The Trinity Tigers is the nickname for the sports teams of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). The school mascot is LeeRoy, a Bengal tiger. In the 1950s, LeeRoy was an actual tiger who was brought to sporting events, but today LeeRoy is portrayed by a student wearing a tiger suit.[2] Early in its history, the school participated in Division I and Division II athletics, but by 1991 the entire program made the move to Division III, at which time it joined the SCAC.[3]
Trinity fields strong teams, evidenced by its finishes in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Learfield Directors' Cup, which recognizes the strength of athletic programs by division. Since the Directors' Cup inception in 1995, Trinity has finished in the top 10 on five occasions out of over 400 Division III programs; it finished 20th in 2021–22.[4]
In recent years, Trinity has reached the national Division III playoffs in several sports, including football (national runners-up, 2002), women's basketball (2003 national champions), volleyball (second place in 2022 and 1999; third place in 2019), baseball (national champion in 2016), women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, and men's and women's soccer (men's team won the national title in 2003 and placed second in 2007; women placed second in 2013). In 2011–12, the Trinity sports program reclaimed Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference "President's Trophy," awarded to the school in the conference that has the best overall sports record for the year.[5] as of 2022, Trinity has won the President's Trophy every year since.[6] Prior to that, the Tigers had won the award eleven out of the preceding twelve seasons.[7]
In addition to team success, individual Trinity student-athletes have won a number of championships over the years which are detailed below.[8]
The Trinity University baseball program has a motto - "the tradition continues" - that the players look to in the heat of battle and celebrate in victory. “The Tradition Continues” is a staple of the baseball program's team-first approach and commitment to the good of the whole, the belief that each player contributes to the proud tradition of Trinity Baseball every time they step on the field.[9] The Trinity Baseball Stadium was refurbished in 2022 with a turf field, new netting, updated batting cages and new dugouts.
In May 2015, Trinity baseball qualified for the Division III College World Series for the first time, falling one game short of the championship round and placing third overall.[10]
In 2016, Trinity won the NCAA Division III College World Series and became national champions. In a best-of-three format, Trinity defeated Keystone College 14-6 in game 1 and 10-7 in game 2. Trinity defeated the 2015 champion, SUNY Cortland, twice in the bracket rounds of the tournament en route to the national championship.[11]
Jeremy Wolf was playing in the outfield when the Trinity baseball team won the 2016 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. In 2016, Wolf hit .408/.508/.741 with 60 runs, 28 doubles (leading the NCAA, and establishing new Trinity and SCAC single-season records), 149 total bases (third in the nation), 11 home runs, and 70 RBIs (4th in the nation).[12][13][14] He was named All-American First Team of both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and D3baseball.com, was named the West Region Player of the Year by the ABCA and D3baseball.com, and was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.[15] In his college career Wolf hit 72 doubles, a Trinity record, over 189 games.[13][14][16]
The 2021 Trinity baseball team was ranked #1 in the country during the regular season and was selected for the NCAA Regional Tournament in St. Paul, Minnesota.[17] Trinity won SCAC conference championships in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2019.[18] In addition to 2015 and 2016, the Trinity Tigers made it to the NCAA College World Series in 2022.[19]
A number of former Trinity baseball players have made names for themselves in the ranks of professional baseball teams around the country.[9]
Tim Scannell is in his 26th season as the head baseball coach. After serving as an assistant coach for two seasons, Coach Scannell took the Tigers’ reins prior to the 1999 campaign. Since that time, the Tigers have amassed an impressive 775 victories (.728) over 25 seasons with Coach Scannell at the helm. Coach Scannell is ranked in the top 10 among active NCAA Division III coaches by winning percentage. The other Trinity baseball coaches are both former Trinity baseball players — David Smith is the pitching coach.[20]
Basketball
Women's basketball team, 1915
The Tigers had a successful men's basketball program under Bob Polk from 1965 to 1968; Polk, an Indiana native, had compiled a record of 197–106 at Vanderbilt, but poor health led to his resignation on the advice of his doctors. However, he was out of basketball for only 18 months as his health rapidly improved. As both the head basketball coach and athletics director, Polk became Southland Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1967. He was also the NCAA National Coach of the Year for the NCAA College Division (the predecessor of today's NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III) in 1968. In his three years at Trinity, Polk compiled a 69–28 record and led the Tigers to the 1968 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament, where they finished third overall.
