| 1800s | 00s | 10s | 20s | 30s | 40s | 50s | 60s | 70s | 80s | 90s | 2000s |
1884 |
The first Field Day was held among athletes from several Michigan
colleges. This led to the founding of the MIAA four years later.
Albion and Michigan Agricultural (Michigan State University) met in the first
intercollegiate football game in the state of Michigan.
|
|
1888 |
Delegates from several colleges met on March 17 in Jackson, Michigan,
to consider organizing a conference. A week later, Albion, Hillsdale,
Michigan Agricultural (MSU), and Olivet became charter members. The
MIAA was officially founded on March 24, 1888.
The first MIAA Field Day was held at East Lansing, Michigan, May 31 to June 2,
with the first league championships awarded in baseball (Michigan Agricultural),
men's track (Hillsdale), and men's tennis (Olivet).
|
|
1889 |
Albion and Olivet engaged in an exhibition "football match." |
|
1891 |
Albion defeated Hillsdale 36-4 in the first football game between
MIAA members. |
|
1892 |
Michigan Normal College, also known as Ypsilanti Normal, and now
Eastern Michigan University, was admitted to the MIAA. (See 1926) |
|
1894 |
Albion was crowned the first MIAA football champion. |
|
1896 |
Kalamazoo College was admitted to the MIAA.
Women's tennis became part of the conference tennis championship. Albion, Hillsdale,
and Olivet are known to have participated in women's tennis at the 1896 Field
Day; other MIAA schools may have participated also. Women continued to compete
in the tennis championships until 1925.
|
|
1898 |
Intercollegiate men's basketball first played among MIAA colleges. |
|
|
1900 |
On February 12, Albion defeated Hillsdale 36-7 and 8-6 in the
first known intercollegiate women's basketball games between two
MIAA schools. |
|
1902 |
Alma College admitted to the MIAA. |
|
1907 |
A conference committee of faculty members was established to oversee
governance of the MIAA. The first eligibility rules were adopted
for MIAA student-athletes.
Michigan Agricultural College (MSU) withdrew from the MIAA. (see 1888)
|
|
1908 |
Adrian College was admitted to the MIAA. (See 1922 and 1937) |
|
|
1911 |
Men's basketball became an MIAA championship sports in 1910-11.
Albion and Alma were co-champions in the first year. |
|
1913 |
The MIAA made its first attempt to engage "satisfactory" referees
and umpires. |
|
1914 |
National collegiate track rules were adopted by the MIAA. |
|
1917 |
Most league championships were suspended in 1917 & 1918 because
of World War I. |
|
|
1922 |
Men's cross country became an MIAA championship sport in the fall
of 1922. Kalamazoo was the first champion.
Dr. Clark L. Herron of Hillsdale College was named the first "arbitrator" (commissioner)
of the MIAA. He was also known as the association referee. He served until 1931.
Adrian College withdrew from the MIAA. (See 1908 and 1937)
|
|
1923 |
Kalamazoo College set a "world record" for consecutive
basketball championships by winning the MIAA title for the tenth
time in as many years (1914-23). |
|
1926 |
Hope College was admitted to the MIAA.
Michigan Normal College (EMU) withdrew from the MIAA. (See 1892) Following the
withdrawal of Michigan Normal, all track and field records established by Michigan
Normal and Michigan Agricultural (MSU) were removed from official MIAA records.
Women were "excused" from further tennis competition in the MIAA prior
to the 1926 championships. This was to comply with a "ban" on intercollegiate
competitions for women endorsed by the national organization of women's athletic
associations.
|
|
1929 |
Baseball was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1928-29
season. (See 1948) |
|
|
1931 |
John Hasselman was appointed MIAA commissioner. He served until
1933. |
|
1932 |
Men's cross country was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after
the 1932 season. (See 1922 and 1946) |
|
1933 |
DeGay Ernst was appointed MIAA commissioner. He served until 1961.
