For the fourth straight year, the Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics Department ranked in the top 20 nationally in community service as determined by Helper Helper, the official partner of NCAA Team Works. After finishing a department-best 9th out of 316 NCAA Division II athletic programs in 2021-22, the Bears finished in 14th place finish in community service. The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s swimming team finished first in community service hours among all Division II teams and the women’s swimming team was fourth nationally.

The Bears set a new school record with 9,332 total hours contributed among LR student-athletes at 63 different organizations. 10 teams had a perfect 100% participation among their roster.

In women’s sports, the volleyball team finished sixth among all DII volleyball teams in community service hours. Additionally, track and field and lacrosse were also sixth while swimming had more community service than any other DII swimming program in the nation. Tennis was ninth, softball was 10th and women’s soccer was second.

On the men’s side, football had the second-most community service hours of any DII football team in the nation, marking the second straight year they finished in the top two. Also coming in the top 10 in the nation among their respective sports were basketball (eighth), track (sixth), soccer (fourth), lacrosse (fifth), swimming (first) and tennis (eighth). As mentioned, the men’s swimming team led not just swimming, but all men’s athletic teams in Division II in hours served.

As a whole, Division II student-athletes volunteered over 428,000 hours and had an economic impact of $13.6M according to Helper Helper.

As a team, women’s swimming averaged 55 hours per student-athlete in terms of community service and the men’s swimming team averaged 54 hours. Football had the most total hours contributed at 1,279 hours and 19 total LR athletic programs averaged at least 10 community service hours per student-athlete. Individually, Caleb Wagoner of Men’s Soccer had the most hours with 196 over the course of the year.

The Bears were one of two South Atlantic Conference schools in the top 14 in Division II.