Eastern Michigan Eagles

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Eastern Michigan Eagles
Logo
UniversityEastern Michigan University
ConferenceMid-American Conference (primary)
Coastal Athletic Association (women's rowing)
NCAADivision I (FBS)
Athletic directorScott Wetherbee
LocationYpsilanti, Michigan
Varsity teams19
Football stadiumRynearson Stadium
Basketball arenaGeorge Gervin GameAbove Center
Baseball stadiumOestrike Stadium
Aquatics centerJones Natatorium
Other venuesBowen Field House
MascotSwoop
NicknameEagles
Fight songEagles Fight Song
ColorsGreen and white[1]
   
Websitewww.emueagles.com
Colonial Athletic Association. Altogether, the Eagles have won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports (baseball, men's cross country, men's swimming and diving, men's indoor track and field, and men's outdoor track and field); moreover, EMU has been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice. In 1940, the men's cross country team finished second to Indiana University at the national meet hosted by Michigan State University
.

The Eagles have also won the Reese Trophy, given to the best overall men's athletic program in the MAC, five times, most recently in 2018.

Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
from 1950 to 1961, and has been a member of the MAC since 1972.

History

The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School.

Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1950 to 1961, and eventually joined the Mid-American Conference
in 1972. The university switched from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I athletics in the mid-1970s. Since the 1991 season, Eastern Michigan University athletic teams have gone by the nickname "Eagles."

Since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1972, Eastern's most successful athletics programs in men's sports include: cross country with over 17 MAC titles, indoor track & field with 12 MAC titles, outdoor track & field with over 20 MAC titles and men's swimming & diving with over 30 MAC titles. The more successful sports in women's athletics include outdoor track & field with over 10 MAC titles and indoor track & field with 3 MAC titles.[4]

EMU football made two appearances in NCAA (football) bowl games during the 20th century: the 1971 Pioneer Bowl and th 1987 California Bowl, losing the former and winning the latter.[5] This century, the team first appeared in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, followed by multiple additional bowl appearances.

See also: Eastern Michigan Eagles football § Bowl games

Eastern's men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments. They reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 1991 and in 1996 they beat Duke in first round. As well, men's basketball reached the Final Four of the 1972 NCAA College Division National Championship and were national runners up in 1976.

On March 20, 2018, EMU announced the elimination of four sports: Wrestling, softball, men's swimming and diving, and women's tennis. Despite the dismal record over the years, football was not considered for elimination. NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision regulations mandate that each member school must field at least 16 varsity sports and the Mid-American Conference mandates football for its members.[6] Despite a court order to restart the softball team to satisfy a Title IX dispute, EMU stated a preference to add women's lacrosse, citing costs compared to softball as well as growing youth participation numbers for lacrosse.[7] In November 2019, EMU officially announced the addition of women's lacrosse. The news coincided with the news of the MAC beginning sponsorship of the sport in 2021. EMU will join five other MAC members fielding women's lacrosse for the conference's second season in 2022.[8]

Huron to Eagles

The Michigan State Normal logo used until 1929 (far left), Huron logo used from 1929 to 1991 (center left), Eagle logo used 1991–2013 (center right), "E" logo used 2013–present (far right)
See also: Wyandot people § Origin, names and organization

EMU began investigating the appropriateness of its Huron Indian logo after the

1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, announcer Jim Nantz
talked about the controversy and referred to the team on-air as the "No-Names."

Some former students and faculty were angered that a unique name like Huron was replaced by something common like Eagles, especially for reasons of

etymological meanings conflict with the "bon Iroquois" attitude held by the French fur traders and explorers. An alternate etymology is from the Algonquin words ronon ("nation"), or Irri-ronon ("Erie" or "Cat Nation"). It was pronounced Hirri-ronon by the French, eventually shortened to Hirr-on, and finally spelled in its present form, Huron. Other etymological possibilities come from the Algonquin words ka-ron and tu-ron ("straight coast" and "crooked coast").[10]

Some alumni have refused to donate money to the school. The name change spurred an official chapter of the EMU Alumni Association, the Huron Restoration Chapter. The chapter claims to have the support of Chief Leaford Bearskin of the Wyandot Tribe of Oklahoma and former Grand Chief Max Gros-Louis of the Huron-Wendat Nation of Quebec to reestablish the team name as Huron.[11] Since the change, the university has not altered the name and has continued to adopt the Eagle name. In 1994, the university adopted a new mascot called "Swoop".[12] In 2011, EMU began its True EMU Campaign which aimed to unite all alumni stating "Whether you are a Huron or an Eagle, whether you graduated 50 years ago or last semester, we want you to show the world you remember your times in Y-Town, water tower and all."[13]

Swoop, EMU's Mascot

Mascot

Main article: Swoop (Eastern Michigan University)

Swoop is the mascot for

American bald eagle
wearing an Eastern Michigan University jersey, displaying the numbers "00" on the front and "Swoop" on the back. At the Eastern Michigan University bookstore a stuffed animal pair can be purchased, one wearing a jersey, the other wearing a cheerleader outfit.

