NCAA names Fresno Pacific University Division II Award of Excellence finalist

Fresno Pacific University was one of 19 schools to be named a finalist for the 2018 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, an honor that recognizes campus and community engagement efforts over the past year, according to a release for the university. The announcement was made Jan. 9, by the national office.

FPU athletics is committed to giving back to both the surrounding community of Fresno and the local campus by providing its studentathletes with numerous opportunities to make an impact on and off the playing field. The Sunbirds volunteered 1,859 combined hours of community service and community engagement last season, which included FPU’S annual Sunbird Sports Day for more than 200 kids of the surrounding community. The annual event is put on by the Student-athlete Advisory Committee.

As a department, FPU has been honored for its community service contributions the last four seasons by the Pacwest conference with a pair of community engagement awards and two Make-a-wish honors.

Division II annually honors its members for leading events that exemplify any of the six Division II attributes: learning, balance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service. A committee of athletics administrators determined this year’s finalists, and the Division II Student-athlete Advisory Committee will select the winner, which will be announced during the Division II business session at the 2018 NCAA Convention on January 20 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Each finalist will receive $500. The winner will receive $1,500 and a nationally televised football or basketball game during the 201819 season. The first runner-up will receive $1,250, and the second runner-up will receive $1,000. All prize money is intended to be used for future community engagement activities.