Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners
Logo
UniversityMetropolitan State University of Denver
ConferenceRocky Mountain Athletic Conference
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorTodd Thurman
LocationDenver, Colorado
Varsity teams15
Basketball arenaAuraria Event Center
Baseball stadiumAssembly Athletic Complex
MascotRowdy the Roadrunner
NicknameRoadrunners
Fight songA Rowdy Encounter
Websitewww.roadrunnersathletics.com

The MSU Denver Roadrunners are the athletic teams that represent Metropolitan State University of Denver. The Roadrunners participate in 15 intercollegiate sports and compete in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

History

MSU Denver has produced 239 All-Americans and was one of the seven charter members of the Colorado Athletic Conference in 1989 before joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1996. MSU Denver competed as a NAIA member until 1983, when the Roadrunners jumped to the NCAA Division II ranks.

Since 1998, MSU Denver has captured 32 regular season conference titles, 35 conference tournament championships, as well as the 2000 & 2002 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships and the 2004 and 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer national crowns.

MSU Denver also boasts five individual national championships. Men's swimmer Darwin Strickland won national championships in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle in 1995 and also won the 100 free in 1996. Anthony Luna won men's track championships in the 800 meters during the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2009.[1] MSU Denver's main rivals are Colorado School of Mines, Fort Lewis College, and Regis University.

Completed in 2015, the Assembly Athletic Complex is the home site for six of the Roadrunners’ 15 sports, including, baseball, softball, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's tennis. The site is located south of the Colfax viaduct adjacent to Shoshone Street, east of I-25. In addition to hosting the athletic and academic programs, the University hosts activities for the community's youth. The baseball, softball and soccer fields will be synthetic turf surfaces.[2]

The 2016 Division II National Championships Festival marked the ninth occurrence of the distinctive Division II event, and was hosted by MSU Denver and the Denver Sports Commission. 76 qualifying teams and 20 qualifying individuals represented their institutions by competing for national championships in men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, softball, and men's and women's tennis.[3]

NCAA

SportNational ChampionshipsSeasons
Men's Basketball22000, 2002
Women's Soccer22004, 2006
Total4

Runners Up

  • 1999 Men's Basketball
  • 2013 Men's Basketball[4][5]

Final Four

  • 2002 Women's Soccer
  • 2004 Men's Basketball
  • 2008 Women's Soccer
  • 2010 Women's Softball
  • 2014 Men's Basketball

Regional host

  • Cross Country: 1995, 2011
  • Men's Basketball: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014
  • National Championships Festival: 2016
  • Women's Soccer: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
  • Women's Volleyball: 2001, 2003

NCAA individual champions

  • 1995 Darwin Strickland (Men's Swimming/50 Free)
  • 1995 Darwin Strickland (Men's Swimming/100 Free)
  • 1996 Darwin Strickland (Men's Swimming/100 Free)
  • 2009 Anthony Luna (Men's Indoor Track/800 meters)
  • 2009 Anthony Luna (Men's Outdoor Track/800 meters)

RMAC

SportChampionshipsSeasons
Men's Baseball21998, 2002†
Men's Basketball171998, 1999†, 2000‡, 2001†, 2003†, 2004‡, 2005‡, 2007‡, 2009‡, 2010†, 2013‡, 2014‡
Men's Soccer32003†, 2004†, 2007
Men's Tennis81998†, 1999, 2000†, 2001‡, 2002‡, 2006†, 2007‡, 2008‡,
Women's Basketball41998‡, 2005†, 2011, 2012
Women's Golf12015†
Women's Soccer82002‡, 2003, 2004‡, 2005‡, 2006, 2007, 2008‡, 2009
Women's Softball32009‡, 2010‡, 2011
Women's Tennis32001‡, 2002‡, 2003‡
Women's Volleyball61998, 2001‡, 2002‡, 2003‡, 2006†, 2009†
Total55Since 1996

† Tournament champions
‡ Regular season & Tournament champions

RMAC All-Sports Cup

The RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup is awarded to the institution which accumulates the most points over the year based on its teams' outcome in the RMAC's four core sports, along with six wildcard sports. The four core sports are football or men's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball, while the six wild card sports consist of three men's sports and three women's sports, which are designated by that institutions' best finish in those 16 Olympic sports (21 total RMAC sports). Total RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup points are calculated based on how the teams finish in the RMAC regular season standings. In the scenario where teams do not have regular season standings, conference championship results are used.[6]

ChampionsYear
22006–2007, 2008–2009

Sports

MSU Denver has produced 239 All-Americans and was one of the seven charter members of the Colorado Athletic Conference in 1989 before joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1996. MSU Denver competed as a NAIA member until 1983, when the Roadrunners jumped to the NCAA Division II ranks. Since 1998, MSU Denver has captured 32 regular season conference titles, 35 conference tournament championships, as well as the 2000 & 2002 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships and the 2004 and 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer national crowns. MSU Denver also boasts five individual national championships. Men's swimmer Darwin Strickland won national championships in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle in 1995 and also won the 100 free in 1996. Anthony Luna won men's track championships in the 800 meters during the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2009.[7] Pep Band[8]

Facilities

  • Auraria Events Center - Basketball/Volleyball
  • Auraria Field - Baseball/Soccer/Softball
  • CommonGround Golf Course, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club - Women's Golf
  • Roadrunners Athletic Complex[9] (construction phase)
  • World Indoor Airport

Club sports

Rivals

Camps and clinics

  • MSU Denver Soccer Camps[14]

Roadrunners in the Pros

Active

NameNationality
Paul BrothersonAustralia
John BynumUnited States
Steven EmoryUnited States
Brandon JeffersonUnited States
Shakir JohnsonJamaica
Luke KendallAustralia
CJ MassingaleUnited States
Ben OrtnerAustria
Hayden SmithAustralia
Lester StrongUnited States
Jesse WagstaffAustralia
Mark WorthingtonAustralia

Retired

NameNationality
Patrick MutomboDemocratic Republic of the CongoBelgium
Benas VeikalasLithuania
David BarlowAustralia

Roadrunner Olympians

NameNationalityTeam
David BarlowAustraliaMen's Basketball: 2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics
Todd SchmitzUnited StatesSwimming Coach: 2012 Summer Olympics
Mark WorthingtonAustraliaMen's Basketball:2008 Summer Olympics, 2012 Summer Olympics

References

  1. ↑ "Rocky Mountain mobile : Metropolitan State University of Denver". rmacsports.org.
  2. ↑ "Metropolitan State University Of Denver". Metropolitan State University.
  3. ↑ NCAA.com (2016-05-21). "2016 DII Festival: Denver, Colorado". NCAA.com. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  4. ↑ "Hall's FTs lift Drury past Metro State, 74-73". CBSSports.com. 7 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Drury vs Metro State - DII Men's Basketball". NCAA.com.
  6. ↑ "Metropolitan State University of Denver". Metropolitan State University.
  7. ↑ "Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference". www.rmacsports.org. Archived from the original on 2010-03-06.
  8. ↑ "Metropolitan State University Of Denver". Metropolitan State University.
  9. ↑ "Metropolitan State University Of Denver". Metropolitan State University.
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-09-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ "Home". Metro State Football.
  12. ↑ "Metro State Hockey Hockey Website Software by GOALLINE.ca". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  13. ↑ "Metro State Men's Lacrosse". ialax.com.
  14. ↑ "Metro State Soccer Camps". metrostatesoccercamps.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-31.
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