With the world turned upside down over the past 16 months, many Beacons stepped up to make sure the athletic world of the Beacons would not throw away their shot at a season.
After the cancellation of spring sports last year, Beacon athletics went into the 2020-2021 year not knowing when or if they would have a season at all. There was no fall camp ahead of school, and even when practices began in September, no one knew exactly what would happen.
 
The fall sports were eventually moved to spring, and the start of the basketball season was pushed back. By late fall, some outdoor events were able to take place without a crowd and on November 6, Bushnell became the first host of an athletic contest in Lane County since the pandemic began when they hosted the Bushnell Open cross country race in Cottage Grove. Three days later, the golf season opened with the Bushnell Fall Invitational in Creswell.
 
Eventually, plans were put into place and weekly testing protocols were established which allowed most sports to commence in the early spring. The new responsibilities for those efforts fell to Bushnell's fearless Athletic Training staff, led by Guillermo Torres-Sanchez and Bri Dixon. They managed daily COVID screenings, weekly testing protocols, and a myriad of other things along with their already demanding jobs that were now seeing every Bushnell team "In Season" at the same time. Their tireless efforts helped to provide a safe environment for Beacon student-athletes to continue to participate in the sports they love.
 
Head women's basketball coach Chad Meadors commented, "If you want to see teamwork in action, Gui and Bri would be Exhibit A. I am so impressed by how they function and communicate as a team and in the most difficult year possible, they simple crushed it. They handled the details of COVID protocols while maintaining the health, safety, recovery, and mental health of our student-athletes. I have true appreciation and admiration for the service and work they do and provide to our people here at Bushnell University."
 
With fall sports playing, and spring sports underway on schedule, the only teams left out in the cold at that point were men's and women's basketball. With schools in surrounding states able to play, Oregon Non-Division I college basketball was still under restrictions from the Oregon Health Authority that prevented participation in any contact, practice or games.
 
This did not sit right with the Beacons and a few women's basketball players took it upon themselves to get vocal and rally support for a grassroots effort to connect with the OHA and the Governor's office to see if changes could be made. These well documented efforts eventually played at least a small role in the states' decision to open things up and the spring basketball season as able to take place.
 
Through it all, the leadership of 15-year veteran athletic director Corey Anderson stood out as he tackled every imaginable problem with grace, and a steady calm that was meaningful to the Bushnell community and the Cascade Conference as a whole.
 
Already an incredible leader, Anderson provides oversight for aspects of the Bushnell athletic department including coaching, sports information, athletic fundraising, athletic training, eligibility, recruitment, budget development and maintenance, and strategic planning. 
 
This year he was additionally responsible to lead efforts to add two new sports, making the necessary coaching hires, work on field lease agreements and oversee the athletic implementation of a new university name and brand that included new uniforms, new designs for the Beacon bus and Morse Event Center gym.
 
And in the midst of the pandemic, he led the department as they navigated COVID restrictions, insuring that all state and local guidelines were being followed, and worked with students and staff to advocate for solutions that would allow them to play safely.
 
Michael Fuller, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development at Bushnell said, "This was obviously a year like we've never experienced and I am so thankful for the leadership of Corey.  Our student-athletes, our coaches, and our athletic staff felt taken care of in so many different ways. While many organizations spent this past year trying to survive, Corey continued to do what he could to push us forward as a University.  With the addition of Baseball and Beach Volleyball, facility enhancements, and new lease agreements; our athletic department is truly in an even better place post-COVID."


Top Ten Stories of 2020-2021
#10 - Academics Remain Strong Through Adversity
#9 - Tea Chatelain Qualifies for NAIA Championship
#8 - Track Qualifies Two for NAIA, Has Four All-CCC Finishes
#7 - Beacons Launch Two Sports for 2021-2022
#6 - Leadership in the Pandemic
#5 - Fortnite Takes Fifth Place in NACE Championship
#4 - Volleyball Qualifies for First NAIA National Tournament
#3 - Men's Golf Wins First CCC Championship
#2 - Women's Basketball Repeats as CCC Champs
#1 - Character Focus Never Falters