The MIAA adopted the use of certificates to recognize all-conference players.
|
|
1934 |
The MIAA All-Sports Award was inaugurated, recognizing the member
school with the best cumulative finish in all men's sports. Kalamazoo
College was the first recipient. (See 1981)
Golf became an MIAA championship sport in the spring of 1934. Hope was the first
champion.
Junior college athletes were granted permission to participate in MIAA athletics
beginning immediately upon enrollment at an MIAA school, provided their scholarship
met league requirements.
|
|
1935 |
The MIAA provided a round-robin football schedule for the first
time. |
|
1936 |
Men's indoor track became an MIAA championship sport in 1935-36.
Kalamazoo was the first champion. (See 1948)
Albion College hosted the first "play day" for women of the MIAA on
May 10. Play days featured "recreational" sports and emphasized participation
rather than competition. This was the beginning of organized women's athletics
in the league. Except for three years during World War II, play days were sponsored
every year until 1961.
Albion and Olivet played to a 2-2 tie in the first known intercollegiate field
hockey game between two MIAA schools.
|
|
1937 |
Adrian College was re-admitted to the MIAA. (See 1922) |
|
1938 |
Kalamazoo College won all six MIAA championships in 1937-38 (basketball,
football, golf, indoor track, outdoor track, and tennis) for the
only "grandslam" of league-sponsored sports in the history
of the conference.
Kalamazoo College hosted the first women's tennis championship since 1925. The
tournament was not sponsored by the MIAA, but rather the forerunner of a parallel
women's league.
Ordell McElhaney of Albion was voted the league's first most valuable player
in football.
|
|
|
1940 |
Olivet College withdrew from the MIAA. (See 1952) |
|
1941 |
Female representatives of the MIAA colleges met at Kalamazoo College
and founded a separate women's conference. Charter members were Adrian,
Albion, Alma, Hillsdale, Hope, Kalamazoo and Olivet. Originally known
as the Athletic Federation of Michigan College Women, the name was
changed to the Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WMIAA)
in 1946. The WMIAA was officially founded on March 20, 1941, almost
exactly 53 years after the founding of the MIAA.
Olivet College withdrew from the WMIAA. (See 1952)
|
|
1943 |
Most men's and women's league championships were suspended from
1943 to 1945 because of World War II.
On May 10, Alma defeated Kalamazoo 15-10 in the first known intercollegiate women's
softball game between two MIAA schools.
|
|
1946 |
Men's cross country was resumed as an MIAA championship sport in
the fall of 1946. (See 1922 and 1933) |
|
1947 |
Russ DeVette of Hope was voted the league's first most valuable
player in men's basketball. DeVette went on to coach at Hope, guiding
the Flying Dutchmen to a record nine men's basketball titles between
1957-68. |
|
1948 |
Men's indoor track was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after
the 1947-48 season. (See 1936) |
|
|
1952 |
Olivet College was re-admitted to the MIAA and WMIAA. (See 1888,
1940, 1941)
Archery became a WMIAA championship sport in the spring of 1952.
Hope was the first champion. |
|
1953 |
Calvin College was admitted to the MIAA and WMIAA. |
|
1956 |
Albion's Janet Van Wingen was the first recipient of the annual
Sue Little Sportsmanship Award in women's tennis. |
|
1958 |
Albion's Dale Brubaker and Kalamazoo's Les Dodson were the first
recipients of the annual Stowe Memorial Award for sportsmanship in
men's tennis. |
|
|
1960 |
Hillsdale College withdrew from the MIAA. (See 1888)
The MIAA banned participation in post-season competition by its member schools.
|
|
1961 |
Win Schuler was appointed MIAA commissioner. He served until 1965. |
|
1962 |
Adrian's Miriam Benton was the first recipient of the annual Jo
Dunn Award for sportsmanship in archery. |
|
1963 |
Hillsdale College withdrew from the WMIAA. (See 1941) |
|
1965 |
Kalamazoo's Tom Nicolai was the first athlete from an MIAA college
to receive an NCAA post graduate study scholarship.
