The History of Ohio Wesleyan Athletics

1870-1919 | 1920-39 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-09 | 2010-

2000

Softball is reinstated as a varsity sport.

The baseball team becomes the first team in NCAC history to finish the season undefeated in conference play. The Bishops go on to win a school-record 42 games.

F. Sherwood Rowland '48 is inducted into the GTE Academic All-America® Hall of Fame®. Rowland was a Phi Beta Kappa who earned three varsity letters in basketball and one in baseball. He was the basketball team's leading rebounder and third leading scorer as a senior, averaging 10 points per game. Rowland has been recognized as one of the most influential environmental experts in the world. It was his research that discovered that chlorofluorocarbon gases (CFCs) deplete the ozone layer in the stratosphere, and he has testified before Congress numerous times on the potential dangers to the ozone layer. He was honored with the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1995.

Jay Martin wins his 400th game as Ohio Wesleyan men's soccer coach, becoming the eighth college men's soccer coach to reach that mark. Of the 7 coaches who preceded him to 400 wins, none accomplished the feat faster than Martin. The Bishops set school and NCAC records by winning their first 23 games and advance to the national quarterfinals.

The women's soccer team wins its first NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship and advances to the national quarterfinals.

2001

The women's basketball team advances to the NCAA Division III national semifinals, becoming the first team in NCAC history to advance to that point in the national playoffs. Ohio Wesleyan finished third in the nation after defeating Emmanuel in the third-place game, capping a postseason run filled with comebacks and nail-biting finishes. The Battling Bishops won their third consecutive NCAC championship. Nan Carney-DeBord is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

Jumper Craig Neeley '02 wins 3 events in helping the Bishop men's track & field team win its third straight NCAC indoor championship. Neeley is named the meet's Outstanding Field Event Performer for the third straight year. He went on to win All-America honors in the long jump. Neeley repeated those feats outdoors, winning 3 events in helping the Bishops win their third straight conference title and receiving Outstanding Field Event Performer honors, but would one-up his indoor performance by taking All-America laurels in both the long jump and high jump.

Stephanie Moss '01 wins her third consecutive All-America citation in the 800-meter run and is a first-team Verizon Academic All-America® selection. Her qualifying time of 2:10.52 was the 10th-fastest ever in NCAA Division III.

The men's soccer team wins the NCAC championship, making Ohio Wesleyan the first school to win 4 straight NCAC men's soccer titles. The Bishops bounced back from an injury-riddled start that included a 4-game losing streak to win their ninth NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional championship in 13 seasons and advance to the national semifinals for the seventh time.

The women's soccer team wins the NCAA Division III championship, defeating Amherst, 1-0, before a partisan crowd at Roy Rike Field. Forward Katy Sturtz '02 scores the game-winning goal in the first half. Sturtz compiled 6 goals and 2 assists in the Bishops' 5-game run to the title, making her the all-time NCAA Division III leader in playoff goals and points scored. Defender Akeya Terrell '04 is named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Defense. Sturtz is named the NSCAA Division III Player of the Year and receives first-team All-America honors for the fourth straight season. Bob Barnes is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

2002

The women's basketball team overcomes an 18-point second-half deficit to win the NCAC tournament for the second straight year. Post Tiffany Barbee '04 received the Al Van Wie Award as the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Barbee and post Katy Sturtz '02 helped the Bishops advance to the sectional semifinals of the NCAA Division III tournament, where they dropped a 1-point decision to eventual national runner-up St. Lawrence. Sturtz finishes her Bishop basketball career as only the fourth player in NCAC history to surpass both 1000 points and 1000 rebounds.

The Bishop golf team finishes seventh at the NCAA Division III championship tournament, Ohio Wesleyan's best finish since 1993. Earlier, the Bishops won their second NCAC title in 3 years.

First baseman Drew Caravella '02 is named the ABCA/Rawlings All-America Division III Player of the Year. Caravella becomes the first Ohio Wesleyan baseball player to earn Division III Player of the Year honors and the first Bishop baseball player to be a 3-time All-America pick. He set NCAC records with his .534 batting average and 89 RBI during the 2002 season. Caravella was drafted by the Detroit Tigers.

