rdner-Webb offers seventeen varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, the Runnin' Bulldogs compete in the football championship subdivision (FCS). The 2008-2009 academic year will see the Runnin' Bulldogs transition to the Big South Conference for all sports. The football team joined the Big South as an associate member in 2002. Since joining the Big South, the football team has had a record of 38-28. The first two years that they joined the Big South Gardner Webb won two conference titles in a row. Since then they have placed third every year. The Gardner Webb football team has played some difficult opponents including Georgia Tech, Appalachian State, Mississippi State, Wofford, and Ohio.The Gardner Webb football team has produced many All-Americans and athletes that have made it to the NFL the most recent was Brian Johnston, drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 7th round. [8][9]
Gardner-webb mens basketball has also been a growing program. Competing with the likes of #2 seeded Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Kansas state this past 2008-2009 season. While in the 2007-2008 season pulling an upset win against The university of Kentucky. Behind Head coach Rick Scruggs the running bulldogs mens basketball team have posted a record of (356-295) over the last 14 seasons. They have reached every national tournament on every level except for the NCAA Division I Men’s National Tournament. [10]
In 2008, Gardner–Webb University's recently created men's swimming team (a group of 16 freshmen and 2 sophomores) placed third at the 2008 CCSA conference, setting several school records and finishing closely behind College of Charleston and Davidson. The women also placed third at the conference championships. Before joining the CCSA conference the women’s team was a part of the NEC. As of 2007, the women’s team was four time NEC conference champions.[11] In addition to winning conference titles, both the men and women’s swim teams are academic all-stars. The men and women’s team combined grade point average for the fall of 2008 gave them the highest GPA of the NCAA Division I schools that sponsor swimming programs. The teams combined GPA was a 3.475. The men’s team alone ranked first nationally with a 3.3 GPA, beating Georgetown University by 0.01. The women’s team ranked second, just barely missing first by 0.02 to Marshall University.[12]
In the fall of 2006, the Gardner-Webb soccer team won its conference and made it to the NCAA second round (a link to the roster of players that were involved in winning the 2006 Atlantic Sun Conference follows).[13] The Women's soccer team is currently coached by Kevin Mounce and assisted by Sarah Currie. Coach Mounce has had four winning seasons in the past seven years. During his ten seasons coaching at Gardner-Webb, he holds the highest winning percentage (.514). In 2001 the Lady Bulldogs were the National Christian College Athletic Association Champions, following that tournament Mounce was named NCCAA National Women's Soccer Coach of the Year. In 2002, at the conclusion of their season, the team was ranked second in the nation for first-year division I programs by Soccer Buzz. In 2003 the Bulldogs had their first appearance in the Atlantic Sun Championship, finishing 5th in the league. For this accomplishment Kevin Mounce was named A-Sun coach of the year. In 2004 GWU had a forward, Leaana Woddorth who led the nation in scoring. She became A-Sun player of the year and broke many school records. In 2000 the Lady Bullogs became a Division I program participating in the Atlantic Sun Conference. In 2008 the team transferred to the Big South Conference. In their first year competing in the Big South they finished 4-12-2. [14]
The Gardner-Webb Bulldog cheer-leading team has been around for many years. As of today,[when?] the cheerleading team has a coach by the name of Andrew Day. He has been coaching for a little over a few years at Gardner-Webb but is also an alumnus and alumni cheerleader of Gardner–Webb University. When Coach Drew first cheered here, chairs were the stunts to do. Now, toss ball up cupie, and heel stretch full down and many more have become standard. The history of the cheerleading program has changed so much in the past 11 years. It went from not being competitive at all, to being one of the forefront teams in college cheerleading. The past 11 years they have been competing with NCA. They started in Division II and now have changed to Small Co-ed (4 guys or less). That means they compete against any Division I, II, or III teams. Our school officially became a Division IAA in 2002. In their first appearance in the Small Coed Division they placed 5th in the Nation and 1st in the Southeast. The team is fortunate to have a lot of returns to place hopefully even higher this year.[when?] The talent here has continued to get stronger and stronger. We[who?] are building a tradition of having great cheerleading.
