Brenna Irwin, a Campbellsville (Ky.) University sophomore from Louisville, has been honored as the NAIA Champions of Character award winner for women's swimming at a Wednesday evening banquet held prior to the opening of the swim nationals in St. Peters, Mo.

Irwin, according to her coach, Lindsay Hines: "Brenna is a great example of an athlete that gives 110 percent not only in a race, but also at practice ... and does it without ever complaining."

"This is something that I place a great deal of importance on," said Hines. "Competitors, teammates and even coaches will soon forget the specific times that were swam by a certain athlete, but their work ethic, attitude and sportsmanship will long be remembered."

"It is an honor to be recognized by the NAIA as a Champions of Character," said Campbellsville University Athletics Director Rusty Hollingsworth. "We have a dedicated coaching staff that works very hard to create an environment for student success and instill character traits in our student-athletes. This honor shows the commitment both our coaches and student-athletes have toward embracing the core values of the Champions of Character platform."

The mission of the Champions of Character program is to restore character values and raise a generation of students who understand and demonstrate in everyday decisions five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. The NAIA and member institutions use the Champions of Character program to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide student-athletes, coaches and parents the training to help them know and do the right things, inside and outside the sports setting.

"Intercollegiate athletics provides and opportunity to learn many great lessons and we can create opportunities to teach the true meaning of character then our educational mission has been deeply enriched," Hollingsworth added.