Cashell named AD of the Year

By The Standard Staff - 06/05/2008

PORTLAND, Ore. — Rob Cashell, athletic director at Eastern Oregon University, has been voted the 2007-08 Cascade Collegiate Conference Athletic Director of the Year.

Cashell helped to oversee a banner year for Mountaineer athletics at EOU, both on and off the field. The university was recently awarded the 2007-08 All-Sports Trophy, which is given annually to the most successful athletic program in the 11-member conference.

Cashell graduated from Butte High in 1984 and was a member of the Bulldogs’ last state champion basketball team.

“EOU has much to be proud of,” said Mike Daugherty, EOU’s dean of students. “Rob has helped develop a legacy of achievement for our athletes on the field of competition, in the classroom and in the community. He is deserving of this award and honor in every way.” The Mountaineers recorded top-three finishes in six of eight sports, including winning outright CCC regular season titles in men’s and women’s cross country and men’s basketball, and sharing the regular season league title in women’s basketball. EOU also finished second in men’s track and third in women’s track.

Eight of EOU’s 10 teams advanced to NAIA postseason play, including men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and men’s and women’s basketball.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams reached the Sweet Sixteen of their respective national tournaments, with the men’s basketball team making its first NAIA tournament appearance.

Individually, five of EOU’s student-athletes attained NAIA All-America status and 50 earned all-conference recognition. Academically, EOU’s overall GPA for student-athletes was 3.01 through winter term, with 91 student-athletes earning dean’s list recognition, 15 attaining NAIA Academic All-America status, and 20 receiving Academic All-Conference honors throughout the year.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Cascade Collegiate Conference and my peers,” Cashell said in a press release issued by the conference on Monday. “I have a wonderful group of dedicated professionals and outstanding student-athletes at EOU that I am blessed to work with, and I share this with them.” Cashell has also played an instrumental role in the recent athletic facility development on the EOU campus, including the completion of renovations and upgrades to Quinn Coliseum, the replacement of the track and field throws facilities, and the renovation and naming of a softball field.

“Rob reflects every one of the NAIA’s champions of character traits-respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship,” said Dixie Lund, EOU president. “Eastern Oregon University is fortunate to have him as our athletic director, and I am personally proud to be his colleague.” Before taking over at Eastern Oregon, Cashell was the athletic director at the University of Montana Western in Dillon.

— Eastern Oregon’s Web site and the Standard staff contributed to this report.