Wingate University Athletics

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University will add men’s and women’s track and field to its slate of sports offerings, vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston announced today. The Bulldogs will compete in both sports beginning in the spring of 2011.

With the addition of men’s and women’s track and field, Wingate University will field 19 NCAA teams (10 men’s teams, nine women’s teams). Poston says the University is conducting a search for a coach who will assume the leadership of a highly-competitive NCAA Division II program. He plans to have a coach on staff by January 1, 2010.

“There are a growing number of high school students who participate in track and field in the United States,” Poston says. “We are pleased to offer two new sports that are very popular among these student-athletes. With the addition of track and field, Wingate University becomes more appealing to a broader base of potential students.”

“We believe track and field is a natural outgrowth of our successful cross country programs,” Poston adds. “Each year, our cross country teams record some of the highest grade point averages in our department.” Last year, the Wingate women’s cross country team posted a 3.474 team GPA. The Bulldog men recorded a 3.013 team GPA. “We look for the track and field student-athletes to have similar success in the classroom,” Poston asserts.

Wingate University will join Carson-Newman College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Mars Hill College and South Atlantic Conference newcomer Anderson (S.C.) University as league schools with track and field programs. Anderson joins the conference for the 2010-11 academic year.

Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years. The Bulldogs won SAC championships in volleyball, softball and men’s tennis during the 2008-09 academic year. The Wingate men’s swimming team won the 2009 Blue Grass Mountain Conference title.

Seven Bulldog teams made NCAA post-season appearances last year. In addition to the four conference championship teams, men’s cross country, women’s swimming and women’s golf were represented in the NCAA post-season during the 2008-09 campaign. Fifteen of Wingate’s 17 teams have participated in NCAA post-season play since the Bulldogs joined the NCAA in 1993.

In the classroom, Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,129 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physical education, physician assistant studies, sport administration and the doctor of pharmacy degree.