Press Release: The Hartwick College Board of Trustees voted on Friday to continue its support of both NCAA Division I and Division III athletics at the College. The decision is an endorsement of a recommendation to the Board made earlier this month by the College’s president, Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich. “The Division I sports of men’s soccer and women’s water polo will continue with the Board’s support,” said Dr. James Elting, M.D., the Chair of Hartwick’s Board of Trustees. “The Board has carefully considered this matter at several intervals in recent years, and we believe that the decision to retain both Division I and Division III programs brings appropriate closure to this question. These sports have long been a point of pride for the College, and they will continue to be.” “Hartwick has a distinguished tradition of competitive athletics that complements the educational intent of our academic mission,” said President Drugovich. “Approximately 35 percent of our students compete on varsity teams, and an even larger number compete at the intramural, club and individual sport level. All of these activities provide the prospect of personal growth and development, and it is clear that these opportunities are very important to our students, alumni, and our community.” At its February 2008 meeting, the Hartwick Board of Trustees tabled the question of retaining both Division I and Division III sports pending the arrival and review of the issue by then newly appointed Drugovich, who began her duties in July 2008. In the second year of her presidency, Drugovich appointed an Athletics Review Task Force with the charge to explain how the intercollegiate athletic experience at Hartwick relates to the life of students at the College. In addition, the Task Force was asked to identify an approach that best aligns resources to support a model in athletics that best fits Hartwick’s Organizing Principle, while also maximizing the student experience as it relates to sport and athletic activity. The Task Force included 25 students, alumni, faculty, staff, and Trustees, and was co-chaired by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Meg Nowak and Hartwick alumna Rory Shaffer-Walsh ‘92. Using surveys, focus groups, and forums, the Task Force gathered input from Hartwick alumni, members of the Wick Athletic Association, the President’s Cabinet, coaches, faculty, staff, students, and members of the community at large. The Task Force also reviewed data analysis from NACDA, a consulting firm that was engaged by Drugovich to provide an objective review of Hartwick’s athletics program through benchmark studies of athletic programs at other liberal arts colleges. Both groups submitted final reports and recommendations to Drugovich earlier this summer. “The work of the Athletics Review Task Force informed and shaped my perspective on the Division I program, on the level of support the College provides to sports in both Divisions, and on the opportunities to strengthen our program. Their review was comprehensive and very well done,” she said. Hartwick’s NCAA Division I teams have been at the forefront of the College’s competitive athletic success. Since its inception, Hartwick men’s soccer has won an NCAA national championship, and made 23 NCAA tournament appearances and four conference appearances, including one conference championship. In its ten years of competition Hartwick’s Division I women’s water polo has made three NCAA tournament appearances, won three Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern conference championships after four appearances, and won two Eastern College Athletic Conference championships. In addition to it NCAA Division I programs, Hartwick Athletics competes in the Division III sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s equestrian, field hockey, football, men’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. Margaret Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich
What a great way to kick off the season ... for an old-timer like me, Hartwick's tradition is something I really respect, so I'm happy to see it continue.
This is a great recognition and endorsement to the efforts and attitudes (win, lose or draw) of the student athletes involved in all of the sports. Hats off to the Trustees and President for their support.
The ability for Hartwick to continue with their DI sports speaks volumes to foresight of the President and Board. The ability of these student athletes to play at the highest collegiate level and remain in an institution of Hartwicks status demonstrates the true example of Scholar/athlete.
sorry for the thread bump... http://www.thedailystar.com/news/lo...cle_7da13cb0-e219-5a1d-816a-647a93c38879.html The men's soccer program, once among the best in the country, will be demoted to Division III effective next fall, and women's water polo is being cut completely. Division III men's tennis has also been cut.
This breaks my heart. I grew up in Oneonta, and as a boy, I remember sitting spellbound watching Hartwick games. When I was a boy, they made the final four in back-to-back years ('85 and '86 or somewhere around there), and the guys on those teams were my heroes.
As someone who comes from a Division III background (although in my day, it was called College Division and there were only two divisions), I have trouble seeing this as a tragedy. I have had considerable ties to Oneonta over the years and have many friends who, I am sure, view this news the same way that Hartwick Fan and fknbuflobo do, but my overall feeling here is that Division III is not a fate worse than death.