Craig Neeley '02 wins 3 events lead the Bishop men's track team to its fourth straight NCAC indoor championship. Neeley was named the meet's Field Event Athlete of the Year for the fourth straight season. Neeley would go on to win All-America honors in the high jump and be named the Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year by the United States Track Coaches Association for the third straight season. Neeley then surpassed those feats at the NCAC outdoor championship meet, earning all-conference honors in 4 events and becoming the first person in NCAC history to be named Field Event Athlete of the Year for 4 straight years for both indoor and outdoor track. Neeley closed out his Bishop career with a bang, winning the long jump and placing second in the high jump at the NCAA Division III championship meet and receiving USTCA Field Athlete of the meet honors.

The men's soccer team wins its fifth consecutive NCAC championship, the longest string in school history. Ohio Wesleyan advanced to the regional championship game and finished with a record of 18-4-1.

The women's soccer team defeats Messiah, 1-0, to win its second straight NCAA Division III national championship. Ohio Wesleyan becomes the first team to repeat as national champion since the University of California at San Diego won 3 straight in 1995-97. Erika Howland '04 scored the game-winning goal midway through the first half of the national championship game. Mindy Hammond '03 was named the Most Outstanding Player, Defense of the tournament and Howland, who also contributed a goal and an assist in the semifinals, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Offense. The win also extended the Battling Bishops' NCAA Division III-record winning streak to 45 straight games. The Bishops did not allow a goal during their 5-game march to the national championship. Bob Barnes is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

2003

The baseball team wins its fourth consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference West Division title, then sweeps Allegheny and Denison in consecutive best-of-3 series to win its third conference championship in 4 seasons and claim the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Having earned the No. 1 seed in the region, head coach Roger Ingles and the Bishops learned that the regional tournament would be played at Ohio Wesleyan's Littick Field for the first time. Ohio Wesleyan wins its first 2 regional tournament games and advances to the regional championship game.

The golf team wins the North Coast Athletic Conference championship, the team's second in a row and its third in the last 4 seasons. Ohio Wesleyan and Dornoch Golf Club host the NCAA Division III men's golf championships, and led by All-Americans Chad Poling '04 and Jay Tilton '03, the Battling Bishops put together a strong finish to wind up in a third-place tie in the final standings.

The men's soccer team wins its fourth consecutive NCAC tournament title and advances to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the 25th time in the last 26 seasons.

2004

Kelly Glassburn '06 is selected to compete in the NCAA Division III women's tennis singles tournament, the Bishops' first representative since 1996. She also won ITA All-America honors and was named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Ohio Wesleyan finished second in the final NCAC standings, the Bishops' best finish since 1995.

Linsey Longstreth '06 is named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-America teams, becoming Ohio Wesleyan's first All-American in softball. Ohio Wesleyan finished the season with a 28-15 record, including a mark of 11-3 in the NCAC. The Bishops shared the NCAC championship, their first-ever league title in softball, and finished second in the NCAC tournament, also their best finish ever. The 28 wins was the most in school history.

Chad Poling '04 wins the NCAA Division III individual men's golf championship to become Ohio Wesleyan's first national champion in golf. He finished with a 282, setting an NCAA Division III tournament record for lowest score under par (-6) and winning medalist honors by two strokes. Poling's 282 also broke the school record for a 72-hole total, topping the previous mark of 290 set by Barry Pry in 1990. The NCAA tournament title was the sixth in a row won by Poling, who was medalist in the final 4 tournaments of the regular season before winning individual honors at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship. Ohio Wesleyan finished in seventh place in the national team standings.

Jay Martin steps down as athletics director but remains as men's soccer coach. Roger Ingles succeeds Martin as athletics director.

2005

Under first-year head coach Amy Tudor, the softball team wins the North Coast Athletic Conference title by 2 games, taking the conference championship for the second straight season. Ohio Wesleyan hosts the conference tournament for the first time.

