Western Michigan Broncos
The Western Michigan Broncos are a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team representing Western Michigan University (WMU). They compete in the Mid American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, soccer and tennis; and women's basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The men's ice hockey team competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The Broncos have won two NCAA national championships. The men's cross country team won the NCAA title in 1964 and 1965.[1] WMU finished as national runners up in 1955 for baseball and 1958 for men's cross country.
The facilities include Waldo Stadium (football), University Arena (men's and women's basketball, volleyball), Lawson Arena (hockey), Hyames Field (baseball), Ebert Field (softball), Sorensen Courts/West Hills Athletic Club (men's and women's tennis), and Kanley Track (women's track and field). The soccer teams compete at the WMU Soccer Complex located near the Parkview Campus. John Gill, an assistant coach on the football team who later served as head coach, coined the new athletic nickname after approval for the name change was granted by the school's athletic board. In 2011, WMU commissioned artist Revere La Noue to create a 6,500 square foot building wrap representing the Broncos for the 2011 ArtPrize competition. WMU president John Dunn has said that the work, "Epic Broncos", captures the "history and pride of being a Bronco".[2]
Main article: Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey
Former professional hockey player Keith Jones played four years for the Broncos, from 1988 89 to 1991 92. They are currently are coached by Stu Riddle. A famous former player is Rob Friend, who transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara's Men's Soccer program. He currently plays in Germany for 1860 Mnchen, on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt, of the 2. Fuball Bundesliga as well as the Canadian National Team.11/9/2013 Western Michigan women's soccer team the Mid American Conference Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The MAC Championship is the second for the program, coming 10 years from the first one in 2003.
Although the sport of synchronized skating is Gustav Nyquist Jersey not yet an official NCAA sport Western Michigan is home to an internationally competitive synchronized skating team, who have medalled Daniel Alfredsson Jersey at competitions around the world. The Bronco's Vladimir Konstantinov Jersey synchronized skating program consists of a senior team, which competes internationally as well as a collegiate level team which is competitive among the top university and collegiate teams from around the United States.