Siena College - Athletics

Athletics

Main article: Siena Saints See also: Siena Saints men's basketball

Siena offers 18 NCAA Division I sports, 17 of which participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), with field hockey participating in the Northeast Conference (NEC).

The college generally only competed against local schools in athletics until being elevated to the Division I level in 1976. At this time, Siena became a member of the ECAC, and later the North Atlantic Conference, a forerunner to the present day America East Conference. In 1990, the college moved to the MAAC where it has remained since. Siena has not always been known by its present moniker. Athletic teams were first known as the Golden Hurricanes and later as the Indians. In March 1989, the school adopted its current nickname, the Saints.

Many of Siena's athletic teams have experienced success at the Division I level. The college's most well known squad is the men's basketball team. The Saints have appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Round of 32 in 1989, 2008 and 2009. Siena has also played in the postseason NIT five times, capturing third place in 1994. The women's basketball teams has also had a recent run of success, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2001, and appearances in the 1999, 2002 and 2003 WNIT.

Another team with recent high achievement is men's baseball. The Saints advanced to the 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and in 2005 saw pitcher John Lannan drafted by the Washington Nationals. Lannan has since become a regular starter in Washington's rotation.

Finally, the men's lacrosse team has also improved significantly in recent years. The Saints qualified for their first MAAC tournament in 2007 and their first NCAA tournament in 2009. That season, the Saints secured an automatic berth in the tournament after winning their first MAAC championship during a ten-game winning streak.