Entering the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament as the third seed, the women's lacrosse team upends defending conference champion Wooster in the semifinals before knocking off top-seeded Denison in the championship game. The conference championship is Ohio Wesleyan's first in women's lacrosse, and sends the Battling Bishops to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time. The win was the Bishops' eighth in a row, tying the school record set in 1996. Head coach Kimberly Rocheleau's squad finishes the season with a 12-4 record, tying the school record for wins in a season.

The men's soccer team finishes the regular season with an 18-0 record, marking the third time that the Bishops have posted a perfect regular-season mark. Ohio Wesleyan won the North Coast Athletic Conference championship, the Bishops' 15th in the 22 seasons of NCAC competition. The NCAC title also was the 100th for Ohio Wesleyan, the most of any conference institution. Ohio Wesleyan went on to win the NCAC tournament, and the victory in the tournament title game was Jay Martin's 500th win as Ohio Wesleyan men's soccer coach, making him the seventh college men's soccer coach to reach that mark. Of the 6 coaches who preceded him to 500 wins, none accomplished the feat faster than Martin.

Sarah Wall '06 is voted Academic All-America® College Division Team Member of the Year in women's soccer. She was a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® selection for the second straight season. Wall was the first women's soccer player in North Coast Athletic Conference history to be named NCAC Offensive Player of the Year for 4 straight seasons. Wall is a double major in pre-medicine and psychology. Wall also is selected as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.

2006

The men's basketball team defeats top-ranked Wooster, 86-83, in its regular-season finale, Ohio Wesleyan's first win over the No. 1-ranked team in the nation since March 19, 1988, when the Bishops defeated top-ranked Scranton, 92-70, in the NCAA Division III national championship game. Ohio Wesleyan finishes the season with an 18-9 record and Mike DeWitt is named NCAC Coach of the Year.

The volleyball team sweeps John Carroll in 3 games, and the win not only is the 200th at Ohio Wesleyan for head coach Cynthia Holliday, but it makes her the Bishops' winningest volleyball coach, passing Mary Parker.

The football team defeats Denison, 35-10. The win is the 122nd at Ohio Wesleyan for head coach Mike Hollway, the most by any Ohio Wesleyan football coach. Hollway had been tied with Hall of Famer George Gauthier, who coached football at Ohio Wesleyan from 1921-46.

The men's soccer team finishes the regular season with a 13-0-4 record, marking the second straight season in which Ohio Wesleyan was unbeaten in regular-season play and the fifth undefeated regular season in Battling Bishop men's soccer history, following campaigns in 1971, 1994, 2000 and 2005. Ohio Wesleyan wins the North Coast Athletic Conference championship, the Bishops' 16th in the 23 seasons of NCAC competition, and advances to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the eighth time.

Josh Warren '07 is voted Academic All-America® College Division Team Member of the Year in men's soccer. He was a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® selection for the second straight season. A zoology major, Warren is joined on the Academic All-America® first team by teammate Jamison Dague '08. Warren also is selected as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.

2007

The women's track & field team wins both the North Coast Athletic Conference indoor and outdoor championships. The indoor title is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 1994, while the outdoor championship is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 1998. It was the first time since 1991 that Ohio Wesleyan swept both women's indoor and outdoor track & field titles.

The baseball team wins the North Coast Athletic Conference's West Division with a 13-3 record, then takes the NCAC title by defeating No. 1-ranked Wooster in a best-of-three series. The NCAC crown is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 2003, and sends the Bishops on to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Ohio Wesleyan defeats defending national champion Marietta to force a winner-take-all showdown for the regional championship, but Marietta returns the favor with a win in the championship game.

Buoyed by championships in baseball, golf, men's lacrosse and women's outdoor track & field, Ohio Wesleyan overcomes a 2 1/2-point deficit after the winter season to win the NCAC All-Sports championship. The Battling Bishops posted 10 top-2 finishes and 16 top-5 finishes during the 2006-07 academic year, also taking conference titles in men's soccer and women's indoor track & field. The all-sports title is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 1993-94 and its seventh overall.