John Hoekje was appointed MIAA commissioner. He served until 1971.
The league instituted most valuable player awards during the 1964-65 school year
in five sports. First recipients were: baseball, Jim Pobursky of Olivet; men's
cross country, Jim Dow of Albion; golf, Dave Tuls of Calvin; men's tennis, Dick
Johnson of Kalamazoo; men's track, Dave Lane of Hope.
|
|
1968 |
Field hockey became a WMIAA championship sports in the fall on
1968. |
|
1969 |
Wrestling became an MIAA championship sports in 1968-69. Adrian
was the first champion. Dick Vliem of Calvin was first recipient
of the league's most valuable wrestler award.
Adrian and Kalamazoo met in the first known intercollegiate women's swimming
meet between two MIAA schools.
|
|
|
1970 |
Men's soccer became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1970.
Calvin and Hope were co-champions in the first year. Jim Francis
of Albion was first recipient of the league's most valuable player
award. |
|
1971 |
Albert L. Deal was appointed sixth commissioner of the MIAA.
Men's swimming became an MIAA championship sport in 1970-71. Albion was the first
champion. Jim Everett of Albion was first recipient of the league's most valuable
swimmer award.
|
|
1972 |
Golf was a spring sport in the MIAA until 1972. That year, the
MIAA sponsored championships in golf in both the spring and fall.
Since 1972, golf has been a fall sport in the MIAA.
Volleyball became a WMIAA championship sport in the fall of 1972.
|
|
1973 |
Women's basketball became a WMIAA championship sport in 1972-73. |
|
1976 |
The Kalamazoo College men's tennis team won the NCAA Division III
national title -- the first national team championship for an MIAA
college.
The league's ban on post-season competition was lifted
|
|
1977 |
Women's swimming and softball became WMIAA championship sports
in 1976-77. Kalamazoo won the first swimming championship.
The presidents of the MIAA colleges approved a resolution favoring the combined
governance of men's and women's sports.
|
|
1978 |
Kalamazoo's Chris Bussert won the men's tennis singles title and
Bussert and Jim Hosner won the doubles title at the NCAA Division
III national championships, the first athletes from an MIAA college
to win national titles.
The MIAA and WMIAA were combined to form a unified men's and women's league.
The first year of combined governance was 1978-79.
Basketball standout Mark Veenstra of Calvin was the first athlete in MIAA history
to be voted the league's most valuable player four years in-a-row (1975 through
1978). Only one other athlete has duplicated the feat -- swimmer Don Knoechel
of Kalamazoo from 1976 through 1980.
|
|
1979 |
Women's track became an MIAA championship sport in the spring of
1979. Calvin was the first champion.
Calvin won first MIAA softball championship.
|
|
|
1981 |
Archery was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1981
season. (See 1952)
Women's cross country became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1981.
Albion and Alma were co-champions in the first year.
|
|
1982 |
For the first time, the MIAA All-Sports Award was determined on
the basis of both men's and women's sports. Hope was the first recipient
under the new criteria (1981- 82).
The first all-conference and most valuable recognitions were given in women's
sports. First MVP recipients were: basketball, Sharon Boeve of Calvin; cross
country, Lisa Thocher of Alma; field hockey, Mary Lou Ireland of Hope; softball,
Sharon Boeve of Calvin; swimming, Cathy Bousson of Albion; tennis, Linda Topolsky
of Kalamazoo; track, Lisa Thocher of Alma; and volleyball, Deb Verhill of Calvin.
