MOC receives Game Environment Award

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on December 1, 2012 11:56 PM

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MOC Sports Information

MOUNT OLIVE -- For the second year in a row, Mount Olive College is among the winners of the annual NCAA Division II Game Environment Award, which recognizes schools for outstanding game-day activities and promotions.

One of 11 NCAA Division II game environment winners, Mount Olive was recognized for its "Blackout" event -- a men's and women's basketball doubleheader against bitter archrival Barton College on Feb. 14. The contests also served as fund-raisers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The MOC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) sold black "Battle of the East" T-shirts, while the Barton SAAC sold blue T-shirts. The shirts cost $10 each and all proceeds were donated to Make-A-Wish.

Game-day activities included a TV drawing, dizzy-bat race with the school mascot, a layup race and a shooting contest.

MOC received a $500 award.

"We are very pleased to have been recognized by the NCAA with a game environment award two years in a row," said Mount Olive College athletics director Jeff Eisen. "Mount Olive College is committed to the NCAA Division II philosophy of providing safe, fun and entertaining sport events and experiences.

"This coordinated effort between the SAAC of each school helped build a closer relationship of those groups, while heightening the rivalry between the two schools (to see who would sell more shirts) and generating additional funds for Make-a-Wish," said Eisen.

Central Missouri won the overall award.

In all, Mount Olive has won three NCAA awards in the last two years. The Trojans received an NCAA Community Engagement Award in 2011 for its inaugural "Meet the Coaches" barbecue.