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Belleville: The New Lindenwood
Lindenwood University – Belleville to Follow in Footsteps of Lindenwood University Lacrosse Program
Belleville, Ill. – As Lindenwood University has found much success as a member of the MCLA, Lindenwood’s newest campus in Belleville, Ill., will attempt to find the same success.
In January of 2010, Lindenwood – Belleville announced the addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse to its roster of sports. With the announcement, the University took steps to create a program that could compete at a high level from the start. “Lindenwood’s St. Charles campus has done an outstanding job in building all of its athletics programs, and lacrosse is one of the many success stories,” said Scott Spinner, LU – Belleville Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “We hope to use their success as a model to build a solid foundation at our campus.”
Lindenwood – Belleville opened its doors in 2003 and built enrollment as an extension location of Lindenwood University in St. Charles. By the fall of 2009, LU – Belleville had developed well beyond simply offering night classes for adults and had begun to offer day classes and its own roster of degree programs. In that same year, men’s soccer took the field as the first team in school history to compete.
In 2010, the University continued its rapid growth as it competed in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). In that year, 11 new sports began competition with seven teams making trips to national championship tournaments.
2011 marks another year of growth as men’s and women’s lacrosse joins men’s and women’s bowling, wrestling, baseball, softball, and field hockey as the new sports to begin competition.
Dan Mertzlufft, new men’s lacrosse coach, is not new to the MCLA or to Lindenwood. Mertzlufft was a four-year starter for the Lions that won four-consecutive GRLC Conference Championships, and earned All-Conference recognition in his final two seasons as a Lion. Now, as the head coach of the upstart LU – Belleville program (nicknamed Lynx), he plans to recruit and compete at a very high level. “Though we are just starting out, I have high expectations of the team and myself,” said Mertzlufft.
The Lynx will play most of it games on the road this season. Next season, the team plans to relocate to a newly remodeled stadium, complete with brand new artificial field turf, located next to the soccer field. The University is set to begin a multi-million dollar renovation of the stadium facility, which will serve as the home for lacrosse, football, and field hockey.
Contact: Beth Miller
Title: Sports Information Director
Phone: (618) 239-6103
E-Mail: emiller@lindenwood.edu
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