Hope's Sarah Stanwood won the 400-yard individual medley at the AIAW swimming
and diving championships, the first female athlete from an MIAA college to win
a national title.
|
|
1984 |
Wrestling was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1983-84
season. (See 1969)
Albion's Sue Leiby won the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III swimming
and diving championships -- the first female athlete from an MIAA college to
win an NCAA national title.
|
|
1985 |
Kalamazoo's Lynn Achterberg was the first woman from an MIAA college
to receive an NCAA post-graduate study scholarship. |
|
1987 |
The MIAA had its most successful year (1986-87) in NCAA Division
III competition to this point. Kalamazoo wins its fourth men's tennis
title since 1976. The MIAA also has five individual national champions:
Shelly Russell of Hope in swimming (500 and 1,650 yard freestyle);
Rob Peel of Hope in swimming (50 yard freestyle); Jim Burda and Alex
Palladino of Kalamazoo in tennis (doubles); and Dan Pekrul of Albion
in track (javelin). |
|
1988 |
The MIAA celebrated its anniversary as America's oldest collegiate
conference by commemorating its l00th year of continuous operation.
A ninth consecutive All-Sports Award by Hope College was the longest streak by
a member college since it was first presented in 1934-35.
|
|
1989 |
Hope's Shelly Russell was voted the NCAA Division III female swimmer
of the year for the second consecutive year. Russell was an NCAA
champion seven times in her career -- the most successful MIAA athlete
in history at a national level.
Women's soccer became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1989. Kalamazoo
was the first champion.
|
|
|
1990 |
Kalamazoo College men's tennis coach George Acker was elected
the college tennis Coach of the Decade. The most successful coach
in MIAA history, Acker has guided the Hornets to 32 consecutive league
championships. In 1990 while George Acker's Hornets were winning
the men's MIAA title, the women's tennis team coached by his daughter
Sherry were MIAA co-champions.
The first women's NCAA championship by an MIAA team was captured by Hope College
in women's basketball. Hope coach Sue Wise is voted the Division III national
coach of the year.
The MIAA announced its first Honor Roll of Athletes. A total of 281 students
are recognized for achieving a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average during
the 1989-90 school year.
Kevin O'Shaughnessey of Alma was the first recipient of the Lawrence Green Scholarship
in men's tennis.
The MIAA sponsored field hockey as a league sport for the final year.
|
|
1991 |
The 100th Track and Field championships were held at Alma College.
Albert L. Deal retired as commissioner of the MIAA.
Women's golf became an MIAA championship sports in the fall of 1991. Hope was
the first champion.
Three MIAA coaches were voted Division III national coaches of the year in their
respective sport -- Pete Kowall of Kalamazoo in women's soccer, John Patnott
of Hope in men's swimming, and George Acker in men's tennis.
The MIAA had its most successful year to date at the NCAA Division III outdoor
track and field championships, winning two national championships while turning
in 18 All-American performances. It culminated a record year for MIAA athletes
in NCAA competition. In addition to a record fifth Division III national championship
by the Kalamazoo men's tennis team, there were four individual national champions
-- the Hope men's 800-yard freestyle relay team (Jon Hescott, Phil Sotok, Jeff
Bannink and Brad Genson), Lewis Miller of Kalamazoo in men's tennis (singles),
Rick Lubbers of Calvin in the pole vault, and Steve Gilbert of Albion in the
javelin.
Sheila Wallace-Kovachick was appointed the seventh commissioner of the MIAA effective
July 1, 1991.
|
|
1992 |
The MIAA instituted a post-season tournament to determine the league's
qualifier in the NCAA Division III men's basketball playoffs. Calvin
was the first champion.
The MIAA had three NCAA Division III national champions - Calvin in men's basketball,
Alma in women's basketball and Kalamazoo for a record sixth time in men's tennis.
Individual national champions included Hope swimmer Dawn Hoving in the 200-yard
butterfly and Lewis Miller of Kalamazoo for a second year in men's tennis (singles).
Calvin men's basketball coach Ed Douma was voted the Division III national coach
of the year.
The Joint Archives of Holland became the repository of MIAA historical materials.
|
|
1993 |
The first post-season women's basketball tournament was held to
determine the league's qualifier to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Calvin was the first champion.
