All-Decade Varsity Sports Teams
December 22, 2009 10:54 AM | General
December 22, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - What a decade it was for varsity sports at West Virginia University! The Big East Conference gave the Mountaineers an immediate boost in prestige when WVU joined the league in 1995 - not only in football and basketball - but in all sports as well.
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| Three-time NCAA champion Greg Jones.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
Fifteen years later, Big East membership has translated into unprecedented success for the entire Mountaineer intercollegiate athletic program. Now, West Virginia consistently finishes among the top third of all NCAA schools in the annual Directors’ Cup standings, placing a school-best 30th out of more than 300 athletic programs from across the country two years ago.
West Virginia is presently 25th after this fall’s Directors’ Cup standings.
It is difficult to find a more consistent program anywhere than West Virginia women’s soccer. The Mountaineers under Nikki Izzo-Brown have made 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 twice including an Elite Eight appearance in 2007. A total of nine different players have earned All-America honors this decade.
Women’s cross country has also been exceptional lately. Last year, WVU placed fourth at nationals for its highest-ever-finish; this fall the Mountaineers nearly duplicated that feat with a sixth-place finish at NCAAs. West Virginia has made five trips to nationals this decade, producing four All-Americans during that span of time.
Women’s cross country also became the first WVU women’s program to capture an outright Big East title, beating women’s soccer by just a couple of weeks two years ago.
Coach Sean Cleary’s women’s track program has had similar success, scoring points at indoor nationals seven times, including back-to-back Top 25 finishes in 2003 and 2004. The outdoor team scored at nationals three times with a Top 25 placing coming in 2005. The women’s track program is responsible for five individual All-Americans this decade and a distance medley relay team that has finished in the top eight at nationals six times since 2000.
Men’s soccer is now considered an annual national contender under coach Marlon LeBlanc, making back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007. The Mountaineers in 2006 won a program-best 15 matches with LeBlanc being named National Coach of the Year by Soccer America. A year later in 2007, LeBlanc led WVU to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance in 26 years.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs have prospered this decade as well. The Mountaineer men’s team won its first ever Big East title in 2007, and presently has a streak of four consecutive Top 35 finishes at nationals heading into this year. The men have seen 11 individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships this decade alone.
The women have also made strides under third-year coach Vic Riggs, consistently placing in the top five at the Big East Championships and sending six individuals to nationals since 2000.
Greg Van Zant’s baseball program has qualified for Big East Tournament play four times this decade in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009, compiling 30-win seasons in each of those years. The Mountaineers have also sent 30 players on to professional baseball since 2000.
The women’s tennis program has achieved winning campaigns in five of the last seven years, making Big East Tournament trips in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 – the last two coming under current Coach Marc Walters.
Volleyball in 2009 had its fourth winning season this decade, producing a 17-13 overall record that came within one victory of qualifying for the Big East Tournament. The Mountaineers won 18 matches in 2004 with veteran Coach Veronica Hammersmith on the bench.
Rowing has also enjoyed success in the Big East under current Coach Jimmy King. The Varsity 4+ won the Dad Vails race in 2001, and later placed second at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in England that same season.
Three WVU sports – rifle, gymnastics and wrestling - compete outside of the Big East Conference and all three have maintained an impressive national profile.
Rifle captured its 14th NCAA title in 2009 while ending 10-time champion Alaska-Fairbanks’ three-year title reign. During this decade, the Mountaineers have had a pair of top three finishes at nationals, 11 first-team All-Americans and six Olympians, including current Coach Jon Hammond.
Gymnastics qualified for NCAA Regional competition nine out of 10 times this decade with West Virginia securing conference titles in 2001, 2004 and 2008. This decade also saw two NCAA All-Americans and five individual national qualifiers for Linda Burdette’s always-strong WVU program.
Wrestling has sent at least five individuals to NCAAs in each of the last eight years with a school-best nine qualifiers in 2003. The Mountaineers finished the decade 72-52-4 in dual meet action under veteran Coach Craig Turnbull with Eastern Wrestling League dual-meet titles in 2002, 2003 and 2005. The Mountaineers produced 10 individual conference champions during the decade.
Here is a sport-by-sport listing of the performers of the decade:
Baseball – Jedd Gyorko
Second team Louisville Slugger All-America in 2009 … one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented to college baseball’s top shortstop … Under Armour Cape Cod League all-star … finished second in the country in doubles with 28 in 2009 … 2009 NCBWA district player of the year … first team all-Big East … invited to 2009 Team USA tryouts.
