Eastern Michigan Eagles

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Eastern Michigan has won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports (baseball, men's cross country, men's swimming and diving, men's indoor track and field, and men's outdoor track and field); moreover, EMU has been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice. In 1940, the men's cross country team finished second to Indiana University at the national meet hosted by Michigan State University. On June 19, 1976, afer finishing in sixth place the year before, the baseball team was defeated by the University of Arizona in the final game of the College World Series at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Under the leadership of Coach Ron Oestrike, the Hurons defeated Maine, Clemson, and Arizona State (with its 13 future Major Leaguers) before losing its last two games to Arizona. EMU was led by stars Bob Owchinko, Bob Welch, Dan Schmitz, Bob Petroff, Glenn Gulliver, and John Martin.

Eastern's men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, and have a 3-4 record, tied for third best among Michigan colleges. In total the Eagles have the most MAC Championships in a sport, 25, including Men's Swimming and Diving in 1979,1981-1996,1998,2000-2005.

The football team plays one home game a year at Ford Field in downtown Detroit annually since 2004 in the "Collegiate Clash". They have hosted Central Michigan University (2004), Western Michigan University (2005) and the United States Naval Academy in 2006. Traditionally, the program has problems attracting fans to their football games each season. NCAA rules state that in order to stay in Division I-A for football, each team must attract an average of 15,000 fans per game. During a 1-11 season, Eastern's EMU Foundation purchased 5,000 tickets for local high school students to curb this threat to their status.

The greatest football victory in EMU history occurred in December of 1987. The MAC Champion Hurons defeated 17 1/2 point favorite San Jose State in the California Bowl. The victory culminated a 10-2 season and improbable rise from the depths of Division I-A college football. Only two years previous the team was in serious jeopardy of losing Division 1-A status. Head Coach Jim Harkema was instrumental in resurrecting the program.

The 1988 and 1989 teams each finished in second place in the conference and ended the most successful stretch of football in school history with its fourth straight winning season. EMU has achieved only one winning season ('95) since.

[edit] Athletic facts

  • Conference: Mid-American (MAC)
  • Nickname: Eagles (were known as the Hurons from 1929 - 1991)
  • Colors: Green and White
  • Affiliation: NCAA Division I (previously NAIA and NCAA Division II)
  • Number of sports at EMU: 21

National Championships (16)

  • 1972: Men's Swimming and Diving - NCAA Division II
  • 1972: Men's Outdoor Track and Field - NCAA Division II
  • 1971: Men's Swimming and Diving - NAIA
  • 1971: Men's Indoor Track and Field - NAIA
  • 1971: Men's Outdoor Track and Field - NAIA
  • 1970: Baseball - NAIA
  • 1970: Men's Cross Country - NCAA Division II
  • 1970: Men's Cross Country - NAIA
  • 1970: Men's Swimming and Diving - NAIA
  • 1970: Men's Indoor Track and Field - NAIA
  • 1970: Men's Outdoor Track and Field - NAIA
  • 1969: Men's Swimming and Diving - NAIA
  • 1969: Men's Indoor Track and Field - NAIA
  • 1968: Men's Swimming and Diving - NAIA
  • 1967: Men's Cross Country - NAIA
  • 1966: Men's Cross Country - NAIA

National Runners-up (6)

  • 1976: Baseball - NCAA Division I
  • 1971: Men's Basketball - NAIA Division I
  • 1969: Men's Cross Country - NCAA Division II
  • 1969: Men's Cross Country - NAIA
  • 1965: Men's Cross Country - NCAA Division II
  • 1940: Men's Cross Country - NCAA

Club Team National Runners-up (2)

  • 2000: Men's Ice Hockey - ACHA Division I
  • 1994: Men's Ice Hockey - ACHA Division I

Recent MAC championships

NCAA bowl games

NCAA individual champions

Men's Cross Country:

  • 2001 Boaz Cheboiywo

Men's Track and Field:

  • 2004 Jordan Desilets, 3000-meter steeplechase
  • 2002 Boaz Cheboiywo, 10,000 meters outdoor track
  • 1999 Clement Chukwu, 400 meters
  • 1985 Earl Jones, 800 meters
  • 1975 Halsey Crawford, 100 yards
  • 1959 Hayes Jones, 120- & 220-yard hurdles
  • 1932 Eugene Beatty, 400-meter hurdles

Women's Track and Field:

Olympians

  • 2004 Athens Games: USA- Jamie Nieto (High Jump, 4th)
  • 2000 Sydney Games: Nigeria- Nduka Awazie (4x400 meter relay, Silver), Nigeria - Clement Chukwu (200 & 400 meters)
  • 1996 Atlanta Games: USA- Paul McMullen (1500 meters, 9th), Suriname - Tommy Asinga (800 meters), British West Indies - Greg Rhymer (1500 meters), Nigeria - Clement Chukwu (200 & 400 meters), Bahamas - Sevetheda Fynes (100 & 200 meters, 400M Relay)
  • 1992 Barcelona Games: Suriname - Tommy Asinga (800 meters)
  • 1988 Seoul Games: Suriname - Tommy Asinga (800 meters)
  • 1984 Los Angeles Games: USA- Earl Jones (800 meters, Bronze), Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1980 Moscow Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1976 Montreal Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters, Gold, 200 meters)
  • 1972 Munich Games: Trinidad and Tobago- Hasely Crawford (100 meters)
  • 1968 Mexico City Games: Canada - Dave Ellis (10,000 meters)
  • 1964 Tokyo Games: USA- Hayes Jones (110 High Hurdles, Gold), USA - Dean Rockwell, Manager of the Greco Roman Wrestling Squad
  • 1960 Rome Games: USA- Hayes Jones (110 High Hurdles, Bronze)
  • 1948 London Games: USA - George Marshall, Manager, Men's Track and Field
  • 1932 Los Angeles Games: USA - Lloyd Olds, Assistant Coach, Track and Field
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