The overnight success of the UNCG athletics program has been some 60 years in the making.
Spartan teams are big achievers in their 16th year in Division I competition.
The success story however, began while UNCG was still the Women's College of the University of North Carolina and intercollegiate competition for women was still in its infancy.
1940s
Nancy Porter may have been the first student-athlete in the modern sense of the word at UNCG. The Ohio native competed in national women's golf tournaments as early as 1948.
1950s
Women's College hosted the 10th national golf tournament in 1954 at Starmount Country Club. The College fielded regionally competitive teams that had their beginnings in club sports, play days and other recreational events.
1960s
UNCG launched women's basketball in 1963 under coach Ellen Griffin. Other early teams were tennis, golf and field hockey.
LPGA Hall of Famer Carol Mann was a student at UNCG. She left school early to turn professional.
The University became co-educational in 1963.
Men's athletics were added in 1967-68 and the intercollegiate program for men and women received formal recognition from the University. During the fall of 1967, the nickname Spartans was adopted, giving the athletic teams a "fierce mascot, while still preserving the heritage of the WC's Minerva mark."
Men's teams joined the Dixie Conference in 1968.
Bowling was one of the early men's teams.
1970s
The women's basketball team finished fourth in the National Collegiate Tournament in 1971. The team was one of the first to compete with the five-player rule.
The women's golf team won the University's first team national championship in 1973, coached by Nancy Porter and featuring future pro Donna Horton White.
UNCG was a leader in forming the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).
1980s
The men's basketball team, coached by Larry Hargett, won the Dixie Conference Championship and competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1980.
Ryan Fox won the 1981 individual national title in Division III men's golf.
In the spring of 1981, the University streamlined its program from 12 to eight teams, all competing at the NCAA Division III level. The 1981-82 academic year was the first in which the NCAA sponsored women's championships.
The men's soccer team was ranked in the national Top-20 for the first time in September of 1981. It did not leave the poll for another 10 years.
Coached by Lynne Agee, in her first season, the women's basketball team finished runner-up in the inaugural Division III championship in 1982. It was the first of seven straight NCAA trips for the team.
With Mike Berticelli at the helm, UNCG captured its first men's national championship in soccer in 1982 and then repeated in 1983.
The women's tennis team, under Agee's direction, was the national runner-up in 1983.
Nelson E. Bobb was hired as the first full-time athletic director in 1983.
The women's volleyball team posted a 34-3 record and reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 1984.
Men's soccer player Eddie Radwanski, the first two-time All-American in the program's history, was the first pick in the Major Indoor Soccer League draft in 1985.
Under Michael Parker's direction, the men's soccer team became the first in NCAA history to win three consecutive national championships, in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
In February of 1987, the University announced the elevation of the athletic program from Division III to Division I, an unprecedented move in NCAA history.
The women's basketball team finished third in the nation after entering the NCAA Tournament unranked in 1988.
The Division II era began in 1988-89 and women's soccer was added to the program. The team was ranked No. 13 nationally before ever playing a game.
The men's soccer team was runner-up in the 1989 Division II national tournament and Jason Haupt led all divisions in scoring.
1990s
The men's and women's soccer team were ranked No. 1 nationally in Division II at the same time in 1990.
The women's volleyball and basketball teams made Division II playoff appearances in 1990-91.
Women's golf returned to the athletic program and baseball was added in 1990-91.
UNCG Soccer Stadium, a $3.6 million facility, opens for its first game on September 7, 1991, as the men's team defeated Campbell, 3-1. Four days later, the Spartans stunned No. 2 NC State, 2-1.
Men's soccer's Mike Gailey led all Division I players in scoring in 1991.
UNCG joined the Big South Conference in 1992, ending a four-year period as an independent.
Softball claimed the 1993 Big South regular season title.
Brian Moehler became the first Spartan to sign a professional baseball contract after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1993 Major League draft by the Detroit Tigers. He made his "big league" debut in 1996, and pitched the first game ever in Comerica Park in 2000.