Kalamazoo won a record seventh NCAA Division III national championship in men's
tennis. George Acker, the winningest coach in MIAA history, retired from Kalamazoo
College.
The MIAA crowned six individual national champions, including the first in women's
track. Steve Gilbert of Albion became the first MIAA athlete to defend a men's
track national championship (javelin in 1991 & 1993). In track, the MIAA
had a record 20 All-American performances.
Four MIAA athletes were awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships - Jeff Bannink
of Hope, Steve Honderd of Calvin, Jennifer Kennedy of Albion, and Lewis Miller
of Kalamazoo.
Renea Bluekamp of Calvin won the women's NCAA Division III cross country championship.
She became the first MIAA athlete -- male or female -- to win the gold medal
in a national cross country meet.
Albion College graduate Cedric Dempsey was appointed executive director of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Dr. Dempsey was an five-time
All-MIAA athlete in basketball and baseball (1952-54). He was honored as the
1994 MIAA Field Day Honorary Referee.
Albion posted the MIAA's first victory in the NCAA football playoffs.
Kalamazoo won the first conference volleyball playoff to determine the MIAA representative
to the NCAA Division III playoffs, defeating Calvin on a neutral court (Hope).
|
|
1994 |
Tennis player Jackie Aurelia of Kalamazoo College became the first
female athlete to be the most valuable player in an MIAA sport four
consecutive years.
The MIAA has a record eight individual national champions during the 1993-94
academic year. The best finishes by MIAA teams in NCAA competition included Hope
second in women's swimming and Calvin third in women's track.
Lisa Stover of Hope was MIAA's first All-American in women's golf.
Albion won NCAA Division III national championship in football.
|
|
1995 |
Hope won all four winter sports championships, an MIAA first.
Three MIAA teams - Alma, Calvin and Hope - qualified for the NCAA Division III
softball playoffs.
|
|
1996 |
Kalamazoo had two GTE basketball All-Americans, Jeremy Cole and
Sara Musser.
Amy Kuiper of Calvin became the first female student-athlete to achieve All-MIAA
honors eight times in her career.
Defiance College of Ohio and Saint Mary's College of Indiana were admitted to
membership effective with the 1997-98 school year.
Betsy Haverkamp of Calvin became the first MIAA female athlete to acheive NCAA
All-America honors four consecutive years in cross country.
|
|
1997 |
A new NCAA Division III men's basketball attendance record was
established when 11,442 fans watch Calvin play Hope at the VanAndel
Arena in Grand Rapids.
David Lefere of Albion (football and baseball) and Betsy Haverkamp of Calvin
(cross country and track) became the first MIAA student-athletes to be named
a GTE Academic All-American in two sports. Lefere received the honor in football
in 1995 and 1996 and baseball in 1997. A record 19 MIAA student-athletes achieved
GTE Academic All-American status during the 1996-97 school year, raising the
league's honor roll to 105.
The MIAA commemorated its 100th year of conference football competition.
For the first time, the MIAA qualified two teams for the NCAA Championships in
both men's soccer and women's soccer.
|
|
1998 |
Olivet's seventh place finish in the NCAA men's golf championship
is the best for an MIAA team. |
|
|
Marvin Zuidema, long time men's soccer coach at Calvin College, was
awarded the Bill Jeffrey Award by the National Soccer Coaches Associaton. The
Jeffrey award is named after Bill Jeffrey legendary Penn State University
coach. The award is annually presented to one person selected for long time
dedication and contribution to men's or women's college soccer. |
|
1999 |
Alma's Jon Cullen was the first recipient of the annual Dr. Marvin A.
Zuidema Men's Soccer Award. |
|
|
Beginning in 1998-99, the MIAA presents separate awards for
the leading men's and women's sports performances in a school year,
in addition to continuing the All-Sports Award.
For the first time, the MIAA qualified three teams for the NCAA women's soccer
tournament -- Calvin, Kalamazoo, and Olivet.
