Alex Chavez of Pharr, Texas, receives Missouri Baptist University's Champions of Character Award

ST. LOUIS, MO (10/05/2012)(readMedia)-- The Department of Athletics at Missouri Baptist University has announced that a pair of cross country athletes, Alex Chavez and Lydia Bradshaw, will take home the 2011-2012 Champions of Character awards.

The MBU Champions of Character Award honors the top male and female athlete of the previous year who best exemplified the five core NAIA Champions of Character initiatives: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.

The student athletes will be honored at MBU's 2012 Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in November.

Alex Chavez, a native of Pharr, Texas, is a member of both the cross country and track and field teams at MBU. He is a17-time high school All-American, and he earned NAIA All-American honors twice the past season in both indoor and outdoor track and field in the race walk.

Chavez has volunteered at Habitat for Humanity in addition to his volunteer coaching duties during MBU breaks for the South Texas Walking Club. Additionally, Chavez works as a volunteer instructor for adult and youth race walkers at the Race Walk Club of St. Louis.

Chavez is a sophomore at MBU and is pursuing a math degree with a minor in science.

MBU is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and has received the distinction of being an NAIA Champions of Character institution for the past 10 years. The Spartans compete in the American Midwest Conference.

Missouri Baptist University is a Christ-centered university located in Saint Louis. MBU offers more than 40 undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees in education, business and religion and its new terminal degree, the Doctor of Education. In addition to its 66-acre West St. Louis County campus, MBU offers degree programs at 10 regional learning centers throughout Saint Louis, in Southern Illinois and online. For more information, go to www.mobap.edu or call 1-877-434-1115.