July 16, 2009
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
by Kevin Minnick and Jeff Twining, The Western Front
In the final 2008-09 Director's Cup standings, sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Learfield Sports, Western ranked 10th nationally among 300 NCAA Division II schools.
The finish is the highest in school history, and the highest finish ever by a Great Northwest Athletic Conference school.
"We've been able to recruit quality student-athletes and each one of our coaches knows what it takes to succeed and win," Western's Associate Athletic Director Steve Card said. "It was just one of those years when everything came together for us; it's been a good year."
Points are awarded to schools based on how teams finish in regional or national competition after conference play ends. Grand Valley State University, located in Michigan, captured its fourth-consecutive Director's Cup title, earning 1,014.5 points in a total of 16 sports.
After their fifth-consecutive national championship, Western's women's crew team earned the maximum 100 points. Nine other sports, including men's and women's golf, basketball and cross country, women's indoor and outdoor track and field and women's soccer helped Western accumulate 549 total points--184 in fall quarter, 119 in winter quarter and 246 in spring quarter.
During the past six years, Western has finished in the top-50 each year and the top-100 during 11 seasons as a member of NCAA Division-II.
With Athletic Director Lynda Goodrich leading the way, Western also reclaimed the GNAC All-Sports Title this year.
Maintaining Western's recent success is something Card said will be challenging in the upcoming years, but some Western sports had good seasons which were not recognized on the national level, including a 21-3 women's volleyball team that just missed out on a berth to regionals.
Fall sports bring in big wins
During fall quarter, Western earned 184 points after 10th place national finishes by both men's and women's cross country and a ninth place national finish by women's soccer. The cross-country teams each earned 60 points while soccer placed one spot higher earning 64 points.
The most successful season in Western women's soccer history culminated with the Vikings reaching the championship game of the Far West Regional. Western hosted the Far West Regional playoff for the first time and earned their first ever NCAA tournament victory, beating California State University, Dominguez Hills 1-0 on Nov. 16, 2008.
Western's women's soccer season was defined by the rivalry with the Seattle Pacific University Falcons. On September 20, 2008 the Vikings beat SPU 1-0 in Bellingham. After both advanced to the Far West Regional Championship, which Western hosted, the number one seeded Vikings suffered a devastating 1-0 defeat in double overtime.
"The win against SPU at our place was huge; I think that got us into the tournament," assistant coach Greg Brisbon said. "I knew they were a good team, we were three minutes away from penalty kicks - anything can happen."
Western proved it had the better overall cross country team with dual 10th place finishes by the men's and women's teams. SPU earned only an additional 80 points in the fall with a fourth place finish in women's cross country.
Three of Western's runners--sophomores Jordan Welling, Blake Medhaug and Bennett GrimesÂÂ--earned All-American honors at nationals. All three will be returning this year.
"Next fall looks really exciting because pretty much the whole team is returning," said Kelvin "PeeWee" Halsell, the men's and women's track and cross country coach. "I am expecting great things."
While Western was only able to earn points in three sports fall quarter, other sports showed great promise, barely missing out on post-season berths. Men's soccer, coached by men's and women's GNAC coach of the year Travis Connell, finished 11-5-3 overall, winning the GNAC title with a 7-1-0 conference record.
In addition to men's soccer, the Western volleyball team finished 21-3, a close second in the GNAC standings behind champion Western Oregon. After a national runner-up finish in 2007, the volleyball team was not invited to compete for the regional championship, ending their season.
Winter teams bid for regionals
Three Western sports combined to earn 119 points during winter season. Both men's and women's basketball teams made regionals, and the women's indoor track and field team, comprised of athletes who make up the larger track and field team, placed ninth nationally.
Both men's and women's basketball placed 33rd nationally earning 25 points each, but neither team was able to win a game in regionals, both losing to GNAC opponents.
Men's basketball, led by GNAC Player-of-the-Year Ira Graham, edged out rival Central Washington University to win the GNAC Championship. Hosting a sub-regional, Western eventually lost to conference-rival SPU in the first round, finishing the season at 21-6.
"As a freshman, it felt great coming into college and winning right away," Western sophomore guard Cameron Severson said. "Also, we set the standard high. Next year we're trying to do the same thing."
Women's basketball, who earned their 36th post-season berth in 38 years, ended their season in regionals after a loss to conference-rival Humboldt State University, finishing 19-9.
Western's men's and women's indoor track and field teams had their best overall performance in their five years of GNAC competition, both placing second at the GNAC Indoor Championships. The women's team would continue to place ninth at the NCAA Division II National Championships, with sophomore Emily Warman taking first in the triple jump and earning All-American honors.
Spring teams strut their stuff
Spring was arguably Western's most outstanding athletic quarter, totaling 246 points, marked by women's crew, who clinched a fifth consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship.
It was the first year a rowing team in any NCAA division has won five straight national championships since the inception of the NCAA rowing championships in 1997. It was also the first year that the Western women's crew finished with an undefeated season.
"The year went by flawlessly," head coach John Fuchs said. "They impressed the hell out of me."
The departure of last year's seniors has transitioned Western's women's crew into a very young team. Only two of the 29 crew members are now seniors.
"They are going to have to work harder than they did this year," said Western alumna Kristy Theodorson, last year's varsity eight coxswain. "Every year we win [nationals], there is some other school that says, `Five is enough. We are going to take them down this year.'"
Fuchs said he is considering racing some Division I schools next season to give the crew tougher competition. Adding to the spring quarter success, both the men's and women's golf teams advanced to regionals, and each sent a lone representative to the NCAA II National Championships.
Kaitlin Parker, who tied for 15th at nationals, helped lead the women's team, earning Western 55 points. Jake Koppenberg, a two-time first-team All-American, helped the men team rack up 35.5 points.
Western's men's and women's track and field teams sent a school-record nine athletes to nationals this spring, the highest number of athletes to attend since joining the NCAA in 1999. Three of Western's female runners were awarded All-American honors at the competition.
Card said he also has high expectations for the coming year. After reclaiming the GNAC All-Sports Title last year, Western is hoping to improve their Director's Cup finish next year, almost guaranteeing them a repeat GNAC All-Sports Title.
"I think if we finish higher in the director's standing, we'll probably repeat as GNAC All-Sports champions," Card said. "If anybody in our conference finishes in the top-10 in the Director's Cup, they are definitely going to win the GNAC."
