WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College's athletic department is proud to announce it has earned Gold Star status as a Five-Star Institution in the NAIA's Champions of Character program for the 2024-25 academic year.

This prestigious designation — the highest tier in the NAIA's institutional scoring system — reflects excellence in five key areas: character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and promotion of character. Institutions are further evaluated on outstanding student-athlete GPAs and minimal ejections across all sports.

This year's Gold Star honor marks a commitment for excellence for the department, repeating as Gold Star recipients for the second straight year.

"We are deeply honored to receive the NAIA Gold Star within the Champions of Character program," said Grace College Director of Athletics Chad  Briscoe. "This distinction reflects our coaches and student-athletes living out our mission to pursue Christian excellence on and off the field." 

During the 2024-25 school year, the Lancers demonstrated strong character-based leadership paired with competitive success. The Lancers sent eight teams to NAIA national postseason competition during the year; several additional teams earned recognition in their respective NAIA Top 25 rankings.

Additionally, the Crossroads League earned recognition as a Five-Star Conference by the NAIA.