West Chester Golden Rams
The West Chester Golden Rams represent West Chester University of Pennsylvania, which is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in intercollegiate sports. They compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in NCAA Division II.
| West Chester Golden Rams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | West Chester University of Pennsylvania |
| Conference | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) |
| NCAA | Division II |
| President | Christopher M. Fiorentino |
| Athletic director | Terry Beattie |
| Location | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Varsity teams | 23 (9 men's, 14 women's) |
| Football stadium | John A. Farrell Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Hollinger Field House |
| Baseball stadium | Serpico Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | Rockwell Field |
| Mascot | Rammy |
| Nickname | Golden Rams |
| Marching band | Golden Rams Marching Band |
| Fight song | The RAM Fight Song |
| Colors | Purple and Gold |
| Website | www |
The university currently fields 23 varsity Division II men's and women's teams.
The men's basketball team is coached by Damien Blair and won its first NCAA Division II Tournament game in 2018.[1] In 2019–20, the team was ranked eighth and began the season on a 13-game win streak.[2]
The Men's soccer team is coached by Michael Benn, who has been with the Golden Rams for 10 years. He has led them to the NCAA Division II Tournament 4 times, one trip seeing them go to the National final and the PSAC conference tournament 7 times as of 2021. [3]
Facilities
edit- John A. Farrell Stadium (Football/Outdoor Track & Field)
- Hollinger Field House (Men's & Women's Basketball/Volleyball/Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field/Men's & Women's Diving)
- Serpico Stadium (Baseball)
- Rockwell Field (Men's & Women's Soccer)
- Vonnie Gros Field (Field Hockey & Lacrosse)
Varsity athletic teams
editMen's
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross-Country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Swimming & Diving
- Tennis
- Track & Field
Women's
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Cross-Country
- Field Hockey
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming & Diving
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
National championships
editThe West Chester University Golden Rams have won a total of 14 team national championships.
NCAA national team championships
edit| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Pre-Division (1) | Men's Soccer (1) | 1961 | Saint Louis | 2–0 |
| Division II (7) | Baseball (2)[4] | 2012 | Delta State | 9–0 | |
| 2017 | UC San Diego | 5–2 | |||
| Field Hockey (3) | 2011 | UMass Lowell | 2–1 | ||
| 2012 | UMass Lowell | 5–0 | |||
| 2019 | Saint Anselm | 2–1 | |||
| Women's Lacrosse (2)[5] | 2002 | Stonehill | 11–6 | ||
| 2008 | C.W. Post | 13–6 |
AIAW/DGWS national team championships
editPrior to the NCAA sanctioned women's sports, West Chester University's women's teams competed for national championships under the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and its predecessors, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS) and the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW).
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIAW | - | Women's Basketball | 1969 | Western Carolina | 65–39 |
| - | Field Hockey | 1975 | Ursinus | 2–1 (ps) | |
| 1976 | Ursinus | 2–0 | |||
| 1977 | Ursinus | 1–0 | |||
| 1978 | Delaware | 3–2 | |||
| DGWS | - | Women's Swimming & Diving | 1972 | - | - |
Notable athletes
edit- Geno Auriemma (B.A. 1981) – University of Connecticut women's basketball head coach and member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
- Ken Campbell – Former professional football player
- Dan DePalma – Former professional football player
- Tony DiMidio – Former professional football player and coach
- John Edelman – Former MLB pitcher
- Timothy Ferkler (B.A. 1986) – Quarterback of 1984 National Championship team
- Joe Iacone (1960–1962) – Former football player
- Kevin Ingram – former professional football player
- Pat Kelly – Major League Baseball Player - Second Baseman for the New York Yankees
- John Mabry – 14-year MLB career
- Don Peters – former United States women's national artistic gymnastics team head coach
- Cathy Rush (B.S. 1968, M.Ed. 1972) – Former Immaculata University women's basketball head coach
- Joe Senser (1979) – Former NFL tight end, Minnesota Vikings
- Al-Hajj Shabazz (2011–2015) – Former NFL cornerback
- Karen Shelton – Olympic field hockey player and coach
- Bill Shockley – Former professional football player
- Ralph Tamm (B.S. 1988) – Former NFL offensive guard
- Marian Washington (1970) – Former University of Kansas women's basketball head coach
- Mike Washington – 2008 Philadelphia Sports Writers Association "Outstanding Amateur Athlete"
- Chuck Weber – Former professional football player
- Joey Wendle – Major League Baseball All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays
- Don Williams (1963) – Center forward on the 1961 National Championship soccer team, three-time All-American
- Lee Woodall (1993) – Former NFL linebacker, San Francisco 49ers
- Jerry Yeagley (1961) – Coached Indiana University to five NCAA Soccer Championships
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Smith, EJ (November 7, 2018). "West Chester basketball teams highlight local small-college landscape". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ Geoghegan, Neil (January 8, 2020). "Unbeaten West Chester University earns highest NCAA ranking in 37 years". Daily Local News. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ "Michael Benn - Men's Soccer Coach". West Chester University Athletics. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "Division II Baseball Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ^ "Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 10, 2016.