Men's soccer won the 1993 Big South championship. Shawn Mahoney was named the tournament's MVP.
Women's golf was ranked in the Top 20 nationally in the fall of 1993.
Men's soccer claims its second straight Big South championship on Nov. 5, 1994. Larry Feniger was named the tournament MVP.
Women's basketball claimed five straight Big South regular season titles in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Vickie Henson was named the league's Player of the Year in 1993.
Volleyball won the 1995 Big South regular season championship with a record of 7-0. Liz Gremillion was named the league's MVP.
Softball captured three consecutive Big South regular season titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Erin Chandler was named the Player of the Year in 1995 and Christine Hornak was the Player of the Year in 1997. Softball also captured four straight Big South Tournament championships in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
In just its fourth season, baseball claimed the Big South title and won two games in the 1994 NCAA Regionals. Mike Gaski was named Big South Coach of the Year.
On April 15, 1995, men's tennis captured the Big South Championship.
On April 18, 1995, men's and women's golf sweep the Big South Tournament. Becky Morgan was named the league's Player of the Year.
Men's basketball claimed back-to-back Big South regular season titles in 1995 and 1996.
On March 2, 1996, men's basketball knocked off Liberty, 79-53, to claim the Big South Tournament Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Division I. The Spartans lost to Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament, 66-61. The five seniors from the team had their numbers honored. Scott Hartzell finished his career as the mens basketball's all-time leading scorer with 1,539.
On April 15, 1996, women's Golf wins the Big South Tournament. Becky Morgan was once again named the league's Player of the Year. One day later, the UNCG men's golf team won the Big South Tournament. Michael Way was the league's Player of the Year.
Women's golfer Becky Morgan earned her third straight Big South Player of the Year award in April 1997.
Women's tennis captured the 1997 Big South Women's Tennis championship on April 19, 1997.
On May 18, 1997, the UNCG baseball team won the Big South tournament championship with a 14-5 victory over Charleston Southern. Mike Gaski was named Big South Coach of the Year. Baseball earned a bid to the NCAA South I regional, and finished with a school-record 45 wins, including one at the NCAA regional. Pitcher Jason Parsons led the nation with 15 wins and was named third-team All-America.
Wrestling, in its first year in the Southern Conference , tied for the 1997 SoCon title. Joe Stanton became the first and only three-time NCAA qualifier in UNCG history.
Women's Soccer won its first Southern Conference Championship in 1997, while outscoring opponents, 24-0, in the SoCon Tournament. The team earned its first NCAA win with a 3-1 overtime upset of fifth-seeded Duke.
In 1997, Siggi Eyjolfsson becomes the first First-Team All-American in UNCG men's soccer Division I history.
UNCG women's basketball defeated top-seeded Georgia Southern, 75-68, in the SoCon Tournament and earned its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament bid in 1998.
In 1998, UNCG men's soccer claimed its first SoCon title and first NCAA Division I Tournament win, a 2-1 upset at Washington in the first round.
In 1998, women's soccer won its second straight SoCon title, and made its third straight NCAA appearance.
On Feb. 12, 1999, the UNCG Baseball Stadium, a $5.4 million facility, opens to a crowd of 1,835.
On Dec. 21, 1999, Lynne Agee's women's basketball squad defeats defending ACC champion Clemson in a thrilling come-from-behind overtime contest in Fleming Gym, 78-67.
2000s
In 2000, wrestler Dax Pecaro records his second straight undefeated season in the Southern Conference and wins the 184-pound title for the second year as well. Pecaro became the fifth UNCG wrestler to win a match at the NCAA Tournament.
On Feb. 2, 2000, UNCG women's basketball claimed a 77-71 victory at Appalachian State, the program's 500th overall win.
In April 2000, UNCG women's golf comes within one stroke on the final hole of upsetting six-time champion Furman. The team set a new school-record for low round (292) and tournament (901) at the championship.
