DATE

EVENT

1893

U.S. Congress grants charter to American University

Sept., 1914

Graduate school of American University is opened.

1925

AU organizes intercollegiate women's and men's basketball teams.

Sept., 1925

College of Liberal Arts is opened. The entering class is comprised of 81 students, including both men and women.

Fall, 1925

George Springston is named athletic director, football coach and basketball coach.

Nov.5, 1925

First football game, against George Washington University. The football team is comprised of 16 player- 14 of whom are freshman and none of whom have previous playing experience. The season includes three games, against GW, Emerson Institute and Devitt Prep. Home games are played at St. Albans field.

Dec. 17, 1925

A temporary men's basketball stadium is being built and will contain a cork floor.

Jan. 22, 1926

AU's first men's intercollegiate basketball game at AU's Ryan Gymnasium; AU loses to Georgetown 40-23.

Feb. 12, 1926

Students vote for school colors to be orange and blue

April 23, 1926

Women's athletic group is organized, mostly involving dance, physical education drills and intramural basketball and field hockey.

Oct., 1926

Football schedule includes Emerson College, Blue Ridge College, GW, Shenandoah Collegiate Institution, Maryland Freshman, Gallaudet and Bridgewater College.

Oct. 8, 1926

First football victory over Emerson, 20-0, at St. Albans Field.

Dec., 1926

First basketball victory over Bridgewater college, 55-35. Other basketball opponents include Gallaudet, Catholic, Maryland, Lynchburg, GW, High Point College, NYU, Western Maryland and Blue Ridge College.

Dec. 17, 1926

New "Theatre Gymnasium" opens. The building cost approximately $100,000 and will serve as a drama stage and athletic facility. The gym contains a hard maple wood floor and its dimensions are 60 ft. wide, 150 ft. long and 22 ft. high. In the first basketball game at the gymnasium, AU defeats Maryland 21-16.

1927

AU's enrollment starts to increase dramatically. 180 students are now enrolled, 91 male and 89 female (this is a 185% increase from 1925).

Nov. 4, 1927

First report of a women's athletic contest against another school, women's field hockey contest against George Washington. Women's field hockey team play two more games that year, against GW again and Holton Arms. 

Mar., 1928

First report of a women's extramural basketball contest, loss to Gallaudet.

Mar. 21, 1928

Intercollegiate baseball begins at AU with games scheduled against Catholic, GW, Gallaudet and St. Johns College (Md.).

April 19, 1928

First report of women's extramural tennis contest, loss to GW. The article notes that there is no men's tennis team due to lack of financial support and equipment.

Nov., 1928

Announcement of first intramural basketball contest, with competition among the various classes at AU.

Dec. 19, 1928

Announcement that a new football/baseball stadium will be built in the near future.

Feb. 21, 1929

Athletics Director George Springston resigns to concentrate on his legal practice. Walter Young, a former Ohio Wesleyan football player, appointed the new athletic director,. AD Young will also serve as the head coach in football and basketball.

Oct. 24, 1929

Announcement that all women's extramural contests will be eliminated. The reasoning is that extramural competition stresses individual accomplishment and winning over the enjoyment of the sport and the development of sportsmanship. Also, the women's teams were limited to 3 extramural contests per year and it was deemed to be inefficient to organize teams for such a limited number of contests.

Spring, 1930

Start of men's intercollegiate tennis, coached by Dr. William Holton (chairman of the Athletics Committee). Four new courts to be constructed near the field hockey field.

Spring, 1930

Spring football practice begins for the first time.

Mar. 21, 1930

First men's tennis victory, over Catholic.

Dec. 12, 1930

For the first time, the AU band plays at a sporting event, a basketball game.

Oct. 16, 1931

New football stadium "American University Field" is opened. [The football stadium may have been located near the Wesley Theological Seminary.]

Nov. 4, 1931

First men's extramural bowling competition, loss to Southeastern University at the YMCA.

Nov., 1932

Apparently, women's teams were again participating in extramural contests, as the field hockey team played GW.

Jan. 12, 1933

AU joins the Chesapeake Collegiate Athletic Group with five other colleges, Bridgewater, Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg. "The conference is composed of colleges who believe that athletics are played for the benefit of every student and not for the fame and honor that might come to the college or any one participant." The conference sets forth various rules regarding eligibility.

June 4, 1934

First report of athletic scholarships being offered to assist in the recruiting of student-athletes.

Dec. 20, 1934

Boxing added as an intercollegiate sport.