Trinity's women's teams, however, have had considerably more success. The 2002–03 edition went 28–5 and won the national championship under the leadership of coach Becky Geyer, despite never previously having won an NCAA playoff game in school history.[21] While under the leadership of coach Cameron Hill, the team has become a perennial playoff participant, making it to the Elite 8 in 2022 and the Sweet 16 in 2023. In 12 seasons, Hill's teams have earned a record of 249–49 (0.835).[22]
Football
Trinity football team, 1915
Trinity University started its football team in 1900 and played Baylor University in the first game.[23] The Tigers won conference championships in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.[24]
Trinity athletics may be most famous for the "Mississippi Miracle" executed by the Tiger football team in the 2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game. On October 27, 2007, in a game played in Jackson, Mississippi, against conference rival Millsaps College, Trinity trailed by two points with two seconds left. With time for only one more play and being too far way for a field goal, the Tigers ran the "hook and lateral play," in which a receiver runs a short hook route, and then laterals the ball to a trailing player. After the first lateral the Millsaps defense was not fooled and seemed about to tackle the ball carrier and end the game.
At this point the Tigers showed their knowledge of rugby by lining up across the field, rather than gathering in front of the ball carrier as is typical in American football. This meant that there was always a Tiger player in position, either even with or behind the ball carrier, to legally receive another lateral. Every time the Millsaps defense closed on the ball carrier the Trinity player was able to complete a legal lateral to a teammate. In what ESPN said may have been the "longest play in football history," in terms of time elapsed (sixty seconds exactly), Trinity completed 15 laterals before breaking through the Millsaps defense for a 61-yard touchdown. The score, known in Jackson, MS as the "Major Disaster," (Millsaps' nickname is "The Majors") gave Trinity the victory and ultimately led to the conference championship.
The Trinity community is especially proud of this play because it demonstrated not only the Tigers' athletic ability, but also their intelligence and poise under pressure.[25][26][27][28] The unlikely play was named the top sports moment of the year by Time magazine[29] as well as the "Game Changing Performance of the Year" by Pontiac.[30]
In November 2015, Trinity and Austin College announced they would affiliate with the Southern Athletic Association for football in 2017. The 2019 football team were co-champions of the Southern Athletic Association.[31]
Jerheme Urban has served as head coach of the football team since 2014. Coach Urban played football and ran track at Trinity University and was a football All-American. After graduating from Trinity in 2003, Coach Urban had a nine-year career in the NFL.[32] In 2019, Coach Urban was inducted into the Trinity University Athletics Hall of Fame.[33]
Tennis
Trinity has historically had a strong tennis program, once a Division I tennis power, under tennis coach Clarency Mabry, winning the men's NCAA championship in 1972, as well as being runners up in 1970, 1971, 1977 and 1979. The women's team captured the first USLTA women's collegiate championship in 1968 and won several more titles. In the early 1960s the program was home to arguably some of the best tennis players in the world, and bypassed the NCAA tournament to enter Wimbledon. In 1963, Chuck McKinley of Trinity won the Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship. He was also the runner up in 1961. In 1970, as a freshman at Trinity, Brian Gottfried won the USTA boys 18s singles championship, as well as the doubles championship with Alexander Mayer.[34]
1972 NCAA Division I Men's Singles Championship (Dick Stockton)
1975 USTA National Women's Singles Championship (Stephanie Tolleson)
1975 USTA National Women's Doubles Championship (JoAnne Russell & Donna Stockton)
1976 NCAA Division I Men's Singles Championship (Bill Scanlon)
1979 NCAA Division I Men's Doubles Championship (Erick Iskersky & Ben McCown)
1983 NCAA Division I Women's Doubles Championship (Louise Allen & Gretchen Rush)
NCAA/ITA Individual championships (Division III era)
1997 ITA Men's National Singles Championship (Jamie Broach)
1997 ITA Men's National Doubles Championship (Jamie Broach & Michael Slutzky)
1998 ITA Women's National Singles Championship (Lola Taylor)
1998 ITA Women's National Doubles Championship (Lola Taylor & Lizzie Yasser)
1999 ITA Women's National Singles Championship (Lizzie Yasser)
1999 ITA Women's National Doubles Championship (Lizzie Yasser & Amanda Browne)
2003 ITA Men's National Doubles Championship (Sean Fifield & Stefan Parker)
2003 ITA Women's National Doubles Championship (Heather McGowan & Hayley Dittus)
2004 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor High Jump (Christyn Schumann)
2004 NCAA Division III Women's Indoor High Jump (Christyn Schumann)
2005 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor High Jump (Christyn Schumann)
2006 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor High Jump (Christyn Schumann)
2009 NCAA Division III Men's Indoor Pentathlon (Todd Wildman)
2010 NCAA Division III Women's 1-Meter Diving (Lindsay Martin)
2010 NCAA Division III Women's 3-Meter Diving (Hayley Emerick)
2010 NCAA Division III Men's Indoor Pentathlon (Todd Wildman)
2010 ITA Men's National Doubles Championship (Bobby Cocanougher & Cory Kowal)
2012 NCAA Division III Women's 3-Meter Diving (Ruth Hahn)
2012 ITA Men's National Singles Championship (Aaron Skinner)
2014 NCAA Division III Men's 100 Yard Freestyle (Stephen Culberson)
2014 ITA Men's National Doubles Championship (Jordan Mayer & Aaron Skinner)
Related Research Articles
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), founded in 1962, is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distances led seven former members to announce the formation of a new Southeastern US-based conference, the Southern Athletic Association, starting with the 2012–13 academic year.
