Wayne State Warriors
| Wayne State Warriors | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Wayne State University |
| Conference | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Rob Fournier |
| Location | Detroit, Michigan |
| Varsity teams | 8 men's & 9 women's |
| Football stadium | Tom Adams Field |
| Basketball arena | Matthaei Center |
| Baseball stadium | WSU Baseball Field |
| Nickname | Warriors |
| Fight song | WSU Victory Song |
| Colors | Green and gold[1] |
| Website | www |
The Wayne State Warriors represent Wayne State University, located in Detroit, Michigan. The university is a member of the NCAA at the Division II level, WSU competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for all sports except fencing, which competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference (MFC).
History
The school's intercollegiate athletic program was established in 1917 by director of athletics David L. Holmes. Revered by his athletes, Holmes initially coached all sports. His track teams were nationally known into the 1950s; in his first ten years, he produced two Olympians from the school's Victorian-era gym. Although he had major ambitions for Wayne and scheduled such teams as Notre Dame and Penn State in the 1920s, the lack of facilities and money for athletics kept the athletic program small.
A student poll selected the name of "Tartars" for the school's teams in 1927. In 1999, the university changed the name to the "Warriors," due to a feeling that the Tartar name was dated and that not many people knew what a Tartar was.[2][3]
Wayne State was a founding member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946, but left the conference before competition began. In 1955 the university, along with John Carroll University, Case Institute of Technology, and Western Reserve University formed the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).[4] The University competed in the PAC until 1967 before competing as an independent program and joining the upstart GLIAC in 1975.
Varsity sports
The Wayne State University Athletic Department sponsors the following sports:
|
Men's athletic teams |
Women's athletic teams
|
Baseball
Wayne State has had 6 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[6]
| Year | Player | Round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Terence Cupples | 42 | Twins |
| 1973 | John Shupe | 10 | Yankees |
| 1974 | Gregory Boos | 30 | Mets |
| 2005 | Steven Squires | 49 | White Sox |
| 2008 | Anthony Bass | 5 | Padres |
| 2011 | Brett Shankin | 28 | Mariners |
Football
Wayne State football competes with the other sports in the GLIAC, the program also competed in the PAC from 1955-1967 and in the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference from 1990-1998. Wayne State has won three conference championships, one in the GLIAC and two PAC championships. The Warriors played in the Division II National Championship game in 2011, losing to the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 35-21.
Notable NFL alumni include: Vic Zucco, Richard Byas, Jr., Paul Butcher, Sr., Tom Beer, and Joique Bell.
Ice Hockey
Wayne State previously competed in men's and women's NCAA Division I ice hockey as a member of College Hockey America (CHA). The university dropped their men's program at the end of the 2007-08 season,[7] followed in 2011 by ending the women's hockey program.[8]
Notable non varsity sports
Rugby
Founded in 2002, the Wayne State rugby team won the NSCRO 15s National Championship in 2012 and again in 2013.[9] Wayne State won the NSCRO Rugby Sevens Championship in 2014 and again in 2015.[10] Wayne State rugby is led by Head Coach Darrin Barner.
Championships
National Championships
| Fencing (M) | 1975, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| Fencing (W) | 1982, 1988, 1989 |
| Swimming (W) | 2012 |
- Note: Although WSU competes at the DII level, the NCAA combines all three divisions for its National Fencing Championships.
Conference Championships
i. GLIAC Championships:
| Baseball | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010 |
| Basketball (M) | 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2010 |
| Basketball (W) | 1980, 1981 |
| Cross Country (M) | 2001 |
| Football | 1976 |
| Golf (M) | 2004, 2009 |
| Softball | 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 |
| Swimming (M) | 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Swimming (W) | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 1976, 1977 |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 1975, 1976, 1977 |
| Tennis (M) | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981 |
| Tennis (W) | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 |
| Volleyball (W) | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1997, 1998, 1999 |
ii. President's Athletic Conference Championships:
| Baseball | 1959 |
| Cross Country (M) | 1960, 1961, 1963 |
| Football | 1957, 1965 |
| Golf (M) | 1947 |
| Swimming (M) | 1963, 1964, |
| Tennis (M) | 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964 |
iii. College Hockey America:
| Ice Hockey (M) | 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| Ice Hockey (W) | 2008 |
References
- ^ Wayne State University Athletics Style Guide (PDF). September 1, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ "WSU adopts new athletic identity". Wayne State University Press. 1999-07-29.
- ^ "Before and After: New Symbols for Old Schools". New York Times. 2000-08-06. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
- ^ "Conference Overview: Timeline" (PDF). Presidents' Athletic Conference. p. 7. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "2015-16 Women's Track & Field Schedule". Wayne State University. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Wayne State University (Detroit, MI)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
- ^ Wodon, Adam (March 11, 2008). "Wayne State Bids Farewell". College Hockey News. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ "Wayne State ends women's program". NCAA. May 30, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
- ^ "The Wayne State Success Story", Rugby Today, Clara Lefton, May 14, 2015.
- ^ "The Wayne State Success Story", Rugby Today, Clara Lefton, May 14, 2015.
External links
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