Tabor College senior graphic design major and soccer player Dallas Pruitt crafted the winning entry in the contest the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference sponsored to develop a new logo.

Pruitt, of McPherson, submitted the winning entry this past spring, according to KCAC Commissioner Scott Crawford.

"Dallas's logo is highly symbolic of the mission the KCAC serves within our state, the Midwest and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics," Crawford said. "Our defining purpose is to provide the opportunity to blend, at a minimum, a high quality intercollegiate athletic experience and a great academic experience for the young men and women who choose to attend one of the 10 liberal arts colleges within this conference."

The new logo will replace one that had been in use for decades. It will appear on all official KCAC documents as well as the conference's new Web site, which is tentatively slated to launch Aug. 1.

Pruitt said the 10 stars in the new logo represent the 10 member schools. He wrote that the torch has two significant meanings: it is both the flame of knowledge representing academics and the universal torch that has represented athletics since the beginning of competition.

"I wanted my design to include representations for academic, athletic, and spiritual aspects of the ten member institutions," Pruitt said. He said the overall light is a spiritual light.

Crawford said students from seven KCAC schools contributed a total of 41 total entries to the contest.

-Hillsboro Free Press