Calvin won the Division III women's cross country championship.
Olivet was chosen to host the NCAA Division III men's golf championships in 2000.
For the first time, the MIAA qualified three teams for the NCAA women's basketball
tournament -- Calvin, Defiance, and Hope.
For the first time, an MIAA male swimmer was a double winner at the NCAA Championships.
Josh Boss of Hope won the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, both in national
record times.
The MIAA Faculty Athletic Representatives award the first team GPA awards for
outstanding academic accomplishment. Thirty-two teams achieved the distinction
for the 1998-99 school year.
|
|
|
2000 |
Defiance, an MIAA member since 1997-98, withdraws after 1999-00
winter season to join the Heartland Conference.
Calvin becomes the first MIAA college to win two NCAA Division III National team
championships in a school year -- women's cross country and men's basketball.
Kalamazoo diver Jeffrey Gorton wins the NCAA Division III National championship
on both the one-meter and three-meter boards.
|
|
2001 |
The Calvin women's track 1,600 meter relay wins the NCAA Division
III national championship for a third consecutive year. Members of
the relay were Lindsay Mulder, Megan Pierce, Sara Veltkamp and Mindy
Worst.
For the second time in three years, a Hope golfer is the National Freshman of
the Year. Lacey Wicksall was presented the award two years after Eric Wohlfield
recieved it.
Saint Mary's wins its first MIAA championship, capturing the women's tennis crown.
|
|
2002 |
For the first time in history, the MIAA had three teams finish
in the top ten at the NCAA Division III men's swimming and diving
championships. The cumulative total (628.5 points) of Hope (5th place),
Kalamazoo (6th place) and Calvin (9th place) was also a league mark
at the national meet.
Hope senior Josh Boss became just the sixth swimmer in NCAA Division III history
to win a national championship in the same event four consecutive years -- the
200-yard breaststroke (1999-02). He also won the national title in the 100-yard
breaststroke three of his four years (1999, 2001, 2002) to become the MIAA's
most decorated swimmer/diver with seven national championships in his career.
Commissioner Sheila Wallace-Kovalchik resigned effective with the end of the
2001-02 school year.
For the first time in league history, the MIAA accepts an associate member. Wisconsin
Lutheran College of Milwaukee is accepted to compete as a league member in football
effective with the 2002 season. The purpose is to give the MIAA enough football-playing
members to gain an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III championships effective
with the 2003 season.
Calvin's four All-America performances in the men's 5,000 meters marked the first
time in NCAA III Track & Field Championships history that four runners from
the same school achieved All-America distinction in the event. Joel Klooster,
2nd; Hendrik Kok, 3rd; Justin Pfruender, 6th; Dan Hoekstra, 7th.
David L. Neilson was appointed interim commissioner for the 2002-03 school year.
The fall season of the 2002-03 school year saw seven conference schools win or
share the eight fall championships.
Kalamazoo's Anthony Holt wins NCAA Division III national diving championship
on the one-meter and three-meter boards.
Albion graduate ('54) and All-MIAA basketball and baseball honoree Cedric Dempsey served as
President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1993-2002.
|
|
2003 |
Saint Mary's first NCAA Division III national champion is Stefanie
Simmerman who is the medalist at the 2003 golf championships.
David Neilson was appointed commissioner after serving on an interim basis in
the 2002-03 school year.
Kalamazoo suffers its first MIAA men's tennis dual match loss since 1962, bowing
to Hope 7-2. The loss snaps Kalamazoo's string of consecutive league dual match
victories at 241. Kalamazoo and Hope end as seasonal co-champions after the Hornets
won the conference tournament.
Tri-State University is accepted as a conditional NCAA Division III member effective
with the 2004-05 school year at which time the Indiana school will become a member
of the MIAA.
Calvin captured the NCAA Division III men's cross country championship with the
second best team score (48 points) in the history of the national meet. Calvin
became the first team in Division III cross country history to have six runners
achieve All-America distinction -- David Haagsma, Hendrik Kok, Tim Avery, Tim
Finnegan, Kris Koster and Matt Edwards.
