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Raider Booster Club sets fund-raising mark ASHLAND - Another successful school year by Southern Oregon University's athletic teams has been capped by a record-breaking fund-raising campaign. The Raider Club, the University's sports booster organization, completed its annual scholarship fund drive this week with more than $80,000 in pledges, a 60-percent increase from last year and better than the old record of $70,100 established in 1997. Funds are dispersed proportionately to SOU's 12 sports teams to assist athletes in academics. The 2000-01 Raider sports teams posted a 112-81 record, and the .580 success rate represents the school's fifth consecutive winning year and the fifth-best overall campaign since 1980, when the NAIA began sanctioning women's championship events. Southern Oregon also captured its fourth national wrestling championship as well as conference titles in three sports. Individually, 16 Raiders were named All-American, two won national titles (wrestlers John Sills and Jeremy Wynia) and two were Academic All-Americans (basketball players Melissa Core and Alison Richards). Southern set records for numbers of conference champions in both track and field (10 men, 10 women) and wrestling (eight). In addition, 33 of the school's 34 athletes who completed their senior seasons graduated or intend to complete a degree next year. The Raider Club, which also organizes a golf tournament - Aug. 10 at Eagle Point - and an auction for additional scholarship aid, has generated more than $2 million over the past 20 years. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.