The Purdue North Central Athletics Department has launched a new website for the 2010-11 campaign. The web address for the new site is pncathletics.com.

Panther fans will welcome a new and creative design that is easy to navigate and provides interactive features, such as video clips and fan polls.

"We last updated this five years ago and thought it was time for a change and new, fresh look,” said Director of Athletics John Weber.

 "Tom Albano took the lead and was assisted by many, including assistant baseball coach Scott Marks and basketball coach Kris Schnatz.  We worked in conjunction with Judy Jacobi ( Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Marketing and Community Relations) and Dana Krill (Campus Relations)."

The Panther Athletic Department will continue to make updates throughout the year and look forward to feedback regarding the new site. 

The 2010 Purdue North Central Athletic Hall of Fame class was recently announced by John Weber, PNC's Director of Athletics. The lone new member, Mike Pickering, will join the 15 current members from the first four classes since the Hall of Fame was established in 2006.

Pickering will be inducted at the Athletic Awards Banquet to be held at the Stardust Event Center at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City on Sunday, April 25th at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 and reservations can be made by contacting Tom Albano at 219-785-5660. Reservations will be accepted until April 19th and no walk-ups will be permitted.

The guest speaker this year is Matt Modleski, a former member of the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron.  Modleski is currently a strategic leadership executive for Stovall Grainger Modleski and speaks extensively throughout the country on leadership initiatives.
Pickering was nominated and selected by current HOF members based on his excellent credentials as a student-athlete for PNC in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.  He was a PNC student-athlete from 1999 to 2002, serving as a starting guard for the Centaur/Panther basketball team for 3 years and as co-captain for 2 years.

Pickering scored 517 pts in 1999-2000 with a then-school record 71 3-pointers in 2000. He was the first guard from PNC to score over 1,000 points in program history under NAIA status.   He also earned All Conference status in 2001-2002 and Honorable Mention recognition in 2000-2001.
In 2001, Pickering finished 6th in the nation for 3-point percentage. He had a career average of 3.26 assists per game and finished in the in the top ten in conference scoring for two years 2000-01 and 2001-02 at 14.3 points per game.  He also was in the top 10 in the CCAC in steals per game at 1.58 per game from 2000-01 and 2001-2002. 

Pickering’s most memorable performance was January 2, 2002 when he lead the Panthers to their first-ever conference win by defeating Judson College 101-95. In that victory he scored 34 points on 6 for 7 shooting from 3-point territory and finished 10 for 10 from the free throw line. PNC went on to record two more conference wins that season.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recently announced Purdue University North Central was named a Champions of Character institution for the 2008-09 school year.

The institutions who earn this distinction share the NAIA's commitment to high standards and to the principle that participation in athletics serves as an integral part of the total education process.

The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting.

“ Champions of Character" has a profound impact on student-athletes, coaches and in the communities the NAIA and member institutions serve. I am delighted to see an increase in the number of schools that use the program to intentionally teach character,” said Rob Haworth, NAIA Vice President for Champions of Character . “ Champions of Character uses the power of sport to teach lessons for life. I applaud these institutions for their commitment to advance character-driven intercollegiate athletics.”

The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools are reviewed by a team directed by Haworth. These institutions must demonstrate how the campus incorporates the Champions of Character program in five specific areas: athletic contests, public service projects, established policies related to behavior in practice and game situations, athletic and academic environment and character education. 

Within representing the five core values off the field, the PNC student-athletes have done numerous charitable events in the surrounding areas.

Included in recent activities among many are ringing the bell for Salvation Army, helping Opportunity Enterprises in Valparaiso raise money for challenged people, assisting in the Chesterton Tornado clean-up, assisting local holiday functions for needy families, reading to grade school students and local YMCA's, free athletic camps and clinics in the surrounding community, assisting in numerous activities in the PNC community and raising money for catastrophic events, families and more.

Purdue University North Central's athletic department continues to grow. Along with their growth come concerns about safety. Today, PNC took another step forward in ensuring a safe environment for their athletes. The Coaches, with the aide of the athletic trainer, purchased an AED.

