As a member of NCAA Division I, UNCW fields 19 varsity teams including men's and women's programs in basketball, tennis, golf, track and field, cross country, swimming, diving and soccer. Other varsity programs include volleyball, softball and baseball.

Seahawk spirit is flying high on campus. UNCW's athletes are champions on the playing field and in the classroom.

As a member of NCAA Division I, UNCW fields 19 varsity teams, including men's and women's programs in basketball, tennis, golf, track and field, cross country, swimming, diving and soccer. Other programs include volleyball, softball and baseball.

The Seahawks’ athletic facilities include the 6,100-seat Trask Coliseum, an Olympic-sized natatorium with diving well, a 3,000-seat baseball stadium, a 2,000-seat soccer stadium, the Harold Greene Track and Field Complex and the Boseman Softball Field.

The 2006-07 athletic season at UNCW not only marked the swan song for all-around student-athlete Anna Raynor, but also the continued dynasty of the men’s swimming team and the return to glory for the men’s track and field and women’s golf teams.

Raynor capped an outstanding career at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by finishing fourth for the second straight year in the javelin in Sacramento. The senior from Benson, N.C., added the title “All-American” to her resume for the third consecutive year after successfully defending her titles in the CAA Championships and Penn Relays. She leaves as one of the most decorated female student-athletes in the history of the program.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams set the tone for a successful year in athletics with stellar seasons in the fall. Coach Aidan Heaney’s club closed with an 11-7-1 record and knocked off No. 3 Duke and No. 19 Old Dominion on the road. The women’s team, directed by CAA Co-Coach of the Year Paul Cairney, enjoyed its best season in the 13-year history of the program by going 13-6-0 overall and finishing second in the competitive CAA at 8-3-0. The men wound up 48th out of 199 NCAA Division I teams and the women checked in at 47th out of 310 schools in the National RPI Rankings.

In the pool, the men’s swimming and diving team shrugged off a rebuilding year by capturing its sixth consecutive CAA crown over rival George Mason. Coach Dave Allen’s team featured just three conference champions, but used overall depth and the resilience of senior freestyler Eric Boyer to remain atop the CAA. Allen’s squad finished 24th in the nation in the final CollegeSwimming.com mid-major poll. A young women’s swimming team won two individual titles and set seven school records en route to second-place in the CAA meet. Sophomore distance freestyle Danielle Mortensen made the NCAA “B” Qualifying Standard in the 1,650 Frestyle and rookie Caitlin Kirsteier captured the 100 Freestyle in the conference meet. The women’s team wound up 17th in the final mid-major poll.

The spring months featured solid campaigns for nearly every team, highlighted by CAA championships in men’s track and field and women’s golf.

The men’s track and field team won its eighth CAA title by outdistancing William & Mary at the CAA meet in Harrisonburg, Va. Led by senior hurdler Zeickia Ledwell, who won two individual titles and contributed on a winning relay unit, the Seahawks collected six CAA titles and featured 22 All-CAA performers. Overall, 26 thinclads qualified for the IC4A Championships and seven qualified for the NCAA Regionals. The Seahawks went on to post a best-ever fifth place finish at the IC4A meet in Princeton, N.J.

In women’s track, Raynor was one of five All-CAA honorees as concluded her career in style. The talented performer defended her javelin titles at the CAA, ECAC and Penn Relays and became the first three-time All-American in the school’s history.

The women’s golf team, behind CAA Coach of the Year Cindy Ho, won its first CAA championship and earned its fifth trip to the NCAA Regionals in the last five years. Freshman sensation Carmen Perez-Narbon was named CAA Rookie of the Year and CAA Player of the Year, while junior Emily Klein joined Perez-Narbon on the first team and newcomer Ashley Tait garnered second-team honors.

In softball, sophomore catcher Carley Hughes turned in a monster year to help the Seahawks reach the CAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Hughes set single season records for home runs and total bases and batted a hefty .44 to share CAA Player of the Year honors. She was also named to the Louisville Slugger All-Region squad. Coach Mark Scalf’s baseball team wrapped up the campaign with a 29-27 record and gained a share of the CAA’s regular season title with an 18-11 scorecard. Scalf recorded his 500th career win and senior catcher Jonathan Batts closed out his career as the program’s all-time leader in runs scored, doubles, runs batted in and total bases.

Academically, the Seahawks continue to excel in the classroom. Three teams - men’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving and men’s cross country - received Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA Division I Performance Program, and two others - men’s soccer and women’s tennis - scored a perfect 100 percent on the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate Report.

For more information, visit the Seahawk athletics Web site.

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