Jamison Dague '08 is voted Academic All-America® College Division Team Member of the Year in men's soccer. He was a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® selection for the second straight season, and an Academic All-America® honoree for the third straight year. Dague is a politics & government major.

2008

The men's basketball team wins the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament and makes its first NCAA Division III playoff appearance since 1988. The Bishops go on to defeat Heidelberg in the first round and fourth-ranked Centre in the second round to advance to the final 16 teams. Head coach Mike DeWitt '87 is named regional Coach of the Year.

Margaret Sagan Field opens, giving the softball team an on-campus home for the first time since the sport was reinstated for the 2000 season. The Bishops sweep a doubleheader from Mount St. Joseph on April 17 in the first games played on the field, and the field is dedicated on April 19.

The men's track & field team wins both the North Coast Athletic Conference indoor and outdoor championships. The indoor title is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 2002, while the outdoor crown is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 2001. Head coach Kris Boey is named regional Coach of the Year in both women's indoor and men's outdoor track & field.

Propelled by championships in baseball, golf, women's lacrosse, and men's outdoor track & field, Ohio Wesleyan compiles 77 1/2 points during the spring 2008 season to win its second consecutive NCAC All-Sports trophy. The Bishops post top-3 finishes in 7 of the 9 spring sports, including second-place finishes in softball and women's outdoor track & field, and a second-place tie in men's lacrosse. During the 2007-08 academic year, Ohio Wesleyan won 6 NCAC crowns, adding men's and women's indoor track & field to the 4 spring titles, and finished in the top 5 in 19 of the 22 sports in which the NCAC offers championships.

The men's soccer team wins the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and the NCAC tournament, then advances to the NCAA Division III sectional semifinals on the way to an 18-5-1 record. The Bishops' 18 wins raises head coach Jay Martin's career total to 548, moving him past Indiana's legendary Jerry Yeagley on the all-time victories list and allowing him to surpass Keene State's Ron Butcher as the active wins leader among NCAA Division III coaches.

2009

The women's basketball team knocks off Wittenberg, upends top-seeded Denison, then defeats Allegheny to win the NCAC tournament and advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The men's and women's track & field teams each sweep the North Coast Athletic Conference indoor and outdoor championships, marking the first time that both Ohio Wesleyan men's and women's teams have won both indoor and outdoor conference titles in the same year. Head coach Kris Boey is named regional Coach of the Year in both men's indoor and outdoor track & field.

Propelled by championships in golf, men's outdoor track & field, and women's outdoor track & field, Ohio Wesleyan compiles 70 points during the spring 2009 season to finish in a tie for the NCAC All-Sports trophy, the third straight all-sports crown for the Battling Bishops. The Bishops post top-3 finishes in 5 of the 9 spring sports, including a second-place finish in men's lacrosse. During the 2008-09 academic year, Ohio Wesleyan won 6 NCAC crowns, adding men's soccer and men's and women's indoor track & field to the 3 spring titles, and finished in the top 5 in 16 of the 22 sports in which the NCAC offers championships.

The men's soccer team finishes the regular season with a 17-0-2 record, the sixth undefeated regular season in Battling Bishop men's soccer history, following campaigns in 1971, 1994, 2000, 2005, and 2006. Ohio Wesleyan wins the North Coast Athletic Conference championship, the Bishops' 18th in the 26 seasons of NCAC competition, and advances to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Ohio Wesleyan racked up a school-record 17 shutouts and allowed only 2 goals during the regular season, setting an NCAA all-divisions record for fewest goals allowed in regular-season play.

The women's basketball team defeats Hunter, 77-71, in the championship game of the Hunter College Tip-Off Tournament. The win is the 400th career victory for head coach Nan Carney-DeBord, making her the 33rd coach in NCAA Division III history to reach that mark.

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1870-1919 | 1920-39 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-09 | 2010-