The AED or Automated External Defibrillator is used when a person suffers a cardiac event like a heart attack. The defibrillator sends a jolt of electricity through the victim's body to “re-start” their heart.

“This is something we have needed for a long time”, stated athletic trainer Doug Cassell. “It really makes me feel good to see the coaches come together and dip into their own accounts for a great cause. Just having the AED makes our student athletes and our fans safer.”

Since PNC only has a baseball field on campus at this time, the AED will stay with the athletic trainer as he rotates to the various sigts and will be available at most practices and games.

The softball team uses Patriot Park through Michigan City's Parks and Recreation Department. The volleyball team's facility is The Courts of Northwest Indiana in Valparaiso. The basketball team's main practice sight is The Courts but play their games and have limited practices at the Civic Auditorium through La Porte's Park and Recreastion Department.

"Doug has been pushing for this for a while but we have limited resources," said Director of Athletic John Weber. "However, all of our head coaches once again stepped up to fill a void. Our softball coach Jeff Boardman was the main contributor and basketball coach Kris Schnatz, volleyball coach John Higgins and myself (baseball) all joined in to make this a reality."

"I especially want to thank Doug for doing the research and leading the way," said Weber. We are always trying to limit our risks. In fact, last year all of our coaches became CPR and AED certified through Doug among other steps we have taken."

The 2009 Purdue North Central Athletic Hall of Fame class was recently announced by John Weber, PNC's Director of Athletics. The six new members will join the nine current members from the first three classes.

The new nominees will be inducted at the Athletic Awards Banquet April 26th at 6:45 p.m. held at the Stardust Event Center of Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. Tickets are $20 and reservations can be made by contacting Jamie Gutowski at 219-785-5660. Reservations will be accepted until April 21st and no walk-ups will be permitted.

Listed below is the 2009 class with their qualifications. The inductees were nominated and selected by current HOF members.

James Dworkin

Chancellor James Dworkin has been a driving force behind PNC Athletics. He started here in January of 2000 and has been instrumental behind increasing majors from six to 18, significantly impacting athletic recruiting. Dworkin has helped lead the process for a new athletic/activities complex. Since his arrival he has supported the expansion of the first two female sports in softball and volleyball, allowing the growth of student-athletes from 30 to approximately 100. He has promoted athletic scholarships and supported PNC having an athletic golf outing to raise scholarship funds to benefit student-athletes. He was a driving force behind PNC purchasing a bus promoting student safety. Dworkin has supported our relationships with various facilities, especially Marquette High School, to help the development of our student-athletes. He has been a past president of the NAIA's "Champions of Character" initiative which PNC Athletics has attained for the past five years. The Champions of Character initiative promotes student community involvement, and character both on and off the field. Chancellor Dworkin is involved in day to day athletics, attending numerous games, supporting banquets like this and all athletic events.

G. William Back

Vice Chancellor Bill Back has been at Purdue North Central for 40 years and has been a significant supporter of PNC Athletics and its development. Among his endeavors, Back has led PNC through the process for potential funding for a new Athletic/Activity Complex, promoted athletic scholarships to help raise PNC's competitive level within the NAIA and personally helped fund-raise over $40,000 via the PNC Athletic Department Golf Outing. Back supported the purchase of a new 25 passenger vehicle for Panther sport teams after several years of driving in mini-vans. He also had a major role in developing the University Village apartments across the street where numerous student-athletes live, allowing for a broader recruiting base. Back has recognized student-athletes being involved in community affairs to represent the University. He was supportive in granting funds when PNC did research and travel to make the jump from club and intramurals to intercollegiate athletics in the late 1990's. Finally, Back was instrumental in developing the on-campus baseball field (Hicks Field) and the outdoor tennis and basketball courts on campus.

Larry Blake Jr.

