Washburn University Athletics celebrates its best year ever

Washburn Athletics is coming off its most successful year in university history. The Ichabods finished 15th in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, a national ranking among all NCAA Division II universities, and second in the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup, which reflects team success in the highly competitive Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference.

Washburn University competes in 17 sports for men and women including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball. Among the many accomplishments of these teams:

National championship appearance by Men’s Tennis

Final Four appearance by Men’s Basketball

11 of 17 squads qualifying for NCAA postseason play

30 Washburn athletes earning All-American honors

Even more impressive than wins in a game or match is the academic success of Washburn’s more than 500 student-athletes. Their combined GPA tops 3.39, with nearly 75 percent of all athletes earning a spot on the academic honor roll. In addition, 83 student-athletes earned 4.0 GPAs in the spring semester.

“Our student-athletes excel on the field or court, as well as in the classroom,” said Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek, president, Washburn University. “Excelling in academics while competing at a high level in athletics is truly exceptional. They are well-prepared to juggle life and achieve success after graduation.”

Additional departmental achievements include several conference championships and program firsts. Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Men’s Tennis and Men’s Basketball all won MIAA titles, while several other programs reached new milestones. Men’s and Women’s Track and Field notched their highest ever finish at the conference championships, placing second. In its first year, the Women’s Golf program qualified for postseason play.

"The MIAA is one of the toughest conferences in the country, which makes the accomplishments of this past year even more significant,” said Loren Ferre, athletic director, Washburn University. “While we are incredibly proud of our student-athletes, we are also proud of our coaches who pour their hearts and souls into their programs and athletes. They demonstrate strong commitment to their success in the classroom, in competition and in life.”

A full list of 2024-2025 accomplishments for Washburn Athletics:

Highest-ever 15th in Learfield Directors’ Cup Nationally

Highest-ever MIAA Commissioner’s Cup Finish (2nd)

11 of 17 Programs Qualified for the NCAA Postseason

Men’s Tennis – National Finalist, NCAA Regional Champions, MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Champions, ITA Doubles National Champions

Men’s Basketball – Final Four, NCAA Regional Champions, MIAA Regular Season Champions

Women’s Soccer – MIAA Regular Season Champions, NCAA qualifier

Women’s Tennis – MIAA Regular Season Champions, NCAA qualifier

Men’s and Women’s Track and Field – Highest ever finish at the MIAAChampionships (2nd), school-record 14 individuals sent to NCAA outdoor championships

Men’s Cross Country – Program-best 24th at NCAA championships

Men’s Golf – NCAA qualifier and individual regional champion (Marco Anderson)

Women’s Golf – NCAA qualifier in the first year as a program

Volleyball – NCAA qualifier

30 All-Americans

Overall Departmental GPA: 3.39

428 Student-Athletes Academic Honor Roll (3.0+)

42 MIAA Academic Excellence (4.0), 50 MIAA Scholar-Athletes