November 2000, the women's soccer team wins its third SoCon title in four years and upset No. 21 William & Mary in Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the only team in UNCG history to advance to the second round of an NCAA Division I Tournament twice.
On March 4, 2001, the men's basketball team won its first Southern Conference championship on David Schuck's buzzer-beating layup. The team went on to play top-ranked Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, its second trip to the "Big Dance" in five years. Guard Nathan Jameson was named first-team Verizon Academic All-America.
In April 2001, the men's tennis team tied for the SoCon regular season championship with Furman, after posting a 9-1 mark in league play. Head coach Jeff Trivette was named the SoCon Men's Tennis Coach of the Year.
In May 2001, Leigh Irwin, the SoCon Player of the Year in 2000, finishes her softball career as the only player in SoCon history to reach the century mark in stolen bases with 103.
In June 2001, golfer Karl Mitchell was named a second-team Academic All-American.
On Nov. 11, 2001, UNCG women's soccer captured the 2001 SoCon Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament to play North Carolina. Senior goalkeeper Kat Clewley was named the Tournament MVP. Fellow senior Lynsey McLean was named the league's Player of the Year.
On Feb. 11, 2002, men's soccer player Alejandro Moreno was selected by the L.A. Galaxy in the third round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft.
On March 13 and 14, 2002, the men's and women's basketball teams both received their first-ever invitations to the NIT and WNIT, resepectively. The men's team played eventual-champion Memphis, while the women's team faced Virginia Tech.
In November 2002, Chris Goos was named the SoCon Men's Soccer Player of the Year after leading the nation in scoring with 60 points - 20 goals and 20 assists. Goos was also named a second-team All-American.
On November 19, 2002, the men's basketball team defeated Wagner, 84-65, in the first round of the Preseason NIT in Fleming Gymnasium. It marked UNCG's first ever win in the NIT. The Spartans advanced to play at Kansas in the second round.
On November 21, 2002, men's soccer player Cliff Patterson was named third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American after scoring 17 goals on the season.
On Feb. 23, 2003, softball's Amber Watson tossed a perfect game against Toledo in a 2-0 win. Watson struck out 17 batters, including the game's first nine.
On Feb. 27, 2003, James Maye broke the men's basketball all-time scoring record with 17 points against Furman. Maye recorded a triple-double in the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He finished his career with 1,574 points.
On May 7, 2003, Jennifer Hubbard was named the SoCon's Softball Player of the Year after hitting .384 with 10 home runs and 30 runs batted in. Penny Thompson ended her standout career as the SoCon's all-time home run leader with 36.
On May 25, 2003, softball's Jennifer Moran earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
On May 30, 2003, pitcher/outfielder Ryan Gordon was named first-team All-America by Louisville Slugger. The junior hit .416 on the season and captured the SoCon's batting crown, the first in school history to do so. Gordon was also named third-team All-America by Baseball America.
In November 2003, the UNCG women's soccer team won the Southern Conference Tournament title to earn its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last four years. The Spartans defeated arch-rival Furman, 2-0, to win the SoCon crown. UNCG followed that with a first round NCAA Tournament win over Wake Forest, 2-1, before losing to eventual-National Champion North Carolina in the second round. It marked the third time that the Spartans had advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
On January 7, 2004, UNCG women's basketball coach Lynne Agee won her 500th game as a head coach when her Spartans defeated Furman, 63-60, in a SoCon tilt at Fleming Gymnasium. Agee became just the 23rd women's basketball coach in NCAA history to achieve the milestone, joining the likes of legends Jody Conradt of Texas, Tennessee's Pat Summit, UConn's Geno Auriemma, Louisiana Tech's Leon Barmore, North Carolina State's Kay Yow and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell.
