WUSTL rolls out new symbol for athletics
Director of Athletics John Schael recently unveiled a new symbol and design for all Bears athletics.
The new symbol features an updated, more realistic Bear mascot and a sharp new typeface that highlight the University’s red and green colors.
The symbol was designed by St. Louis-based Jim Ward Design, which has designed symbols for the University of Missouri-Columbia and Maryville University athletic departments.
The symbol was developed by an internal team of athletics and public affairs representatives who worked with coaches and staff to create the new look.
This marks the third athletic symbol that has been created since WUSTL started using the Bears mascot in 1926.
The scowling bear with the sailor cap served as the athletic symbol for 40 years until the second bear symbol was introduced in 1995.
Bears finish sixth in power rankings
The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) announced its fourth annual Collegiate Power Rankings, and WUSTL finished sixth for the second straight year on the list of the top academic and athletic colleges and universities in the country at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels.
The University finished fourth in the Division III rankings and first in the University Athletic Association.
Williams College ranked first in the overall standings with Amherst College, Middlebury College, Duke University and Stan-ford University rounding out the top five.
“We are very pleased with the NCSA standings that were released,” said John Schael, WUSTL’s director of athletics.
“However, the two most important measurements for the success of our athletic programs are the quality of experience enjoyed by our student-athletes and our fit within the Washington University community.”
The University garnered seven UAA championships and sent seven teams to their respective NCAA tournaments in 2005-06. The Red and Green had five top-10 finishes at NCAAs: women’s cross country (third), volleyball (fifth), women’s swimming and diving (fifth), men’s swimming and diving (sixth) and women’s basketball (ninth).
The Bears also placed 17th in men’s and women’s tennis, 26th in softball, 31st in women’s indoor track and field, 32nd in men’s indoor track and field and 35th in baseball.
The NCSA matches and introduces college coaches to qualified student-athletes through education, technology and relationships with the coaching community. NCSA’s Collegiate Power Rankings were developed to encourage student-athletes to take a comprehensive approach to choosing a school based on its overall merits.
Colleges and universities are given a ranking based on academics, athletics, and student-athlete graduation rates enabling student-athletes to obtain a true picture of the most complete and well-rounded schools.
NCSA’s power rankings are calculated for every school at the NCAA Division I, II and III level by averaging the U.S. News & World Report ranking, the U.S. Sports Academy Directors Cup rank and the NCAA Student-Athlete Graduation Rate of each school.
The U.S. Sports Academy Directors Cup ranking evaluates the strengths of NCAA athletic departments, while the U.S. News & World Report ranking recognizes institutions of academic excellence. The student-athlete graduation rates are based on those provided by the NCAA.
The University ranked seventh in the final Division III Directors’ Cup rankings, 11th in the U.S. News & World Report rankings and 21st among Division I, II and III institutions for student-athlete graduation rates.
Former hoopster Jeffries signs pro deal in Chile
2003 graduate Chris Jeffries has signed a pro basketball contract with Provincial Osorno in Chile’s Dimayor’s League. The season started Aug. 4.
Jeffries is fresh off his third season playing professional basketball overseas. He averaged 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals in eight games with Sabadell in the Spanish Basketball League. Jeffries also had a five-game stint in Luxembourg, averaging 43.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in six games for the Bascharage Hedgehogs.
In 2005, Jeffries averaged a league-best 27.0 points for Anastasia in Uruguay. He began his professional career in 2004, averaging a league-best 26.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game for Burger King Limerick in Ireland. In 64 career games playing professional basketball, Jeffries has averaged 25.9 points per game.
Men’s swimming, diving nabs nation’s top GPA
For the second straight semester, the men’s swimming and diving team registered the top team grade-point average in the NCAA — this time including men’s Division I, II and III — for the Spring 2006 term, as announced by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.
The men also tallied the top GPA in NCAA Division III for the Fall 2005 semester. The men combined for a 3.64 GPA in the spring, up from its 3.49 mark in the fall semester.
Sweet Briar College (3.76, NCAA Division III) and Wheeling Jesuit University (3.71, NCAA Division II) were the only women’s programs to register a higher team GPA. WUSTL’s women amassed a 3.42 GPA, which ranks No. 22 in Division III. The Bears enjoyed plenty of success in the pool in 2005-06 with program-best NCAA finishes for the women (fifth place) and men (sixth).
Moreover, seniors Michael Slavik (50-yard freestyle) and Eric Triebe (200-yard freestyle) won the first two individual national championships in WUSTL swimming (men’s and women’s) history.