Feb. 22, 1935

First boxing competition, loss to Hampden-Sydney College.

Spring, 1935

To date, the most active spring sports program in AU's history. Intercollegiate track and tennis are offered.

Feb., 1936

AU joins the newly formed Mason-Dixon Conference, along with Baltimore College, Johns Hopkins, St. Johns College, Gallaudet, Catholic, Washington College and Randolph-Macon. [At this time, the conference may be for track only. By 1940, the conference will include all sports.]

Feb. 19, 1937

Walter Young resigns as athletics director. Gus Welch named new athletic director. Welch was the former head football coach at Washington St. College, and former athletic director of Randolph-Macon College.

Spring, 1937

Men's tennis team wins Chesapeake Conference Championship.

Oct. 22, 1937

AD Welch organizes and AU Booster Club, with the purpose of the club being "to organize faculty, alumni and friends to assist those who would be prevented from attending college due to financial difficulties."

Nov., 1937

Stafford "Pop" Cassell appointed men's basketball coach.

Feb., 1938

AD Welch attempts to start a lacrosse program.

Nov., 1938

Baseball team re-instituted for 1939 season. Coached by Cassell.

Feb., 1939

AD Welch resigns. Cassell appointed new athletics director, and will still coach baseball and basketball. George Menke named new football coach.

April, 1939

AD Cassell implements new comprehensive intramural sports program for physical education department. Each male is required to participate in one individual and one group sport, as physical education is considered vital to a liberal education.

Mar., 1940

Baseball is placed in trial status with 14-game schedule, if program is successful then it will be given varsity status.

April, 1940

Mason-Dixon conference finalized; including AU, Delaware University, Johns Hopkins, Maryland Teacher's College, Western Maryland, Washinton College, and a few unnamed others. The conference seeks to "solidify small college athletics and to stimulate a competitive spirit." The conference will immediately organize competition for basketball and track, and in the future will organize baseball, tennis, soccer, and wrestling.

Oct., 1941

Report that AU games may soon be broadcast over the radio.

Mar., 1942

Wrestler Jim Petro places second in the heavyweight division in the Mason-Dixon wrestling tournament. Although it is unclear whether AU has a wrestling program, it appears to be sending individual wrestlers to competitions.

Sept., 1942

AD Cassell resigns to take a position with Morningside College in Iowa. Bernhard Kalijarvi named new athletics director and men's basketball coach.

Feb., 1945

Arthur Boyd named new men's basketball coach. Basketball team wins its first Mason-Dixon conference championships for the first time.

1946

AU purchases the Leonard Center to house its athletics administration and athletic events. The building, later renamed the Cassell Center, was supposed to be temporary, yet it served as the main athletics complex until Bender Arena opened in 1988.

Mar., 1946

Men's basketball team wins Mason-Dixon conference championships; the team is invited to the National Intercollegiate Tournament in Kansas City, KS but AD Cassell refuses the bid.

May, 1946

Contemplating re-instituting the football program. The Board of Trustees votes against bringing a "big-time" football program to AU, but left open the possibility of a smaller program similar to the one in place in 1941.

June, 1946

Mason-Dixon conference is now comprised of AU, Johns Hopkins, Delaware, Catholic, Gallaudet, Bridgewater, Loyola and Western Maryland.

Nov. 22, 1946

Expansion in the athletics department, acquisition of recreation center across Massachusetts Avenue to be used as athletic and recreation center (with a swimming pool and a gym).

Mar., 1947

Swimming program has been recently developed. Also, baseball program has returned.

Spring, 1947

Athletics Director Cassell appointed men's basketball coach. AD Cassell is also appointed chairman of District 29 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Championship. The winner of the Mason-Dixon tournament will be invited to represent District 29 in the National Intercollegiate Tournament.

May 6, 1947

Golf team begins play in the Mason-Dixon conference.

Aug. 31, 1947

Burt Courage hired to coach boxing and swimming.

Nov., 1947

Announcement that new track facilities will be built.

Sept. 22, 1948

Reports of latest improvement to athletic programs: building of asphalt surfaced tennis courts; completely renovating the basketball court and swimming pools (with starting blocks); and providing automatic scoring and time-keeping machine for basketball contests.

May, 1949

Men's basketball team wins Mason-Dixon conference championship.

Oct. 5, 1949

Men's soccer program added.

Nov., 1949

In compliance with new college basketball rules, the athletics department adds glass backboards and orange rims.

