A Decade of Excellence

• The department recognized as a Program of Excellence by the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association. The Program of Excellence award is designed to recognize Division I-A athletics programs that have established student-athlete welfare as the cornerstone of their operating principles.

• For the second consecutive year the department earned the Diversity in Athletics Award presented by the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport at Texas A&M University (recognized in the "Overall Excellence in Diversity" and "Title IX Compliance" categories). The Diversity in Athletics Award recognizes the NCAA Division I-A athletic departments that excel in the area of diversity.

• WSU a recipient of the inaugural "Opportunity Awards," presented by the Women's Sports Foundation. In an effort to recognize schools that consistently provide equitable opportunities to their female student-athletes and set a tone in their athletic department that reflect the school's overall ideals and aspirations, the foundation created the "Opportunity Awards." The foundation selected one school from each region of the country that represents these qualities and can serve as ambassadors for their segment of the country. WSU was the West region recipient.

• Eight Washington State University sports scored points in the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup during giving the Cougars their best finish in four years. WSU finished 70th nationally with 283 points.

• The 2006 NCAA Graduation Report showed that, over the last 10 years, the graduation rate of WSU student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility is 92 percent, which is second in the Pac-10, only behind Stanford's 97 percent rate.

• Men's cross-country receives at-large bid to NCAA Championships, finishing 29th.

• Erin McCleave finishes 10th overall, the second highest finish in WSU history at the NCAA Championships, in the 1650 freestyle with a career best time of 16:13.20 to set a WSU record; 14th in the 200 freestyle.

• Men's Basketball earns first NCAA Tournament berth since 1994 advancing to second round; finishes season 26-8, tying program mark for wins in a season with 1941 national runner-up team.

• Women's golf earns NCAA West Regional bid for sixth straight year and seven of the last eight years.

• Julie Pickler places second in heptathlon at NCAA Championships.

• Diana Pickler runner-up in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

• Butch T. Cougar Named Capital One Mascot of the Year.

• WSU hosts NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds at the Spokane Arena.