Drury Panthers

The Drury Panthers are the athletic teams that represent Drury University, located in Springfield, Missouri, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Panthers compete as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference for all 21 varsity sports. Drury has been a member of the GLVC since 2005.

Drury Panthers
Logo
UniversityDrury University
ConferenceGreat Lakes Valley Conference
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorNyla Milleson[1]
LocationSpringfield, Missouri
Varsity teams21
Basketball arenaO'Reilly Family Event Center
NicknamePanthers
ColorsScarlet and gray[2]
   
Websitewww.drurypanthers.com

Varsity teams

List of teams

National championships

The Panthers have twenty-three NCAA team national championships, the fourth-most among active Division II athletics program (Saint Augustine's, Adams State, and Florida Southern have more).

Team (23)
Association Division Sport Year Opponent Score
NCAA (23) Division II (23) Men's Basketball (1) 2013 Metro State 74–73
Men's Swimming and Diving (12)[4] 1999 Cal State Bakersfield 829–557
2003 612–535
2005 726–480
2006 649–543½
2007 North Dakota 521½–500
2008 Missouri S&T 523½–336
2009 Wayne State 543–504½
2010 Incarnate Word 538–403
2011 UC San Diego 600½–345
2012 473–400
2013 Florida Southern 546–397
2014 569½–361
Women's Swimming and Diving (10)[5] 1997 Oakland 690½–460
1998 Cal State Bakersfield 578½–386
1999 North Dakota 613–603½
2000 Truman State 663–556
2007 646½–518
2009 Wayne State 618½–453½
2010 657–531
2011 483½–388
2013 432½–388
2014 486–419

Individual teams

Baseball

Baseball, in hiatus since the 1970s, was reorganized for the 2007 season by new head coach Mark Stratton. Bill Virdon was the first Panther to make a start. Trevor Richards was the first alum to pitch a Major League Baseball win, for the Miami Marlins. The team plays home games at U.S. Baseball Park in nearby Ozark, Missouri.[6]

Basketball

Mike Carter played for the Drury Panthers, who in 1978–79 were 33–2 and won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship as he won the 1979 NAIA men's basketball tournament's Charles Stevenson Hustle Award, and who over his two seasons with the team were 62–6.[7][8] He holds the school's two-year record in rebounds (480).[9] He was inducted into the Drury Panthers Hall of Fame in 2008.[8]

On April 7, 2013, Drury won the Division II Men's National Championship in Basketball, defeating Metro State of Denver 74–73 after rallying from a 17-point deficit. The Panthers won their final 23 games of the season – a school record – to finish 31–4 on the season. They also captured their second Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and first NCAA Division II Midwest Regional along the way.[10] In keeping with recent custom, the Division II champions were invited to play an exhibition game against Duke University.[11]

On June 24, 2021, Drury announced former NBA player Chris Carr will join the Panthers coaching staff as an assistant.[12]

Swimming and diving

Also in 2007, Drury men's swimming head coach Brian Reynolds was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.[13]

Wrestling

In 2016, Drury began fielding a wrestling program, the first in the Ozarks region in over 20 years. The addition gave the GLVC the required minimum of six teams to hold a conference championship tournament, and it added the sport in the 2016–17 season.

References
  1. "Yahoo! News". Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  2. "Drury University Athletics Style Guide" (PDF). Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  3. "Women's Bowling".
  4. "NCAA Division II Men's Swimming and Diving Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  5. "NCAA Division II Women's Swimming and Diving Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  6. "U.S. Baseball Park". drurypanthers.com. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  7. "NAIA DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL"
  8. "Mike Carter (2008) - Hall of Fame". Drury University Athletics.
  9. "Drury Men's Basketball Guide 2008-09". Issuu.
  10. "Hall's FTs lift Drury past Metro State, 74-73". CBSSports.com. 7 April 2013.
  11. "Div. II champion Drury gets invitation from Duke". NCAA Men's Basketball.
  12. "DRURY MEN'S BASKETBALL ADDS FORMER NBA PLAYER TO COACHING STAFF".
  13. "Drury Athletics - 2012-13 Men's Swim & Dive Coaching Staff". drurypanthers.com.
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