Photos courtesy of Wheaton Athletic Communications
WESTWOOD, Mass. - As part of the NEWMAC's 25th Anniversary celebration, the conference is taking time throughout the 2022-2023 academic year to reflect on some of the pivotal moments that have transpired in the membership since its inception in 1998. These moments honor the dedication and positive influence of administrators, coaches, and student-athletes over the past two-and-a-half decades that have helped the NEWMAC, and its member institutions become champions of academic and athletic excellence and a preeminent conference in Division III.
In one of the most storied stretches of success in NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field, Wheaton College won the outdoor track & field championship in three consecutive years, from 2001 through 2003. At the time, Wheaton was only the third institution to complete the three-peat. Since Wheaton, only one additional school has won three championships in a row. Wheaton also claimed the NCAA Indoor Track and Field crown during this streak, amassing a total of six National Championships in three years.
The Lyons garnered multiple awards during the time span. Tenille Johnson was named the NEWMAC Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2001, while Amber James won NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. Amber James (pictured) would go on to earn the United States Track & Field Coaches Association (USTCA) Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year honor in 2002. Tessa Donoghue won NEWMAC Rookie of the Year honors in 2002, and Aspen James took home NEWMAC Rookie of the Year accolades in 2003. The group would also collect 38 NEWMAC All-Conference honors over the course of three seasons.
Currently, the Lyons are led by Kim Spence who took the helm in 2013. Spence was a four-year member of the Wheaton women's track and field and program from 2001-2004 as a student-athlete during the impressive run and was a captain her senior season prior to graduating in 2004. Spence reflects on those years expressing "I'm very grateful to have been part of a program where I was surrounded by so many strong and empowered women that worked so hard to achieve success as a team. My teammates and I were lucky to have such incredible coaches who were dedicated to our goals and made us believe that we were capable of anything when we stepped on the track."
The leader for the Lyons during this impressive stretch was coach Paul Souza who earned NEWMAC and USTCA Coach of the Year Honors for his efforts in each of those seasons. Souza began his career in Norton in 1995 where he continued to lead the program until 2011.
In 2017 the 2000-2003 Wheaton Women's Track and Field team was inducted into the Wheaton College Athletics Hall of Fame. The group photo from the induction can be found below.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 11 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with five Associate Members: Catholic University of America (Football), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports. Salve Regina University will become the conferences 12th core member effective June 1, 2023, while N.Y. Maritime will be joining as an Associate Member in football.