Larry Blake Jr. has served PNC in many different capacities during his association with the school. He started his association as a member of the 1989 baseball team and continued it as an assistant baseball coach from 1990-2000 under his dad Larry Blake Sr., a current member of the Hall of Fame. He reconnected with PNC in 2006 and has assisted the baseball team the past two seasons as a volunteer coach and recruiter. Blake's recruiting efforts carried over to basketball and combined he has assisted in recruiting for both sports for nearly 17 years. Blake assisted his dad, who coached basketball as well, serving as an announcer for all home games from 1990 -2001, including the transition to the NAIA level. From 1989 to 2002 he was a Statistician/Media correspondent for the baseball and basketball teams, at a time when stats were kept manually. Blake currently serves as a member of the PNC Athletic Advisory Board, started up in the past three years. The Board primarily helps fund-raise, promote athletics and promote change within PNC. Aside from all of his time Blake has made numerous contributions and donations to PNC athletics in hopes of building a stronger presence. Included in his donations are a department video system and a radar gun to the baseball team.

Edwin Shinn 

Ed Shinn started his education at PNC in 1976. He was a team member on the first baseball club formed by Gerry Lewis and John T. Coggins in 1977. He (with most of the players) assisted the coach and general manager in initiating a program that still exists today and is now recognized in conference and intercollegiate play. In 1981, he provided blueprints and specifications used for the construction of the current baseball field at PNC. Ed participated on the baseball club until his graduation in 1982 and received a Bachelor of Science and an Associate degree in Technology. His education and experience led him to the involvement of another collegiate level baseball organization in the Michigan City Stars. This professional collaboration still exists today between the Stars and the current PNC baseball team. The Panthers have used the Stars field several times throughout this relationship and many PNC players have further developed their skills with their summer team.

Joseph Shinn

Joe Shinn started his education in the fall of 1980. He played club baseball and club basketball from 1980 to 1983. He was a student senator in 1983 and earned his Bachelor's Degree in 1985 in Building Construction Technology. His education from PNC has guided him through his professional career and the task of parenting. He is still proud to be associated with Purdue and hopes his children will follow in his footsteps. With no stats from the era, current Hall of Fame member John Coggins asked to include this quote about Joe, "He was one of the best athletes in PNC history and was the glue that kept our programs going during this time.” During his time Joe was the face of the baseball team. His insistence of continuing club baseball helped pass the torch to others and eventually to Larry Blake Sr., with hopes athletics would one day compete officially as an intercollegiate program.

Paul Shinn

Paul Shinn was the 4th Shinn to attend PNC. He started attending classes in the fall of 1981 in the Surveying, Drafting and Introduction to Construction classes. He finished his degree at West Lafayette and received a bachelor's degree in Building Construction Management in 1986. Paul started playing baseball in the fall of 1981, for Coach Jerry Lewis. Equipment, facilities, uniforms and practice times were very scarce at that time. However, the attitude and determination of the players and coaches made up for those deficiencies. Statistics were not even kept but the purpose was to have fun and progress the program to the next level. As an alumnus Paul has participated in alumni baseball games and has supported the athletic teams through the outfield sign program and as a significant contributor to the athletic golf outings. Paul is especially proud that the lessons learned through his experiences as a student-athlete have helped him become a successful businessman. His experiences from PNC's Real Estate education classes and then as a member of the Porter County Builders Association helped Shinn Construction partner with PNC marketing students and created a survey to help improve the image of his industry. The survey, results and implementation, by the students was a great experience for all. Shinn is still proud to be affiliated with Purdue North Central and states that although he may not be an athlete today he will always be a supporter of PNC athletics.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced today that 199 colleges and universities, including Purdue North Central, were named Champions of Character institutions for the 2007-08 school year.

The total number of member institutions recognized shows a 20% increase from 2006-07 when 130 institutions qualified out of the approximately 290 NAIA members. These institutions share the NAIA's commitment to high standards and to the principle that participation in athletics serves as an integral part of the total education process.

The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting.

“Champions of Character" has a profound impact on student-athletes, coaches and in the communities the NAIA and member institutions serve. I am delighted to see an increase in the number of schools that use the program to intentionally teach character,” said Rob Haworth, NAIA Vice President for Champions of Character . “ Champions of Character uses the power of sport to teach lessons for life. I applaud these institutions for their commitment to advance character-driven intercollegiate athletics.”