Facilities

Main article: List of Eastern Michigan University buildings § Athletic and Recreation buildings

EMU Athletics oversees and uses several facilities on the EMU campus such as the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Bowen Field House, Eagle Crest Resort (Ypsilanti, Michigan), the Indoor Practice Facility (the bubble), Olds-Robb Rec/IM, Oestrike Stadium and Rynearson Stadium.[14][15][16]

Eastern Michigan Eagles gymnastics. Oestrike Stadium is used for baseball and softball events.[16] The newest building operated by athletics is the Indoor Practice Facility, which opened in 2010. Six intercollegiate sports use the facility which include football, baseball, softball, women's soccer and men's and women's golf.[18][19]

Athletic bands

EMU Marching Band

The Eastern Michigan University Marching Band, nicknamed "The Pride of the Peninsula," was first formed in 1894.

The Eastern Michigan University Basketball Band is directed by the two graduate assistants of the band. Unlike the marching band which is made up of all brass and woodwinds, the Basketball Band's instrumentation is strictly "Brass and Sax." The Basketball Band travels with the basketball teams during the MAC tournament or the NCAA tournament.

The school song "Our Pledge" was written by Edward Bowles and was arranged for the marching band by Thomas Tyra. The melody of "Eagles Fight Song" was written by Larry Livingston and arranged for marching band by Thomas Tyra. The percussion parts were written by Whitney Prince. "Go Green" was written by Thomas Tyra.

Varsity sports

Eastern Michigan University offers 19 NCAA Division I varsity sports, 7 for men and 12 for women.[20]

Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Golf
Football Gymnastics
Golf Lacrosse
Track & field† Rowing
Soccer
Swimming & diving
Tennis
Track & field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Baseball

Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles baseball
See also: Oestrike Stadium
Eagles baseball players celebrate a home run during a 2023 game against Michigan State.

On June 19, 1976, after finishing in sixth place the year before, the baseball team was defeated by the

Bob Welch, Dan Schmitz, Jerry Keller, Glenn Gulliver, Glen Ambrose, Mike Lauerman, Thom Boutin and John Martin
.

Men's basketball

Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball
See also: George Gervin GameAbove Center

Eastern's men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, and have a 3–4 record, tied for third best among Michigan colleges. They reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 1991 tournament (their first ever appearance) and defeated Duke University in the first round of the 1996 tournament.

One of the great highlights in team history came after the victory over Duke in 1996 when the Blue Devils' Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated, "Eastern Michigan is very well coached, much deeper than we are and, today, much quicker than we were."[21]

EMU reached the Final Four of the 1972 NCAA College Division National Championship, led by All-American George Gervin, an NBA Hall of Famer selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1976, the Baseball team was national runners up in NCAA Division I.

Women's basketball

Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles women's basketball

Eastern's women's basketball team began in the 1977–78 season.

Cross country

Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles men's cross country

Eastern Michigan Eagles men's cross country is a varsity level sport. The Eagles compete at the

Division I level in the NCAA. The men's cross country team has won fourteen team championships. Its current head coach, John Goodridge, has won five MAC championships in his nine years as head coach. The cross country team at the school started in 1911.[22]

Football

Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles football
See also: Rynearson Stadium
The football team in 1917

The football team played one home game a year at Ford Field in downtown Detroit from 2004 to 2007 in the "Collegiate Clash". They hosted Central Michigan University (2004), Western Michigan University (2005), the United States Naval Academy (2006), and Northwestern University (2007). After winning the first Ford Field game over CMU in triple overtime 61–58, they lost three in a row.

The greatest football victory in EMU history occurred in December 1987. The MAC Champion Hurons defeated 17½ point favorite San Jose State in the California Bowl. The victory culminated a 10–2 season and improbable rise from the depths of Division I-A college football. Only two years previous the team was in serious jeopardy of losing Division I-A status. Head Coach Jim Harkema was instrumental in resurrecting the program. The two losses in 1987 were both on the road, and were by a total of 11 points.

The 1988 and 1989 teams each finished in second place in the conference and ended the most successful stretch of football in school history with its fourth straight winning season.

