Our Hope for a Renewed Witness

Events of Interest

Last week Ohio Christian University announced that athletic teams would be transitioning from participating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the 2023-2024 academic year and would begin competing in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) starting in fall of 2024. University president, Dr. Ron Smith, has prepared the following statement to clarify why such a move was made.

As your president beginning my third month of office, I have wrestled with a prevailing question: What is Ohio Christian University meant to be? According to our roots, the answer is to offer our students the best “Wesleyan Christian experience in our world.”

In athletics that means three essential components: Christian, Character, Competition. I have written to our NAIA Commissioner thanking them for the outstanding privilege ours has been to compete in their River States Conference. We are permitted to compete with their teams every season with all who will offer us the schedule. However, I am rejoining OCU in the NCCAA. At this juncture I deeply desire our athletes to participate in, and contribute to, the Christian world of athletics. It is time we leave a mark on our conference and in our nation as Christians. We will still compete with the teams we choose outside of our conference, but we have a witness we need to make in Christian competition. We need not only to compete, but to contribute to our distinct witness among Christian America by offering character-based athletes ready to compete and to serve the nation Christ has sought to raise. From that source we will let our light shine for the whole world. While we begin to raise the banner of winning immediately, we begin our NCCAA competition in the Fall Semester of 2024.

Ronald E. Smith, PhD

Ohio Christian University

President

The Athletics department has prepared a series of questions and answers (Q&A) that should cover most questions regarding this change. You can view that list here.

Events of Interest

Articles of Interest

1st Annual Trailblazer Trot Results

Published: March 13, 2023

The first ever annual Trailblazer Trot was a success, with 73 runners and walkers competing in the event. The first finisher was Drake Dickerson with a time of 15:11, followed by Steven Adams with a time of 15:40. The first overall female finisher was Lexie Engstrom with a time of 20:11, followed by Karen Alexander with a time of 25:17. There were competitors of all ages, ranged from 9 to 75 years old. Afterwards, individual prizes were awarded along with raffle prize tickets (all entries were given one raffle ticket). The Ohio Christian University Track

The first ever annual Trailblazer Trot was a success, with 73 runners and walkers competing in the event. The first finisher was Drake Dickerson with a time of 15:11, followed by Steven Adams with

Olson Returns to Serve as Sports Chaplain/Sports Psych Coach

Published: March 3, 2023

By Abigail Hintz, Assistant Sports Information Director CIRCLEVILLE, OH — Ohio Christian University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Larry Olson as the Sports Chaplain/Sport Psychology Performance Coach. In this role, Dr. Olson will assist the athletic department in providing pastoral care and spiritual guidance to student-athletes, staff and coaches. This could include overseeing Bible studies or prayer groups, consulting with athletes, coaches and staff on sport psychology issues, working to refer athletes to specialists when necessary and assisting teams with performance

By Abigail Hintz, Assistant Sports Information Director CIRCLEVILLE, OH — Ohio Christian University is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Larry Olson as the Sports Chaplain/Sport Psychology

Archived Articles of Interest

Photo provided courtesy of Taylor University, used with permission.

Head Basketball Coach Inducted in Taylor University Hall of Fame

Published: October 16, 2019

Ohio Christian University’s Head Coach for the Men’s basketball team, Casey Coons was recently honored by his alma mater. On Oct. 5, Coons was inducted into Taylor University Athletics 2019 Hall of Fame. Other inductees included Molly Currens, Tanya Crevier, Rick Atkinson, and Tyler Beachler. “It was an awesome honor,” Coons said of the induction ceremony. “It was really cool because all of the other four inductees I know really well. Two of them I went to school with, Coach Atkinson I interacted with while I was an assistant there, and Tanya Crevier worked all nine years of basketball

Casey Coons Inducted Into Taylor University Hall of Fame

Published: October 16, 2019

CIRCLEVILLE, OH - Ohio Christian University Head Men's Basketball Coach Casey Coons was inducted into the Taylor University Athletics Hall of Fame this past Saturday, joining the Class of 2019 that also included Molly Currens, Tanya Crevier, Rick Atkinson, and Tyler Beachler. Coons was a member of the Trojan's basketball team as a player from 2009-2013 and later served as an assistant coach for the program.

CIRCLEVILLE, OH - Ohio Christian University Head Men's Basketball Coach Casey Coons was inducted into the Taylor University Athletics Hall of Fame this past Saturday, joining the Class of 2019 that

Brooke Lezotte Named RSC Offensive Player of the Week

Published: October 16, 2019

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Ohio Christian University senior Brooke Lezzotte had two goals in each game last week to earn River States Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 30-Oct. 6. The Waynesville, Ohio, native supplied all the offense in victories of 2-0 over Rio Grande (Ohio) and 2-1 over WVU Tech. She had both goals in each of the RSC victories to push the Trailblazers' record to 7-3 overall and 4-0 RSC. Lezzotte has 14 goals in 10 games to rank 10th in the NAIA for total goals. Ohio Christian takes its first-place RSC record into Thursday's home game versus

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Ohio Christian University senior Brooke Lezzotte had two goals in each game last week to earn River States Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 30-