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Western Carolina Catamounts

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Western Carolina Catamounts
Logo
UniversityWestern Carolina University
ConferenceSouthern Conference
DivisionDivision I (FCS)
Athletic directorChip Smith
LocationCullowhee, North Carolina
Varsity teams14
Football stadium E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field
Arena Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center
Baseball stadium Ronnie G. Childress Field at Hennon Stadium
Soccer fieldCatamount Athletic Complex
MascotPaws
NicknameCatamounts & Lady Catamounts
Fight songFight on! You Catamounts
ColorsPurple and Gold
   
Websitecatamountsports.cstv.com

The Western Carolina Catamounts and Lady Catamounts are the athletic teams of Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Southern Conference. Western fields fourteen varsity sports teams. The Catamount football team competes in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as I-AA.

Academic Excellence

Exemplifying a commitment to academic excellence,[1] WCU student-athletes have posted a 3.00 cumulative GPA twice since 2000. During the 2004-05 year, 112 WCU student athletes qualified for the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll, which honors student-athletes who have participated in at least one sport and have earned a 3.0 or better grade point average during the past academic year. In academic school year 2006-07, between the three seasons in which academic accolades are handed out by the Southern Conference office – fall, winter and spring – Western Carolina boasted a league-high 72 Academic All-Conference team selections including 21 in the fall, 20 in the winter and 31 in the spring.

Over the past five years, Western produced three Academic All-Americas. They are Ryan Schade (baseball in 2002), Jason Whaley (football in 2003) and Yoneko Allen (women’s basketball in 2004). During the past three years, three Catamounts (Yoneko Allen, Emre Atsur, and Rans Brempong) were receipients of the Southern Conference’s Mike Wood Postgraduate Scholarship and track athlete Tonya Edmunds was one of 32 NCAA student-athletes to be awarded a postgraduate scholarship through its its Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Programs for 2005-06.

Off the field for the 2005-06 academic Catamount student-athletes posted a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.01 for their careers. Bolstering that GPA were a combined 21, 4.0 GPA’s in the Fall of 2005 and Spring of 2006 semesters and a combined total of 130 Dean’s List honors between the two semesters.

Varsity Sports Teams

File:SouthernConference 100.png
Southern Conference‎


Mascot

File:WesternCarolinaCatamounts.png
Western Carolina University Athletic Logo

The university's mascot is the Catamount. This unique moniker has been Western's mascot since 1933 and seems to always bring about the same question when the Catamounts play on the road... "What exactly is a Catamount?" Wild cats of the "catamount variety", including the bobcat, cougar or lynx, have roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains for years. But the nickname evolved from a contest that was held on the Cullowhee campus in 1933. At the time, the school was called "Western Carolina Teachers College" and its teams were known as "the Teachers." The contest came down to Mountain Boomers, a small ground squirrel that scampers about the woods and is extremely difficult to catch, and Catamounts. Head Football Coach C.C. Poindexter selected Catamounts, as he wanted his players to display a "fierce spirit, savage attacks, and lightning quick moves." WCU is one of only two universities in the United States with this mascot (the other is the University of Vermont).

Paws is the official mascot of the Western Carolina Catamounts. When he's not exciting the crowds at Catamount home games he appears many times each year at a variety of functions and events across western North Carolina. View Paws at this link.

Traditions

Facilities

Western Carolina Facilities[4]

  • Theatre Arts & Dance | Health, Physical Education and Recreation
  • Scuba diving, Bowling, Gymnastics, Swimming, Basketball, Racquetball
    • Reid Gymnasium - indoor fitness center; Wellness Center; free weights, treadmills, stair steppers, exercise bikes, and state-of-the-art Cybex exercise stations; three basketball courts; indoor pool

Football

Head Coaching Records

Coach Years Number Years Record
1 C.C. Poindexter 1931-1934 4 years 10-26-2
2 Ralph James 1935-1938 4 years 4-30-3
3 James Whatley 1939-1941 3 years 6-1-1
4 Marion McDonald 1945 1 year 1-3-0
5 Tom Young 1946-1955 10 years 39-55-4
6 Dan Robinson 1956-1968 13 years 51-67-6
7 Bob Waters 1969-1988 20 years 116-94-6
8 Dale Strahm 1989 1 year 3-7-1
9 Steve Hodgin 1990-1996 7 years 31-45-0
10 Bill Bleil 1997-2001 5 years 23-32-0
11 Kent Briggs 2002-2007 5 years 20-34-0
12 Dennis Wagner 2008- 1st Season 0-0-0

