The Journal

Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Photo illustration by Max Gersh

Despite dropping the swimming program, the Webster athletic department is growing. On April 19, the athletic department announced the addition of three new sports - raising the number of sports from 11 to 14.


Men's and women's track and field and men's cross country will be added to the current roster of sports Webster offers.


"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to expand our lineup of intercollegiate athletic programs," Athletic Director Tom Hart said.


The Webster track and field team will start competing in spring 2008. A nationwide search for a coach is already under way. A search committee consisting of Hart, a representative from Admissions, Student Affairs, a coach from the athletic department and a student athlete will decide who will lead the team. A full-time coach is expected to be named by the summer.


"We just want the best candidate for the job," Hart said.


Hart wants to give the new coach a full year of recruiting. Years ago, when Webster added women's soccer, the school took the same approach. The coach was hired and then given a full year to recruit before taking the field. The Webster women's soccer started playing in 1999.


"This model works," Hart said. "We took this approach with the women's soccer team, and look at how many awards that sport has won."


There already has been a posting on the NCAA Web site. Hart said he has been contacted by a few people about the job opening.


In January 2006, the NCAA passed legislation increasing the number of sports Division III schools were required to carry. The number used to be five sports for each gender. After the swimming program was dropped, school-sponsored sports at Webster were down to five for the men and six for the women. The new legislation states each school must carry at least six sports for each gender.


"I have already been approached by a few students who said they were excited to hear about the addition of track and field," Hart said.


One of those students is freshman Jackie Schall. Schall qualified for state in shot put in high school.


"When I chose Webster I thought my shot put career was over," Schall said. 'I'm very excited to hear about the addition so I can continue competing in track and field."


The proposal for a track and field team had been made before the decision to cut the swimming program was final.


"Track and field offers us a good bunch of recruits to draw from," Hart said. "Not just in track and field, but in cross country as well."


If Webster hadn't added track and field, the school would have been put on restricted NCAA status. Such a restriction would mean Webster wouldn't be eligible for NCAA championships. The school also wouldn't have been allowed to participate in NCAA tournaments in any sport.


"Track and field has been on our radar screen for a while now," Hart said. "When the NCAA passed that legislation we really started to look at seriously adding the program."


There is a chance the Webster athletic department will be growing even bigger in the future. Hart mentioned there is a possibility of adding indoor men's and women's track and field, but there is no set timetable.

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