The Hillsdale Chargers are the athletic teams that represent Hillsdale College, located in Hillsdale, Michigan, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Chargers (The Dales until a 1968 mascot name change) are currently members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference as of 2017. The Chargers had been members of the GLIAC since 1975.
The college also has club teams and intramural sports that vary from year to year.
Conference history Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1888-1960) Independent (1961-1975) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1975–2017) Great Midwest Athletic Conference (2017–present)
Varsity teams
Men's sports Women's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross Country Cross Country Softball Football Swimming Golf Tennis Tennis Track and field Track and field Volleyball
Baseball The Chargers baseball team plays their home games at Simpson Field, located near Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium. The Chargers made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2016 where they fell to the Grand Valley State Lakers and the Indianapolis Greyhounds. After the Chargers move to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the Chargers secured their first conference championship in 2018 with a 15–2 win over the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers, their first conference championship since 1960.
Basketball The men's and women's basketball programs of Hillsdale College play their home games in the newly renovated Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. The arena is located within the Roche Sports Complex and is adjacent to Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium. It has a maximum seating capacity of 2,200 spectators. However, additional standing room is available.
Football
The Hillsdale College Chargers football teams play their home games at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium. The stadium has an official seating capacity of 8,500 spectators. Football coach Muddy Waters was the head coach at Hillsdale from 1954 to 1973. The football stadium is named in his honor.
Softball At Hillsdale, the varsity softball team competes at their home Johnny Williams Field. The Charger softball team won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship in 2018, the school's softball team's first conference championship at the NCAA Division II level. This win earned them a berth in the NCAA regional tournament where the Chargers went on to beat the nationally ranked, and first place in the region, Grand Valley State University Lakers before falling to that year’s national champions: the Eagles of the University of Southern Indiana. The Charger softball team has recently acquired a new coach, Kyle Gross, after previous head coach Joe Abraham took the position at University of Toledo. Gross, who took over in the 2019 season, led the Chargers to yet another G-MAC conference championship and a 13–11 conference record.
Volleyball The women's volleyball team of Hillsdale College play their home games in the newly renovated Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, formerly known as the Jesse Phillips Arena.
Facilities
Venue Sport(s) Open. Ref. Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium Football Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena Basketball Volleyball Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium Baseball Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium Johnny Williams Field Softball Johnny Williams Field Hayden Park Track and field Hayden Park Mary Jane Delp Courts Tennis Mary Jane Delp Tennis Courts Jack McAvoy Natatorium Swimming Jack McAvoy Natatorium
Former facilities Venue Sport(s) Open. Closed Ref. Simpson Field Baseball
National championships (1960–2015): 1960: Baseball – NAIA 1985: Football – NAIA Division I 1993 and 1994: NAIA Men's Indoor Track & Field, High Jump Champion: Jim McHugh 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Indoor Track & Field, 35# Weight Throw Champion: Jason Stomps 2012: NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field, 800 Meter and 1 Mile Champion: Amanda Putt 2012: ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Division III Champions Combined High Overall Team in American Skeet, American Trap, International Skeet, International Trap, Five Stand, Sporting Clays 2015: NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field, Distance Medley Relay (DMR) Champions: Kate Royer, Corinne Zehner, Amy Kerst, Emily Oren; 3000 Meter Champion: Emily Oren 2015: NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track & Field, 3000 Meter Steeplechase and 5000 Meter Champion: Emily Oren 2015: NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor Track & Field, 400 Meter Hurdles Champion: Maurice Jones 2026: NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field, 5000 meter Champion: Allison Kuzma
National Runners-up 1957: Football – NAIA 1992: Men's Cross Country – NAIA 1994: Men's Cross Country – NAIA 1992: NAIA Men's Outdoor Track & Field, High Jump : Jim McHugh 1994: NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field, High Jump : Jim McHugh 2014: NCAA DII Women's Cross Country, 2015: NCAA DII Women's Indoor Track & Field 2015: NCAA DII Women's Indoor Track & Field, 3000 Meter and 5000 Meter: Kristina Galat 2015: NCAA DII Men's Indoor Track & Field, Pole Vault: Jared Schipper
Basketball Final Four 1981: Men's Basketball – NAIA Division I
Alumni Chargers athletes have enjoyed numerous accolades in their respective sports, and many have moved on to the professional level: Football – Howard Mudd (San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears), Isaac TeSlaa (Detroit Lions) , Chester Marcol (Green Bay Packers, Houston Oilers), Jared Veldheer (Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers), Andre Holmes (Oakland Raiders), Nate Johnson (wide receiver) (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) Basketball – Cory Coe (United States, Portugal and Germany), Tim Deselski (Luxembourg), Tony Gugino (Bulgaria, Switzerland), Brad Guinane (United Kingdom), Michael Lake (Germany), Tim Martin (Canada), Nick Washburn (Spain), Jack Gohlke (Oakland).
References
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