WCU and the Post Season

  • 1949

In 1949 Coach Tom Young completed a four-year, post-World War II building program with an 8-2 regular season and the school’s first North State Conference championship and first postseason appearance. The team was rewarded by a bid to play in the Smoky Mountain Bowl in Bristol, Va., where the Cats lost to West Liberty State. Art Byrd, a 165-pound guard, was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team, Western’s first All-America selection.

  • 1974

The 1974 Catamounts, playing in a sparkling new stadium, lost their season and stadium opener to visiting Murray State and struggled the next two weeks before establishing themselves as one of the nation’s top NCAA Division II teams. The Catamounts won nine in a row—including victories over top 10 teams Indiana State and Western Kentucky—and won a bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they lost a heartbreaker to No. 1 ranked Louisiana Tech, 10-7. The 1974 Cats finished the season ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press College Division poll.

  • 1983

The 1983 Catamounts got off to a slow start by losing its first two games to Clemson and Wake Forest. After these two setbacks, the Catamounts would go through the next 12 Saturdays unbeaten en route to the NCAA Division IAA Nationl Championship Game. Despite the strong comeback in regular season play that produced an 8-2-1 regular season record and a No. 9 national ranking, Coach Waters’ Cats barely made it into the I-AA Championship game needing come-from-behind wins the next three weeks. The Cats heart-stopping wins over Colgate (24-23), Holy Cross (28-21) and Furman (14-7) carried the team to the National Campionship Game. The playoff win over Furman was particularly pleasing as the teams had tied, 17-17, in the regular season, which allowed the Paladins to win the Southern Conference Football Title that year (Furman had played and won one more league game due to a scheduling quirk). Over 5,000 WCU fans traveled to Greenville, S.C., for the rematch which was aired by CBS-TV. The winning streak ended with a loss to Southern Illinois in the National Championship Game in Charleston, South Carolina. Seven members of the ‘83 squad went on to play in the NFL and the team set an NCAA record for the most games played (15) in a season.

Trophy Game

Western Carolina plays Appalachian State annually for the Old Mountain Jug. The first game played between the two universities was in 1932, and the Old Mountain Jug was first introduced in 1978. Western's record in games played is 18-53–1, and 6-24 in the Jug's era.

Retired Football Numbers

  • #54 • Art Byrd (1946-49)
    • First Western Carolina student-athlete to have jersey retired
    • Inducted into the WCU Hall of Fame in 1990
    • First football All-America selection at Western Carolina University, playing guard on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball
    • Helped the Catamounts to an 8-2 regular-season mark in 1949 and their first North State Conference title
  • #23 • Jerry Gaines (1970-75)
    • Only the second WCU football player to have his jersey retired
    • Inducted into the WCU Hall of Fame in 1990.
    • All-America selection in 1974
    • Also earned All-America honors in baseball and track & field while at WCU
    • Set WCU records with 3,449 career receiving yards, a 20.6 average yards per reception for his career and 15 games with over 100 receiving yards
  • #14 • Kirk Roach (1984-87)
    • Only the third WCU football player to have his jersey retired
    • Inducted into the WCU Hall of Fame in 1996
    • Western’s and SoCon’s – first, threetime All-America Selection (1984, 1986 and 1987)
    • First player in league history to be a four-time, first team All-SoCon selection (1984-87)
    • Western Carolina’s all-time scoring leader with 302 points.
    • Connected on 71-of-101 field goals in his career
    • Only missed one extra point, making 89-of-90

Catamount Football All-Americans[5]

Player Position Year(s) Honored
1 ART BYRD OL 1949 Associated Press
2 FRANK STANKUNAS LINEMAN 1962 NAIA
3 JOHN RUTA DB 1964 NAIA
4 JIM WILLIAMS QB 1966 NAIA
5 DON DALTON QB 1969 NAIA
6 STEVE WILLIAMS DT 1971 Associated Press
7 STEVE YATES LB 1972 Associated Press (2nd)

