TO THE SYCAMORE FAITHFUL:

Today is the first day of classes for the 2010-11 Academic Year.  The weather is beautiful and there is a sense of anticipation in the air.  Enrollment is up on campus.  New facilities are being built in many areas of campus.  Housing is full, classrooms are full, cafeterias are full and hopefully our stands will be full when the season rolls around. 

For the past two days we have been having new and returning student athlete orientation.  The students were engaged and full of energy and excitement.  They make me proud because they are wearing the blue and white proudly and are all very optimistic about what they intend to accomplish this season.

We had nearly 200 of our student athletes here over the summer spending time in classes, and diligently working with our strength and conditioning coaches.  This commitment and dedication will pay great dividends as we enter the new academic and athletics year. 

This fall, our programs are training hard and already competing well.  Football and soccer are enjoying the opportunity to play in the new and improved Memorial Stadium.  They have a new FieldTurf playing surface, new state-of-the-art locker rooms, equipment room, training room, VIP/media/meeting room, press box and other amenities.  There is a new 12’ by 18’ permanent video board being installed along with a new scoreboard that will benefit both soccer and football.  Both programs are much improved this year.

The volleyball program is also playing in a new and improved facility.  They will compete this year on a new SportCourt surface that will be a great upgrade to the facility.  Also, for the first time ever, we will have air conditioning in the Arena.  This will certainly benefit the volleyball program and training, but it will also benefit all sports and classes that use the facility.  Come and enjoy the cool surroundings and take in a quality collegiate volleyball match in the Arena this year. 

Men’s Cross Country is the defending Missouri Valley Conference Champions.  They are preseason ranked #1 in the conference for the 2010 season as well.  Both the men’s and women’s teams will look to have a terrific year this year.  Congratulations to Coach John McNichols for recently being named to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Committee.  This is a small select group of coaches and administrators that are selected by their peers to represent and make recommendations and decisions for cross country and track and field. 

Indiana State University will again host the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships.  Assistant Track and Field Coach, Geoff Wayton will serve as the event director for the National Championships and has brought the event to a whole new level.  He really has done a great job.  We will not host this event again until 2013.  If you get a chance, please come out to the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center and be a part of this spectacular event on November 22, 2010.

It has been a thrill to see our programs improve, our facilities improve, our grades and graduation rates improve, and the quality of our student athletes improve.  As you can see, many exciting things are happening in the Athletics Department.  We have a great staff of coaches and support team that care about and work hard to promote Sycamore Athletics every day.  I am blessed to work with great people.

I am grateful to President Dan Bradley, Vice President Diann McKee and Foundation President Gene Crume for their continued support as we all work hard to return Sycamore Athletics to a position of prominence in the Missouri Valley Conference and in the NCAA.  They have supported the program in many ways and have been visible in their support by their participation and attendance at events.  As members of the Sycamore family, when you see them at events and games, take a brief moment to thank them for their support of Sycamore Athletics.

Thank you all for your continued support.  We will continue to work hard to make all of us proud to wear the Blue and White.  We need your support in many ways as we move this ship forward.  I am confident that we will continue to see steady growth and development of our programs in the near and far future.

Have a great Fall season.  I will see you at the games.

GO SYCAMORES

Ron Prettyman

Athletics Director