Gymnastics – Janáe Cox
Placed 13th on the floor exercise at the 2007 NCAA Championships to earn first-team All-America honors … three-time NCAA qualifier in 2004, 2005 and 2007 … first Mountaineer to reach 2,000 career points scored (2,070.65) … 2007 EAGL gymnast of the year and 2004 EAGL rookie of the year … two individual EAGL titles on vault in 2004 and on the beam in 2005 … 17 career first-team all-EAGL citations.
Men’s Soccer – Jarrod Smith
Soccer America first team and NSCAA second team All-America in 2006 … semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player in 2006 … Big East single-season record holder in goals (12) and points scored (28) in conference play in 2006 … scored 32 career goals, tying him for fifth all-time in school history … seventh in career points scored at WVU with 72 … first-team all-Big East in 2006 … selected by Toronto FC in the 2007 MLS supplemental draft.
Men’s Swimming – Kevin Donohue
Placed fifth at NCAA championships in the 100-meter breast stroke with a time of 53.15 … only swimmer in school history to ever finish in the top eight at nationals … two-time Big East champion in 2007 and 2008 in the 100- and 200-meter breast … Big East record holder in the 100 breast … honorable mention All-America in 2007 as a member of the 200 medley relay team.
Rifle – Bryant Wallizer
NRA first-team All-America in 2009 … two-time NRA air rifle second-team All-America … captured air rifle title at 2009 USA Shooting National Championships, automatically qualifying him for the U.S. National Development Team … second at 2009 nationals in air rifle with a score of 691.
Volleyball – Julie Hockenson
Second team all-Big East in 2005 … seventh in school history in career blocks … ninth in career kills and hitting proficiency … Big East Academic All-Star in 2005.
Women’s Cross Country – Marie-Louise Asselin Three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and five-time All-American overall … first runner in school history to capture a Big East individual title in cross country in 2008 … twice finished 17th at nationals in 2007 and 2008 … three-time all-Big East and four-time Mid-Atlantic all-region.
Women’s Cross Country – Keri Bland
Three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and five-time All-American overall … first performer in school history to earn All-America honors in three different sports during the same season (cross country, indoor and outdoor track) … finished 14th at nationals in 2008 … three-time all-Big East and four-time Mid-Atlantic all-region … Big East record holder in the indoor mile with a time of 4:34.78.
Women’s Rowing – Varsity 4+ Team of Tina Griffith, Risha Kelley, Erin Nesbit, Noelle Dodge and coxswain Christine DeRienzo
Placed second in the world at the prestigious 2001 Henley Royal Regatta in the Varsity 4+ competition … also placed first at the 2001 Dad Vails Regatta, the nation’s largest collegiate race to earn an invitation to represent the U.S. at the Henley Royal Regatta … all four rowers had no previous rowing experience before entering WVU.
Women’s Soccer – Lisa Stoia
Two-time All-American … NSCAA/adidas first team All-American in 2003 … Big East midfielder of the year in 2002 and 2003 … three-time first-team all-Big East … tied school record with 87 career starts … tied school record with 10 assists during the 2003 season … starting midfielder for the St. Louis Athletica of the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
Women’s Swimming – Morgan Callaway
Big East Most Outstanding Swimmer in 2009 … three-time NCAA qualifier … school record-holder in 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 back, 200 medley relay, 800 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay … three-time Big East champion in 2009 in 200 free, 500 free and 200 back.
Women’s Tennis – Raynie Theis
A career 121-78 record … 12th on the school’s all-time win list but tops among players this decade … a combined record of 49-28 playing singles and doubles as a freshman … had a combined 40-29 record her junior and senior seasons … Big East Academic All-Star.
Women’s Track – Megan Metcalfe
NCAA national champion in the outdoor 5,000-meter run in 2005 … school-record nine-time All-American in track and cross country … owner of five school records … 2000 Big East freshman of the year in cross country … competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics for her native Canada.
Wrestling – Greg Jones
One of only 39 wrestlers in NCAA history to capture three national titles … one of only two wrestlers from the Eastern Wrestling League to win three NCAA titles … one of only 20 wrestlers in NCAA history to win multiple national titles in different weight classes (174 and 184 pounds) … 2005 Hodge Trophy finalist as the nation’s top wrestler … 2005 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler … 2005 Sports Illustrated On Campus Winter Player of the Year … posted a 17-2 career record in NCAA Tournament action … four-time NCAA qualifier … won the final 51 matches of his career … 126-4 career record … three-time Eastern Wrestling League wrestler of the year.