Mar., 1950

Men's basketball team wins Mason-Dixon conference championship and is invited to represent DC/MD/VA in National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament in Kansas City, KS. This marks the first airplane ride for any AU athletics squad. The team loses in the first round to Pepperdine.

Mar., 1950

Men's Swimming wins Mason-Dixon championship.

1950

War Memorial Athletic Center dedicated to AU athletes who served in the armed forces.

Oct. 19, 1950

First win in men's soccer program, defeating Towson State Teacher's College.

Nov., 1950

Women's field hockey team resumes play.

Mar., 1951

Men's basketball wins Mason-Dixon conference championship. Represents the conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament. Loss in first round to Baldwin-Wallace (Ohio).

Jan., 1952

Basketball team visits Iceland and gives basketball clinics.

Nov., 1952

Athletics Director Cassell leaves athletic post to become assistant to the AU president. Hugo Shultze appointed athletic director and men's basketball coach.

Mar., 1954

For the first time since 1951, AU fields a track team.

Mar., 1954

Report that women compete in extramural contest in field hockey, basketball, tennis and softball.

April, 1954

Report that students need to participate and support the various sports. Since AU is small school with no/few scholarships, it relies on the participation of general student population.

May 25, 1954

New baseball field announced.

Dec. 3, 1953

AU radio station begins to broadcast men's basketball away games.

Oct., 1954

Fencing classes are offered and intramural competition is contemplated.

Nov., 1954

Wrestling program offered.

Oct., 1955

Reeves field built and dedicated. (Reeves will host women's Olympic Trials for track and field events in August 1956)

Nov. 7, 1956

AD Hugo Shultze resigns. Replaced by David Carrasco, former athletics director and basketball coach at Montgomery Blair High School.

Dec., 1956

Part-time AU student Shelly Mann from Australia wins Olympic Gold Medal in 100 meter butterfly. 

Feb. 5, 1958

Men's basketball player Frank Weiss sets AU all-time scoring record.

Feb. 12, 1958

Men's basketball player Willie Jones sets AU single-game scoring record with 39 points.

Mar. 5, 1958

Men's basketball team wins Mason-Dixon regular season and conference tournament. The team is invited to the "small colleges" championship tournament. This tournament selects teams from 8 regions: Northeast, Great Lakes, East, Midwest, Mideast, Southwest, South Central and Pacific Coast. Each region consists of 2 conference champions and 2 at-large teams. The champions of the Mason-Dixon conference and Middle-Atlantic States conference receive automatic bids to the Eastern Regional Tournament.

Mar. 12, 1958

The men's basketball team defeats Buffalo University and Wagner to win the Eastern Region. Willie Jones named region's MVP. AU is now ranked 17^th among small schools and goes to Indianapolis to play in the championships.

Mar. 19, 1958

Men's basketball team loses to Evansville in the first round of the small school championships.

Mar. 26, 1958

Men's basketball player Dick Wells receives Little College All-American Honorable Mention.

April 30, 1958

Varsity golf team is announced.

May 14, 1958

Mason-Dixon conference now comprised of 14 teams: AU, Roanoake, Hampden-Sydney, Mt. St. Mary's, Lynchburg, Johns Hopkins, Randolph-Macon, Loyola, Catholic, Washington College, Towson St., Western Maryland, Bridgewater and Gallaudet.

Sept. 17, 1958

Men's basketball coach Dave Carrasco wins George Mikan Award for having shown the most improvement among college coaches in the nation.

Nov. 5, 1958

Men's soccer player Ian Volgyes sets school record by scoring five goals in a game.

Jan. 7, 1959

Men's basketball's Willie Jones breaks his own single game record by scoring 41 points.

Feb. 7, 1959

Men's basketball student-athlete Willie Jones breaks his single game record by scoring 44 points.

Mar. 4, 1959

Men's basketball team wins Mason-Dixon championship and receives automatic bid to small college East Region tournament.

Mar. 11, 1959

Men's basketball team wins small college East Region by defeating Adelphi and Hofstra. Willie Jones named region's MVP. The advances to the championships where it loses to North Carolina A&T in the first round.

Mar. 25, 1959

Men's basketball player Willie Jones becomes school's all-time leading scorer. Jones also named honorable mention all-american.

Feb. 24, 1960

Men's wrestling team wins Mason-Dixon regular season title and conference tournament.