1973 Universal Sports Magazine Small College (2nd)
1974 Associated Press (1st)

8 MARK FERGUSON C 1973 Kodak/American Football Coaches Assoc. College Division (1st)

1973 The Football News Division II (1st)

9 JERRY GAINES WR 1974 Associated Press

1974 Kodak/American Football Coaches Assoc.

10 DARRELL LIPFORD TB 1976 Associated Press(College Division)
11 TIGER GREENE DB 1983 Associated Press (2nd)

1984 Associated Press (1st)

12 ERIC RASHEED WR 1983 Associated Press (2nd)
13 MARK BUFFAMOYER DL 1984 Associated Press (2nd)
14 LOUIS COOPER DE 1984 Associated Press (1st)

1984 Kodak/American Football Coaches Assoc.

15 STEVE KORNEGAY P 1984 Associated Press (1st)
16 KIRK ROACH PK 1984 Associated Press (1st)

1986 Associated Press (1st)
1987 Associated Press (1st)

17 ALONZO CARMICHAEL TE 1985 Associated Press (1st)

1986 Associated Press (2nd)

18 GENO SEGERS DE 1988 The Sports Network (1st)
19 CLYDE SIMMONS DE 1985 Associated Press (1st)

1985 Kodak/American Football Coaches Assoc.
1988 The Sports Network (1st)

20 TODD HARKINS OL 1992 The Sports Network (2nd)

1992 Associated Press (3rd)

21 KERRY HAYES KR 1992 Associated Press (3rd)

1993 Associated Press (1st)
1993 Kodak/American Football Coaches Assoc.
1993 The Sports Network (1st)

22 ERIC JOHNSON DB 1997 The Sports Network (3rd)

1998 Associated Press (1st)
1998 American Football Coaches Assoc.
1998 USA Today ESPN (2nd)
1998 The Sports Network (1st)
1998 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette (2nd)

23 KEN HINSLEY P 1998 Hansen’s Gazette (1st)

1998 USA Today/ESPN (2nd)
1998 Associated Press (3rd)
1998 The Sports Network (3rd)

24 BRAD HOOVER TB 1998 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette (2nd)
25 JOSH JONES PK 1999 Associated Press (3rd)
26 JASON WHALEY OT 2003 College Sports Television I-AA (2nd)

Baseball

The Western Carolina University baseball program has called Ronnie G. Childress Field/Hennon Stadium its home since 1978. Childress Field, built at an initial cost of $125,000, was dedicated April 26, 1978, and named in honor of the late Ronnie G. Childress, an avid supporter of WCU athletics and a special friend of the baseball program.

Catamount Baseball Championships

11-Time - Southern Conference Regular Season Champion
9-Time - Southern Conference Tournament Champion
11 - NCAA Tournament Appearnces: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2007

Baseball Players in the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame[6]

Player Year(s) Played Year Inducted
1 Sam Ardrey 1937-40 1997
2 Dave Bristol 1983-85 2007
3 Willie Carpenter 1976-80 1994
4 Clint Fairey 1986-89 1998
5 Scott Gay 1983-85 2006
6 Jerry Gaines 1970-75 1991
7 Odell Griffin 1939-40 1992
8 Phillip Grundy 1991-93 2005
9 Jim Gudger 1940-69 1990
10 Freddie Hailey 1984-87 1999
11 Bill Haywood 1969-81 1996
12 Charles “Babe” Howell 1950-53 1998
13 Keith LeClair Player-1985-88
Coach-1992-97		 2002
14 Jack Leggett 1983-91 2001
15 Ken Morgan 1960-63 1998
16 Harris Pryor 1956-59 1994
17 Matt Raleigh 1989-92 2004
18 Jerry Reed 1974-77 1994
19 Tommy “Bromo” Selzer 1948-52 1995
20 Danny Tharpe 1960-64 1991
21 Wayne Tolleson 1974-78 1990

Basketball

Men's Basketball

Women's Basketball

  • The Western Carolina women’s basketball team was the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW) National Runner-Up in the 1968-69 season and finished fourth the following year in the tournament.
  • In 1971, Western Carolina hosted the National Women’s Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament in Reid Gymnasium. WCU also hosted an Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Southern Region II Tournament in 1975-76, making a total of three apperances in the AIAW tournament, which was the predecessor of the NCAA for women’s collegiate athletics.
  • The all-time leading scorer in Western Carolina women’s basketball history is Jayne Arledge – she is the niece of the late Roone Arledge, a pioneer in the field of televison journalism and creator of Monday Night Football, 20/20, and Nightline.

