SWU Honors 2013 National Champions
Southern Wesleyan University honored their Fall 2013 National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) Champions in a brief ceremony before chapel services Feb. 3.
Zach Moore – men’s golf individual NCCAA Champion – along with the men’s soccer team – 2013 NCCAA Champions and men’s soccer head coach Camilo Rodriguez were honored. Rodriguez was named NCCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year after guiding the Warriors to the title in December.
Moore, junior from Orlando, Fla., became the school’s first individual National Champion after shooting 211 (-5) during the three-day event at The Hombre Golf Course in Panama City Beach, Fla. The junior was the daily leader after all three days, including shooting a 67 (-5) on day one. Moore won the tournament by two strokes over Sam Johnston from Oklahoma Christian University.
The men’s soccer team joined the 2006-07 women’s basketball team and the 2007 baseball team as the third team National Champion in school history. Led by Camilo Rodriguez, the Warriors won their final seven matches, culminating with a 1-0 win over Lee University in the championship game. Junior Joao Oliveira scored the lone goal in the win.
The Warriors set a school record with 16 wins, one more than the 2012 squad. After finishing the regular season at 9-5-2 the Warriors were knocked out of the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament in the first round. That’s when the seven game streak started, winning all three games in the NCCAA Regionals and both pool play matches by a margin of 2-1 at the national tournament. In the semifinals the Warriors defeated Spring Arbor by a familiar score, 2-1. SWU outscored their opponents 14-5 throughout those seven games.
Southern Wesleyan sponsors 15 intercollegiate varsity athletic programs and is currently in the first year of a three-year transition to join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).