Western Washington Vikings

Last updated
Western Washington Vikings
Western Washington Vikings logo.svg
UniversityWestern Washington University
Conference Great Northwest Athletic Conference
NCAA Division II
Athletic directorJim Sterk [1]
Location Bellingham, Washington
Varsity teams15
Basketball arena Sam Carver Gymnasium
Baseball stadium Viking Field
Track stadiumCivic Stadium
MascotVictor E. Viking
NicknameVikings
ColorsNavy blue, white, slate blue, and silver [2]
       
Website wwuvikings.com

The Western Washington Vikings represent Western Washington University in intercollegiate sports in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of the NCAA Division II with the exception of the women's rowing team which is a member of the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference. WWU has been an official member of NCAA Division II since September 1998. Their mascot is Victor E. Viking. [3]

Contents

Western Washington sponsors six sports for men and nine sports for women with approximately 350 student athletes.

Mascot

The story of Victor E. Viking, the mascot, is that he visited Bellingham in 1923 and decided to become a supporter of the team. He has since become the mascot representation of the Vikings. [4] In 2015, The Washington Post reported on controversy at Western over the mascot. Some claim that an imposing white man does not sufficiently represent the school, while some argue against removing the mascot that had been representing Western for nearly 100 years. [5] The controversy was renewed in 2022, [6] [7] but Victor continues as the mascot of the institution as of February 2024.

Student athletes

The 2010 NCAA graduation rate study showed that 69 percent of Western student-athletes receive their degrees in six years or less based on the Federal Graduation Rate formula, a rate the same as that of the full student body. This is 13 percentage points higher than the average for NCAA Division II schools nationally and 15 points higher than the average for the nine U.S. schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Using the NCAA Academic Success Rate, which includes all freshman student-athletes from the fall of 2003 and also accounts for student-athletes who transfer into or out of the institution, Western posted an 85 percent success rate, compared to the NCAA II national number of 73 percent. The average ASR of the nine U.S. GNAC schools was 77 percent.

Sports

Varsity teams

National championships

Western Washington University is credited with 13 official team National Championship. 1 at the NAIA level and 12 NCAA Championships.

AssociationDivisionSportYearOpponent/Runner-UpScore
NAIA Division 1 Softball 1998 Simon Fraser 5–1
NCAA Division II Women's Rowing [8] 2005 Mercyhurst 20–12
2006 Barry 20–15
2007 UC San Diego 20–15
2008UC San Diego20–15
2009Mercyhurst18–13
2010 Seattle Pacific 20–11
2011Mercyhurst20–13
Men's Basketball2012Montevallo72–65
Women's Soccer2016Grand Valley State3–2
Women's Rowing2017Central Oklahoma17–16
Women's Soccer2022West Chester2-1
Women's Rowing2024Mercyhurst22-21

Additionally, Western's club sports have won the following championships:

SportDivisionYear
Road CyclingDivision II2007
CycloCrossDivision II2007
CycloCrossDivision II2009
Men's HockeyDivision II2013
Women's HandballDivision II2014
Water SkiingDivision II2015
Women's BaseballDivision I-III2024

The WWU Women's Baseball club was founded in the Fall of 2023 and won the club sports championship their inaugural year. As women's baseball is relatively new for club sports, there have only been six teams welcomed to the Women's College Club Baseball final. Those teams range from Division I to Division III. [9]

Individual teams

Basketball

WWU won the 2011–12 NCAA Division II men's basketball national championship, just the second collegiate crown in that sport in state of Washington history and the first since 1976. WWU reached the national semifinals in men's basketball in 2001 and women's basketball in 2000. WWU ranks among the top 15 in women's basketball victories among all four-year schools with that program making 12 NCAA tournament appearances in 13 years.

Wade King Student Recreation Center Wade King Student Recreation Center.JPG
Wade King Student Recreation Center

Football

Others

In 2010–11, WWU placed seventh among 310 NCAA Division II schools in the Sports Director's Cup national all-sports standings, the second-highest finish in school history. The Vikings were sixth in 2009–10 and 10th in 2008–09. WWU has had eight straight Top 50 finishes and been among the Top 100 in each of its first 13 seasons as an NCAA II member. In 2010–11, Western won its third straight and seventh overall Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Sports championship, taking league titles in volleyball, men's golf and women's golf, and the regular-season crown in women's basketball. The Vikings, who won the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference championship, placed second in men's and women's cross country, men's and women's outdoor track, men's indoor track and softball.

Other accomplishments include:

Sport clubs teams

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References

  1. ↑ "Jim Sterk". WWU Vikings. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ Western Washington University Logo Sheet (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Victor E. Viking". Brand and Communication Guide. Western Washington University . Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  4. ↑ "VICTOR E. VIKING". Western Washington University Athletics. 2018-06-04. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  5. ↑ Svrluga, Susan (2015-11-24). "A debate over a mascot, a racially charged threat and another college cancels classes". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  6. ↑ Kendig, Corey (2022-01-13). "Is the Viking next to go? WWU eyes ditching Viking mascot due to colonialism". The College Fix . Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  7. ↑ Monson, Dori (2022-01-14). "Dori: Is Western Washington University's Viking mascot getting the woke boot?". MyNorthwest.com . Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  8. ↑ "Division II Rowing Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  9. ↑ "BFA Women's College Club Baseball Championships - Baseball for All". 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
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