Division III powerhouses and streaks

Williams is a d-III powerhouse.

 

Hope in Michigan has a pretty nice tradition in men's and women's hoops. Don't know the specifics on titles, though.

 

As a fellow Warhawk, I'm going to have to scold you for neglecting to mention the baseball title Whitewater claimed in 2005.

From the Warhawks' Web site:

The NCAA III football championship is UW-Whitewater's seventh national title. Men's basketball won national championships in 1984 and 1989, women's golf women in 1985, volleyball took home the NCAA III crown in 2002 and 2005, and baseball won a championship in 2005.

 

As does its rival, Calvin. Three national championships in about 15 years, and a few Final Four appearances. And I think, along with Hope, they have all of the DIII attendance records.

 

Middlebury College in Vermont is an interesting case. While not necessarily boasting any true dynasty, Middlebury only resumed NCAA competition in 1994 and it's mens and women's ice hockey teams combined for six D-III titles in three seasons.

 

The cheeseheads are all accomplished in basketball. Since 1984, Whitewater has won two titles, Platteville four, and Stevens-Point two. It's also acknowledged as the toughest conference in D3 football.

 

I have a buddy whose kid plays running back for Linfield. He has never mentioned their years of success. I guess in D-III, you're more humble too.

 

Augustana (Ill.) had a senior class of football players graduate in the mid-80s that won four national titles and never lost a game.

 

Washington University in Missouri won a few women's basketball titles not so long ago, if I remember correctly.

 

Ahhh, I knew I'd forget at least one. It was interesting going to school and going back to see everything they've won. Truly a blessing to be a sports reporter there.

The wheelchair basketball was a lot of fun to watch. One of the guys on the team was in a Nike commercial a couple years back. Can't recall his name right now.

 

that's not true. Middlebury was playing NCAA hockey earlier than 1994......

 

FYI, the conference that Middlebury plays in (the New England Small College Athletic Conference or NESCAC) didn't allow its teams to compete in NCAA postseason tournaments for several decades until '94 or thereabouts. Athletes could compete as individuals (swimmers, cross country, etc.) but teams could not. The fear was that tournament play would unduly interfere with academics, and perhaps make sports too "important."

The rule was changed around that time for all sports except football. Thus while Middlebury was already playing hockey, it wasn't eligible to win a national title before then.

There were some odd quirks to the rule. Swimmers could compete in the races they qualified for, but even if all four members of a relay team qualified as individuals, they couldn't swim the relay. Then in 1990 or so, Williams' women's cross country team qualified five individual runners for nationals. Five runners also makes a full team. NESCAC had to make a special ruling on whether they would be allowed to "count" as a team, or if that broke the rules. I believe in they end, they allowed the team score to stand, and Williams finished second in the nation.

FYI, Williams has won 12 of the 13 Directors Cups (the all-sports award) presented in Division III, including the last 10. UC-San Diego won in '97-'98 and I believe has since moved up to Div II. Though Williams hasn't really had any individual sporting dynasties on the par of some of those mentioned. They just tend to consistently rack up points in a number of sports.