Virginia Wesleyan Marlins | |
---|---|
University | Virginia Wesleyan University |
Conference | Old Dominion Athletic Conference |
NCAA | Division III |
Athletic director | Andrea Hoover-Erbig |
Location | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
Varsity teams | 22 |
Basketball arena | TowneBank Arena, Jane P. Batten Student Center (Basketball and Volleyball) |
Baseball stadium | Kenneth R. Perry Field |
Softball stadium | TowneBank Park (Tom & Betty Broyles Field) |
Soccer stadium | Foster Field, John Trinder Center |
Aquatics center | Natatorium, Jane P. Batten Student Center |
Lacrosse field | Birdsong Field (Lacrosse and Field Hockey) |
Tennis venue | Everett Tennis Center |
Track and Field center | Betty S. Rogers Track and Field |
Other venues | Founders Field (Recreation) |
Mascot | Bob Marlin |
Fight song | On, Virginia Wesleyan! |
Colors | Dark Blue, Grey/Silver, and Coastal Blue |
Website | vwuathletics |
The Virginia Wesleyan Marlins (also VWU Marlins) are the collegiate athletic teams that represent Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The university plays in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.
Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, indoor/outdoor track and field, and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor/outdoor track and field, and volleyball. [1]
The university maintains an Athletic Hall of Fame honoring those who have made lasting contributions to Virginia Wesleyan's intercollegiate athletic program through outstanding achievements or service. [2]
The men's basketball team won the national championship in 2006, and the following year returned to the championship game, which they lost. The women's soccer team made it to the final four in 2006 after winning the ODAC tournament for the first time in program history. In 2016, Evan Cox was the Individual NCAA National Champion for Men's Golf. The Virginia Wesleyan College softball team won the 2017 NCAA Division III National Championship with a record 54 wins. Head Coach Brandon Elliott was named NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year. Freshman pitcher Hanna Hull was named first-team All-American and earned Outstanding Player in the NCAA National Tournament, NCAA Freshman of the Year, and NCAA Player of the Year. The following year, the Marlins softball team repeated at National Champions, defeating Illinois Wesleyan to claim their second Division III NCAA Nationals Championship. The team also broke their record of 54 wins set the previous year by earning a new national record by notching a total of 55 wins. Also repeating another award was Sophomore pitcher Hanna Hull, who claimed her second Player of the Year award. [3]
Virginia Wesleyan University added a co-ed club Esports program that offers students the chance to participate in video game competitions at the collegiate level in fall 2019. VWU is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and will begin competing with local and national teams in January 2020. The Marlin Esports Arena in the Jane P. Batten Student Center is equipped with 17 high-end gaming PCs. [4]
The Virginia Wesleyan Softball team returned to the national stage again in 2021, following a 2020 season that was abruptly ended by COVID-19, to win the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship, the programs third in four (complete) seasons. [5] Graduate student Hanna Hull and fifth-year senior Jessica Goldyn were named the 2021 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III Pitcher and Player of the Year respectively after helping lead the team through the Regional and National Tournaments. [6]
Men's
| Women's
|
Sport | Facilities |
---|---|
Track and Field | Betty S. Rogers Track and Field |
Soccer | Foster Field, John Trinder Center |
Field Hockey/Lacrosse | Birdsong Field |
Baseball | Kenneth R. Perry Field |
Basketball/Volleyball | TowneBank Arena, Jane P. Batten Student Center [7] |
Swimming | Natatorium, Jane P. Batten Student Center |
Tennis | Everett Tennis Center |
Softball | TowneBank Park (Tom & Betty Broyles Field) |
Esports | Marlin Esports Arena, Jane P. Batten Student Center |
Recreation | Founders Field |
Baseball (6): 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006
Men's Basketball (6): 1993, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014
Men's Soccer (10): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013
Women's Basketball: 2015
Field Hockey: 2004
Women's Soccer (2): 2006, 2021
Softball (14): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Volleyball: 2019
Men's Golf: 2016; Evan Cox (Individual) [9]
The USA South Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina and Virginia.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Of its 15 member schools, all but one are located in Virginia; the other full member is in North Carolina. The conference also has two associate members: one in Virginia and one in North Carolina.
Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) is a private university in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The university is nonsectarian but historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church. It enrolls 1,607 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs, 355 students at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan), and 1,403 in VWU Online. Virginia Wesleyan transitioned from a college to a university in 2017.
The Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops are the sports and other competitive teams at Ohio Wesleyan University. The men's and women's Bishops teams are NCAA Division III teams that compete in the North Coast Athletic Conference and the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference. The university sponsors 25 varsity sports, as well as several intramural and club teams.
The Chico State Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Chico, located in Chico, California, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Wildcats compete as an associate member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for all 13 varsity sports. Since 1998, Chico State’s athletic teams have won 99 NCAA Championship berths, 40 CCAA titles, 24 West Region titles and 15 National titles. The school finished third in the 2004–2005 NACDA Director's Cup.
The Sacramento State Hornets is the team that represents California State University, Sacramento in intercollegiate athletics.
The Cal State East Bay Pioneers are the athletic teams that represent California State University, East Bay, located in Hayward, California, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for most of their sports since the 2009–10 academic year; while its women's water polo teams compete in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The Pioneers previously competed in the California Pacific Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2008–09.
The Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams of California State University, San Bernardino. The athletic department was established in 1984 and the school's athletic mascot is the Coyotes, sometimes shortened as “Yotes” during cheers. The school's official colors are coyote blue and black.
The Longwood Lancers are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Longwood University, located in Farmville, Virginia. The University's 14 men’s and women’s teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Since 2012, the Lancers have been a member of the Big South Conference.
The Roanoke Maroons are the athletic teams that represent Roanoke College, located in Salem, Virginia, a suburban independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia.
The Lynchburg Hornets refer to the various athletic teams that represent the University of Lynchburg, located in Lynchburg, Virginia. On July 1, 2018, the institution's name changed from Lynchburg College to the University of Lynchburg. Lynchburg's intercollegiate athletic programs compete primarily in NCAA Division III, with its equestrian teams competing in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows of America and National Collegiate Equestrian Association competition formats. The Lynchburg athletic department sponsors 24 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs.
The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros are the athletic teams that represent California State University, Dominguez Hills, located in Carson, California, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Toros compete as members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for all 9 varsity sports.
The Sonoma State Seawolves are the athletic teams that represent Sonoma State University, located in Rohnert Park, California, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Seawolves compete as members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for all 11 varsity sports.
The UT Dallas Comets are the athletic teams that represent the University of Texas at Dallas, located in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas, in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. On July 20, 2023, the university announced it would move to NCAA Division II and join the Lone Star Conference.
The Northeastern State RiverHawks are the athletic teams that represent Northeastern State University, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports since the 2012–13 academic year; while its men's soccer team competes in the Great American Conference (GAC). The RiverHawks previously competed as an NCAA D-II Independent during the 2011–12 school year; in the D-II Lone Star Conference (LSC) from 1997–98 to 2010–11; and in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference (OIC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1974–75 to 1996–97.
The Shenandoah Hornets are the athletic teams that represent Shenandoah University, located in Winchester, Virginia, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) since the 2012-13 academic year. The Hornets previously competed in the USA South Athletic Conference from 1992 to 2012.
The Eastern Mennonite Royals are the athletic teams that represent Eastern Mennonite University, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Royals compete as full, non-football members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. In men's volleyball, a sport not sponsored by the ODAC, EMU competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference. Altogether, Eastern Mennonite sponsors 16 sports: 7 for men and 9 for women.
The 2006 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 32nd annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.
The 2016 NCAA Division I softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2016. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2016 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2016 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended in June 2016.
The 2022 NCAA Division I softball season, part of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2022. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2022 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2022 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended in June 2022.