UND Athletics

[GeauxSioux]

UND ATHLETICS: Going out with a bang?

Buning said he met with the UND athletic staff last week. He wants the Sioux athletic program to leave its mark in its final Division II season.

“Let's not shy away from our goals,” Buning said. “I'd like to see us go out and win the North Central Conference Cup. We were runner-up last season and we won it the year before. I'd also like to see us win the national (all-sports) director's cup.

“Beating Grand Valley State for that (national all-sports cup) is a huge goal, but let's give it a run.

“And I'd like to see us win a national championship in a men's and women's sport.”

He wants all of UND's sports teams to go out on a high note.

“I want to get 100 percent winning records,” Buning said, referring to the school's last Division II season.

As UND approaches its final Division II season, here's a sampling of what's on the horizon for some of the Sioux athletic programs:

I would have thought the swimming and diving teams would have at least been mentioned.

[dakotadan]

Good read. I also found it interesting that they did not talk about the Swimming & Diving programs. S&D has finished in the top few spots on an annual basis. One could argue that with a little more support, S&D could have been one of UND's most dominant programs.

Mens NCAA finishes:

2007: 2nd

2006: 3rd

2005: 3rd

2004: 3rd

2003: 3rd

2002: 2nd

2001: 3rd

Women's NCAA finishes:

2007: 5th

2006: 4th

2005: 5th

2004: 7th

2003: 8th

2002: 5th

2001: 4th

[4siouxnow]

The problem is it is swimming and diving. I agree and think it is great that there has been such success, but it isn't exactly a high spectator attended sport.

[dakotadan]

The problem is it is swimming and diving. I agree and think it is great that there has been such success, but it isn't exactly a high spectator attended sport.

I completely understand where you are coming from. But the athletic department's job is to be as successful as possible at every sport. When a program is that successful the athletic department has to ask themself what they can do to take that one extra step. Would 1 or 2 more schollies have brought in that 1 or 2 key swimmers that could have helped win us the National Championship? Who knows. But when you are that close, it is worth finding out.

Since the women's hockey program was started I have said that we need to support them as much as possible. I truely believe that they will be the next program at UND to win a National Championship. With the move to DI in all sports, that is all the more likely. However, I would love to see the swimming and diving programs prove me wrong in their last year of DII.

Any school can pour all of their resources into their top program or two and compete nationally. But when your non-revenue sports are fighting for the top couple of spots in the nation, it says alot about your school and athletic program.