Spring, 1959

To date, 1959 is the school's most successful year in terms of athletics, as three teams win conference titles (wrestling, basketball and swimming).

Mar. 9, 1960

Men's basketball wins Mason-Dixon championship and represents the conference in the small college East Region tournament. The team defeats Upsala and Fairfield to win the East Region. Dick Wells is named MVP of the region. In the small college championships, the team loses in the first round to Evansville. Willie Jones scores 54 points in that game and is named to the all-tournament team. Jones' 54 points sets the NCAA Division II (College Division) record for single-game points in the Tournament.

Mar. 23, 1960

Mason-Dixon conference now consists of 16 teams, and a North and South division.

Mar. 23, 1960

Men's basketball player Willie Jones is named First Team Small College All-American.

April, 1960

Men's golf team begins uses Indian Springs as its home golf course.

Summer, 1960

Renovations to Leonard Gymnasium, trophy cases and new bleachers added.

Feb. 10, 1960

AU athletic program ranked in top 10 among nation's small colleges.

Mar. 8, 1961

Crew becomes official intercollegiate sport.

May, 1961

Track team wins first Mason-Dixon championship.

Fall, 1961

AU offers 12 men's intercollegiate sports: fall sports are tennis, cross-country, soccer, crew; winter sports are basketball, wrestling and track; and spring sports are track, baseball, tennis and golf.

1964

AD Carrasco resigns. Robert Frailey is named the new athletics director.

1966

Baseball's Bill Mason becomes AU's first baseball player to be named All-American.

Spring, 1966

Basketball's Art Beatty is second-leading rebounder in the nation.

Mar. 4, 1966

Men's swimming team wins Mason-Dixon championship.

Mar. 15, 1966

AU enters the NCAA indoor track championships with the top-ranked mile relay team and finishes in fifth place in the NCAA indoor championships.

Mar. 22, 1966

Men's swimming team finishes seventh in the NCAA college division national championships. Diver Ray Crowe wins college division NCAA diving champion in the 11 meter board, becoming the first AU athlete to win an NCAA championship. Swimmer Tim Miller finishes third in the national breast stroke championships and is named All-American.

March 22, 1966

Men's track team wins the first Mason-Dixon indoor track championship and the NCAA Eastern Regional college division.

May 3, 1966

Pole vaulter Peter Chen becomes first AU athlete to win a Penn Relay Championship.

May 17, 1966

Men's track team wins second consecutive Mason-Dixon indoor track championship.

May 20, 1966

Baseball team wins Mason-Dixon championship.

Summer, 1966

First publication of AU athletics Newsletter, "Birds of a Feather."

Summer, 1966

Middle-Atlantic conference includes St. Josephs, Temple, Bucknell, Lafayette, Gettysburg, Lasalle, Rider and Delaware.

Dec. 16, 1966

Men's track team members Peter Chen (pole vault) and Andrew Butch Bell (440 meter hurdles) named College Division All-Americans.

Spring, 1967

Basketball's Art Beatty is 13^th leading rebounder in the nation and teammate Gordan Stiles is 19^th leading rebounder; AU team finishes fifth in the nation in rebounding.

Mar. 14, 1967

Pole vaulter Peter Chen finishes sixth in the NCAA indoor track championships.

Aug., 1967

Pole vaulter Peter Chen wins NCAA college division championship.

Aug., 1967

Swimmer Tim Miller is named small-college all-american.

Summer, 1967

Hurdler Butch Bell finishes first in college division 440 meter intermediate hurdles and second in the university division. He becomes the first AU athlete to be named "University" Division All-American.

Sept., 1967

Plans proposed for a new athletics arena to house the athletic department and gymnasium (with capacity of 5,000 - 7,000).

Mar. 19, 1968

Middle-Atlantic conference is divided into two divisions: East includes AU, Hofstra, Lasalle, St. Josephs, Temple and Westchester. West includes Bucknell, Delaware, Gettysburg, Lafayette, Lehigh and Rider.

Mar. 19, 1968

Pole vaulter Peter Chen finishes second in the NCAA indoor championship.

Sept. 20, 1968

AU student Francine Fox, who won a silver medal in the 1964 Olympic Games in kayak doubles, qualifies for the same event for the 1968 Olympic Games.

Jan. 4, 1969

Herbert "Zombie" Sanders, who served AU athletics for 31 years as a trainer and equipment manager, dies.

Mar. 14, 1969

Tom Young, former assistant coach at Maryland, is named head basketball coach.