After a long series of losing records, and finishing the 2015 season with a 1–11 record, they have since appeared in bowl games in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team under head coach Chris Creighton.

Women's gymnastics

See also:
Convocation Center (Eastern Michigan University)

Eastern Michigan Eagles gymnastics is a

Convocation Center. Warner Gymnasium is the current home of the EMU Gymnastics Program.[24] Katie Minasola is the head coach for the EMU Gymnastics team with Danielle Weber and Sam Higgins as assistant coaches.[25]

The team consists of 20 girls who all do different routines, skills, and compete at all different levels scoring. They all work together as a team and compete for themselves as well as each other to get the highest scores possible from the 4–8 judges on each event. There are ten to eleven meets per season and are every weekend from the end of January to the end of March. On average there are three to four home meets per season the rest being away meets that can be anywhere from Ohio to California.

The team has ranked repeatedly within the top 15 for team GPA in the nation.[26] In 2008, the Eagles had 11 gymnasts named to the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) scholar-athlete team. Additionally, the team placed seventh as a team with a Mid-American Conference leading 3.5357 team GPA for the ninth consecutive year. In 2007, the team gained its first MAC title and in 2008 were runners up.[27]

The team won back-to-back MAC titles in 2016 and 2017.[28] Following a COVID-19 impacted 2020 season, the EMU Gymnastics team came back strong to become MAC champions once again in 2021.[29]

Swimming and diving

See also: Olds-Robb Recreation-Intramural Complex

The men's swimming and diving team hold the record for the most MAC Championships in a single sport, 31, which they won in Men's Swimming and Diving in 1978, 1980–1996, 1998, 2000–2005, 2007–2012, and 2014.[30]

Women's swimming and diving is one of EMU's more successful women's sports. Women's Swimming and Diving team won MAC titles in 2006 and 2007.

The head coach Peter Linn has been leading the Eagles for 27 years.

Track and field

Men's Outdoor Track & Field has over 20 MAC titles. Men's Indoor Track & Field has over 13 MAC titles. Women's Outdoor Track & Field has over 10 MAC titles. Women's Indoor Track & Field has 3 MAC titles.[31] Track and field collectively holds the record for most MAC titles out of all the EMU athletics teams.

Wrestling

See also: Bowen Field House
An Eagles wrestler (right) takes on an opponent from Cal Poly in 2015

Eastern Michigan Eagles wrestling team is a men's athletic program. Eastern Michigan adopted the sport of wrestling in 1956. The wrestling program was part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1957 through 1962. In 1963–1966, EMU wrestling switched conferences to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Since the exit from the PAC, EMU has been a part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), starting in 1973. Home meets are held in Bowen Field House.[32] In 1996, wrestling won its first MAC championship. There are several home dual meets a year and an annually host of the EMU Open. The EMU Open is an annual event started in 1991 that hosts over 500 wrestlers and NCAA schools across all three divisions.[33] The last head coach of the EMU wrestling team was David Bolyard. Bolyard became the new head wrestling coach in 2014. The team has 6 NAIA All-Americans,[34] 5 NCAA Division II All-Americans,[35] and 4 NCAA Division I All-Americans.[36] As well, the team has over 20 MAC champions.[37]

Despite having one of the best seasons in recent history and Sa'Derian Perry as its first All-American since 1999, wrestling was named one of the four sports EMU would cut in March 2018, just three days after the wrestling championships. In April 2018, Perry transferred to Old Dominion University with two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of a team whose program was eliminated, Perry would not lose a season of eligibility. EMU head coach Bolyard became an assistant at the University of Michigan.

NAIA & NCAA D2 records

Team records

Individual records

Individual champions

Club sports

Eastern Michigan has over 15 club sport teams. Ranging from traditional sports such as men's hockey to unique sports such as

Roller Hockey
. Roller Hockey achieved national championships in 2001 in NCRHA Division II.

Men's ACHA Hockey

The men's hockey team[39] play in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in the Division 1 level. The Eastern Michigan Eagles hockey team began play in 1976. In the first 33 years of existence the Eagles played in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL) before switching to the newly formed GLCHL at the start of the 2010–2011 season. In 2003, the team was suspended for hazing from the 2004–05 season until 2007.[40] The team were national runners-up in 2000 and 1994 in the ACHA Division I league.