Western Carolina All-Time Women's Head Coaches

Coach Years Number Years
1 BETTY WESTMORELAND 1965-79 13 years
2 JUDY MURRAY POUNDS 1979-81 3 years
3 JUDY STROUD 1981-85 4 years
4 TONY BALDWIN 1985-1990 4 years
5 JANET CONE 1990-93 2 years
6 GARY PETERS 1993-97 4 years
9 MARIA FANTANAROSA 1997-98 1 years
10 JILL DUNN 1998-2000 2 years
11 BETH DUNKENBERGER 2000-04 2 years
12 KELLIE HARPER 2004 to present 3 years

Records

Year Win/Loss Coach Association
1 1965-66 4-2 Westmoreland CIAW
2 1966-67 9-4 Westmoreland CIAW
3 1967-68 13-0 Westmoreland CIAW
4 1968-69 14-3 Westmoreland CIAW
5 1969-70 16-3 Westmoreland CIAW
6 1970-71 13-4 Westmoreland CIAW
7 1971-72 19-3 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
8 1972-73 11-7 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
9 1973-74 15-10 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
10 1974-75 13-13 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
11 1975-76 13-11 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
12 1976-77 15-11 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
13 1977-78 21-6 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
14 1978-79 13-12 Westmoreland AIAW (Div. II)
15 1979-80 15-13 Murray AIAW (Div. II)
16 1980-81 13-9 Murray AIAW (Div. II)
17 1981-82 12-13 Stroud NCAA (Div. I)
18 1982-83 17-10 Stroud NCAA (Div. I)
19 1983-84 10-16 Stroud NCAA (Div. I)
20 1984-85 7-19 Stroud NCAA (Div. I)
21 1985-86 8-18 Baldwin NCAA (Div. I)
22 1986-87 11-15 Baldwin NCAA (Div. I)
23 1987-88 11-16 Baldwin NCAA (Div. I)
24 1988-89 13-15 Baldwin NCAA (Div. I)
25 1989-90 8-19 Baldwin NCAA (Div. I)
26 1990-91 4-23 Cone NCAA (Div. I)
27 1991-92 6-22 Cone NCAA (Div. I)
28 1992-93 7-20 Cone NCAA (Div. I)
29 1993-94 5-22 Peters NCAA (Div. I)
30 1994-95 9-18 Peters NCAA (Div. I)
31 1995-96 9-18 Peters NCAA (Div. I)
32 1996-97 11-16 Peters NCAA (Div. I)
33 1997-98 7-20 Fantanarosa NCAA (Div. I)
34 1998-99 12-16 Dunn NCAA (Div. I)
35 1999-00 11-17 Dunn NCAA (Div. I)
36 2000-01 13-15 Dunkenberger NCAA (Div. I)
37 2001-02 17-11 Dunkenberger NCAA (Div. I)
38 2002-03 21-7 Dunkenberger NCAA (Div. I)
39 2003-04 14-17 Dunkenberger NCAA (Div. I)
40 2004-05 18-14 Harper NCAA (Div. I)
41 2005-06 9-20 Harper NCAA (Div. I)
42 2006-07 24-10 Harper NCAA (Div. I) SoCon Co-Champs
43 2007-08 27-9 Harper NCAA (Div. I)

Softball

The Western Carolina Women's Fastpitch Softball Team completed its inaugural season in 2006, with a 41-20 record and went on to win the SoCon Regular Season Championship!

The Lady Catamounts home is the Catamount Softball Complex.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5]
  6. ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wcar/sports/m-asebl/auto_pdf/2008WCUBaseballMediaGuide.pdf]
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