May 16, 1969

AU creates Athletics Hall of Fame; first inductees are Jim Birthright ('28); Bill Kessler ('29); Joseph Carlo ('38) and Hugo Schulze ('41).

Aug. 13, 1969

Under new NCAA legislation, freshmen are allowed to play on varsity teams, thus eliminating freshman teams (but this legislation does not apply to basketball).

May 15, 1970

Golf team wins its first Middle Atlantic conference championship.

Oct. 1970

AU club football team debuts on Reeves field. First win comes against Farleigh Dickinson. The teams finish the season with a record of 1-4.

May 14, 1971

Men's basketball's Kermit Washington finishes second in the nation in rebounding. He is also named First Team Academic All-American.

Dec. 3, 1971

Cross country team wins Middle Atlantic Conference Championships.

1972

Title IX legislation enacted, requiring equal funding for men's and women's sports programs.

April, 1972

AU is charter member of the Eastern Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. The association is "designed to uphold and promote the highest standards for women's intercollegiate athletics programs." AU's women's field hockey coach Barbara Reimann is elected the association's treasurer.

April, 1972

Basketball's Kermit Washington leads nation in rebounding.

Oct. 20, 1972

First "midnight madness" at AU.

1973

Wrestler Ron Ferrara becomes first AU wrestler to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Mar. 2, 1973

Men's basketball team is invited to NIT, loses in first round to Louisville.

Mar. 23, 1973

Basketball's Kermit Washington named First Team All-American.

Sept. 21, 1973

 Jim Lynam, assistant coach at St. Josephs, named new head men's basketball coach.

April 5, 1974

Several Middle Atlantic conference schools form new East Coast Conference. The East division includes AU, Hofstra, Temple, Lasalle, St. Josephs and Drexel. The West division includes Westchester, Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, Delaware and Rider.

Fall 1975-1976

Women's teams begin participating in postseason tournaments. Women's field hockey qualifies for Maryland's Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Tournament; the Women's volleyball and basketball team also participate in tournaments, such as the Capital Collegiate Conference Tournament against Georgetown, Catholic, Howard, and George Mason.

1975

Women's basketball team begins to play at Cassell Gym rather than Clendening Gym.

1976

AU Mascot "Clawed" introduced. Created from a cartoon sketched by Athletics Director Frailey.

Mar. 24, 1978

Men's basketball Russell "Boo" Bowers is named co-rookie of the year in the East Coast Conference.

May, 1978

Gary Williams named new head men's basketball coach.

Nov. 10, 1978

Men's soccer team receives its first bid to the NCAA tournament, falling to Clemson in the first round.

Mar. 2, 1978

Wrestler Loren Danielson becomes second AU wrestler to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Dec. 13, 1978

Men's basketball student-athlete Ray Voelkel sets the NCAA record for consecutive field goals, going four-for-four versus St. Mary's (Md.) to reach 24 straight. He hit one more in the next game before missing to extend the record to 25 straight.

Oct. 12, 1979

Baseball's team experiences its best season with a 16-2 mark. Wins Capital Collegiate Conference tournament (played against local schools).

Nov., 1979

Men's soccer team captures its first East Coast Conference championships and receives a NCAA bid. Loses to Clemson in quarterfinals.

Jan. 25, 1980

Men's soccer coach Pete Mehlert selected as the Mid-Atlantic Region's Coach of the Year.

Spring, 1980

Men's basketball student-athlete Russell Bowers finishes the season as the nation's seventh leading scorer, averaging 26.9 points per game.

Dec. 1, 1980

AU retires Kermit Washington's No. 24.

Oct. 10, 1980

Athletics Director Frailey chosen as President of ECAC.

Mar. 20, 1981

Men's basketball wins the East Coast Conference regular season but loses in the finals of the conference tournament. AU finishes the season with the best record in the East (24-5), and receives a bid to the NIT, losing in the first round to Toledo.

Nov. 13, 1981

Women's volleyball team finishes with its best record, 30-12.

Mar., 1982

Men's basketball team loses in the first round of the NIT to Bradley, its third trip to the NIT (1973, 1981) since becoming Division I in 1966.

Spring, 1982

Men's golf teams win East Coast Conference championship.

Spring, 1982

Ed Tapscott, AU's assistant basketball coach, is named the new head coach after Gary Williams' departure.

Dec. 16, 1982

Men's basketball team defeats No. 5 ranked Georgetown for its most memorable win in years.