The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life. To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must complete a form which is later reviewed by a team directed by Haworth . These institutions must demonstrate how the campus incorporates the Champions of Character program in five specific areas: athletic contests, public service projects, established policies related to behavior in practice and game situations, athletic and academic environment and character education. 

Within representing the five core values off the field, the PNC student-athletes have done numerous charitable events in the surrounding areas. Included in recent activities among many are ringing the bell for Salvation Army, helping Opportunity Enterprises raise money for challenged people, assisting in holiday parties for needy families, reading to grade school students, free camps and clinics, assisting in numerous activities in the PNC community and raising money for catastrophic events, families and more.

Student-athletes from basketball (15), baseball (28), softball (8) volleyball (1),and cheerleading (2) took advantage of the opportunity. The physicals were offered from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Library Student Facility Building on the PNC campus for just $30 per athlete.

"It was a great opportunity to provide an additional service for our student-athletes in an affordable, convenient fashion," said Athletic Director John Weber. "The staff from LRHS was wonderful."

"We've been able to accomplish more each year as we take steps to grow our department," said Weber. "Doug took the lead in planning and overseeing this opportunity and has been fine-tuning it for months. Overall, through Doug's and many other's efforts we've enjoyed a solid partnership with LaPorte Regional Health Systems."

PNC continues to grow in the athletic training field. Besides the physicals, all the coaches became CPR certified in July, they have purchased new equipment, and have had new traning tables donated.

Hough specializes in internal medicine and geriatrics. He welcomes new patients to his new office location at Johnson Road Internal Medicine located at 7002 W. Johnson Rd. in Michigan City beginning Tuesday, Sept. 2.

The Purdue University North Central Athletic Department was recently chosen as a recipient of the NAIA Champions of Character award.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) named 130 colleges and universities to the list of Champions of Character institutions for the 2006-07 school year. There are currently 281 institutions affiliated with the NAIA.

The mission of Champions of Character is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport, and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting. The program is dedicated to the principle that character is a choice and that being a champion is not just about winning, but making good decisions consistently in daily life.

To be considered a Champions of Character institution, schools must incorporate the five core values in the campus community and educate student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans on specific standards and expectations. Each school is later reviewed by a team directed by NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives Rob Miller.

Within representing the five core values, the PNC student-athletes have done numerous charitable events in the surrounding areas. Included in recent activities among many are ringing the bell for Salvation Army, assisting in holiday parties for needy families, free camps and clinics, and raising money for many catastrophic events.

“The Champions of Character program is a game plan dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics,” said Miller. “The philosophy and approach to sport is a fundamental distinction gaining traction throughout the United States and Canada . Successful teams are built on a solid foundation and hundreds of competitive programs see the value in the NAIA and the Champions of Character model.”

To learn more about the NAIA and Champions of Character visit www.naia.org .

On April 23, 2006, John Weber, Director of Athletics, announced the first inductees to the PNC Hall of Fame at the annual sports recognition banquet. The first inductees are past coaches Ed Bednar, Larry Blake, and Jerry Lewis. Each inductee has a long history in the sports program at PNC.

Bednar, who retired from the position of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in June 2004, began at Purdue as a math instructor in 1965. Bednar began the intramural program in basketball, softball, and tag football in 1968 and ran a “ Joe College ” basketball tournament for PNC students, local
school teachers, and military personal each Christmas holiday from 1966 through 1969.

Bednar began the intercollegiate team with an 18 game schedule in 1968 as assistant coach with then Dean James Blackwell as head coach.

“I learned a lot about coaching and organizing a team from Jim,” stated Bednar.

Bednar's overall coaching record was 52-133. Coaching the PNC team from 1969 to 1976, his crowning achievement was winning the Indiana regional campus championship at the end of 1971-72 season.

“We finished the season with four of the last five games over 100 points,” remarked Bednar.

Blake, who once received an invitational tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968, coached at PNC for several years. He was the head baseball coach from 1990 to 1999 with an overall record of 75-138 and head basketball coach from 1990 to 2002 with a record of 81-134.

