LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference has formally announced the addition
of McMurry (Texas) University as an affiliate member in the sports
of men's and women's swimming and diving effective the 2014-15
academic year.
The SCAC Board of Directors, by a unanimous vote, extended the
invitation to McMurry at the group’s spring meeting two weeks
ago.
"We are pleased to have the McMurry University men’s and
women’s swimming and diving programs join the
conference,” said SCAC commissioner Dwayne Hanberry.
“Both squads will be great additions to the league and head
coach Bev Ball is among the more well-respected swimming coaches in
the nation.”
Ball, who has a combined 63 years of coaching experience in the
pool at the high school and college levels. has been accorded
numerous honors during her illustrious career, including induction
into the Big country Hall of Fame (2003), the celebration of "Bev
Ball Day" in Abilene (2006) and a "Woman of Outstanding
Achievement" award (2012) from the Abilene branch of the American
Association of University Women (AAUW). Also in 2012, she
received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Swimming and
Diving Hall of Fame.
The association with the SCAC will be McMurry’s first full
NCAA Division III conference affiliation for its men's and women's
swimming programs. Founded in 2000, McMurry swimming competed in
the New South Intercollegiate Conference (which had both NCAA II
and NCAA III swimming membership) from 2000-2005, winning the
league championship for both men and women in 2002 and 2003. The
War Hawks have, since that time, participated in the Liberal Arts
Championships - recognized as a premiere small college meet - in
lieu of a conference post-season meet. McMurry has had a pair of
NCAA Division III national qualifiers (Justin Schultz in 2001 and
Hillary Poole in 2003).
The SCAC, which has only sponsored men's and women's swimming and
diving since 1999, has produced six national individual champions
(including five this decade) and 150+ All-Americans between the
sports.
The SCAC currently has five core members who sponsor men's and
women's swimming and diving: Austin
College, Centenary
College of Louisiana, Colorado College, Southwestern
University and Trinity University.
The 2015 SCAC Swimming & Diving Championships will be held
February 11-14 at the Rockwall ISD Natatorium in Rockwall,
Texas.