Nov. 11, 1983

Men's soccer team wins the East Coast Conference championship.

Jan. 27, 1984

Men's soccer player Mike Brady is named First Team All-American.

Feb. 3, 1984

Women's basketball student-athlete Darsi Smith becomes the second player to score 1,000 career points. The first was Jacquie Frazier.

April 27, 1984

Men's golf team wins East Coast Conference Golf championship.

Mar. 9, 1984

Women's basketball student-athlete Darsi Smith is named the East Coast Conference's Player of the Year.

Mar. 23, 1984

AU leaves the East Coast Conference to become part of the ECAC South. Other teams include UNC-Wilmington, George Mason, Navy, Richmond, William & Mary, James Madison, East Carolina.

Oct. 12, 1984

Men's soccer student-athlete Michael Brady sets school scoring record, breaking previous record set by Lee Kenworth in 1966. Brady is also named the ECAC South Player of the Year, Second Team All-American and is selected to play for the U.S. National Team.

Nov. 30, 1984

Men's soccer team reaches the NCAA Tournament, but loses in the second round to fourth-ranked Virginia.

Dec., 1984

Men's soccer coach Pete Mehlert is named the ECAC South and Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

1985-1985

Ground broken for the new Khashoggi Sports and Convocation Center (which later becomes Bender Arena).

April 26, 1985

New inductees to AU's Athletics Hall of Fame: Kermit Washington, Butch Bell, Bill Mason (baseball) and Vidvus Celtnicks ('65 graduate who lettered in 5 sports - cross country, track, soccer, wrestling and crew).

Summer, 1985

ECAC South changes is name to Colonial Athletic Association.

Oct. 11, 1985

Women's tennis student-athlete Michele Sheskin is named Academic All-American.

Nov. 15, 1985

Men's soccer team finishes season ranked fifth in the country and enters the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South Atlantic region.

Nov. 22, 1985

Men's soccer Michael Brady is named Colonial Athletic conference player of the year and Pete Mehlert is named conference coach of the year.

Nov.-Dec., 1958

Men's soccer team defeats George Mason in South Atlantic region finals, tops South Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals and beats Hartwick in the NCAA semifinals.

Dec. 14, 1985

Men's soccer team loses to UCLA in the NCAA championship game in eight overtimes. The game was the longest NCAA soccer game in history.

1986

Men's soccer's Glen Buchanan named Second Team GTE Academic All-American.

Jan. 31, 1986

Proposition 48 enacted, requires freshmen to meet minimum SAT and GPA requirements.

Feb. 28, 1986

Men's basketball student-athlete Frank Ross finishes the season as the 10^th leading scorer in the nation with 23.2 points per game.

Mar. 28, 1986

Baseball coach Dee Frady gets his 400th career win after coaching for 23 years.

Sept. 15, 1986

Men's soccer's Michael Brady has his No. 14 retired.

Oct. 13, 1986

Men's tennis team wins the Capital Collegiate Conference tournament for the first time. The tournament includes George Washington, George Mason, Georgetown and Catholic.

Nov. 19, 1986

Women's field hockey coach Barbara Reimann wins her 100^th game.

Dec. 8, 1986

Men's soccer student-athlete Keith Trehy named CAA Player of the Year.

Mar., 1987

Men's basketball's Pat Witting named First Team Academic All-American.

Mar., 1987

Last men's basketball game at Ft. Meyers in Arlington, VA; it served as the home court for the men's basketball team for almost 25 years.

Mar., 1987

Men's basketball student-athlete Frank Ross ends the season as the nation's eighth leading scorer, averaging 25.3 points per game.

April, 1987

Joseph O'Donnell, former assistant AD at Wichita St., is named athletics director.

Jan. 23, 1988

Bender Arena opens as women's basketball hosts James Madison University

Mar., 1988

Bender Arena hosts women's CAA championship.

Oct. 10, 1988

First year of "Midnight Madness" at Bender Arena.

Sept., 1989

AU builds six new tennis courts.

Dec. 11, 1989

Men's swimmer Sergio Lopez becomes the first swimmer to represent AU in international competition at the U.S. Open Swimming Championships. Before transferring to AU, Lopez also earned a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics.

Feb. 12, 1990

Men's swimming team wins CAA championship. Sergio Lopez is named the outstanding swimmer.

Mar. 26, 1990

Men's swimming Sergio Lopez finishes fourth in the NCAA 200 yard breast-stroke.

April, 1990

Assistant Chris Knoche is named new men's basketball head coach.

