Warren County Awarded Two NCAA National Championships
12/11/2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bridget Kochersperger, Communications Manager | 513-204-7046 | bkochersperger@wccvb.org
Warren County Awarded Two NCAA National Championships
MASON, OH - December 11, 2013 - Warren County will host the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships in 2014 and the NCAA Division III Tennis National Championships in 2015, thanks to a successful bid by the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau's (WCCVB) Sports Marketing division.
"We are proud to have been chosen to host the NCAA for two national championships," said Phillip S. Smith, President & CEO for the WCCVB. "We look forward to leveraging our world-class facilities to make Mason a championship city, and to featuring Warren County on a national stage."
The NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships will be held during the fall season at the Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason, in partnership with the host school, Wilmington College. Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Ron Combs said he looks forward to the opportunity to host an NCAA Division III National Championship.
"I think Wilmington College and our partnership with the Warren County CVB can produce a high quality championship event that the athletes, fans, and people of the greater Cincinnati area will never forget," said Combs. "The facility at The Golf Center at Kings Island and the adjacent world class tennis center give us a chance to host the championship in a unique setting."
The NCAA Division III Tennis National Championships will be held during the spring season at the adjacent world-class Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, in partnership with the host schools, Ohio Northern University and Wilmington College.
"The partnership between WCCVB, Wilmington College and Ohio Northern University has been key in hosting the annual Ohio Athletic Conference Tennis Championships," said Scott Wills, Ohio Northern University's Women's Tennis Coach and Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Chair. "We look forward to continuing this partnership in providing for a great student/athlete experience for the 2015 championships."
Ben Huffman, Director of Sports Marketing for the WCCVB, said that the bids were successful because of the long-standing relationships with the partner schools.
"We have worked with Wilmington's Cross Country Program and Ohio Northern's Tennis program to host events in the past and look forward to partnering with them again, on two very successful national championship events," said Huffman.
Bidding for 82 of 89 NCAA championships began in July and 1,984 bid applications were ultimately submitted. Each sport committee, per division, selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the respective student-athletes.
"When you look at the list of cities and venues that will host our championships, there is no doubt the experiences across divisions and sports will likely be the best in NCAA history," said Mark Lewis, NCAA Executive Vice President of Championships and Alliances. "The process was extremely thorough and allowed the sport committees to have some tremendous options, which will ultimately provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans the best experience possible."
To schedule an interview with representatives for the WCCVB, Wilmington College or Ohio Northern University, contact Bridget Kochersperger at 513-204-7046.
To view the site selection videos, visit www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/
Warren County Sports is a department of the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The department bids on and facilitates national championships and regional sporting events, with the primary goal of attracting out-of-town competitors. Since its inception in 2004, Warren County Sports has grown to become an extremely successful driver of room nights and economic impact to the local community. In 2012, Warren County Sports generated 53,000 room nights and an estimated economic impact of more than $38 million.
About the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau:
Warren County is Ohio's Largest Playground! With easy access from Interstates 71 and 75, visitors to Warren County can enjoy more activities within a 30-mile radius than anywhere else in Ohio.
The Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau is a professional destination marketing organization committed to economic growth by increasing overnight and year-round visitors.
Tourism is the leading industry in Warren County. The 7.8 million yearly visitors drive an economic impact of $993 million and 10,657 tourism-related jobs.