On January 31, 2004, UNCG defeated North Carolina for the first time in the sport of Wrestling. After the match ended in a 20-20 tie, UNCG won the match on a tie-breaker, marking the first time the Spartans had defeated the Tar Heels in seven tries. It was UNCG's first win over an ACC school in five years. Kevin Artis' 24-9 win in the final bout of the match tied the overall score and provided the only technical fall of the match, giving UNCG the edge in the tie-breaker.
On February 23, 2004, Jay Joseph became UNCG's all-time leading scorer, eclipsing the mark held by his former teammate James Maye set one year earlier. Joseph finished his career with 1,646 points. He also finished first all-time at UNCG in games played, field goals made and field goal attempts.
In March 2004, Darren Burns was named the SoCon Freshman Wrestler of the Year, UNCG's first wrestling Freshman of the Year since joining the SoCon.
On September 25, 2004, as part of the fifth induction class into the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame, Lynne Agee became the first active head coach to be enshrined in the UNCG Hall. Agee was inducted along with the 1982 men's soccer team, the 1973 women's golf team and deceased administrator David Knight.
On September 29, 2004, James Goodman's goal 28 minutes into the contest was the lone tally as UNCG defeated rival-UNC Chapel Hill, 1-0, in front of a crowd of 2,608 at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The crowd was the largest at UNCG Soccer Stadium since 1999. The win gave UNCG its fourth win of the season over an ACC-member squad.
Just 19 days later, on October 17, 2004, UNCG received its first No. 1 national ranking since moving to Division I. The men's soccer team was ranked No. 1 for the first time that day and became a consensus No. 1 a day later when all four major soccer polls College Soccer News, Soccer America, Soccer Times and the NSCAA Coaches' Poll all listed the Spartans atop the rankings. UNCG remained a consensus No. 1 for two more weeks and a top-ranked team for a fourth week before seeing its 18-match unbeaten streak snapped. The Spartans evevntually earned the SoCon's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, garnering a No. 8 seed. UNCG advanced to the third round of the tournament, before suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss to UC Santa Barbara, the eventual national runner-up. On the heels of the outstanding season, Michael Parker was named the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year. Parker was also named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year.
On October 31, 2004, UNCG wrapped up its fourth Southern Conference women's soccer regular season crown in an eight-year span with a convincing 7-0 win over The Citadel in Charleston. Rakel Logadottir finished the season as UNCG's all-time leader in career assists.
On November 3, 2004, UNCG's Amy Carnell and Karla Davis swept the 2004 SoCon Women's Soccer Player and Freshman of the Year honors. A week later, Randi Patterson and Matt Smith were named the 2004 SoCon Men's Soccer Player and Freshman of the Year, respectively. It marked the first time one school had swept all four awards. Patterson went on to earn several All-American honors.
Freshmen Kyle Hines and Kristen Boone swept the SoCon's Men's and Women's Basketball Freshman of fthe Year honors in February of 2005. Hines set school and SoCon records for blocks in a season with 106, while Boone recorded 121 steals to set a new school record. Her total was the fourth-highest single-season total recorded by a freshman in NCAA history.
Joe Kemmerer, Daren Burns and Joe Lowe all qualified for the 2005 NCAA Wrestling Championships in March. Burns had the best showing of the three, advancing to the quarterfinals of the 197-lb. class. He wound up in the fourth round of the wrestlebacks and finished the season with a 30-6 mark. Two months later, Burns was the surprise of the Pan American Wrestling Championships, finishing third for Team USA at the international competition held in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
In May of 2005, Charles Jones became the first Spartan to qualify for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. After winning the SoCon Championship in the triple jump to qualify for NCAA Regional competition, Jones outlasted a two-hour thunderstorm delay and recorded a jump of 15.35 meters to break a tie for fifth-place and earn automatic qualification into the National Championship meet in Sacramento. Earlier in the meet, Jones had leaped a school-record 15.50 meters. Jones eventually finished the national championship meet in 23rd place.