Aug., 1990

Women's soccer begins its first season as a varsity sport. Freshman Liz Pike registered 21 goals and 49 points in the first season, both of which remain season records at AU today.

Jan. 15, 1992

Women's basketball beats Old Dominion, then a national power, 68-66, in the first-ever Colonial Athletic Association matchup between the two schools.

Mar., 1992

Women's lacrosse begins its first season as a varsity sport.

Jan. 25, 1995

Men's basketball makes one of the best comebacks of the 1990s. After being down 24 at halftime to George Mason, the Eagles score 73 second-half points to win the game. It is believed to be the best comeback of the 1994-95 season. 

Nov. 24, 1996

Women's basketball defeats No. 7 Virginia, 69-67, in Bender Arena. It was American's first win over a nationally-ranked team in 10 years.

Fall 1997

The men's soccer team finishes 17-4-4 and makes to the NCAA Quarterfinals. The team went undefeated at Reeves Field (9-0-3) and extended its home undefeated streak to 17 games. Scott Pearson, AU's second all-time leading scorer (141 points) led the squad, earning Second Team All-America honors.

Dec. 9, 1998

Women's basketball defeates No. 13 and local rival George Washington, 81-75. It is the second consecutive year the Eagles defeated the Colonials.

April, 2000

Jeff Jones hired as men's basketball coach, becoming the 17^th coach in the school's 74-year history of men's basketball.

Spring, 2000

American leaves Colonial Athletic Association to become the eighth member of the Patriot League.

Nov. 14, 2000

Volleyball coach Barry Goldberg, in his 12^th season at AU, earns his 300^th career win as the Eagles knock off Howard, 3-0.

Sept. 18, 2001

Women's soccer notches first-ever Patriot League win with a 1-0 conquest of Navy.

Nov. 18, 2001

Men's soccer defeats Holy Cross in penalty kicks to win its first-ever Patriot League Championship.

Nov. 18, 2001

Volleyball defeats Army, 3-1, to win its first-ever Patriot League Championship.

Nov. 25, 2001

Men's soccer defeats Wake Forest, 3-0, to advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The team ends up losing to North Carolina, 1-0, in overtime in the Sweet 16. The Eagles finish the season ranked 14^th nationally.

Dec. 22, 2001

American becomes the first Patriot League school to defeat an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in men's basketball when the Eagles take down Florida State, 77-72.

Mar. 1, 2002

Men's basketball player Patrick Doctor named Patriot League Player of the Year.

Mar. 8, 2002

Men's basketball falls to Holy Cross in the Patriot League Championship Game, 58-54, in Bender Arena before a record crowd of 4,521. The team's 18-12 final record marks an 11-game turnaround from the previous season, one of the nation's largest.

Mar. 12, 2002

Men's basketball player Patrick Doctor is named Honorable Mention All-America by the Associated Press, becoming the fifth All-American in AU men's basketball history. The others are below:

Willie Jones - NCAA College Division First Team (1960)
Richard Wells - NCAA College Division Hon. Mention (1960)
Kermit Washington - Associated Press First Team (1973)
Gordon Austin - Sporting News Honorable Mention (1983)

June 1, 2002

Sean O'Brien earns All-America honors in the 1,500m at the NCAA Track Championships. O'Brien became the first American athlete to earn two All-America honors since 1985.

Nov. 23, 2002

Volleyball defeats Lehigh, 3-1, to earn its second consecutive Patriot League title.

Mar. 14, 2003

Men's basketball loses the Patriot League Championship game for the second straight year, again to Holy Cross, 72-64, in Worcester, Mass.

May 8, 2003

Women's lacrosse makes its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to No. 1 Virginia, 19-3. The tournament berth is the culmination of the team's best season to date, finishing with an 11-8 overall record. The Eagles set a school record for wins and post new school records in goals (227) and assists (96).

Sept. 5, 2003

American University Athletics introduces internet radio broadcasts, beginning with men's soccer's matchup with Virginia.

Nov. 14, 2004

Senior Karla Kucerkova breaks the AU all-time career kills record in a 3-0 win over Navy. The previous record was held by Natasha Sylvain at 1660. Kucerkova finishes her career with 1,765 kills, also breaking the Patriot League record. Kucerkova was twice named the CoSIDA Volleyball Academic Player of the Year, as well as earning Honorable Mention All-America status in 2003.

