Athletics at W&L

Washington and Lee University provides its students with a unique athletic program that allows them to pursue athletic excellence without sacrificing their educational experience.

W&L follows the NCAA Division III guidelines of awarding financial aid based only on family need and academic merit. The result is a strong, diverse program in which participants are motivated by their love of the game and their desire to excel.

Washington and Lee offers 23 varsity sports, 12 for men and 11 for women. All sports compete at the NCAA Division III level and most participate in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

Over the years, W&L teams and students have been impressive on and off the playing fields. Below is a list of their accomplishments:

• In the last 33 years, W&L has had 51 athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and countless others have been named to CoSIDA Academic All-District teams.
• Since 1970, W&L has had 31 athletes earn prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
• The 1988 Men’s Tennis team and the 2007 Women's Tennis team each have won a NCAA Division III National title and several other teams have finished in the NCAA Top 10 in Division III.

During the 2009-10 school year, the Washington and Lee athletic program again saw many successes. Below is a brief sketch of the many accomplishments by W&L’s teams and athletes.

• W&L posted an overall winning percentage of better than 61 percent
• W&L claimed six Conference Championships
• W&L won the ODAC Commissioner’s Cup for overall athletic excellence and has won the award in 14 of the last 16 years and captured women’s overall cup for the seventh-straight year
• Seven different Washington and Lee athletes were named to Division III All-America teams
• Five teams participated in the NCAA Division III National Championships
• W&L athletes were named first team all-conference a total of 63 times
• Five individuals participated in NCAA Championship competition as individuals
• Two athletes were named the conference athlete of the year in their sport
• Six different athletes were named the scholar-athlete of the year in their respective sport
• Three different athletes were named the rookie of the year in their spor, including Lauren Schultz, who garnered the award in both women's cross country and outdoor track & field
• Three coaches were named the coach of the year in their sport
• A record 223 athletes were named W&L Scholar-Athletes for having achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher in either the fall or winter term
• Swimmer Brandon Barnds '10, earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
• Football player Greg Kurkis '11, was named a Second Team Academic All-American
• Men's Basketball player Ben Goetsch '10 and women's lacrosse player Meredith Freeman '10 earned prestigious Fulbright Scholarships