University of Mary Washington Then & Now

UMW has a number of athletic teams, including a variety of sports. Mary Washington’s rugby club was formed in 1984 and quickly became a beloved sport, dubbed as “Mary Washington’s football”. ¹ Within the first few years of the club’s formation, it routinely beat the teams of larger schools like Duke, North Carolina State, Penn State, and Georgia. In 1991, the team ended an undefeated season with a win at the Virginia State Championship. The women’s Rugby team is also popular and equally successful, placing 4th nationally in their division in 1994.

The school’s basketball program in particular has evolved significantly from its humble beginnings and  become an important part of UMW life. The 2013-2014 men’s basketball team had the greatest season in the history of the school.² The team’s success led to a significant increase in spirit school-wide, and students packed the Anderson Center to its capacity for the boys’ last two games. This change in school-spirit did not go unnoticed by the team, and senior guard Marcellus Holley stated that “Seeing the atmosphere on campus the past two days, and knowing we did something historic this year – together – is something I’ll always take with me.”³ The Eagles closed out the season at the NCAA Sectional Final with a 25-6 record .

As demonstrated by the photographs below, Mary Washington has a long tradition of established sports. In addition to these traditional sports, newer activities have also gathered considerable traction on campus. Quidditch, based on the game featured in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is a new addition to UMW student activities. Yet, in a short time, it has developed a devoted following which regularly meets for practices and games, including traveling to compete against teams at other schools.