Athletics highlights

Dante Dunn, free safety

Athletics celebrated its best finish in Wayne State history in 2008 in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors’ Cup Standings, placing 23rd in the nation out of 295 schools as determined by the number of points accumulated at NCAA tournaments.

More than half of WSU’s more than 400 student-athletes have a 3.00 or better grade-point average, and Warrior athletes graduate at a 20 percent higher mark than the comparable campus population.

The WSU football team (8-3) was ranked 25th in the nation in Division II by the American Football Coaches Association in 2008. It was the first national ranking ever for WSU by the AFCA, and the first in any national poll since 1976.

Slava Zingerman, fencer

Fencer Slava Zingerman won his second consecutive individual national title in 2008, the fifth in the last five years by a Warrior.

Twenty-one Wayne State student-athletes achieved All-America status at the 2008 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships.

Christer Tour became the first non-diving national champion since 1941 when he won the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA championships.

Senior Rachelle Malette repeated as an All-American after finishing sixth in the NCAA cross country championships.

Rachelle Malette, cross country

Student-athletes completed a record 4,571 community service hours in outreach activities in Detroit and surrounding communities.

For the first time in team history women’s hockey was ranked nationally – 10th by U.S. College Hockey Online.

Pitcher Anthony Bass was selected in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres.