KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Indiana University Kokomo has been recognized as an NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Award winner, earning the Silver Medallion the NAIA recently announced. The award highlights the Five Core Values of Champions of Character: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership. 

In order to earn this national honor, 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.

IU Kokomo Director of Athletics Heather Hayes had this to say in regards to the honor: "We are honored to be recognized as a Five-Star Award Winner for the NAIA Champions of Character. This achievement reflects the dedication of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff to upholding the core values of character and leadership in all we do."

The River States Conference was named a Five-Star Conference along with 20 other NAIA athletic conferences, as all 12 current RSC member schools earned a Five-Star Award.

To learn more about the NAIA and it's Champions of Character program, click HERE.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.