³ûÖ­ÊÓƵ Student Government Association and is a student advisory committee member for the Meinders School of Business.

The national award was created to honor Dr. Leroy Walker, a former president of the NAIA and President emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee. It recognizes a current student-athlete with at least a junior academic status who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, campus and community leadership embracing the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, athletic achievement and future ambition.