Washington and Lee Generals
Washington and Lee Generals | |
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University | Washington and Lee University |
Conference | Old Dominion Athletic Conference |
NCAA | Division III |
Athletic director | Jan Hathorn |
Standort | Lexington, Virginia |
Varsity teams | 25 |
Football stadium | Wilson Field |
Basketball arena | Warner Center |
Baseball stadium | Cap'n Dick Smith Field |
Soccer stadium | Alston Parker Watt Field |
Nickname | Generals |
Colors | Blue and white[1] |
Website | www |
The Washington and Lee Generals are the athletic teams that represent Washington and Lee University, located in Lexington, Virginia, in NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Generals compete as members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for all sports except wrestling, which competes in the Centennial Conference. All together, Washington and Lee sponsors 25 sports: 13 for men and 12 for women.
Washington and Lee was one of the founding members of the Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1900, as well as the Division I Southern Conference in 1921. The Generals remained members of the SoCon until 1958. During this time, they played alongside other Virginia universities like Virginia, Virginia Tech, VMI (also located in Lexington), and William & Mary. Generals basketball won the Southern Conference twice: 1934 and 1937. The football team even made an appearance in the 1951 Gator Bowl against Wyoming.
After leaving the Southern Conference, the Generals moved into Division III and joined the College Athletic Conference in 1962. This was followed by a move to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in 1976, also as a founding member. Washington & Lee's men's lacrosse remained the school's only Division I program until 1987.[2]
Varsity teams
List of teams
Men's sports
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Women's sports
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Individual teams
National Championships
Washington and Lee holds two NCAA National Championship titles. In 1988, the men's tennis team won the NCAA Division III National Championship title. In 2007, the women's tennis team claimed the NCAA Division III National Championship title. In 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2021 the Generals football team won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship. In 2009, the Generals baseball team won the ODAC championship.[3]
Men's lacrosse
Washington and Lee's first lacrosse team was fielded in 1938 and started the Dixie Lacrosse League along with Virginia, Duke, and North Carolina. The Generals soon were successful winning the Dixie League Championship in 1939 and 1940. No team was fielded from 1943 through 1946. The team resumed play in 1947.
After the school downgraded to Division III in 1958, the men's lacrosse team remained at the Division I level until 1987. Washington and Lee participated in seven NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournaments: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980. The Generals reached the tournament's semifinals three times: 1973, 1974, and 1975.
Since 1987, Washington and Lee have won twelve Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Lacrosse Championships: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2019, and 2023. Washington and Lee have participated in fifteen NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship tournaments: 1987, 1991, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. The Generals reached the quarterfinals four times: 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2023. The Generals reached the semifinals three times: 1987, 2000, and 2002.
Washington and Lee Hall of Fame Coach Jack Emmer is known for creating The Armadillo play where five players would surround a player with the ball, facing him and locking arms showing the defense only their backs. Any attempt by the defense to retrieve the ball would result in a penalty. Washington and Lee would then be able to run a man-up offense as a result of the penalty. Washington and Lee successfully used this play during the 1982 game against UNC. Following the game, The Armadillo was outlawed by the NCAA rules committee.
Washington and Lee lacrosse is also known for being on the losing side of one of the greatest upsets in lacrosse history when unranked Morgan State defeated the number 1 ranked Generals in the first game of the season in 1975. W&L had a 28 game regular season winning streak and had not lost at home in three years at the time.
Washington and Lee plays VMI in the Lee-Jackson Lacrosse Classic every year. VMI is W&L's next door neighbor in Lexington, VA. The Classic is named after Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Lee served as W&L's president from 1865-1870 and Jackson was a professor at VMI from 1851-1861. The Classic was held every spring as part of the main lacrosse season until 2007 when it moved to the fall as an exhibition game. In 2022 & 2023, the game was held as a scrimmage without the official "Lee-Jackson Lacrosse Classic" name. W&L holds a 31-4-1 lead in the all time series against VMI. The trophy is a plaque featuring crossed swords.
Washington and Lee competes against Christopher Newport every year for the Virginia LtN Cup and generates support for LtN. LtN or "Lacrosse the Nations" is an organization that uses lacrosse and other physical activities to teach important life skills and help improve education and health while creating opportunity and hope for children in need. W&L holds a 6-5 lead in the all time series against Christopher Newport.
