WOU Magazine Spring 2012: Feature stories
The year in review
by Michael Feuling '07
What a year it was for WOU athletics: conference champions, NCAA appearances, academic accomplishments, and all-Americans. Here is a look back at the year that was.
Football
Led by a group of 19 seniors the Wolves finished 6-5 on the season and came up a game short for the GNAC championship. The season included long road trips to Grand Valley State, Abilene Christian, Dixie State and Montana. The Wolves picked up two huge home wins on their way to an undefeated home season with victories over Central Washington and Humboldt State.
Volleyball
The Western Oregon volleyball team finished in fourth place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference for the second consecutive year. The Wolves put together a 14-8 record on the season and a 13-5 conference mark. The Wolves finished off their season by winning their last five matches, and 10 of their final 12. This included seven sweeps of GNAC opponents.
Soccer
The Wolves finished in fifth place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a record of 5-6-3 and a 6-8-4 record overall. This was the most wins that the team has gained since the 2001 squad. This was the first season under new coach Steve Ancheta.
Cross country
The Western Oregon men's cross country team made their second straight trip to the NCAA National Championships a memorable one by placing 14th. The women's team also had another strong season just missing out on a return trip to the NCAA championships.
Men’s basketball
The Wolves compiled their best-ever regular season record at 18-10. They also went 11-7 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games, to earn one more win than any other time in their Division II history. Those 11 conference wins earned WOU a fourth place finish in the GNAC, its best in its 11-year history.
Women’s basketball
The Wolves were led this season by GNAC honorable mention Rylee Peterson. The senior forward from Newport, Ore. (Newport H.S.) finished fourth in the GNAC in scoring (16.3) and 11th in rebounding (6.6). The Wolves were able to defeat Seattle Pacific for the first time in 28 tries dating back to 1982.
Softball
The Wolves finished fourth in the GNAC standings with a 19-17 conference record and a 23-26 mark overall. Western Oregon started the GNAC season with a 4-12 record but won 15 of their last 20 conference matchups to get above .500 in league play. Amanda Evola and Andrea Baily were both named to the GNAC all-conference team.
Baseball
The Wolves finished the season at 40-11 (29-3 GNAC). Those 40 wins tie for the second-most for WOU at the Division II level. Western Oregon, which ranked No. 1 was also the number one seed in the West Region. The Wolves finished their GNAC schedule with a 29-3 mark. The team’s winning percentage (.906) in conference is the best ever for the Wolves in Jeremiah Robbins' seven-year tenure. It is also the second-best ever for Western Oregon at the Division II level, trailing only the 2003 team that went 22-2 (.916) in the GNAC.
Track and field
The track and field season started off with a bang when the team completed one of the most memorable and remarkable indoor seasons in school history. The men’s team won their fifth straight GNAC championship, and the women place third their best finish since 2007. Ashley Potter broke the school record in the triple jump by over 13 inches. The indoor success carried over to the outdoor season. Four Wolves competed at the NCAA D2 outdoor championships.
