Bushnell Named Inaugural Cascade Conference School of Character
The Cascade Collegiate Conference announced Bushnell University as the inaugural recipient of the 2024 – 2025 CCC School of Character
award in June 2025.
This new honor recognizes a member institution that exemplifies the NAIA Champions of Character program by intentionally modeling the five core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership.
“Congratulations to Bushnell on being named the 2024-25 CCC School of Character,” stated Commissioner Robert Cashell. “The Beacons are intentional about providing opportunities for student-athletes to excel in the classroom, on the courts and fields, and in serving others with a foundation rooted in character development.”
Bushnell was selected for its consistent commitment to shaping student-athletes into well-rounded leaders through its Tri-Athlete Model, which integrates excellence in competition, academics, and character formation. Bushnell’s approach to character formation is foundational to how it recruits, educates, and mentors student-athletes. Programs such as the Chaplain Captain initiative empower athletes to lead spiritual development within their teams, while peer-led groups and campus partnerships ensure that character-building is integrated into the day-to-day experience of all
student-athletes.
During the 2024-25 academic year, Bushnell student-athletes contributed over 6,600 hours of community service. Through annual campus-wide events and team-led projects, Bushnell has created a culture of servant leadership that extends far beyond the athletic arena. Student-athletes regularly engage in impactful service to the local community and participate in missions trips that focused on evangelism and service. These efforts are not sporadic, but a part of a structured and intentional system that reinforces Bushnell’s commitment to service as a way of life.
Bushnell’s academic record further reflects its culture of responsibility.
All 16 NAIA programs earned
Scholar-Team honors, with more than sixty percent of athletes earning a GPA of 3.2 or higher. The department maintained a 3.30 cumulative GPA, leading them to receive the CCC President’s Cup for Academic Excellence for the tenth consecutive year. Bushnell Athletics continue to prioritize the mental and emotional well-being of its student-athletes.
Bushnell’s long-standing reputation for sportsmanship and integrity is supported by a consistent record of awards and peer recognition. The Beacons have been named a Five-Star Champions of Character Institution by the NAIA for eleven consecutive years, with seven of those at the Gold level. In recent years, Bushnell teams and coaches have regularly earned CCC Character honors. This culture of integrity is also evident in how Bushnell student-athletes conduct themselves in competition, in the classroom, and within the community.
“We are incredibly humbled and appreciative of this honor. Bushnell Athletics proudly emphasizes our student-athletes’ character development and community service,”0 stated Bushnell’s Athletic Director Corey Anderson. “While not perfect, we strive to do the right thing by honoring God while representing Bushnell University at the highest level possible on a daily basis. I would like to thank the Cascade Conference and Commissioner Rob Cashell, for following the lead of the NAIA with this conference honor. My hope is that this award will serve as a light to remind our student-athletes and coaches that while we are competing to win the game, we can do so at a level of respect for our opponents and self, through our actions both on and off the court, course and field.”
Kyle Will Named 2025 CCC Coach of Character
For the third time in five years, Bushnell is the proud home of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Les Schwab Coach of Character. Head Cross Country Coach and Director of Track & Field Kyle Will was announced as the recipient of the 2025 award by the CCC offices on Wednesday.
In two short years, Coach Will has elevated the team culture of all four teams and over sixty student-athletes under his leadership. He recruits team members who embrace Bushnell’s Tri-Athlete Model, which places equal focus on success in academics, character development, and competition. Will has seen his teams grow in size, but more importantly, he has created a culture leading to higher GPAs, higher passing rates, and higher retention rates. He is rebuilding the programs under his care, providing genuine leadership that focuses on the whole student. Despite their background, all of Coach Will’s student-athletes have the ability to thrive, thanks in large part to Coach Will’s humble leadership.
Coach Will joins 2021 recipient Chad Meadors (Women’s Basketball) and 2024 recipient Tommy Richards (Baseball) as the third Bushnell coach to be selected as the CCC Coach of Character.
Bushnell Men’s Track & Field Named 2025 CCC Team of Character
The Bushnell Men’s Track & Field team was recognized as the 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference Les Schwab Men’s Team of Character, as voted on by the CCC Athletic Directors. The award, which recognizes one male and one female team, is voted on by the conference athletic directors after schools submit their nominations.
The Men’s Track and Field team has established
a reputation on campus as a team that models great character. They uphold the values of integrity, respect, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship. Their 3.11 overall team GPA earned them the NAIA Scholar
Team designation.
Servant leadership is a hallmark of Men’s Track & Field, as they go above and beyond with their volunteer work throughout the year. Team members average over 20 hours of community service each. As a group, they helped first-time Bushnell students move into their dorm rooms on campus move-in day. As part of Bushnell’s “Embrace the Community Day” in the fall, part of the team worked at Everyone Village, a dynamic transitional shelter program for people experiencing homelessness. They worked in the community garden and helped weatherproof tiny shelter homes. The other half of the team worked at the Springfield Youth Gardens with gardening and vegetable harvesting.
The team was also a key contributor to a FOOD For Lane County canned food drive, which collected over 2000 pounds of non-perishables for the most needy in our community. Additional team projects included buying Christmas presents as part of the athletic department Adopt-a-Family program and a “feed the community” day in which they spent time in Eugene’s homeless community passing out food, water, and emergency blankets. The team also volunteered at both the Eugene Marathon and the Run to Stay Warm 5k/10k race, serving as course marshals and at the finish line. Team service is a year-round affair for the Beacons as they served through summer with a rotation of 3-4 athletes and coaches.
Bushnell has now been home to six winners of the Les Schwab Team of Character Awards in the last five years: Women’s Basketball (2021), Men’s Soccer (2021), Baseball (2022), Women’s Track and Field (2023), Baseball (2024), and Men’s Track and Field (2025).