As a member of NCAA Division I, UNCW fields 19 varsity teams including men's and women's programs in basketball, tennis, golf, track and field, cross country, swimming, diving and soccer. Other varsity programs include volleyball, softball and baseball.

The 2007-08 athletic year at UNC Wilmington was highlighted by back-to-back championships in three sports, a national splash by the baseball team and a young diver that served notice of a bright future.

The men’s swimming and diving, men’s track and field and women’s golf teams captured Colonial Athletic Association titles for the second straight year. Coach Dave Allen’s swimming team made it seven in a row, extending one of the CAA’s longest running dynasties.

In the fall, the women’s soccer team qualified for the CAA tournament once again behind First-Team All-CAA selection Kelly Renkin. The Lady Seahawks did not allow a goal in successive wins over George Mason, Towson and Northeastern during a torrid run in October.

On the men’s side, the Seahawks suited up 16 freshmen, making Coach Aidan Heaney’s square the second youngest squad in the nation. It closed out the season with consecutive wins over James Madison and Georgia State and placed newcomers Daniel Roberts and Allen Lomax on the CAA’s All-Rookie unit.

The men’s basketball team fashioned one of the nation’s best turnarounds after posting a 23-10 record in Benny Moss’ second season at the helm. Senior T.J. Carter was a First-Team All-CAA pick and was a finalist for The V Foundation’s Comeback Award after leading the team in several statistical categories and won the CAA’s John H. Randolph Inspiration Award. Overall, the Seahawks hoopsters set 11 individual and 18 team records.

Coach Ann Hancock’s women’s basketball team, meanwhile, also enjoyed a solid campaign, winning 17 games for the second highest total in her eight seasons on the bench. Forward Brittany Blackwell, the 10th highest scoring freshman in the nation, was named CAA Rookie-of-the-Year and junior forward Sahsha Taylor became the 13th player in the program’s history to score more than 1,000 points.

It was business as usual for the men’s swimming and diving team. The 200 and 400 Medley Relay team sealed the team’s seventh straight CAA crown and freshman diver Koby Salinas dominated on the boards. The baby-faced Texan was named CAA Rookie Diver-of-the-Year, CAA Diver-of-the-Year and Diver-of-the-Meet after claiming both the 1 and 3-meter boards in Fairfax, Va., marking the first time a diver has reaped those three honors.

The women’s swimming team placed third at the CAA meet behind workhorse Caitlin Kirsteier, who set a school and conference record in the 100 Butterfly with an NCAA "B" cut qualifying time. Stacie Striplin and Chantal Woodard also captured the 100 and 200 Backstroke at the meet.

The men’s track and field team won its ninth CAA title in a thrilling finish in Williamsburg, Va. The 4X400 relay team of Justin Anderson, Jared Clark, Nick Pederzolli and Chris Courson finished first in the final event as the Seahawks nipped host William & Mary by just 2.5 points at Zable Stadium.

Overall, the Seahawks collected seven CAA titles and featured 22 All-CAA performers. Twenty-three thinclads qualified for the IC4A Championships and 15 made the ECAC Championships. Nine athletes - eight men and one woman - competed in the NCAA Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla.

The women’s golf team, meanwhile, won its second CAA championship in as many years by rallying past Georgia State at the rolling Golden Horseshoe layout in Williamsburg. Coach Cindy Ho’s club notched its sixth trip to the NCAA Regionals in the last seven years. Sophomores Carmen Perez-Narbon and Ashley Tait each made the First-Team All-CAA squad and junior Stephanie Noser collected Second-Team honors.

Coach Mark Scalf’s baseball team steamrolled to its first Top 25 ranking with a spectacular season. The Seahawks advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the fourth time and concluded the year with a 44-17-1 overall and 25-4-1 CAA mark. The record included a 21-game winning streak late in the season, a string that stood until LSU’s torrid run to the NCAA’s Super Regionals.

CAA Player of the Year Mark Carver and headlined a list of six players on the All-CAA unit. The Seahawks reached the regional finals for the third time before falling in the Cary Regional, but four players made the All-Regional squad at the USA National Baseball Complex.

The baseball team pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in school history on the final day of the Cary Regional. Trailing 11-4 in the top of the ninth of an elimination game vs. Elon, the Seahawks erupted for 11 runs en route to a 15-11 victory, setting off a wild celebration on the pristine turf at the USA Baseball Training Complex.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams enjoyed solid seasons in the spring as well. The men matched the school record with 15 victories in their first season under new coach Mait DuBois, while the women recorded their sixth straight winning season with an 18-10 mark. Junior Lauren Isenhour went 22-3 in singles in one of the best years ever for a Seahawk netter.

Academically, the Seahawks continued to excel in the classroom. The men’s basketball team received a Public Recognition Award from the NCAA Division I Performance Program, one of just two programs from UNC system schools to be recognized with the honor.

Senior Liana Viljoen was named CAA Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.

For more information, visit the Seahawk athletics Web site.

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