The Drury Panthers are the athletic teams that represent Drury University, located in Springfield, Missouri, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Panthers compete as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference for all 21 varsity sports. Drury has been a member of the GLVC since 2005.
Varsity teams
Men's sports Men's sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Bowling Cross country Cross country Golf Golf Soccer Soccer Swimming Softball Tennis Swimming Track and field Tennis Wrestling Track and field Volleyball
National championships The Panthers have twenty-three NCAA team national championships, the fourth-most among active Division II athletics program (Saint Augustine's, Adams State, and Florida Southern have more).
Team Men's basketball (1) NCAA Division II2013Metro State74–73 Men's swimming and diving (22) NAIA (10) Single1981DenverSimon Fraser483–3041982Denver456–3011985Central Washington368–3501988Wisconsin–Eau Claire494–329.51989Puget Sound632.5–410.51990Wisconsin–Stevens Point634–3761991Oral Roberts631.5–6301992Simon Fraser779.5–4931993Puget Sound602.5–4871994Puget Sound813.5–507 NCAA (12) Division II 1999 Cal State Bakersfield 829–557 2003 612–535 2005 726–480 2006 649–543½ 2007 North Dakota 521½–500 2008 Missouri S&T 523½–336 2009 Wayne State 543–504½ 2010 Incarnate Word 538–403 2011 UC San Diego 600½–345 2012 473–400 2013 Florida Southern 546–397 2014 569½–361 Women's swimming and diving (13) NAIA (3) Single1992Puget Sound621–5831993Puget Sound637–630.51994Puget Sound726–576 NCAA (10) Division II 1997 Oakland 690½–460 1998 Cal State Bakersfield 578½–386 1999 North Dakota 613–603½ 2000 Truman State 663–556 2007 646½–518 2009 Wayne State 618½–453½ 2010 657–531 2011 483½–388 2013 432½–388 2014 486–419
Individual teams
Baseball Baseball, in hiatus since the 1970s, was reorganized for the 2007 season by new head coach Mark Stratton. Bill Virdon was the first Panther to make a start. Trevor Richards was the first alum to pitch a Major League Baseball win, for the Miami Marlins. The team plays home games at U.S. Baseball Park in nearby Ozark, Missouri.
Basketball Mike Carter played for the Drury Panthers, who in 1978–79 were 33–2 and won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship as he won the 1979 NAIA basketball tournament's Charles Stevenson Hustle Award, and who over his two seasons with the team were 62–6."NAIA DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL" He holds the school's two-year record in rebounds (480). He was inducted into the Drury Panthers Hall of Fame in 2008.
On April 7, 2013, Drury won the Division II Men's National Championship in Basketball, defeating Metro State of Denver 74–73 after rallying from a 17-point deficit. The Panthers won their final 23 games of the season – a school record – to finish 31–4 on the season. They also captured their second Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and first NCAA Division II Midwest Regional along the way. In keeping with recent custom, the Division II champions were invited to play an exhibition game against Duke University.
On June 24, 2021, Drury announced former NBA player Chris Carr will join the Panthers coaching staff as an assistant.
Swimming and diving Also in 2007, Drury men's swimming head coach Brian Reynolds was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Wrestling In 2016, Drury began fielding a wrestling program, the first in the Ozarks region in over 20 years. The addition gave the GLVC the required minimum of six teams to hold a conference championship tournament, and it added the sport in the 2016–17 season.
References
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