Whitman College
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Whitman College - Athletics - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Athletics

Quick Stats

Athletic Association
  • NAA
  • NCAA
Athletic Division NCAA Division III (without football)
Athletic Conferences Football: N/A
Basketball: Northwest Conference
School Colors Navy and maize
School Nickname Missionaries
Men Playing Varsity Sports 119 - 19%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 120 - 14%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Though students at Whitman take part in all forms of athletics and exercise, varsity sports are not a high priority in students’ lives. In fact, most intramural sports are more popular than varsity sports, and students get pretty into IM athletics. Teams often dress up in costumes and create team cheers rather than support the handful of varsity sports on campus. When a sports program is not very competitive, there is just not a lot about which to get excited, and IM sports provide an appropriate filler. Whitman offers seven IM sports, overshadowing the eight varsity sports. In addition, Whitman has club sports ranging from coed fencing to coed ultimate.

Most students participate in some form of athletics, primarily because most students at Whitman care about exercise and outdoor athletics like hiking, skiing, or bicycling. Athletics are generally a secondary aspect to Whitman life, the first being academics. The most popular varsity sport on campus is basketball and for intramurals, it’s football. Overall, sports are a great way for people to get out of the library and to meet each other, but they are by no means an essential aspect of Whitman social life.

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Whitman Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Whitman College

Dyerkm

English '13

5.0
A+

Athletics Are Really Great

Yes, Whitman has Division III athletics. But while this does mean that varsity athletes can't get scholarships for their athletics, that lack of scholarships really ensures that our athletes are participating because they love their sports. As someone who has been doing competitive swimming since the age of 8, and for whom a good swim team was essential to the college search, I couldn't be happier than I have been in my time as a varsity swimmer at Whitman. Even outside of the swim team (which is basically my family), I have been super impressed by the other athletics on campus. Not only are our teams excellent, both academically and competitively (we consistently have some of the highest GPA's among Division III athletics in the nation, and are consistently high ranking in the conference, and on a national level), they are an integral part of the campus community, and something that students really come together over. I love athletics at Whitman, and this view on varsity sports doesn't even touch the intramural and club sports, which, believe me, are both awesome and HUGE on campus.

Apr 30, 2012

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Athletics at Whitman College

bendixcd

Philosophy '12

4.2
A-

Outstanding Athletics Culture, Facilities and Support

Whitman has hands down the best athletics facilities in the Northwest Conference. Our fitness center, which is used by both Varsity athletes as well as the general campus community, rivals many DI fitness centers. Aside from the phenomenal facilities, the support from students, staff, and faculty is consistently excellent. As a Varsity athlete, I have never been to an athletic event without running into both professors and other Varsity athletes there to support their peers. This year, Whitman qualified more teams for National level competition than ever before. Men's and Women's tennis both won berths to Nationals, as did Women's Golf, and two Varsity Men's swimmers. All the varsity sports are on the rise! If you're considering participating at a DIII institution, Whitman is an unparalleled atmosphere in which to compete. Aside from the support from the campus and community, the school is required not to dock student-athletes who miss class due to competition or travel. Being an athlete here has been the defining experience of my four years! Oh, yeah, we have lots of club sports, including tremendous frisbee teams, rugby, lacrosse, cycling, water polo, men's volley ball, tennis, track, nordic and downhill skiing, and snowboarding. To top it off, we have dozens of intramural sports like flag football, soccer, dogeball, tennis, basketball, and softball, to name a few. Bottom line: no we're not a big time state school, but we take our athletics extraordinarily seriously.

Apr 30, 2012

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Athletics at Whitman College

leahcs

Sociology '14

3.8
B+

We're Not DI, but We Get Excited About Sports

We don't have a football team. No cheerleaders. No grinning mascot to cheer behind. But we come out, and we support. Basketball games are always fun, and people from the community, including retired professors from years ago, come to cheer as well. Our tennis teams are great. (Men's tennis is ranked 8th in the country!) I played varsity tennis last year, and felt that there was also a strong community between varsity athletes.

For those not inclined to varsity, IM sports are incredibly fun. Most students participate in them, and winning the IM championship blue shirt is an accomplishment that Whitties aspire towards.

Apr 30, 2012

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User rating for Whitman College - Athletics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 20 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How popular are varsity sports on campus?

How popular are intramurals and club sports?

How would you describe the athletic facilities?

Facts

Men's Varsity Sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
Intramurals
  • Basketball (men’s, women’s)
  • Football (men’s, women’s)
  • Lacrosse (men’s, women’s)
  • Rugby (men’s, women’s)
  • Softball (men’s, women’s)
  • Ultimate Frisbee (men’s, women’s)
  • Water polo
Club Sports
  • Aikido
  • Cycling
  • Dance
  • Fencing
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Juggling
  • Lacrosse (women's)
  • Mountaineering
  • Rugby (men's and women's)
  • Running
  • Scuba
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Softball
  • Tae Kwon Do
  • Track and field
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball (men's)
  • Whitewater rafting
  • Wrestling
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • Baker Ferguson Fitness Center with Paul Harvey Pool
  • Bratton Indoor Tennis Center
  • Sherwood Athletic Center
  • Volleyball courts
  • Whitman Soccer Fields
  • Whitman Tennis Courts

Most Popular Sports

Any intramural team (particularly IM football), Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, rugby, basketball, lacrosse, and cycling.

Most Overlooked Teams

Skiing (particularly after it was demoted to club status by the administration), swimming, baseball, and rock climbing.

School Spirit

Though sporting events don’t bring in an enormous amount of school spirit, every student is very proud to be at Whitman. Students think very highly of the school, its professors, and all the resources it provides. The problem areas students hound Whitman for are predictable (lack of racial diversity, for instance), but generally, students are proud to be here. It’s common for students to wear Whitman T-shirts or sweatshirts around campus, and almost inevitable that students start missing the school over breaks and after graduation, even after complaints during finals. In fact, many students have a hard time leaving Whitman because, somehow, the school just manages to charm its students, even with the fact that it’s in Walla Walla.

Getting Tickets

All sporting events are free and do not require tickets. In the rare occasion that they are, the event would be very well-advertised and sold in Reid.

Best Place to Take a Walk

Pioneer Park is not too far away from campus, and it’s a beautiful, easy walk where students can also look at the aviary. Walking around campus is also very pleasant, and the neighboring residential areas are quiet, quaint, and charming.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Sara Rasmussen
Hometown
Salem, Ore.
Major
Politics

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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