Trinity University is a private liberal arts college in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1869, its student body consists of about 2,600 undergraduate and 200 graduate students. Trinity offers 49 majors and 61 minors among six degree programs, and has an endowment of $1.725 billion.
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport. Some sports have multiple All-America teams and will list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team.
Laura Granville is a former American professional tennis player. During the two years she spent at Stanford University, she set the record for most consecutive singles victories with 58 and finished with an overall record of 93–3. Granville won the NCAA Championship in singles as well as the ITA Player of the Year in both 2000 and 2001.
Wallace Ford Johnson of Philadelphia was an American tennis player in the early 20th century.
Bryan Shelton is an American former college tennis coach and former professional tennis player. During his playing career, he won two singles and two doubles ATP tour titles, and reached the mixed doubles final at the 1992 French Open, partnering Lori McNeil. Shelton played collegiately for Georgia Tech from 1985 to 1988, and then played professionally from 1989 to 1997.
Audra Marie Cohen is an American former professional tennis player and current college tennis coach. She was the # 1 collegiate female tennis player in the United States in 2007. At the University of Miami in 2005-2006 she was named the ITA National Player of the Year and was the National Indoor Champion, and in 2006-07 she won the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship, the NCAA Singles Championship, and the ITA National Player of the Year award. She is currently the head women's tennis coach at the University of Oklahoma.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches' association of United States college tennis, both an advocate and authority, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at all levels – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and Junior/Community College. The ITA headquarters are located in Tempe, Arizona.
The Millsaps Majors is the nickname for the sports teams of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Athletic Association.
The Millsaps Majors football team represents Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. They compete in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Athletic Association. Millsaps's all-time record in football is 380 wins, 356 losses and 36 ties (.516). The gridiron Majors have posted two undefeated regular seasons in their history, earned three NCAA playoff tournament berths and claimed six Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships. Its major rival is Belhaven University.
The Furman Paladins are the varsity athletic teams representing Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, in intercollegiate athletics.
The West Florida Argonauts are the athletic teams that represent the University of West Florida, located in Pensacola, Florida, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) since the 1994–95 academic year. The Argonauts previously competed in the Southern States Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1974–75 to 1993–94, with a brief hiatus of dropping its athletics program from 1976–77 to 1979–80.
The DePauw Tigers are the athletic teams that represent DePauw University, a small liberal arts school in Greencastle, Indiana. The university's teams play in the NCAA Division III and currently belong to the North Coast Athletic Conference.
Julia Sell was the co-head coach of women’s tennis at Louisiana State University with Michael Sell from 2015 to 2022. She was originally hired by LSU as the lone head coach of the women's tennis team in 2012.
The Cal State Fullerton Titans women's tennis team competes at the NCAA Division I Collegiate level and is a member of the Big West Conference. All home collegiate tennis matches are played at the California State University, Fullerton, Titan Courts, located in Fullerton, California.
Tim Scannell is an American college baseball coach, currently serving as head coach of the Trinity University (Texas) baseball team since 1999. In 2016, Scannell was named the NCAA DIII National Coach of the Year after leading his Trinity Tigers to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
Eudice Chong is a professional tennis player from Hong Kong. She reached her career-high WTA rankings in singles and doubles, both in 2022, of world No. 213 and No. 134, respectively. Chong has won 6 singles and 30 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
Fiona Maeve Crawley is an American tennis player. She played college tennis for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she ranked as high as No. 1 nationally and won the NCAA team championship in 2023. She won the ITA National Fall Championships with Elizabeth Scotty in 2021 and the NCAA doubles title with Carson Tanguilig in 2023.
Sara Daavettila is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) of No. 576, achieved October 2023, and doubles ranking of No. 524, achieved February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