In June of 2005, Chris Mason was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft, being selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
In August of 2005, Randi Patterson and Scott Jones became the first UNCG players to be named to the "watch list" for the Hermann Award, given annually to the Collegiate Soccer Player of the Year. Patterson was later named among 15 semifinalists for the award.
On October 30, 2005, Randi Patterson became the 13th player in school history and just the fifth junior to record 100 career points in the Spartans' 3-0 men's soccer win over Wofford. The win clinched a share of the Southern Conference regular season title. Two weeks later, UNCG added a Southern Conference Tournament championship trophy to the mantle with a 2-1 win over Davidson. UNCG eventually advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 its second straight Round of 16 appearance.
In November 2005, Randi Patterson became the first player in 20 years to earn back-to-back Southern Conference Player of the Year awards. He and Scott Jones later earned All-American honors.
In December 2005, UNCG's women's basketball program enjoyed two of its greatest non-conference wins since moving to the Division I level. In a 12-day span, UNCG knocked off Big East foe West Virginia at home and ACC member Wake Forest on the road. It was UNCG's first-ever win over a Big East school and the program's first victory over Wake Forest since 1977.
On December 3, 2005, Kyle Hines grabbed 21 rebounds, the most by a Spartan in more than 30 years, to go along with 18 points in a 72-58 win over College of Charleston at Fleming Gym. The 21 rebounds were also a Fleming Gym record. Hines went onto earn All-Region honors from the US Basketball Writers, joining five ACC all-stars.
On December 31, 2005, UNCG hosted top-ranked Duke at the Greensboro Coliseum in front of a record crowd of 21,124. The near capacity crowd was the largest to ever see a UNCG athletic event.
At the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in February 2006, Jeff Williams earned his second consecutive conference title in the 800 meters, making him the first repeat champion in school history. Williams later went onto win the outdoor title in the 800 meters to qualify for the NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track & Field meet.
In March 2006, the UNCG women's basketball team made its first SoCon Tournament title game appearance since 2002. The Spartans rallied from nearly all of a 21-point deficit, closing to within three in the final four minutes. However, Chattanooga pulled away late for a 91-79 win.
UNCG's wrestling team sent multiple wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. The Spartans finished tied for 31st, the program's highest NCAA Championship finish to date.
UNCG opened its remodeled softball venue on Wednesday, February 22 with a twinbill against Radford. The opening of the new $3 million facility was originally scheduled for 11 days earlier, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Later in the year, the Spartans became the first No. 8 seed to beat a top-seed in the SoCon Softball Tournament.
On April 18, 2006, UNCG earned its first win over a top-ranked team in any sport during the university's Division I era... and got to beat Big Brother in the process. The baseball team beat top-ranked North Caorlina, 7-6, in front of a crowd of 1,033. After jumping out to a 4-1 lead, UNCG withstood several Tar Heel rallies, including a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning before closer Patrick Currin slammed the door.
Charles Jones joined Jeff Williams at NCAA East Regional Outdoor Track & Field meet, making Jones a two-time qualfier in the triple jump. Jones finished 11th, falling short in his attempt to return to the national meet.
Jermaine Mitchell drafted in fifth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland A's. Mitchell became the second-highest baseball player drafted behind Chris Mason in 2005. In addition, teammate Patrick Currin, who earned Second-Team Academic All-American honors, was also selected by Oakland the following day in Round 22.
UNCG alumn Andy Bare qualified for the 106th U.S. Open, becoming the first Spartan to qualify for a major golf tournament. Bare finished ninth in a sectional that drew national attention. Also attempting to qualify at the same sectional was Michelle Wie, trying to become the first female to play in the Open.
While Bare was making his name on the pro scene nationally, two UNCG golfers did so on the amateur national scene. Spartan golfers Nathan Stamey and Bradley Leeper appeared among 156 golfers at the 2006 USGA Public Links held at Gold Mountain GC in Bremerton, WA. Stamey qualified by winning his sectional, while Leeper earned a spot as an alternate and was added to the field just 48 hours prior to it getting underway.
