A near-capacity crowd joined 51 members of the media from around the nation, more than twice the media credentials that were issued for the 2001 championship. Media from The Washington Post and The Indianapolis Star joined colleagues from Wisconsin, up-state New York and Western Indiana at an event that featured a breathtaking finish.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point emerged as the 2002 national champion, holding off a second-half charge by St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) to earn a 67-65 victory. St. Lawerence had a final desperation shot to win the game in the air at the buzzer, but the ball hit the rim and rolled off. The result sent the Stevens Point bench into jubilation on the Hulbert Arena floor.

"It was a great championship. We had large and enthusiastic crowds, an excellent media contingent and thrilling games. Our first championship was an overwhelming success," said Rose-Hulman Athletic Director Greg Ruark.

Planning for the highly successful championship began in the summer of 2000, when a five-member committee began the process of obtaining the 2002 event. After emerging as one of two finalists and enduring a thorough interview process, Rose-Hulman was chosen to host the Championship.

Ruark, Facility Director Matt Sinclair, Sports Information Director Kevin Lanke, Women’s Basketball and Softball Coach Jody Prete and Athletics Administrative Assistant Linda Flo Sears formed the original committee that helped secure hosting rights.

"We wanted the student-athletes to have a great experience. We wanted them to walk away thinking: ‘That was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever been through in my life’. I think we accomplished that in 2002," said Ruark.

A promotional campaign for the event served as an indirect benefit for Rose-Hulman. The NCAA financed a campaign that featured newspaper, radio and television advertisements in both Terre Haute and Indianapolis. The advertisements promoted both the championship and Rose-Hulman’s role as event host.

"The main goal of the promotional campaign was to increase awareness of the event both locally and statewide. The campaign featured extensive media coverage in Terre Haute and advertising through several statewide outlets, along with billboards, banners and posters. The campaign would not have been possible without the help of Dave Patterson of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau," said Lanke.

Rose-Hulman students played a significant role in hosting the event. The Rose-Hulman Chorus performed the national anthem both evenings, the Air Force ROTC Color Guard presented the colors, the college pep band provided entertainment during timeouts and between games, student-athletes provided concession stand help and Sports and Recreation workers provided security and other needs.

"Anytime a national championship is held, it will bring excitement. We increased the exposure of Rose-Hulman and continued to build a positive awareness about the school statewide. I think this was a great marketing tool for Rose-Hulman and the city of Terre Haute," said Sinclair.

Rose-Hulman 2001-02 Sports Highlights

The Rose-Hulman athletic department continued its tradition of success throughout the 2001-02 academic year.

The men’s basketball team recorded its eighth-straight winning season and remained in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title chase until the season’s final week. The Engineers finished 14-11 overall and tied for third place in the league standings with a 12-6 record.

The women’s basketball squad set a school record for wins in a season with seven. Senior Christina Forsyth became the second player in school history to score over 1,000 points in a career (1,224), while senior Molly McKeown graduated with single-game, single-season and career records for assists.

Rose-Hulman’s football team traveled to London and Paris, defeating the French National Team 34-26 in an offensive shootout. The game capped a memorable 2001-02 year that featured a single-season school record for first downs and single-season marks for passing completions, attempts and yardage.

The Rose-Hulman baseball team enjoyed its fourth-best season in school history with 26 wins. The Engineers placed third in the SCAC Baseball Championship, highlighted by an opening round victory over nationally ranked Trinity University, and placed four players on the all-conference team.

The rifle team finished in the top 25 nationally for the seventh consecutive year. The squad, which competes against NCAA Division I, II and III institutions, finished 18th nationally and second among Division III programs.

Finally, head men’s swimming coach Melissa Thompson and head volleyball coach Brenda Davis were named the SCAC Coach of the Year in their respective sports after leading their teams to fourth-place finishes.

Student Athletes Earn National Honors

Chris Unton Named First-Team Academic All-American

Rose-Hulman men’s basketball forward Chris Unton (Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) earned first-team Verizon Academic All-American honors in balloting by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Unton’s honor marked the 16th consecutive year that a Rose-Hulman studentathlete has earned Academic All-American honors. He earned third-team Academic All-American honors in 2001 and became the 53rd Academic All-American at Rose-Hulman.

The all-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standout was a finalist for conference Defensive Player of the Year this season. Unton averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Engineers as a senior and led the team in field-goal percentage (63.4%), blocked shots (30) and rebounds (147).

In the classroom, the computer science major maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average and graduated one academic quarter early.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology junior pole vaulter Andrew Schipper earned his fourth career All-American honor with a fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field National Championships at Ohio Northern University.

Schipper cleared 15' 5" in his first attempt to earn fifth-place honors and become the fourth Rose-Hulman track and field athlete to earn four career All-American honors. He previously placed second at the 2000 Outdoor Nationals, third at the 2001 Indoor Nationals and fourth at the 2001 Outdoor Nationals.

Schipper joins fellow pole vaulter Ryan Loftus, sprinter Phil Reksel and jumper Tony Allen as four-time All-Americans at Rose-Hulman. The college’s tradition of track and field success includes 31 All-American awards by 14 different student-athletes since 1975.

Rose-Hulman junior guard Rashad Gold was named to the first-team men’s basketball Arthur Ashe All-Star Scholar by the editors of Black Issues in Higher Education.

Gold has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the classroom while helping the Rose-Hulman men’s basketball team achieve three consecutive winning seasons and a conference co-championship in 2001. The chemical engineering major appeared in 23 of the team’s 25 games this season, averaging 2.3 points per game.

Arthur Ashe All-Star Scholars nominees must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2; participate in intercollegiate athletics; be active on their campuses and in their communities; and exemplify the standards set by Ashe, who died in 1993. The program is currently in its 10th year of honoring student-athletes at all levels and divisions of intercollegiate athletics.

Senior Matt Smith became the second swimmer in Rose-Hulman history to earn All-American honors and the first swimmer to earn Academic All-America recognition in a record-setting campaign.

Smith placed sixth nationally in the 100-yard breaststroke and seventh in the 200-breaststroke with times of 57.20 seconds and 2:05.90 to earn a pair of All-American honors at the 2002 NCAA Division III Swimming National Championships.

In addition, Smith earned third-team Verizon Academic All-American honors for his efforts in the classroom. The electrical engineering major competed with members of golf, tennis, wrestling, rifle and ice hockey teams across the country for one of 30 places on the national team.

He was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tri-Swimmer of the Year after earning three individual championships and helping two Rose-Hulman relay teams earn all-league recognition.