Hi everyone! Here are the latest updates from Athletics! With more and more awards coming in, we have a few more people to celebrate. Logan Menzies and Kenzie Middleton received Academic All American awards and Jordan Medina earned a second team nod from both the D2CCA and ABCA for the All Region team. Last but not least, the men's cross country and track team just received the final program of the year standings with an eighth place finish! This is the highest finish in program history. To end the 2023 athletic seasons, the final Learfield Directors Cup Standings have been released. The Cougars finished the highest they have ever placed in school history, claiming a 43rd place finish out of the over 300 division II schools that compete in athletics. It's an exciting time to be a Coug!
 

Softball Recap 

LAKEWOOD, CO- The College Sports Communicators have announced their honorees for Academic All American, and two Cougars have been given this prestigious honor. Logan Menzies received a nod to the First Team, while Kenzie Middleton received Second Team honors. 

 

Menzies was incredible on and off the field all year for the Cougars. With a first team All-Conference nod, Menzies shone at the RMAC Tournament to receive tournament MVP honors. Menzies also was named an All American by the D2CCA recently to cap a tremendous season. In addition to all of these on field accolades, Logan was also named the RMAC Academic Player of the Year. With a 3.97 grade point average in Psychology, Menzies excelled in the classroom and has been rewarded for her efforts with first team academic All American honors. 

 

Middleton did it all for her team this year, and she has earned just about every award you can receive in softball. After a blistering season at the plate and behind the dish, Middleton was named the RMAC Player of the Year and received first team honors. She also was named the South Central Region Player of the Year and was honored as a First Team All American by both the NFCA and D2CCA. Academic All District Honors and first team academic All Conference showed that Middleton excels in her studies with a 3.74 GPA in Business. Kenzie can now add Academic All American to a long list of accolades she has earned throughout her career at CCU. 

 

Congratulations to Logan Menzies and Kenzie Middleton on being named Academic All Americans by the CSC!

 

Baseball Recap

LAKEWOOD, CO- The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) announced their All-Region teams, and Jordan Medina has earned a spot on both lists. The senior catcher earned a second team nod from both the D2CCA and ABCA after a tremendous season with the Cougars. 

 

Medina was a leader all year for his team both at the plate and behind it at his catcher's position. The Colorado native had an average of .357 and 51 RBI with 66 hits and 17 homers. He played in every single game this season for his team, posting an OPS of 1.165 with a slugging percentage of .735 and an on-base percentage of .430. 

 

Medina was not only stellar at the plate, he was one of the best catchers in the region behind the dish. Starting every game, Jordan did not commit any errors all season, and he recorded 207 putouts and caught 13 runners stealing. With 22 assists, Medina showed why he is one of the best players in the region. He was honored to the RMACs Gold Glove team and garnered first team honors from the conference as a result of his excellent play this year. 

 

Congratulations to Jordan Medina on being named to the ABCA and D2CCA South Central region Second Team! 

 

Men's Track and Field Recap 

LAKEWOOD, CO- The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released their final program of the Year standings, and men's track & field and cross country recorded their highest finish ever with an 8th place spot on the list. 

 

This achievement is only possible if you qualify for the championships in all three sports, cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. The Cougars not only qualified runners to every championship, they excelled in each in many ways. 

 

Scoring is based on the team's finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. 

 

Cross country led off with a third place finish at Nationals, the best in program history. Matthew Storer and Hudson Majeski then qualified for Indoor track nationals, each claiming All American honors in their respective events. They then sent their largest group of outdoor runners to Nationals with 6 athletes competing, helping them to a 15th place team finish. 

 

"To be among this group of programs is a big honor. Their success throughout the year was consistent, the level of consistency you have to display throughout the year is really hard to do," said Head Coach Jon Poag. "Credit to the athletes being able to stay consistent and perform at a high level all year to be included in that category." 

 

This marks the first time that men's track & field and cross country has placed on this prestigious list as they just wrapped their most successful year in program history.

 

LAKEWOOD, CO- Colorado Christian University Athletics is excited to announce the start of a new campaign for the new Sports Complex, which will be located at the corner of Alameda and Kipling just west of the main campus in Lakewood.

 

The first renderings for the new complex have been released, and plans include an NCAA Division II competitive synthetic turf softball field, a full-sized synthetic turf soccer field for men and women's soccer to compete, and a four-lane practice track complete with all of the jump pits circumscribing the pitch. Additionally, a facility containing public restrooms, concession area, storage, and game day locker rooms will be included on site to accommodate fans and the teams that will practice and compete there.

 

Having received a $2.5 million anonymous lead donation, the Athletics capital campaign is off to a great start! This tremendous gift marks the largest philanthropic donation in CCU Athletics history. For more information on how to support this game changing campaign, visit our website. 

 

LAKEWOOD, CO- With the close of the spring championship season, the final Learfield Directors Cup Standings have been released. The Cougars finished the highest they have ever placed in school history, claiming a 43rd place finish out of the over 300 division II schools that compete in athletics. 

The Learfield Directors Cup is a competition across all NCAA sports and divisions. The point system measures performance at NCAA championships and postseason play, giving out predetermined point totals for placement at the championships.

Colorado Christian first made noise with a 3rd place finish from men's cross country at nationals and a 10th place finish for women's cross country in the fall. They continued the momentum with points in the winter from Indoor Track & Field. The spring was the highest scoring season for CCU as softball, men's and women's golf and men's track & field all scored points at the championships.
 

Prior to this year, the highest CCU has ever finished on the list is 70th, which came last year with the postseason performances of softball, men and women's golf, and men and women's cross country. With no standings in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season due to covid shortened seasons, the Cougars had not finished within the top 100 in any other seasons prior to last year.

"I am so proud, and appreciative of all our CCU Student Athletes, Coaches and Staff members who have worked tirelessly, and have invested so much to elevate competitive excellence, without sacrificing their spiritual, relational, and academic focus," Athletic Director Brian Wall said. "It is rewarding to see what can be accomplished in the arena when the primary goal is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ!   I recognize, and am so grateful for the blessing of the Lord upon CCU Athletics in 2022-2023!"

The 43rd place finish marks the end of the most successful all around year in CCU athletics the school has ever seen. With eight programs qualifying for NCAA Regionals or Championships, athletics is building a ton of momentum and will look to continue their success as they look ahead to the fall 2023 season and beyond.

View the Full Learfield Cup Standings Here