KWU vs Bethany: A history of the Smoky Hill Rivalry

By Nicolas Fierro / Staff Writer

Kansas Wesleyan and Bethany have a rivalry known as the “Smoky Hill Rivalry.”

KWU’s football team defeated Bethany on September 2nd. The final score was 31-3. This now makes the all-time record for KWU football vs. Bethany 50 wins, 57 losses and six ties.

David Toelle, Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications was able to provide some of the records for other sports such as men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s basketball and men’s basketball for the Smoky Hill Showdown rivalry.

Here are the all-time records:

Men’s soccer, 28 wins, seven losses and two ties (winning 20 straight).

Women’s soccer, 26 wins, 16 losses and 1 tie (Have not lost since 2005) with 19 wins and one tie in the last 20 meetings.

Women’s basketball, 36 wins and 70 losses.

Men’s basketball, 96 wins and 128 losses.

Student GPA

Kansas Wesleyan University has a rich tradition of being successful. This not only includes success in sports but also scholarly.

KWU provides resources where students can achieve their best in the classroom.

“We want to make sure, student-athletes are focused on school, they are really here to get degrees. It is excellence in everything the students do, whether it be on the field, the classroom, community service.”

Study halls, student success coaches, faculty consolation, host family programs, team chaplains and Wi-Fi in vehicles for students to complete their work while traveling for an event.

Dr. Matt Thompson, President and CEO of KWU discusses the approach the school instills on student-athletes.

“We want to make sure, student-athletes are focused on school, they are really here to get degrees. It is excellence in everything the students do, whether it be on the field, the classroom, community service.”

Dr. Thompson noted the KWU Women’s Basketball team finished 16th in the nation for team GPA in the spring of 2023.

“It is about class attendance, graduation rates and GPA because if these things are going well, most likely the wins and losses are as well”, says Dr. Thompson.

Mindset from Dr. Thompson

“If all we focused on was wins and losses, we are wasting everyone’s money. Here at KWU, we use athletics as a tool for teaching life skills. We make our decisions about what serves students best,” says Dr. Thompson.

KWU has a standard of exceeding expectations. Part of that has been built by Dr. Thompson and the whole staff and faculty.

Dr. Thompson discusses KWU’s “power of AND”, which helps to shift mindsets in students.

“We are about an additive life for student-athletes that they are more than a competitor in their sport. Students can be involved in more things to be the best they can be.”

Success

KWU’s facilities have played a big role in its success over the past years. KWU has shown to have invested abundantly in all its facilities for students. These facilities help bring joy to the environment.

“We have made sure that every facility at KWU is the best quality for our students. This brings commitment and passion out of the students to perform at their highest level,” says Dr. Thompson.