Nov. 23, 2003

Volleyball downs Bucknell, 3-0, for its third consecutive Patriot League Championship and ensuing NCAA Tournament berth.

Dec. 4, 2003

Volleyball student-athlete Karla Kucerkova Named CoSIDA Academic All-American Volleyball Player of the Year.

Dec. 17, 2003

Volleyball player Karla Kucerkova Named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America.

May 6, 2004

American University hires Melissa McFerrin, a former Women's National Basketball Association general manager and an assistant coach on the 2003-04 University of Minnesota women's basketball Final Four team, as its head women's basketball coach. McFerrin becomes the ninth coach in the 39-year history of the program.

August, 2004

American University Athletics signs with College Sports Television as its website provider, launching the revamped AUeagles.com.

Sept. 15, 2004

Former Volleyball Player Karla Kucerkova Named 2004 NCAA Woman of the Year for the District of Columbia.

Nov. 20, 2004

Volleyball wins its fourth consecutive Patriot League title with a 3-0 win over Army. The Eagles at this point have won 64 straight Patriot League matches and have not lost in league play since joining the PL in 2001.

Dec. 16, 2004

Volleyball student-athlete Cutrina Biddulph named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America.

March 17, 2005

Senior wrestler Daniel Waters became the Eagles' first NCAA All-American after securing a match for seventh place in the final day of the 75th NCAA Championships.

Aug. 30, 2005

Barry Goldberg made school athletic history with his 400th win as AU defeated Loyola, 3-0 in Bender Arena. The 17-year veteran reached a milestone which only 36 other active Division I coaches had surpassed.

Oct. 8, 2005

The American University volleyball team ended its four-plus year unbeaten streak of 70 consecutive Patriot League matches with a 3-0 loss to Army at West Point. The Eagles had previously not lost a single match in PL play or been pushed to a fifth game since joining the league in 2001.

Nov. 19, 2005

Down 2-1 in games and eight points away from elimination, the American University women's volleyball team went on a 30-8 run to take the fourth game and build an insurmountable lead in the fifth as they won their fifth straight Patriot League Championship  and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Dec. 14, 2005

2004 volleyball alumnae Natalie Hand named Marshall Scholar, the first female in AU history to earn the award.

March 18, 2006

Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov took third-place at 165 and Josh Glenn placed fourth at 184 at the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships, capping the finest year in American University wrestling program history. The pair's All-American honors and the team's 17th place finish are the program's bests in school history at the NCAA Championships.

Aug., 2006

American University Athletics once again revamps its website, becoming a premium partner with CSTV. As part of the new AUeagles.com, the site adds streaming video broadcasts to its already existing lineup of internet radio broadcasts.

Aug. 25, 2006

Volleyball student-athletes Ann and Claire Recht begin play for AU. The identical twins bring recognition to American Athletics as the world's tallest female twins, as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at 6'7". The twins are featured in numerous media outlets, including NBC's "Today Show" and CBS' "The Early Show" and the Washington Post.

Oct. 28, 2006

The men's cross country team becomes the first Patriot League school to win five consecutive league titles. The team goes on to finish second at regionals and make its school record third straight trip to the NCAA Championships.

Nov. 18, 2006

Volleyball defeats Bucknell, 3-0, to capture its sixth straight Patriot League Tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Dec. 13, 2006

Rubena Sukaj Named AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, the third All-American in the history of AU's volleyball program.

Jan. 20, 2007

Men's basketball hosts Holy Cross in annual "Phil Bender" game, setting a Bender Arena record with 4,775 fans in the arena.

Feb. 28, 2007

Men's basketball player Andre Ingram finished with a game-high 16 points in a 59-44 win over Colgate in the Patriot League Quarterfinals, moving into fifth place in AU's all-time record book with 1,635 career points. Ingram's career ended in his next game, a loss to Holy Cross in the PL semis, where he had a game-high 20 points to finish his AU career with 1,655 total points.

Mar. 17, 2007

Wrestler Josh Glenn wins the 197 lbs. title at the NCAA Championship Tournament, becoming the school's second-ever national champion and first national titleholder in since moving to Division I in 1966. Glenn is AU wrestling's first two-time All-American, having finished fourth in the 184 lbs. weight class at NCAAs in 2006. The Eagles ended the tournament with 33 points, which put them in 17th place, a tie for a school-best.

Field hockey wins its fifth straight Patriot League crown after a 3-1 victory over Lafayette. The Eagles have not lost a game against a conference school in five seasons.