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ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION Scott Woodard, Athletic Director Western New Mexico (WNMU) Director of Athletics Scott Woodard has spent more than half his life at the University as a student, athlete, coach, and administrator. He also has held nearly every job in the department, including sports information, game management, compliance, eligibility, and bus driver, prior to his appointment as the leader in 1996. Top that off with stints as a head baseball coach, assistant football WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. coach, and head softball coach makes Woodard the most qualified individual to lead the Mustang Department of Athletics. Woodard received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from WNMU while playing baseball for the Mustangs. He was part of the first baseball team to win a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship and was twice named First Team All-Conference as a shortstop. While working on his Master of Arts in School Administration, also from WNMU, he was an assistant coach for the program. Woodard helped lead the team to national recognition, a No. 3 ranking, and was one game shy of going to the NAIA World Series. Woodard took a short five-year hiatus from WNMU to teach and coach at Tularosa and Deming High Schools in New Mexico. He then came back to Silver City in 1992 to take over as the head coach for the baseball program, but his tenure was cut short as the program was dropped after the 1993 season. Woodard stayed on as an Assistant Athletic Director to WNMU coaching legend Dick Drangmeister, who eventually retired and turned the department over to Woodard. During his 15 years as Director of Athletics, Woodard has been involved in numerous athletic facility improvements, including building the softball field and renovations to the basketball facility. He also was instrumental in overseeing the building of Altamirano Football Stadium and the Fox Complex, which houses locker rooms, a weight room, and a fitness center. Woodard also supervised the addition of three tennis courts, which allows the women‘s and men‘s tennis teams to host home contests. Scott Park Golf Course also received a practice facility that included a new driving range, chipping and putting area, coach‘s facility, and restrooms to the course. Although Woodard‘s philosophy of athletic success does not rely solely on wins and losses, he has seen many successes on the field, court, and course since he took over. NCAA Division II National Championship appearances by the softball, women‘s and men‘s golf, and the men‘s tennis teams have highlighted his most successful seasons in the Department of Athletics. Volleyball has also been to regional postseason play a number of times since joining NCAA Division II in 1996. Victoria Stimac, Senior Woman Administrator/Assistant Athletic Director of Media Relations Victoria Stimac headed south to take the reins of the newly created Assistant Athletic Director of Media Relations in the spring of 2007. Stimac handles the duties of sports information director as well as senior woman administrator. Prior to Western New Mexico, Stimac served as assistant athletic director, senior woman administrator (SWA), sports information director, and head women‘s volleyball coach at Finalandia University in Hancock, Michigan. Over her four years at Finlandia University, she monitored and recorded all budget activity of 13 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic programs. She also supervised, maintained, and educated all aspects of institutional and NCAA regulations to coaches, staff, administration, student-athletes, and the Finlandia University community. Stimac was the third head volleyball coach In Finlandia volleyball history. She helped lead the Lions to the University‘s first post season opportunity in 2005. The team qualified for the NCAA Division III Independent Tournament held in Troy, New York and advanced to the championship match before falling to Russell Sage College in four games. As the SWA at Finlandia University and now at Western New Mexico University, Stimac has demonstrated the ability to direct the daily operations of a department while managing staff, coaches, and programs. She also has worked to bridge the gap between the Department of Athletics and the community at both universities. At WNMU, she has worked alongside a public relations firm and the university‘s Public Information Office to present the overall message of Western New Mexico University and have been involved with the university‘s strategic planning and institutional advancement committees. Stimac, originally from Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, played volleyball at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was a three-year volleyball starter as a middle hitter and co-captain her final season. She majored in business in marketing. Stimac‘s previous work experience includes coaching volleyball to youth ages 13 to 17 at South Shore Volleyball Club, marketing at Ottawa University, teaching English as a second language in Japan, and admissions at her alma mater. Stimac is actively involved in the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) and the Collegiate Sports Information Directors Association (CoSida). Page 1 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION Kent Beatty, Assistant Athletic Director In 2008, head golf coach Kent Beatty was promoted to assistant athletic director. Beatty oversees all game day planning and management. He will also work directly with the maintenance department and athletic training staff. Success has followed Kent Beatty during his coaching career. Named head coach in 1997, Beatty has learned many of the tricks it takes to lead a successful program, and it shows. Both his men‘s and women‘s teams are regular participants in the post season, an accomplishment which has been instrumental in giving WNMU‘s other athletic programs the confidence to succeed. The fact that Beatty‘s position at WNMU is full-time is an indicator that WNMU is committed to its golf program. The majority of small-school college golf coaches are employed elsewhere or are instructors at their respective universities, and WNMU‘s commitment to golf and it‘s athletes has paid great dividends over the past few years. In addition to 21 NCAA post season tournament appearances and six conference championships in his 11 years at the school, Coach Beatty has mentored five all-Americans, seven academic all-Americans and five PGA golf professionals. He, himself, was also named RMAC Women's Golf Coach of the Century in May 2009. Beatty‘s teams at WNMU have continued to improve with each passing season. The quality recruits who commit to WNMU and Beatty‘s no-nonsense approach to athletics and academics seems to be a popular one for newcomers — stressing that great golf, solid classroom performance, and learning people skills will increase his players chances of success — is the cornerstone of the Beatty philosophy. A Class A member of the PGA of America, Coach Beatty started one of New Mexico‘s golf dynasties at Ruidoso High School, a team that has captured five state championship trophies in recent years and continues to churn out top players that are also excellent students. Beatty also serves on the NGCA All-American Committee and was the NMAA High School Golf Committee‘s chairman for seven years. Dr. Claudia Leonard, Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Leonard joined Mustang Athletics in 2007. An associate professor in the Department of Allied Health, Leonard first came to WNMU in 1997 and then took a break for two and a half years from WNMU before returning again in the fall of 2005. She currently serves as program director for the Master of Occupational Therapy program. Dr. Leonard received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University in 1983. She then went on to earn her master‘s degree in business from WNMU in 2001. In 2007, she completed her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at the University of St. Augustine. Dr. Roland Shook, Compliance Coordinator Dr. Roland Shook held the Faculty Athletic Representative post starting in 1993 and was an integral part of the Athletic Department as well as the university‘s academic department. Now in his retirement, Dr. Shook took on the responsibility of the being the Mustangs‘ compliance coordinator in 2007. His responsibilities as the compliance coordinator include scrutinizing each athlete‘s transcript, signing off on their eligibility status, and acting as arbitrator and investigator when student-athlete, coaching, or other athletic-related issues arise. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL Page 2 ATHLETIC STAFF Amanda Bjork, Media Relations Assistant Raised in Kennewick, Washington, Amanda Bjork is a graduate of Southridge High School where she competed on the varsity golf and volleyball teams all four years. She continued her education and golf career at Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco, Washington. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. WNMU GOLF ONE TEAM. ONE GOAL. While competing for CBC, Bjork‘s team won the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Championship in 2008. Bjork placed third as an individual and was placed on the all-region team both years. After graduating with her associate‘s degree in math and science, Bjork transferred to Western New Mexico to finish her golf career. While attending WNMU, she received her bachelor‘s degree in kinesiology with a minor in coaching. She is now pursuing her master‘s in elementary education. Terra Strain, Women‘s Athletic Trainer Terra Strain returned to Silver City and WNMU in 2007 after seven years away. For her first three years back, she assisted the volleyball team and was a full-time athletic trainer. Starting in 2010, Strain will be in the athletic training room the entire time where she will continue to work with the Western New Mexico women's programs.

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