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Jun 14, 2006: No. 1 In Virginia!!! The Marlins' Best Year Ever Tops All-Sports Survey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Virginia Wesleyan College's athletic program is the most successful program in the state of Virginia for the second time in three years.
The Marlins teams posted a 71.1 winning percentage during the 2005-06 athletic year to place first in the College Division of the annual survey conducted annually by the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association. Virginia Wesleyan outdistanced all other Division II, Division III and National Association of Intercollegiate Association teams in the state, displacing last year's winner Christopher Newport University. CNU posted a 67.3 winning mark, followed by the University of Mary Washington at 65.4, Washington and Lee University at 65.0 and Bridgewater College at 64.5. Twenty-seven colleges and universities were ranked in the College Division survey.
"To be the best overall college athletic program in a state that has so many strong programs is a testament to our coaches and to our student-athletes," said VWC Athletics Director Sonny Travis. "Our hard-working, energetic coaches and motivated student-athletes have been the keys to our success. That, coupled with the great strides we've taken in providing some great athletic facilities in the last couple of years. It's an exciting time for Virginia Wesleyan athletics."
Virginia Wesleyan's teams compiled a College-record 220-88-2 combined mark in 2005-06 as every Marlin squad that compiles a win-loss ledger posted a winning record, a first for the program. Wesleyan's men posted a 94-38-1 record for a 71.1 winning percentage, finishing first among all the men's programs in the state. Mary Washington followed at a distant 62.7 with a 75-44-3 record. The Wesleyan women posted more victories than any other program in the state with 126, but finished second overall with a 71.5 winning percentage. Washington and Lee finished first with a 75.7 mark.
The Marlins' return to the No. 1 position was highlighted by the College's first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III national championship in men's basketball. The Marlins rolled through the season to a program-record 30-3 finish, including a second consecutive Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship. Virginia Wesleyan head coach David Macedo was named the national coach-of-the-year and rising senior Brandon Adair (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) was named the national player-of-the-year.
The ODAC men's basketball championship was one of three for Virginia Wesleyan, as the Marlins posted at least one league title in every season, another first for the program. The men's soccer program recorded its eighth league title, and second in three years, en route to a 14-6-1 finish in the fall, and the baseball program notched its sixth league crown, and third in four years, staging an impressive comeback season for a 24-22 finish in the spring.
Winning prevailed in every season for Virginia Wesleyan, starting with an outstanding fall that produced a 70-27 combined record. Women's soccer (19-2-1) posted a 10-0-1 league record and field hockey (13-6) finished with a 7-1 league mark as both teams placed first in the regular season standings. Volleyball, in its third year of competition, posted a 19-13 record for its second consecutive 19-win season.
The winter season continued winning ways, not only with the unparalleled success of the men's basketball team, but also with the dramatic improvement of the women's basketball Marlins. The women finished 17-9, posting the program's best record since the 1993-94 season.
With a combined record of 117-39 following two seasons of competition, Virginia Wesleyan rolled into the spring with momentum and never looked back. Six teams produced winning records, highlighted by identical 17-2, program-best records for both men's and women's tennis. The women enjoyed their highest finish ever in the ODAC tournament, placing fourth, while the men placed third. The men recorded history however, as Eric Caudill (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) and Jeff Zenisek (Jacksonville, Fla./Bartram Trail) won the No. 1 doubles title, giving VWC its first ODAC flight championship and ending a long winning streak for Washington and Lee.
Softball helped pump up the victory totals in the spring by posting a 27-14 record, women's lacrosse added a 14-4 finish, highlighted by its third straight 7-1 finish in the league, and men's lacrosse compiled a 9-5 record for its best overall showing since 1999.
Virginia Wesleyan also enjoy standout seasons in its "non-record" programs ... golf, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field ... setting numerous program records in all of the running sports.
Overall, it was a year that produced three All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans, one NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, two ODAC scholar-athlete-of-the-year honorees, 14 all-region players, two all-region coaches-of-the-year, 48 all-conference honorees, three conference players-of-the-year, two conference rookies-of-the-rear and four conference coaches-of-the-year. There were also 24 all-state honorees, two state players-of-the-year and three state coaches-of-the-year. Two teams finished ranked among the nation's top 10 ... basketball No. 1 and women's soccer No. 4.
The final 2006 overall standings in the VASID College Division (II, III and NAIA) all-sports survey are as follows: 1. VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (220-88-2, .713); 2. Christopher Newport (196-95-1, .673); 3. Mary Washington (204-107-4, .654); 4. Washington and Lee (194-103-6, .650); 5. Bridgewater (187-102-5, .645); 6. Hampden-Sydney (77-47-2, .619); 7. University of Virginia-Wise (141-96, .595); 8. Randolph-Macon (177-124-2, .587); 9. Roanoke (155-117-3, .570); 10. Lynchburg (154-130-2, .541); 11. Virginia Union (89-77, .536); 12. Apprentice (69-67, .507); 13. Ferrum (131-133-2, .496); 14. Marymount (89-92-2, .472); 15. Eastern Mennonite (112-128-8, .468); 16. Averett (114-153, .42696); 17. Southern Virginia (104-140-2, .42682); 18. Virginia Intermont (101-136, .42616); 19. Virginia State (82-116, .414); 20. Emory & Henry (98-148-3, .400); 21. Mary Baldwin (56-91, .381); 22. Shenandoah (104-177-1, .371); 23. Bluefield (49-130-1, .275); 24. Randolph-Macon Woman's (33-100-1, .250); 25. Sweet Briar (24-82-1, .229); 26. Hollins (16-56, .222); 27. Saint Paul's (23-138, .143).
The final top 10 women's program standings are as follows:
1. Washington and Lee (125-39-3, .757); 2. VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (126-50-1, .715); 3. Christopher Newport (125-50-1, .713); 4. University of Virginia-Wise (91-40, .695); 5. Mary Washington (129-63-1, .671); 6. Bridgewater (113-56-3, .666); 7. Randolph-Macon (110-66, .625); 8. Apprentice (17-11, .607); 9. Lynchburg (101-71-2, .586); 10. Roanoke (92-71-3, .563).
The final top 10 men's programs standings are as follows: 1. VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (94-38-1, .711); 2. Mary Washington (75-44-3, .627); 3. Hampden-Sydney (77-47-2, .619); 4. Bridgewater (74-46-2, .615); 5. Christopher Newport (71-45, .612); 6. Ferrum (72-46-1, .609); 7. Virginia Union (36-24, .600); 8. Roanoke (63-46, .578); 9. Randolph-Macon (67-58-2, .535); 10. Washington and Lee (69-64-3, .518).
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