中国P站 (NPC) Board of Trustees discussed the impact of Nighthawk Athletics Wednesday during their regular monthly board meeting. Nighthawk Athletics coaching staff were introduced during the meeting, including head baseball coach Rich Thompson, head basketball coach Dillon Hargrove, and head soccer coach Kevin Tello. Head softball coach Jessica Taylor was unable to attend due to team schedules.
Dean of Enrollment and Athletics Director, Jason Hudnell shared an update about the growth of athletics on campus. He shared that the program began in 2017 with men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball club teams and included 22 student-athletes. Today, Nighthawk Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) and has 105 student-athletes on six teams including men and women鈥檚 cross country, men and women鈥檚 basketball, baseball and softball.
Hudnell said academic success in the classroom is a top priority for NPC鈥檚 student-athletes. For fall 2020, 22 student-athletes made the president鈥檚 or dean鈥檚 list. NPC student-athletes come from eight different states. The teams have seen success on the court and the field as well, with 11 All-Region Team Awards and an All-American Award. Alumni are now competing in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 3 and Division 1 colleges across the country.
Two additional teams for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer will be added in the fall of 2021, which will total eight teams and over 150 student-athletes for the College. This will include international student-athletes for the first time.
鈥淥ne of the goals that we have is not just to succeed on the field and on the court, but we want them to be successful in the classroom and to walk out of here with a degree,鈥� said Hudnell. NPC is also investing in additional full-time coaching staff this year. 鈥淥ur coaches are doing a good job of making sure that our student-athletes are going to class and doing the things that they need to do.鈥� Data from fall 2020 showed that the teams with full-time coaches had higher grade point averages by over half a point.
NPC President, John Hogan said athletics is an important part of NPC鈥檚 overall strategic plan and high priority objectives. 鈥淲e view the investment in athletics as an investment in student success.鈥� Athletics helps increase enrollment, improve student retention, close the gap in completion rates, and increase the number of transfer students that graduate and continue on to a four year degree. 鈥淲inning is getting those students to succeed in the classroom, learning through athletics to succeed in life, and providing opportunities for student-athletes,鈥� he said.
Board chair, Forrest Spicher recalled his experience as an athlete here on campus many years ago. Spicher played for the Garland County Community College Lakers tennis and golf teams. 鈥淎thletics here on this campus really had a profound effect on my life.鈥� He noted that he met his wife and made many lifelong friends during that time. 鈥淪tudent athletics can certainly change a person鈥檚 life and I am profoundly grateful for all of that.鈥�
