Athletics
The North Park University athletics department fields 17 NCAA Division III teams: 8 men's teams and 9 women's teams. The teams compete in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Men compete in football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track and field. Women compete in volleyball, basketball, softball, golf, soccer, track and field, cross country, and rowing.
North Park fields club teams for men's and women's ultimate frisbee, men's rowing, and men's volleyball. There is also a healthy Intramural sports program on campus.
The women's crew team has done slightly better, repeatedly placing in national regattas. The men's soccer team has also fared better; in 2005, it successfully defended its CCIW conference title against rival Wheaton, earning their second title in as many years and North Park's first trip to the national tournament. In 2010, after winning the CCIW conference title, the men's soccer team went on to win its first national tournament game in the schools history against Hope College. In 2011, the team returned to the NCAA DIII National Championship but were unable to make it past the first round. North Park is also known as having one of the most successful men's basketball programs in all of college athletics. They have won five men's NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championships since 1978. The baseball program has seen amazing improvements under new leadership by Coach Luke Johnson. Pitcher Mike Giovenco was drafted in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins, and was drafted again in 2010 by the Kansas City Royals in the 14th round.
Read more about this topic: North Park University