Gardner-Webb sports requires dedication from not only the athletes and coaches, but also a committed strength staff. The athletics facilities for weight lifting and strength training are used on a daily basis to maximize athletes performance and to prevent injuries. The Gardner-Webb strength staff currently trains approximately 400 student-athletes. Teams are required to attend mandatory lifts and speed training while participating in a sport. The weight-training facilities are located in the GWU Football Center next to Spangler Stadium (Campus map). "In order to keep the athlete from adapting to the same training stimulus, causing a plateau effect, the program is changed every 4-6 weeks" (Bulldog Strength). The importance of strength training to [prevent injuries]is also a major part for a strength training staff. This includes instructing athletes on how to properly perform correct lifting techniques, prevention methods: such as stretching, warming up correctly and altering programs for athletes who are recovering from an injury to ensure proper rehabilitation and a speedy recovery.[15]
[edit]Basketball scandal
The Gardner-Webb community was rocked by scandal in the fall of 2002 when ordained minister and Gardner-Webb president of 16 years, Dr. Christopher White', admitted to writing a memo two years before ordering a star basketball player's grade-point average to be calculated without the "F" he received for cheating in his religion class; thereby allowing the athlete to play. Without the change, Carlos Webb would have been ineligible in 2000–01, the season Gardner-Webb won the National Christian College Athletic Association championship. Carlos Webb was also named most valuable player that day. Two years later Gardner-Webb became NCAA Division I school. Under the university's honor code, a "cheating F" can never be removed from a student's transcript because it is a direct violation of the Gardner-Webb honor code. By removing the "F", some[who?] believed president White destroyed the power of the honor code and the integrity of Gardner–Webb University.
After eight days of students protesting, the school's trustees affirmed Christopher White's presidency after a 10-hour meeting on September 27, 2002 though they demoted a pair of administrators, one the vice president of academic affairs and the other his assistant, who had criticized White's actions. Initially three faculty members also resigned as a result of the scandal. In the end, eight faculty members and administrators (later called "The Group of 8") suffered professional hardship due to demotion, resignation, or firing. The group of eight which led the faculty revolt against White included Blackburn, Williams, and Price.
Opponents said White's action and the trustees' failure to punish him violates the spirit of Gardner-Webb's honor code, while the president's backers, including the chairman of the board of trustees, said they were convinced White did not violate the letter of any school rules and that he acted in a spirit of fairness toward Carlos Webb, who had been incorrectly advised he could get the "F" removed from his GPA by retaking the class. Trustees chairman Thomas Hardin said his board concluded that, while White's action was wrong, the president should not have been removed for a mistake made two years before. He said the demoted administrators were punished not for speaking out, but because in doing so they violated a student's right to privacy.
White states in The New York Times about why he made the decision to change Carlos Webb's grade. White said "In trying to make a decision, there are two guiding principles: One is the university's word. When we tell a student this is what he needs to do, we need to stand by that. The Second thing is, I'm very concerned with student rights. They are our customers. They are our clients. We don't exist for ourselves. We exist for them. They deserve to be treated fairly." Webb was incorrectly advised that if he took the course again and passed it, his F would be replaced.
For nearly two weeks students picketed on the corner of College Avenue and Main Street with signs calling for the president's resignation and questioning his integrity. Students were seen with copies of the Honor Code in their black frames taken from classrooms and the glass front busted and black tape over the poster. The scandal tore the Gardner-Webb community apart.[citation needed]
In early October 2002, Dr. Christopher White resigned as Gardner–Webb University’s president and the grade remained on the student athlete’s transcript. Gardner-Webb was put on NCAA probation for a five-year period that ended in early 2007.