Competitively, this is for the best. There's a reason D-III is the level the rest of Hartwick sports play - it's the best fit for them. And it's become increasingly difficult for smaller schools in D-I men's soccer to compete with the bigger programs. There was a time when smaller schools could be powers in men's soccer - Philadelphia Textile (now Phil. University), Alabama A&M, American, Howard and Hartwick all made the Final Four and some won national titles. Now, it's an upset when a team outside the ACC, Pac-12 or Big Ten makes the Final Four and it's usually a Big East school with lots of men's hoops money or a big state school like Akron or UC Santa Barbara. This move by Hartwick is just a reflection of the reality of the market. That said, I didn't come here to piss on Hartwick's grave. This is a program that won a national title and made seven Final Fours between 1970 and 85; was coached by some huge American soccer pioneers like Al Miller, Timo Liekoski, and Jim Lennox; produced a World Cup player and Olympian (Mike Burns) and several other national team players like Dominic Kinnear, Mooch Myernick, Dave D'Errico, Eddie Hawkins (the first US-born black player to get capped by the USMNT) and Matt Kmosko; Hermann trophy winners in Myernick and Billy Gazonas; and influential folks in modern soccer like USL CEO Alex Papadakis and Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre. It's a great legacy with a tremendous history. And while them dropping down make sense, the sadness about this is also justified.
so not a wind up...but did you leave out Francisco Marcos on purpose??? http://www.hartwickhawks.com/mobile/hof.aspx?hof=49
apparently they will be joining the Empire 8 conference...which I believe includes Utica (NY) College
Just as bad, is they have to wait like 100 yrs per NCAA to compete for any conference or national championships when you transition from athletic scholarship programs to merit based scholarships. It's ridiculous.....
This is the type of move a lot of schools need to do, not necessarily in soccer, but their heyday is past. These small schools struggle in the modern NCAA. Trying to maintain D-I is very tough. There is a lot of good competition in this region in D-III Hey Hartwick, my son is HS senior next fall, you want to look at him (kidding, the kid is not good enough to play there).
In honor of Hartwick soccer, a photo I found of Hartwick playing at home during 1977, the year they won it all. I was a high school senior, soccer player, and huge soccer fan, and I thought it very cool and great that a school of about 1,600 students in NY with more players from NJ than from overseas had won the NCAA championship. Notice the fans packed behind the goal restricted by the snow fence. And an article from Sports Illustrated on the Warriors win for the championship over USF. https://www.si.com/vault/1977/12/12/622797/mitey-band-of-warriors
I believe that there are currently no schools that compete at Division I soccer that don't compete at Division I in all sports... Schools like Adelphi, Philly Textile and Hartwick all hung on as long as they could.... Once SUNY-Oneonta dropped out of Division I, Hartwick's days were numbered as they lost a natural rival... Sad day but also shows the evolution of the sport at the college level in terms of finances now put into the sport...
a packed Elmore Field on a crisp fall day...not much could be better: so...did the GK make the save...your pic ain't quite clear...lol
quickly thinking to myself about other sports who have D1 individual programs while primarily D3 in other sports include RPI, Saint Lawrence University and Union College Mens Ice Hockey and Hobart and Johns Hopkins Mens lacrosse...
There is the power 5 (65 schools) and then like 240 other mid-majors trying to keep up with them. These latter schools are leaking money yearly trying to keep up with the jones. Presidents at these schools will realize what Hartwick already has and say "we have no chance" let's look at the d3 model. Either that or the P5 separate completely. They really almost already have as TV will force their hand "dont schedule those mid-majors" nobody watches......
The NCAA wants it that way. One level per school for all sports. These are the hangers on. Hobart is DIII, but I believe they still play the likes of Syracuse and Colgate.
Looks like he made the save to me ... ball not in the net, and red #22 blocking the view of the keepers hands and likely the ball. But if he didn't get scored on that shot, he did at least let one in on another shot, as Hartwick went 16-0-2 that season, and was never shut out at home -- only failing to score away at Brockport. Hartwick's 1977 record below: 16-0-2 overall record 1977 NCAA National Champions Opponent Place Result Binghamton A W, 3-0 Ithaca A W, 3-0 Penn State H W, 1-0 Brockport A T, 0-0 Colgate H W, 2-1 Philadelphia Textile H W, 1-0 Albany A W, 3-0 Bridgeport A W, 1-0 E. Stroudsburg H W, 2-0 Adelphi H T, 1-1 Syracuse H W, 5-2 Cornell A W, 2-0 UConn A W, 2-1 St. Francis * H W, 5-1 Cornell * H W, 3-1 Phila. Textile * A W, 2-0 Brown ^ N W, 4-1 San Francisco # N W, 2-1 * = NCAA Tournament ^ = NCAA Semifinal # = NCAA Championship game
nope...Hobart Mens lacrosse schedule sure looks D1 all the way to me: https://www.hwsathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=mlax
I stand corrected. They may have jumped from III to I in recent years. edit: 1995. Almost went back to III in 2008 In 1995, Hobart promoted its team from Division III to Division I to preserve the lacrosse rivalry with Cornell and Syracuse. In 2008, the continuation of the series was put in jeopardy when the Hobart Board of Trustees decided to reclassify its lacrosse program back to the Division III level on April 26. After an emotional reaction from the alumni community, however, the decision was reversed on May 1. The following day, Cornell played the first night game at Hobart's Boswell Field.[9]