Kansas City, Mo.— Women Leaders in Sports (Women Leaders) announced its annual award recipients for 2023-24 Monday, recognizing Life University Director of Athletics Jayme Pendergast as the NAIA Executive of the Year. Pendergast will be recognized in person at the Women Leaders National Convention, October 13-15 in Baltimore.
Women Leaders is committed to recognizing the achievements and successes of women working in sports. Celebrating their accomplishments is an integral piece of advancing women in sports.
"We are thrilled to celebrate this group of outstanding women who are blazing trails in the sports industry," Women Leaders CEO Patti Phillips said. "During one of the most unprecedented years in women's amateur and professional sports as well as one of the more unsettling years in sports in general, these women have exhibited exceptional leadership in their departments and resolve on behalf of athletes. We can't wait to honor them in Baltimore."
Learn more about the Women Leaders' annual awards here. A special thanks to partners, Nike: the presenting sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement and Executive of the Year Awards, and BSN SPORTS: the title sponsor of the Rising Executive awards and the official award provider of Women Leaders in Sports.
Nominated by her peers,and selected by the Women Leaders Awards Committee for her service during 2023-24, Pendergast continues to shape and elevate Life University's presence in the NAIA and nationally.
On October 26, 2016, Life University President Dr. Rob Scott appointed Jayme Pendergast as the Director of Athletics. During her time, the athletic department has seen tremendous growth with the addition of 14 new varsity teams, growing the department to over 600 student-athletes, becoming the largest athletic program in metro Atlanta.
Under Jayme's leadership, Life University's athletic success has soared. Over the past two years alone, student-athletes earned 20 individual national championships, six team national championships, and 116 All-American honors. Eight different teams have earned a final NAIA national ranking inside the top 10, leading to Life U's highest ever finish (seventh) in the 2023 LEARFIELD Director's Cup. In addition to its NAIA success, Life University sits atop the USA Rugby collegiate side. In 2023 Life U captured the men's and women's Premier 7s Rugby National Championship.
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Continuing the success in 2024, the women's program captured its first D1 Elite Women's 15s National Championship. Academically, Life student-athletes have demonstrated their highest collective achievements under Jayme's leadership, continuously growing department GPA and earning an increased number of student-athlete and team academic recognition awards year over year.
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Outside of competition, her athletic department is challenged to find creative ways to create a meaningful student-athlete experience.
The More Than An Athlete (MTAA) program is about student-facing areas associated with physical, mental, and nutritional health and wellness as well as campus engagement.
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"The. Life U Fuel Station is a practical and educational resource used by over 60 percent of student-athletes. Life U provides valuable mental skills training free to its student-athletes through an outside partnership with
Head Games Consulting. In addition, the Athletic Care Department continues to be one of the most comprehensive athletic care departments in the NAIA, integrating free sport chiropractic care in close collaboration with its broad athletic training resources.
Pendergast has overseen facility improvements at Life U including the construction of the
Running Eagle Performance Center, which has a dedicated wrestling room, weight room, locker rooms, and office space. Jayme has also executed fundraising for
four new video boards, a
renovated study hall, and
Wall of Fame display.
Pednergast is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), NAIA Athletic Directors Association, and Women Leaders in Sports. She sits on the NAIA National Administrative Council (NAC), is the NAC liaison for women's wrestling, and is the ARC chair for NAIA women's volleyball. Pendergast is also on the Board of Directors for National Collegiate Rugby, the largest organization supporting collegiate rugby.
