KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Benedictine College Athletic Department has been named a 2025-26 Champions of Character Five-Star Award Institution.

Benedictine earned a perfect 100-point score to earn the Gold Medallion – the program's highest honor – for the third straight year.

"We are excited to once again earn the Gold Medallion," said Benedictine Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer. "The Champions of Character program aligns with the mission and values of Raven Athletics and Benedictine. Being a Champion of Character is part of what it means to be a Raven."

Benedictine is 1 of 121 NAIA institutions to score 100 points and 1 of 10 from the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

The Heart was also named a Five-Star Conference with 15 members earning recognition for the 2025-26 academic year. Heart newcomer St. Ambrose University was also named to the list.

A total of 203 NAIA member institutions were named Champions of Character Five-Star Award winners. To earn the recognition, institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earn points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. Institutions earned points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages and by having minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the course of the academic year.

To learn more about the program, visit https://www.naia.org/champions-of-character/.

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