By many measures, the 2023-24 season was the most successful in Washburn sports history – both on the field and in the classroom.

The Ichabods finished 25th in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which ranks over 250 Division II schools based on their NCAA tournament finishes of all their sports. It’s the second time in the past three years Washburn ranked in the top 25, after finishing 21st in 2021-22. Washburn also finished a school-best fourth in the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup.

“The student-athletes get the credit for how they performed, and the coaches did a great job recruiting and developing, as always,” said Loren Ferré, Washburn’s athletic director. “In tennis, Santiago Rendon and Tim Hammes won the ITA doubles national championship, soccer played for the national championship, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field finished third in the conference.”

For all the success the Ichabods had in competitions, Ferré says what he’s most proud of is the student-athletes’ 3.38 average GPA.

“Seventy percent of our student-athletes had a 3.0 GPA or better,” he said. “The things they do academically are incredible. Participating in sports, representing the university and getting the grades they do always makes me proud.”

Nine of Washburn’s 14 programs qualified for NCAA postseason play. In addition to a national runner-up finish, the soccer team won the MIAA regular season title. Men’s and women’s tennis both qualified for the NCAA national championships, with the men sweeping the MIAA regular season and tournament titles. Softball qualified for the NCAA Central Region tournament.
Men’s outdoor track and field had their highest-ever finish at the MIAA championship (third) and NCAA championship (14th). Indoors, the men finished 21st in the NCAAs. Women’s track and field also had a school-best third-place MIAA finish and were 23rd in the NCAAs. The women also had program-best finishes indoors, taking fourth in the MIAA and 19th in the NCAAs.

Men’s cross country finished second at the MIAA championship and a program-best fourth at the NCAA Central Region meet, sending unrelated Kenyan runners Donald Kibet and David Kibet to the national championship meet.

“David was the top runner in the conference and he really developed with us and put in the work for five years to see that happen,” said Cameron Babb, head coach of all Washburn’s cross country and track and field teams. “We’ve seen that across our program. We build through recruiting, and we have the trump card when it comes to indoor facilities.”

Among the year’s athletic and academic highlights, Ferré had a hard time choosing a favorite moment, but one thriller got an A+ in his books.

“When you flash back on the year, the soccer team’s NCAA regional win against Central Missouri was incredible,” he said. “We tied it at the very end of regulation and won in overtime. As a fan and supporter, you remember that forever. That’s just one of many highlights that stand out.”