EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville Director of Athletics Mark Spencer has announced that the Purple Aces will add four varsity NCAA athletic sports - men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field.  The additions will be effective for the 2017-18 season.
 
The news became official with unanimous votes of support from the University of Evansville Board of Trustees and the Faculty Athletic Committee. 
 
"The addition of four varsity NCAA sports is a big step forward for UE athletics and the university as a whole and reaffirms its commitment to competing at the highest level," Spencer said.  "The resources being committed to this program will allow us to fund a nationally-competitive cross country and track and field program while strengthening the support services that will benefit the entire student-athlete population."
 
"The addition of these sports is in line with the mission of the University of Evansville and gives Coach Walters and the program the ability to compete year round and will give them the opportunity to set the competitive bar higher," Spencer added.
 
Head coach Don Walters is very excited about the addition and the impact that it will have for UE and the athletic department.
 
"This is something we have been working towards for 17 years and I am very excited that we are able to make this announcement," UE head cross country coach Don Walters said.  "It benefits the University of Evansville in so many ways.  For our program, it really opens the door for us to recruit student-athletes that we would not have had the chance to in the past.  The future is very bright for our program."
 
The addition of the track programs give the Purple Aces cross country teams an added advantage moving forward.  Several student-athletes entered spring track events as unattached participants in order to stay in shape and compete at a high level.  This will allow student-athletes to work as a team during an otherwise quiet period.
 
"We are excited about adding a program that extends the rich history of Purple Aces athletics and brings strong and accomplished students to UE," University of Evansville President Dr. Tom Kazee said.
 
Members of the current cross country team have extensive track backgrounds.  Sophomore Sienna Crews brings plenty of track experience from her high school days including the 1-mile, 2-mile, 800-meter, 400-meter and several relays.
 
"I am so excited about this addition, it will be a great opportunity for my teammates and myself," Crews said.  "With us having no seniors next year, I want to be a team leader as a junior.  With us bringing more student-athletes into our program, it will allow us to train together all year."
 
"My personal goal is to run every event that I can, but I am really excited about being able to participate in steeplechase since it was not an event that was offered in high school," Crews added.
 
Even though they will not be student-athletes next year, seniors Paul Schwartz and Ben Woolems are excited about the future of the program.
 
"Last spring, Ross (Frondorf) and I participated in a few track meets as unattached and I am just so excited for the program to be adding track," Schwartz said.  "Being able to do those meets was very helpful, so adding this sport will help everyone out so much.  The main benefit will be year-round training, which will make us better at what we do."
 
Schwartz ran the 1 and 2 mile races in high school as well as the 800-meter.  He also participated in the pole vault.
 
Woolems, who ran most of the longer track events and relays, echoed Schwartz's sentiments.
 
"The addition of track leaves this program in a better place than when we arrived," he said.  "It will help our team to stay active and focused all year round.  This will help our teams to keep on building without having to wait until fall to compete.
 
Evansville last had a track and field program during the 1980-81 school year.  Highlighting the history of the program was UE Athletics Hall of Famer Rory Hennings.  He left the program holding the UE and Indiana Collegiate Conference records in the 60-, 100-, 200- and 300-yard dash events.
 

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