Rivalries
Washington and Lee and Roanoke College have been rivals since the 1870's. The rivalry is fueled by a long history of competition; conference affiliation, and geography also plays a role in this rivalry as both schools are charter members of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and are located about 50 miles from each other along Interstate 81. Both schools historically have had nationally ranked men's lacrosse teams and have been ranked in the top twenty when meeting each other toward the end of the regular season. In addition to men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse games with Roanoke has drawn much interest as both schools have had highly successful programs and have competed against each other in the ODAC Championship game multiple times.
Conference championships
ODAC Championships unless otherwise noted
Baseball (2): 1972 (CAC), 2009
Men's Basketball (10): 1934 (Southern), 1938 (Southern), 1967 (CAC), 1968 (CAC), 1970 (CAC), 1971 (CAC), 1976 (CAC), 1977, 1978, 1980
Women's Basketball (3): 2010, 2023, 2024
Men's Cross Country (15): 1972 (CAC), 1982, 1984, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Women's Cross Country (19): 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Field Hockey (4): 2005, 2017, 2021, 2022
Men's Golf (18): 1934 (Southern), 1955 (Southern), 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2019
Women's Golf (6): 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Men's Lacrosse (12): 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2019, 2023
Women's Lacrosse (24): 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Riding (3): 2006, 2014, 2022
Men's Soccer (7): 1986, 1989, 2000, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022
Women's Soccer (4): 2002, 2003, 2009, 2016
Men's Swimming (17): 1935 (Southern), 1936 (Southern), 1937 (Southern), 1938 (Southern), 2004 (Bluegrass), 2005 (Bluegrass), 2006 (Bluegrass), 2007 (Bluegrass), 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Women's Swimming (33): 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Men's Tennis (48): 1967 (CAC), 1968 (CAC), 1969 (CAC), 1972 (CAC), 1973 (VCAA), 1976 (VCAA), 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Women's Tennis (33): 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Men's Indoor Track & Field (11): 1930 (Southern), 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Women's Indoor Track & Field : 2009
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (6): 1925 (State Champion), 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 2017
Women's Outdoor Track & Field : 1995
NCAA Tournament Appearances
Baseball
2009
Southeast Regional
Salisbury, Maryland
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
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Division III | First Round | Salisbury | L 2-3 |
Elimination Round | Washington & Jefferson | L 3-8 |
Men's Basketball
1975
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Glassboro State | L 48-66 |
Regional 3rd Place Game | Methodist | L 58-71 |
1977
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | William Patterson | L 68-92 |
Regional 3rd Place Game | Glassboro State | L 87-103 |
1978
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Jersey City State | W 66-65 |
Regional Championship | Kean | L 64-80 |
1980
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Upsala | L 70-78 |
Regional 3rd Place Game | Allegheny | L 80-103 |
Women's Basketball
2010
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
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Division III | First Round | Christopher Newport | L 51-68 |
2022
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
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Division III | First Round | NYU | L 61-71 |
2023
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
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Division III | First Round | UW-Oshkosh | L 55-58 |
2024
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
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Division III | First Round | Vassar | W 68-61 |
Second Round | Catholic | W 80-70 | |
Third Round | Rhode Island College | W 61-55 | |
Quarterfinals | Wartburg | L 58-68 |
Men's Cross Country
Appearances: 1975, 1995, 2016, 2023
Field Hockey
2005
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Montclair State | L 0-2 |
2017
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Denison | W 1-0 (2OT) |
Second Round | Messiah | L 2-3 |
2021
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | Second Round | Scranton | W 2-0 |
Quarterfinals | Rowan | L 0-3 |
2022
Division | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Division III | First Round | Ohio Wesleyan | W 3-0 |
Second Round | Williams | L 0-3 |
Men's Golf
Appearances: 1972, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1990, 1991, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Women's Golf
Appearances: 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
References
- ^ "Completmentary Typeface and Color : Washington and Lee University". Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^ "A History of Washington and Lee Athletics". Washington and Lee University Athletics website. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
- ^ "Athletics at W&L :: Washington and Lee University". Wlu.edu. Retrieved 2011-02-28.