Indiana Wesleyan University is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), an athletic organization of mostly private Christian schools. These schools tend to be a lot smaller than most of the schools that are in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As a result, the NAIA can tend to go completely unnoticed in the athletic world. However, Indiana Wesleyan University’s athletic programs have achieved an incredible amount of success over the years, causing many athletes to really consider Indiana Wesleyan when making a college decision.
Baseball
Senior catcher, Jackson Mott, and assistant coach for IWU baseball, Dalton Miller, said shared their views on how they ended up at IWU for that very reason.
“What really stood out to me was the success of the program and the facilities they have,” Mott said.
Miller echoed a similar sentiment.
“I originally came to Indiana Wesleyan for their prestigious baseball program and science department. Prior to my time at Indiana Wesleyan, I actually was not a Christian. I envisioned myself being here for a year or two and then transferring to a bigger school,” Miller said.
Mott said he stayed at IWU because of the camaraderie he experienced on the team during his time.
“As far as relationships go, it’s just building and seeing them grow while going through life together. Whether that be morning lifts, long bus rides, winning by 10 or losing by 10, your Indiana Wesleyan family is what gets you through,” Mott said.
Miller offered a more spiritual perspective.
“God’s calling on my life brought me here to stay here and serve in lockstep with some wonderful people. After graduating, I received the role of athletic chaplain, and while I have really loved the work, I have really loved the people…I belong in a ministerial context and God has invited all of us to participate in His great commissioning. I love my job, I love our community, but the people of Indiana Wesleyan have kept me here,” Miller said.
Another aspect of Indiana Wesleyan that both Miller and Mott made very apparent was how faith has impacted not just the baseball program but all of athletics.
“The shift has come from a few guys simply stepping up to lead the way Christ leads. Focusing on not placing our identity in our sport, but in our Savior. That shift has changed so much of our culture, helping us to be more selfless and focused on our common goal of both showing the love of Christ and winning a whole lot of games,” Mott said.
Miller recalled how he sees “discipleship culture” across all sports at IWU. He said when he played here, not many athletes were committed to their faith. However, through his role as athletic chaplain, he said he has been able to shift the culture to being more focused on helping athletes to grow in their faith.
“We now have a structure that co-organizes spiritual leaders on teams to gather together, encourage one another, strategize and pray into ministry opportunities on their team. The organizing and gathering has added a new momentum that has raised up disciples who make disciples in athletics,” Miller said.
Joshua Burks, a junior women’s basketball student manager, said the faith demonstrated by athletes is notable.
“I think it has had a huge impact on the community here, especially people seeing that our athletes follow Christ and aren’t afraid to do it while being good at their sport. If they can do it while thriving, why can’t regular students?” Burks said.
Men’s Basketball
The Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball program has also built a reputation not only for success on the court but also fostering a deeply rooted culture in faith.
Caleb Muthiah, a former IWU men’s basketball manager and current assistant coach, has dreamed about joining the staff since his undergraduate years to help the team with his experience.
“I knew I wanted to coach when I was in my undergrad, so I was applying for a bunch of jobs in the spring of my senior year and that summer. Toward the end of the summer, nothing had panned out or I hadn’t felt right about an opportunity, and one of our old assistants left, leaving a spot open for me on staff. Coach Tonagel called and I was happy to take it,” Muthiah said.
Over the years, Muthiah said he has witnessed changes on both sides, as both a manager and a coach.
“I think the biggest changes have come from the world’s culture transforming as well. It means the battles we are fighting are different as a program. There’s a lot more self-criticism, the pressures of social media, and just what other people think of you. I think that’s always been there, but it’s really become a focus of ours in recent years” Muthiah said.
Credits: IWU Athletics
As a coach, Muthiah said his focus is on preparing athletes to handle the temptation they encounter. Muthiah said that the team has a lot of talent, but the results he is aiming for come down to playing with effort and competitiveness, carrying all the energy they have into the season.
Brayton Cain, the graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team, came to IWU for a meaningful reason.
“I reached out to IWU because of the success they have had in the basketball program for years. I was drawn to that. When I got here to interview, I saw how intentional they are with their faith. Faith and success in basketball was a big factor,” Cain said.
Both coaches said they are optimistic about the upcoming season. While Muthiah emphasizes the importance of effort, Cain is clear about the team’s ambition.
“I think we should have a chance to compete for the conference title, the goal is to win and that is the expectation that is here,” Cain said.
With experience, faith and mutual commitment, the Wildcats look prepared to keep their tradition of excellence on and off the court.
Tennis
The Indiana Wesleyan tennis teams have also been successful on both the men’s and women’s side. Head coach James Gleghorn played for the program and came back as a coach after a 25-year hiatus.
“I had no intention of coming back into collegiate coaching but when I got a call from my coach (Terry Porter), I told him I would talk to the athletic director about the position. IWU is a very special place, and it was the only place I would consider returning to coaching. This place meant so much to my wife and I and changed our lives. After talking to the athletic director and Coach Porter, we decided that it was time to come back and pour into the next generation of student athletes,” Gleghorn said.
Gleghorn is not done for the fall yet.
“Our fall season just finished with one of our men winning the regional, and he is headed down to Rome, Georgia, in a few weeks for ITA Nationals. On the women’s side, we were regional finalists in the doubles, semifinalist in singles and are hoping to get wild cards for the nationals,” Gleghorn said.
Credits: IWU Athletics
Gleghorn hopes to win the conference title on both sides in the spring.
“Off the court, we will continue to work hard to get better athletically and educationally and most importantly, we want to grow in our faith and closer to God every day,” Gleghorn said.
The Indiana Wesleyan University tennis program has come up as a powerhouse in collegiate athletics, with both the men’s and women’s teams earning national recognition in recent years. At the heart of this success is Gleghorn, a former IWU player whose journey has taken him from the courts of Marion, Indiana to nonprofit work around the globe, and back again. Now leading the program with a renewed sense of purpose, Gleghorn said he is committed to developing student-athletes both on and off the court, with a focus on excellence, education, and faith.