Olympians

EMU has 20 students and alumni who have competed in the Olympic Games. The earliest being Lloyd Olds, in 1932. The most recent being 2016 with Eric Alejandro

  • 2016 - Eric Alejandro
  • 2012 – Eric Alejandro and Jamie Nieto
  • 2008 – Sasha Springer-Jones
  • 2004 Athens Games: USA- Jamie Nieto (High Jump, 4th)
  • 2000 Sydney Games: Nigeria- Nduka Awazie (4 × 400 meter relay, Silver), Nigeria – Clement Chukwu (200 & 400 meters)
  • 1996 Atlanta Games: USA- Paul McMullen (1500 meters, 9th), Suriname – Tommy Asinga (800 meters), British West Indies – Greg Rhymer (1500 meters), Nigeria – Clement Chukwu (200 & 400 meters), Bahamas – Savatheda Fynes (100 & 200 meters, 400M Relay)
  • 1992 Barcelona Games: Suriname – Tommy Asinga (800 meters)
  • 1988 Seoul Games: Suriname – Tommy Asinga (800 meters)
  • 1984 Los Angeles Games: USA- Earl Jones (800 meters, Bronze), Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1980 Moscow Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1976 Montreal Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters, Gold, 200 meters)
  • 1972 Munich Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1968 Mexico City Games: Canada – Dave Ellis (10,000 meters)
  • 1964 Tokyo Games: USA- Hayes Jones (110 High Hurdles, Gold), USA – Dean Rockwell, Manager of the Greco Roman Wrestling Squad
  • 1960 Rome Games: USA- Hayes Jones (110 High Hurdles, Bronze)
  • 1948 London Games: USA – George Marshall, Manager, Men's Track and Field
  • 1932 Los Angeles Games: USA – Lloyd Olds, Assistant Coach, Track and Field

References

  1. ^ "Colors - Division of Communications". Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "MAC announces top institutional awards for 2007–08 academic year" (PDF). Mid-American Conference. 2008-05-28. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  3. ^ "Our History". www.emich.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  4. ^ "MAC Records". Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Mac records". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  6. ^ Eastern Michigan University budget woes prompt cutting of 4 sports programs
  7. ^ Jesse, David (February 8, 2019). "EMU doesn't want to restart women's softball, suggests lacrosse instead". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  8. ^ Logue, Brian (November 6, 2019). "MAC Starts Division I Women's Lacrosse League; Eastern Michigan To Add Program". US Lacrosse Magazine. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  9. ^ Trigger, Children of Aataentsic, 27.
  10. ^ Vogel, Virgil (1986). Indian Names in Michigan. Ann Arbor, pp. 13 – 15: University of Michigan Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ^ "Huron Restoration Chapter". Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  12. ^ a b "EMU Adopts Swoop Mascot in 1994" (PDF). emich.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-15. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  13. ^ "True EMU campaign". Archived from the original on 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  14. ^ "Eagle Crest Resort". Eagle Crest Resort. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  15. ^ "Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest". Marriott. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  16. ^ a b "Oestrike Stadium". Eastern Michigan University. Retrieved 2011-06-14.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Olds / Marshall Track". Eastern Michigan University. Retrieved 2011-06-14.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "EMU indoor practice facility pays dividends for community, University athletics". Eastern Michigan University. 2011-05-25. Archived from the original on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  19. ^ "Welcome to the Eastern Michigan Indoor Practice Facility". Eastern Michigan University. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  20. ^ "Eastern Michigan to offer women's lacrosse starting in 2021-22". EMU Today. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  21. ^ Jon Wilner – SOUTHEAST\Eastern Michigan knocks off Duke Archived 2012-10-10 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Daily News
  22. ^ http://emueagles.com/documents/2009/9/24/MediaGuide.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  23. ^ Bowen Field House History Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "The Official Website of Eastern Michigan Athletics Warner Gymnasium".
  25. ^ "2022 Gymnastics Roster". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  26. ^ "Gymnastics GPA ranking". Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  27. ^ "MAC title Gymnastics". Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013. In 2007, the Eagles captured their first MAC title
  28. ^ "Eagles Defend MAC Title with Best Meet of Season, Scoring a 196.500". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  29. ^ "Gymnastics Brings Home Fourth MAC Championship". Eastern Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  30. ^ "MAC men S&D 30 titles". Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  31. ^ "MAC track titles". Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  32. ^ "EMU : Historic Tour". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  33. ^ "EMU Annual Open 1991 starts". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  34. ^ "NAIA Records". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  35. ^ "NCAA D2 record". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  36. ^ "NCAA D1 Records". Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  37. ^ "MAC Champs". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  38. ^ "Quidditch at emu". Archived from the original on 2011-02-19. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  39. ^ "Eastern Michigan University Ice Hockey".
  40. ^ "EMU: Press Releases". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2012-01-03.

External links

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