By winning its first-ever MIAA women's soccer championship, Hope became the first
conference member to win a league title in every men's and women's sport.
|
|
2004 |
Three of the nation's top four female pole vaulters hail from the
MIAA. Adrian's Amanda Haines, who earlier in the 2003-04 school year
won the gold medal at the national indoor meet, repeated the fete
at the outdoor championships. Hope's Jennifer VanderMeer won the
silver medal and Calvin's Missy Smith tied for fourth. |
|
2005 |
All nine MIAA women's cross country teams received the league's
Team GPA Award for academic achievement.
Wisconsin Lutheran notified the league it would end its associate membership
after the 2007 football season to join another conference.
For the second time in league history (1998, 2005), the MIAA qualified two teams
for both the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments. In each tournament
both Albion and Calvin advanced to the Sectional round where in an All-MIAA matchup
Calvin prevailed.
For the second time in four years, officials from the MIAA officiated the NCAA
Division III championship football game (The Stagg Bowl).
|
|
2006 |
The MIAA has both a team and individual NCAA national champion
during the 2005-06 school year. Hope won its second women's basketball
crown while Calvin senior Christine Hendricks is the heptathlon gold
medal winner in track and field.
Longtime MIAA Supervisor of Officials Joe Cooper is named Assistant to the Commissioner
on Officiating for the MIAA, ending 35 years of active involvement as the supervisor
of officials in several sports. Cooper officiated his first MIAA game in 1960
and started as supervisor of officials in 1971.
The MIAA commemorates its 100th year of conference baseball competition.
|
|
2007 |
The MIAA becomes the first collegiate conference in the nation to provide anti-microbial towels to its member institutions. The program
was implemented to lessen the risk of the transmission of skin and soft tissue infections among athletes.
Despite lacking an automatic qualifying berth, three MIAA teams -- Albion, Calvin and Kalamazoo -- qualify for the NCAA Division
III men's tennis championships, a conference first.
Tri-State wins its first conference championship as an MIAA member, winning the 2007 softball crown. Still a provisional
member of the NCAA, The Thunder is unable to advance to the Division III playoffs as the MIAA's automatic qualifier. Instead, league
runnerup Alma gains the berth.
Two MIAA athletes were named the Division III national players of the year in their sport during the 2006-07 school year, Josh Brehm of Alma in football and Lisa Winkle of Calvin
in women's basketball.
Tri-State University becomes a full member of the NCAA, effective September
1, 2007, and is eligible to compete in NCAA championship play.
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| |
|
|
2008 |
For the first time ever, two schools tied for the Commissioner's Cup, based on cumulative performance of each school in the MIAA's 18 sports. Hope and Calvin tied for the Cup with 202 points each. The competition came down to the final athletic event of the 2007-08 academic year, as Calvin clinched the baseball championship with a victory over Kalamazoo, earning enough all-sports points to tie Hope.
Two MIAA student-athletes won individual national championships in track and field. Tri-State sophomore Russell Dill won the NCAA Division III men's title in the 400-meter hurdles, while Calvin senior Sarah Wittingen was the national champion in the women's 400-meter hurdles.
Wisconsin Lutheran ended its associate membership after the 2007 football season in order to join another conference.
Adrian becomes the first MIAA school to reach the NCAA Division III College Baseball World Series. The Bulldogs won four one-run games during their tournament run to finish fourth in the nation.
Hope hosts the NCAA Division III women's basketball Final Four at DeVos Fieldhouse. Nearly 5,000 fans attend the two-day event, including 2,621 for the championship game.
Thomas L. Renner is named MIAA historian after having served 42 years as league publicist and statistician. Renner will maintain the league archives and prepare for the celebration of the MIAA's 125th anniversary in 2011-12. Greg Chandler is named league publicist and statistician.
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