Blake was the coach when PNC started making the transition to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and later to the Chicagoland Collegiate Association Conference (CCAC).

Blake presently serves as a member of Purdue North Central Athletic Advisory Board and is involved in pitching and hitting clinics for area athletes.
Jerry Lewis, Director of Financial Aid, has the motto: “If it is for kids, it is a good thing.”

Lewis started the baseball program in 1977 under the guidance of John Coggins, the current Dean of Students and coached the then Centaurs to their first-ever winning seasons.

“As a club sport, there were some great opportunities, yet the creation of a schedule, recruiting players, coaching and practicing without a baseball facility was a real challenge,” said Lewis.

Lewis has coached the women's volleyball team as a club sport, men's basketball for five years as a club sport, and was involved with the men's golf club for approximately five years. He also operated multiple intramural programs off campus.

“Without the sacrifice and dedication of many staff over the years anything that I accomplished over my time in athletics on the PNC campus would not be possible,” added Lewis.

Unlike many Hall of Fames, the record of each coach was not the sole consideration when forming the first class. Each individual was recognized for their contributions, impact and efforts in helping initiate and helping maintain athletics on campus, especially at a time when there was limited funding and facilities. Without these efforts, PNC would most likely not be competing as an intercollegiate athletics program today.

The Purdue North Central athletic department recently named Jim Clark as the first-ever women's volleyball coach for the start-up program scheduled to begin in the 2006-07 school year.

The Panthers will start this fall as a club program before making the jump to an NAIA intercollegiate sport for the 2007-08 academic year, competing as an independent. In 2008-09 PNC will complete their transition by competing as a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Clark brings a wealth of experience to PNC, including 21 years at Westville High School coaching both the boys and girls varsity teams. During that span, Clark led Westville to 15 Porter County Conference championships, 13 Porter County Conference Tournament championships and six Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association men's state championships.

Clark is also a veteran of local club volleyball and beach volleyball activity. He served as a Dunes Junior Volleyball club coach from 1993 to 1995 and spent over 25 years organizing and directing Michigan City Beach Volleyball tournaments. Clark directed the Indiana State Beach Volleyball Championships for 25 years and guided eight IHSVCA state tournaments.

Clark has also had the opportunity to coach and influence numerous talented individuals, including Jackie Nunez, who was All-Big Ten at Northwestern and went on to coach at Iowa State , LaSalle and Temple. The mentor coached Nick Cheronis, currently the associate head coach at the University of Florida and Troy Campbell, who has coached Marquette High School to three state championships. Clark has also coached the all-time kill leaders at both the Division I and II levels (Sara McFarland at Loyola Marymount and Ronda Price N. Alabama) among others. McFarland is a member of the USA National Team and the Grand Rapids professional team.

“We're excited to bring Jim on board as the first volleyball coach at PNC,” said Director of Athletics, John Weber. “With his experience and knowledge we expect Jim to accept this unique challenge of literally starting from scratch and building a highly successful program.”

Along with his coaching duties, Clark spent over 30 years (1971-2003) as a teacher at Westville High School, primarily teaching psychology and government, in addition to history, sociology and physical education courses. He also runs a part-time business that sells athletic apparel.

The veteran coach graduated from Ball State in 1971 and earned a Masters Degree in Education in 1977 from Indiana . He attended PNC from 1966-1968.

“I will give each player a quality experience by being a positive role model, increasing their knowledge of the game, and challenging them to be not only better players, but also better people,” said Clark.

The Panthers are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and currently offers baseball, softball and men's basketball.

A leader in the development of student-athletes, the NAIA is committed to changing the culture of sport through Champions of Character. Founded in 1937, the NAIA continues to be a pioneer in implementing exceptional standards for academics, diversity, and character. Today, the NAIA sponsors 23 collegiate championships in 13 sports for its nearly 300 member institutions throughout the United States and Canada.

For student-athletes interested in potentially becoming a member of the volleyball program, please fill out the recruiting questionnaire on the PNC athletics website at http://www.pnc.edu/athletics/.