June 24, 1998
Purdue's intercollegiate athletics teams enjoyed another successful school year in 1997-98, setting several records, both on and off the competitive fields. Numerous teams and individuals established all-time Boilermaker bests or, at the least, their top performances in several years.
Purdue's varsity teams averaged a team finish of 6.11 (Michigan won this year's unofficial all-sports title with a 3.17 average finish) in the 11-team Big Ten Conference. It was the Old Gold and Black's highest average finish since 1987-88, and represents an improvement rate of 25 percent over the past six years (the best in the league).
Eleven teams placed in the upper half of the conference, with nine improving their place standing from the previous year and one other staying the same. Those that finished in the upper echelon were: football (second), men's basketball (third), women's basketball (third), men's indoor track (third), women's golf (third), men's tennis (third), women's tennis (fourth), women's indoor track (fifth), men's outdoor track (fifth), men's swimming (sixth) and women's outdoor track (sixth). Squads showing the most improvement were football (up six places) and men's indoor track and field (up four spots).
Purdue also made its mark on the national scene with 10 teams ranking among the top 50 in the country: men's basketball (ninth), women's basketball (11th), football (15th), wrestling (24th), women's swimming (31st), men's swimming (34th), women's indoor track (38th), men's indoor track (40th), women's golf (42nd) and women's tennis (44th). The Boilers placed 46th nationally (16 places better than last year) in the Sears Directors' Cup which measures overall success in all sports.
Football enjoyed its first winning campaign and bowl appearance (Alamo Bowl victory) since 1984. The final ranking of 15th was the gridders' best since 1979. For only the second time in Purdue history, both basketball teams advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament (one of only five schools to accomplish that last season). The women's cagers won the Big Ten Tournament then made it all the way to the NCAA's Elite Eight.
Wrestling qualified six competitors to the NCAA Championships (one shy of last year's record seven). Women's tennis' fourth-place league finish tied its best ever, and it earned a bid to the NCAA Regionals. Men's tennis tied its highest conference standing (also third in 1945) and that team competed in the NCAA Regionals for the second straight year (won its first-ever NCAA match). Women's golf also matched its best Big Ten standing in history (third) before playing in the NCAA Regionals for the second consecutive season.
Twenty-one individuals made first team All-Big Ten and eight were first team All-Americans: Brian Alford (football), Toyinda Smith (women's indoor track), Randy Miller (men's indoor track), Myron McClure (men's indoor track), Mike Turner (men's indoor track), Tim Dernlan (wrestling), Eric Douglas (wrestling) and Stephanie White-McCarty (women's basketball). Football's Joe Tiller was the National Coach-of-the-Year, and he won Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year honors along with women's tennis' Mat Iandolo. Gene Keady became the school's all-time winningest basketball coach.
Success and high achievements were obvious in the classroom, as well. A record 99 student-athletes made Academic All-Big Ten (a number that increases every year). The athletic department's cumulative grade point average has risen the last eight years to 2.83, a figure that passed Purdue's general student body's 2.82 average last fall semester. Last fall, 92 student-athletes (or 22.9 percent of the total number of Boilermakers) achieved Semester Honors, Dean's List or both. Twenty-two had perfect 4.0 grade point averages. More than half (202 or 50.3 percent) of Purdue's 402 total student-athletes earned a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher. The volleyball team was one of 13 NCAA Division 1 programs to earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award.
This past spring, the athletic cumulative GPA matched the overall campus average of 2.83. In the spring, 94 student-athletes (or 24.2 percent of the total number of Boilermakers) achieved Semester Honors, Dean's List or both. Thirty had perfect 4.0 grade point averages. More than half (220 or 56.7 percent) of Purdue's 388 total student-athletes earned a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher. Softball's Jenny Schoen was a first team CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-American.