Houston Baptist University - Athletics

Athletics

In the 2008-2009 athletic season, Houston Baptist began competing as a member of the Great West Conference. The Great West, previously a football only conference, expanded on July 10, 2008 to become an all-sports conference. HBU accepted an invitation to join the newly expanded conference along with NJIT, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley.

HBU, which was a member of NCAA Division I until moving to the NAIA in 1989, began its transition back to Division I in 2007-08. The Huskies field teams in 15 sports.

MEN: Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Cross-Country, Golf

WOMEN: Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Cross Country, Golf

In 2009, HBU's Daniel Martinez beat Luis Nava of Texas Pan-American over the final 400 meters to win the Great West Cross Country Championships, the first men's league title awarded by the new conference.

The athletics department boasts an 80% graduation rate among its student-athletes.

Notable NCAA D-1 Athletic Achievements:

• 1983 NCAA high-jump champion, Ricky Thompson; t-32nd place in the 1983 Track & Field Championships
• alma mater of European Tour great Colin Montgomerie
• 1983-84 Men's basketball team participated in the NCAA tournament in the play-in game vs. Alcorn State; 1983-84 Men's basketball team led the entire NCAA in team field-goal percentage, shooting 55.2%, this is also 10th all-time in NCAA history
• Participants in the NCAA men's golf championships in 1984, 1987 (5th place), and 1988
• Participants in the NCAA men's gymnastics championships in 1982 (10th place) and 1987 (7th place); 1987 men's gymnastics (Rings) champion, Paul O'Neill.
• 1982, 83, 84, 85 Trans-America (now Atlantic Sun) Men's soccer Champions, and conference tournament champions in 82, 84, and 85.
• 1982, 83, 84, 85 Trans-America (now Atlantic Sun) men's cross country champions; individual titles won by Charlie Foreman (83 & 84) and Magnus Fyhr (85).

Notable NAIA Athletic Achievements:

• 2007 NAIA Baseball World Series, 3rd place; 2007 Baseball Region VI Champions;
• Participants in NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament ten straight seasons from 1997-2007.
• Dwight Jones II, son of Dwight Jones Sr. who played on the 1972 USA Olympic Silver medal basketball team in Munich, was drafted by the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Developmental League as well as the East Kentucky Miners in the CBA draft.