Washington University’s athletic program has a long and rich history that has established itself as a key player in the world of Division III athletics. In 1890, the University first started its men’s athletic program, functioning independently of any conference affiliation.
In 1946, the University enacted a policy that was, at the time, completely unheard of in the world of collegiate athletics. It was in that year that Chancellor Arthur Holly Compton adopted a policy whereby no athletes would receive financial assistance in the form of scholarships or grants based solely on athletic ability. Prior to World War II, male student-athletes received specialized financial assistance for their participation in intercollegiate athletics, similar to what many Division I athletes receive today. This would eventually become the basis of all schools which competed in Division III athletics under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
“We honor and cherish the history, traditions and achievements of Washington University athletics,” said current Athletic Director John Schael. “Former athletes and coaches alike were talented and displayed intelligence and vision. Champions on and off the field, they laid the foundation for others to follow in their footsteps.”
As for women, the earliest documented female varsity team played in 1909. The yearbook indicated that due to the lack of competitors on the collegiate level this team competed against various high school teams.
By 1950, women’s athletics had become such a vital part of campus life that 70 percent of the female students were members. However, for an unknown reason, the women’s intercollegiate athletic program was disbanded following the 1955 season and didn’t return for 20 years. In 1975, intercollegiate athletic programming was revived with the re-introduction of swimming, tennis and volleyball varsity teams for women. In 1977, track was added on the varsity level and basketball began in club form. By 1980, all coaches for women’s sports were employed full time by Washington University. Throughout its history, the women’s athletic program has offered the female student the opportunity to participate on different competitive levels ranging from club to intramural to varsity.
Since the mid-1970s, the Bears have competed as a member of the NCAA Division III. The University became a founding member of the University Athletic Association (UAA) in June 1986, when it joined seven other leading independent research universities (Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Chicago, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and University of Rochester) to compete in intercollegiate athletics at the varsity level for men and women. Brandeis University was accepted to the Association in the fall of 1987 and has been an active member since. Johns Hopkins left the UAA after the 2000-2001 school year.
“The student-athletes and coaches today, like their predecessors, are spirited, dedicated and determined to succeed,” said Schael. “Their needs are not that different from those of past generations. The success factors to achieve athletic excellence that have been part of our past history are remarkably the same for our current sports programs.”
The UAA and Division III>
Undoubtedly, the Division III level is quite different from that of major Division I universities. “In the fall of 2002 a research firm conducted focus groups to determine awareness of Washington’s successful athletics programs,” explained Schael. “One question asked, ‘How are Washington’s student-athletes perceived on campus?’ The response: ‘just like us, they take the same classes, have the same majors, are admitted on the same standards, receive the same financial packaging, graduate with their class, belong to the same organizations and share all aspects of campus life. Washington’s Division III athletics program is unique because there are no distinguishing differences between student-athletes and non-athletes.”
The eight current UAA schools compete in a single round-robin format for football (though only three member schools send teams to the gridiron), men’s and women’s soccer, and a double round-robin format in men’s and women’s basketball. For all other sports, the schools schedule league tournaments or championships at one of the eight UAA campuses, save for softball and baseball which hold unofficial league tournaments during spring break.
One of the most unusual aspects of the UAA is the geographic locations of the eight institutions. To reach the Bears’ farthest opponent, Brandeis University, the team must travel 1,141 miles from St. Louis to Waltham, Mass., and the closest opponent, the University of Chicago, is 289 miles away. With these distances, the UAA is the most geographically expansive athletic league in NCAA Division III.
“Association members exist within a cooperative atmosphere..The conference members are a cohesive group who work together within a spirit of cooperation, understanding and mutual respect..The tie that binds is the idea that the UAA exists for the benefit of student-athletes. We have not wavered on that belief,” explained Schael.
Year in and year out various teams of the UAA are nationally ranked and are competing for National Championships. As a highly competitive conference, every game against a rival UAA opponent is a crucial one for all University teams. Despite this, the Bears’ current fiercest foe is generally considered to be the Emory University Eagles. In recent years, the Atlanta school has competed with the Bears for the National Championship in a number of sports, including swimming and diving, volleyball, and tennis.
Bear SportsToday
Today, Washington University boasts one of the most successful programs in all of Division III athletics. Frequently contending for national championships in various sports, the University has displayed its prowess athletically in addition to its well-known academic success. The success of the athletic program continues to grow and many capital improvement projects have been taken up in recent years.
“We keep making progress with facility enhancements with the most recent being an artificial turf on Francis Field, press boxes for baseball and softball and on the horizon, new tennis courts,” said Schael.
Easily the team with the greatest success has been the women’s volleyball team. Along with a Division III-record eight national championships and 17 of 19 University Athletic Association titles (including 16 straight titles), the squad boasts an all-time record of 66-12 in NCAA Tournament play. The Bears’ 66 wins rank as the second most in D-III history behind Juniata College. Last season, the Lady Bears were the unanimous No. 1 ranked team in the nation for much of their fall campaign, posting a perfect 33-0 record heading into its final game of the regular season against UAA rival Emory. Despite holding an 11-0 record in conference play, the Bears lost to Emory in their final game of the season, dropping to the No. 3 ranking in the nation and losing the UAA title for the first time in seven years.
However, the women’s softball team is making a run at the volleyball team’s glory. In just seven seasons as a varsity program, the Washington University softball team has had a number of successes. Former head coach Cindy Zelinsky posted a 178-68 (.724) overall record, as the team made four NCAA Tournament appearances, and won three University Athletic Association (UAA) championships in her six years with the Bears.
The most notable highlight in the softball program’s short history was the team’s 2005 season when the squad posted a 47-3 final record. Heading into postseason play, the Bears were the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, but lost in the Midwest Regional final, slipping to No. 7 in the final national rankings. Last season, in her first season as head coach, Leticia Pineda-Boutt‚ led the Bears to a 37-7 regular season record (8-0 UAA) and a solid showing in the Midwest Regional tournament.
For the men of the football gridiron, the 1990s marked the best decade in team history (66-35) since the inception of the program in 1890. It saw the Bears post the second-highest winning percentage among four-year football playing schools in Missouri. Over that 10-year stretch, the Bears won 65 percent of its games, produced 14 All-Americans, won six University Athletic Association titles, and had eight players named UAA Player of the Year (three offense, four defense). Last season the Bears finished the season, following a tough schedule, with a 6-4 final record, while posting a 2-1 mark in UAA play.
The 2005 campaign was a season to remember for senior wide receiver Brad Duesing. The Cincinnati, Ohio product had a school-record 75 catches for 1,136 yards and 10 touchdowns. He became the second player in NCAA (Division I, II and III) history to record four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Each and every team boasts its own uniqueness and quality of play that one will not find at many other Division III institutions. The women’s soccer, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country and indoor track, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s swimming are of particular promise in the upcoming year. All have come off of winning and successful seasons, and should prove to impress the Wash. U. faithful in the next year.
“We have an atmosphere where great things can and do happen,” said Schael. “As in past years you will find your Bears to be talented and setting a goal to be the best they can be. With that being said, my crystal ball says that your Bears will be very competitive and will enjoy success during the 2006-07 sports year.”
Historical and statistical information gathered and compiled via bearsports.wustl.edu.