Wayne State Warriors

History

The Wayne State intercollegiate athletics program was established in 1917 by director of athletics David L. Holmes, when the school was known as Detroit Junior College. Revered by his athletes, Holmes initially coached all sports. His track teams were nationally known into the 1950s; in his first ten years, he produced two Olympians from the school's Victorian-era gym. Although he had major ambitions for Wayne and scheduled such teams as Notre Dame and Penn State in the 1920s, the lack of facilities and money for athletics kept the athletic program small.

In 1927, three years after the school was renamed the College of the City of Detroit, a student poll selected the name of "Tartars" for the school's teams, which were generally known as the Detroit Tartars. In 1934, the college became Wayne University, with athletic teams known as the Wayne Tartars until 1956 when the school became Wayne State University and athletic teams were called the Wayne State Tartars. The Tartars nickname lasted until 1999 when the university changed it to "Warriors" due to a feeling that the Tartar name was dated and that not many people knew what a Tartar was.

As the Detroit Tartars, the school competed in the Michigan Collegiate Conference from 1927 to 1931. In 1946, Wayne University was a founding member of the Mid-American Conference, but only played one season in the conference before leaving in 1947. In 1955 the university, along with John Carroll University, Case Institute of Technology, and Western Reserve University formed the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The University competed in the PAC until 1967 before competing as an independent program and joining the upstart Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in 1975.

Varsity sports

The Wayne State University Athletic Department sponsors the following sports:

Baseball

Wayne State has had 7 Major League Baseball draft selections since the draft began in 1965.

Fencing

Fencing for Wayne State, future two-time Olympican Byron Krieger was Wayne State's first Intercollegiate Fencing Association/NCAA champion in foil in 1942. Future three-time Olympian Allan Kwartler also fenced at Wayne State.

Football

Wayne State football competes with the other sports in the GLIAC, the program also competed in the PAC from 1955 to 1967 and in the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference from 1990 to 1998. Wayne State has won three conference championships, one in the GLIAC and two PAC championships. The Warriors played in the Division II National Championship game in 2011, losing to the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 35-21.

Notable NFL alumni include: Vic Zucco, Richard Byas, Jr., Paul Butcher, Sr., Tom Beer, and Joique Bell.

Ice hockey

Wayne State previously competed in men's and women's NCAA Division I ice hockey as a member of College Hockey America (CHA). The university dropped their men's program at the end of the 2007–08 season, followed in 2011 by ending the women's hockey program.

Championships

National Championships

• Note: Although WSU competes at the DII level, the NCAA combines all three divisions for its National Fencing Championships.

Conference Championships

i. GLIAC Championships:

ii. President's Athletic Conference Championships:

iii. College Hockey America:

References

References

1. "Staff Directory".
2. (1999-07-29). "WSU adopts new athletic identity". Wayne State University Press.
3. (2000-08-06). "Before and After: New Symbols for Old Schools". New York Times.
4. (2018–19). "Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Record Book". [[Mid-American Conference]].
5. (2016). "Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Record Book". [[Mid-American Conference]].
6. "Conference Overview: Timeline". [[Presidents' Athletic Conference]].
7. "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Wayne State University (Detroit, MI)"". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
8. [https://forward.com/news/breaking-news/324428/ex-fencing-champion-dies-in-havdalah-candle-fire/ "Ex-Fencing Champion Dies in Havdalah Candle Fire" – ''The Forward'']
9. "May 17, 1980 – City of Yonkers, NY".
10. Wodon, Adam. (March 11, 2008). "Wayne State Bids Farewell". College Hockey News.
11. (May 30, 2011). "Wayne State ends women's program". [[NCAA]].