Every year, voters rank the best of the best in Whitewater – restaurants, stores, etc. – through Royal Purple’s annual Best of Whitewater survey. Just like some local places have maintained their notoriety year after year, some UW-Whitewater athletic teams have secured their all-time legacy.
In honor of this week’s Best of Whitewater issue, here are the five greatest athletic teams in school history:
- 2005 volleyball
The 2005 Warhawk volleyball team had an odd journey to their second national championship win. After finishing fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, they had to rely on an at-large bid to make the NCAA Tournament. Once they received that nod, they never looked back.
With UW-Oshkosh hosting the regional, charted territory helped the Warhawks defeat Elmhurst University in round one, before topping familiar foes, UW-Platteville and UW-Eau Claire, in rounds two and three.
The team traveled to Salem, Virginia, to compete in the Elite Eight, their first time in Salem since winning the national championship three years prior. The Warhawks cruised through the first two matchups, defeating Emory University 3-1 and sweeping LaVerne University.
In the championship bout, the team faced off against Juniata College, a school they were 5-0 against at that point. After Juniata came back from a 2-0 deficit, the Warhawks inched forward in set five, taking not only a 15-12 set win but also another first-place trophy with it.
The 2005 volleyball team still lives in the history books 20 years later. As a team, they have the most single-season kills, assists, service aces and total blocks in program history. Furthermore, Abbie Mueller dished 1,723 assists, and Carley Polk blocked 172 spikes, both program records.
- 2014 baseball
In the NCAA’s 118 years of existence, UW-W is the only university to win football, men’s basketball and baseball national championships in the same season.
The 2014 Warhawk baseball team rounded off that prestigious 2013-14 athletic season. Head coach John Vodenlich, who still leads the Warhawks today, guided his squad to a 44-7 record en route to the program’s second national title.
What makes this team different from the record-breaking 2005 squad is their championship run. After facing WIAC elimination by falling to UW-La Crosse 12-3 on day one, they won 11-straight postseason games to bring home their second first-place trophy.
They finished the WIAC Tournament by getting revenge on the Eagles, defeating them 17-5 in the conference championship game. Afterward, they convincingly won the first three games of the NCAA regional before sneaking past Adrian College 5-4 to advance to the College World Series.
Only one game, a second-round matchup against SUNY Cortland, came within three runs. The Warhawks defeated Emory University 7-0 in the title game to secure the top honor.
- 1988-89 men’s basketball
Before the Warhawks joined the national spotlight for collegiate athletics as a whole, the men’s basketball team won the university’s first two national championships in the 20th century. The second of those two makes an appearance on this list.
The Warhawks finished 29-2 on the season, only losing to fellow Final Four team UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh in conference play. With several double-digit wins in the national bracket, they defeated Trenton State College, now known as The College of New Jersey, 94-86 in the championship bout.
The 1988-89 team’s consistency helped them flood the record books, with many records still standing today. As a team, they still hold records in points, scoring margin, field goal attempts, field goals and 3-point field goals made, assists, blocks, steals and turnovers forced.
Individually, Ricky Spicer holds season records in assists per game (9.5) and steals (102), while Elbert Gordon holds a program record in blocks (53). Pat Miller, who won two national championships as a head coach for the Warhawks, was also on this esteemed roster.
- 2014 gymnastics
What often goes overlooked about the university’s 2013-14 athletic season is that a fourth national championship was won that year.
The Warhawk gymnastics team does not compete in the NCAA, instead being one of 17 schools in the National College Gymnastics Association. Regardless of the association, the 2014 squad was one of the most dominant teams in school history.
They compiled some impressive wins before the national championship meet. They placed first in several Division III meets, defeated DII Lindenwood University, and went 3-0 in individual meets against WIAC teams.
Once nationals approached, the Warhawks had a target on their backs after winning the previous two championships. Instead of backing down, the team totaled a school record 193.025 points en route to their third-straight first-place finish. They beat second-place Cortland by over two full points, and they won four of the five categories.
- 2009 football
The No. 1 spot on this list belongs to the program with the most national championships in school history. With six to choose from, it is hard to go wrong with choosing the football team to make this list, especially given that five of those teams went 15-0.
With 2013 in a close second after obliterating the University of Mount Union 52-14 in the national title game, no season was more dominant than the Warhawks’ 2009 campaign. There is a deeper story outside of being the first team in program history to finish undefeated.
The squad won 15 games with an average scoring margin of 32.1 points per game, scoring 42.5 on offense and allowing only 10.4 on defense. Furthermore, they won every regular season game by at least 24 points and every playoff game by at least 10. In those playoffs, the Warhawks won every game by an average of 27.8 points per game, further solidifying them as the most dominant football team in program history.
To this day, the 2009 group currently holds six team records and six individual records. They have team records in touchdowns, points, rushing touchdowns, completion percentage, extra points made and extra points attempted. The individual records are for the same categories, except completion percentage is replaced with passing yards (Jeff Donovan, 3,682).
