The History of Ohio Wesleyan Athletics

1870-1919 | 1920-1939 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-08

1970

Jerry Robinson '71 becomes Ohio Wesleyan's first All-America golfer. He leads the Bishops to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA College Division championship.

Defensive tackle Tom Truesdell '70 is drafted in the 12th round by the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Truesdell is cut during the Bengals' training camp but gets a tryout with the Cleveland Browns in 1971.

1971

The wrestling team finishes with a 13-0-0 record. Pete Earle '72, who had compiled a 12-0-1 record at 126 pounds, and Scott Votey '72, competing at 134 pounds, win their weight classes at the OAC championship meet. They would go on to represent Ohio Wesleyan at the NCAA College Division wrestling championship.

The football team wins the OAC crown and is invited to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, then the NCAA College Division Western Regional title game. Samford (Alabama) won the game, 20-10, but forfeited the victory after it was discovered ineligible players were used.

1973

Under head coach Helen Masson, the women's tennis team records the first of back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Ohio Association of Intercollegiate Sports for Women's state tournament.

1974

Rich Seiler '72 takes over as men's lacrosse coach. The Bishops post a 9-2 record, including an 8-1 mark in the Midwest Lacrosse Association.

The softball team plays its first varsity game. Mary Parker, also the women's lacrosse coach, coaches the softball team to a 2-3 record.

Bill Iovino '74 wins the NCAA College Division discus championship.

Under head coach Harriet Stewart, the field hockey team posts a 16-0-2 record -- the best in school history -- and wins the OAISW state title.

1975

The men's lacrosse team makes its first NCAA Division III playoff appearance, falling to Hobart by a score of 18-8.

The field hockey team successfully defends its OAISW championship, going 13-3-2.

The men's soccer team advances to the NCAA Division III semifinals, the farthest advancement by an Ohio Wesleyan team.

1976

The men's lacrosse team pulls off a pair of stunning upsets, knocking off Kutztown State and Cortland State on the way to the NCAA Division II-III semifinals. Midfielder Bob Sargent '76 is named the College Division Midfielder of the Year and Rich Seiler '72 is named College Division Coach of the Year, Ohio Wesleyan's first such honorees.

The Branch Rickey Center opens its doors. The Bishop volleyball team defeats Ohio Dominican in the first intercollegiate event held in the arena. The field house, later christened Gordon Field House in recognition of the gift of Richard Gordon '62, becomes the home of the OAC championship and the OAISW state title indoor track meets and later is the site of the first 9 NCAC indoor track championship meets.

Ohio Wesleyan inducts 6 women into its Athletics Hall of Fame, becoming one of the first colleges in the country to do so. The 6 are Mary Pennock Bachman '26, Ruth Tarr Fausnaugh '21, Carleen Luikart Mills '26, Mary Newell Quackenbush '42, Evelyn Ricard '28 and Carolyn Tarbell.

1977

The women's track and field team makes its debut, competing in both indoor and outdoor seasons.

Lacrosse midfielder Steve Meinsen '77 becomes a 4-time All-American.

Bob Strimer retires as athletics director. He is succeeded by Dick Gordin '52.

Jay Martin takes over as head coach of the men's soccer and men's lacrosse teams. The soccer team starts out slowly but bounces back to reach the OAC championship game.

1978

The women's swimming team, under head coach Jane Morrison, finishes second at the OAISW small college championships.

Ken Walker '78 becomes Ohio Wesleyan's first All-America tennis player. Walker also won his fourth straight OAC singles championship and helped coach Frank Shannon and the Bishops extend their string of consecutive OAC titles to 6.

The men's soccer team finishes as runner-up in the inaugural Fred Myers Invitational, losing to Wilmington in the championship game.

1979

Frank Shannon retires as Ohio Wesleyan's all-time winningest men's basketball coach with 214. Gene Mehaffey is hired as the new men's basketball and tennis coach.

Leslie Croyder '80, Julie Jordan '80 and Arden Kragalott '81 sweep the No. 1-3 singles titles at the OAISW state tennis championship tournament. The trio would go on to the Midwest Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (MAIAW) tennis tournament, where Croyder reached the semifinals and Jordan and Kragalott each finished as runner-up, giving Ohio Wesleyan a seventh-place finish in the 16-team tournament.

The golf team wins the OAC championship and places fifth in the NCAA Division III tournament, then the Bishops' best finish ever. Mike McBroom '81 finishes sixth among individuals at the NCAA Division III tournament, becoming the first Bishop golfer to crack the top 10.

The field hockey team wins its third state title under Harriet Stewart.

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1870-1919 | 1920-1939 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-08