XU records another high Champions of Character score

NEW ORLEANS — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Wednesday its 2012-13 NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Award winners, and Xavier University of Louisiana again had one of the highest scores.

XU's athletics department scored 91 out of 100 points to tie for 12th nationally. NAIA members earned the Champions of Character Five-Star Award by scoring a minimum 60 points.

Schools earned points in each of the following categories: character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character  promotion. Institutions earned points based on exceptional student-athlete grade-point averages and by obtaining zero ejections during competition throughout the academic year.

This is the third consecutive year that Xavier scored 91 points. Xavier and Montana Tech are the only NAIA members to score at least 90 points each of the last three years. Xavier tied for seventh nationally with 87 points in 2009-10, the first year of the Champions of Character scorecard.

Xavier tied for fourth in 2010-11 and tied for third in 2011-12.

Oklahoma Baptist was the national leader for 2012-13 with 99 points. More than 80 percent of NAIA members — 217 in all — were named Five-Star Champions of Character Institutions. The average NAIA member score this past year was 67.48, and the Five-Star members' average score was 73.55.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA