The 2007-08 championship year saw a lot of familiar faces at the top of the podium – Kenyon dominated Division III swimming and diving again, Drury’s men’s swimming and diving team and Western Washington’s rowing team won their fourth consecutive national titles. Appalachian State’s football team was back in the winner’s circle for the third straight time. And Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team – not even a decade old – won its fourth consecutive national title.

But a lot of first-timers clutched that championship trophy as well. McMurry won its first championship in any sport when it claimed the Division III men’s outdoor track and field title in late May. Franklin Pierce won its first Division II men’s soccer crown. Mount Olive captured its first Division II baseball championship. After three consecutive losses in the semifinals, Bowdoin’s field hockey team finally made it to the title game – and won. New York University’s team posted the third-highest winning point total in Division III men’s cross country history en route to its first national championship in the sport.

Some teams, like Kenyon’s men’s and women’s swimmers, saw both genders win team titles, like Arizona State’s indoor track and field teams, Arizona’s swimming and diving teams, Abilene Christian’s outdoor track and field teams, and Armstrong Atlantic State’s tennis teams.

Other championships of note:

•         For the first time in the championship’s history, the Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships ended with a tie: Illinois Wesleyan and Wisconsin-River Falls will share the 2008 title.

•         Trinity’s baseball program went undefeated until the championship series, when it dropped the second game of the series to Johns Hopkins. The Bantams rallied to defeat the Blue Jays for the championship.

•         Abilene Christian’s Nicodemus Naimadu finished his career as the NCAA’s most successful cross country runner ever. Naimadu was the first four-time cross country individual titlist, and his team claimed its second consecutive championship.

•         Oregon’s men’s cross country team won its first national title since 1977.

•          The women swimming and diving student-athletes at Truman State were back as national champions for the seventh time in eight years after dropping last year’s championship to Drury.

Click here to watch a slide show of the association-wide championships.

Click here to watch a slide show of Division I championships.

Click here to watch a slide show of Division II championships.

Click here to watch a slide show of Division III championships.