After winning the indoor championship (pictured here) in February, the No. 1 Bears dominated the UAA’s outdoor competition this weekend. (Courtesy of WashU Athletics)

As the spring semester comes to a close, the seasons of Washington University’s spring sports teams are also on their final legs. Over the weekend, six teams — men’s and women’s track and field, softball, baseball, and men’s and women’s tennis — went head-to-head against some of the best teams in Division III with a shot at winning championships in the highly competitive University Athletic Association (UAA). Women’s track and field took home their seventh-straight conference crown, while the other teams all finished in the top four of the conference, with many setting themselves up well for the NCAA championships in the coming weeks. 

Women’s Track and Field

No. 1 women’s track and field won the UAA championship for the seventh-straight time. The Bears finished with 249.5 points, pulling away from second and third place University of Chicago (203.5) and Emory University (124), respectively. The Bears won eight events, including the 800m, where senior Emma Kelley, graduate student Danielle Schultz, junior Izzy Gorton, and first-year Caroline Echols took the top-four spots. Kelley set UAA records in the 400m and 800m races, and senior Ebun Opata set a conference record in the triple jump. WashU, who boasts the top-ranked squad in the country and finished second at indoor nationals, will have three more meets to prepare for the NCAA competition on May 23, where they will look to take home their first outdoor championship since 2017.

Men’s Track and Field

Men’s track and field finished fourth at UAAs with 127 points, almost 100 points shy of champion Carnegie Mellon University (218). The 4x800m relay team of graduate student Jackson Cox, senior Will Dehmler, first-year William Frohling, and senior Will Houser set a UAA record with their first-place finish. Houser also won the 1500m, while junior Matthew Hornung took the top spot in the 10k. Just like the women’s team, the men have three more meets to prepare for nationals.

Softball

Softball finished their conference season with a series victory over Emory, defeating the Eagles in three out of four home matchups. Despite the strong showing, the Bears’ 15-5 UAA record left them one game behind No. 10 Case Western Reserve University, who won the conference for the third year in a row with a 16-4 conference mark. The Bears, who are ranked right outside the national Top 25, will conclude their regular season with a doubleheader on May 9 at UChicago, who does not compete in the UAA for softball.

Baseball

Baseball wrapped up their regular season by losing three out of four games in a series against No. 15 Case Western Reserve University, who pulled away from WashU to clinch the UAA championship over the weekend. The Bears lost 14-3 on Friday, before splitting a doubleheader Saturday. In the final game of the series Sunday, the Bears took an 11-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning, but gave up a crushing eight-run rally to lose on a walk-off single. After ending the regular season with a 24-15-1 record, the Bears’ chances of earning a spot in the NCAA tournament are up in the air.

Women’s Tennis

No. 7 women’s tennis finished 3rd at the UAA championships in Florida. The Bears beat No. 30 Brandeis University 5-1 in the first round before losing to No. 5 Emory 5-3 in the semis. On Sunday morning, the Bears bounced back to beat No. 13 Case Western and secure a third-place finish, their best final conference ranking since 2016. The Bears hope to earn an at-large bid to compete at nationals, which start on May 10.

Men’s Tennis

No. 12 WashU men’s tennis also competed at the UAA tournament in Florida over the weekend. After cruising past No. 27 Carnegie Mellon 5-1 in the quarterfinals, their tournament run came to a halt with a 5-2 loss to No. 2 UChicago. The Bears fell to No. 4 Emory 5-3 to finish fourth in the conference. The Bears, who sit at 12-11 on the season after some tough losses to elite national competition over the past few weeks, will also need an at-large selection to make the NCAA tournament.