Indiana State Sycamores

Early on in the school's history, the athletes were referred to as the "Fighting Teachers" (the school's original name was "Indiana State Teachers College), until the students chose the name "Sycamores", due to the abundance of sycamore trees in Indiana and especially in the Wabash River Valley; though it is believed that the students voted on 'Sycamores' on a lark, never thinking it would win. During the 1950s and 1960s, the sycamore tree itself was used as Indiana State's mascot. However, as a tree does not lend itself well to an athletic mascot, especially considering Indiana State's in-state rivalries with the Ball State Cardinals and Butler Bulldogs, the university created an Indian mascot named "Chief Quabachi", and his "Princess", in 1969. This change paid homage to the fact that ISU was the "State" university of a state named after Indians (prior to statehood Indiana was primarily inhabited by Indians). The university dropped the "Chief Quabachi" mascot in 1989 in response to a variety of objections over use of the Indian caricature and did not have another mascot until 1995, when a blue-and-white "furry woodland creature" named "Sycamore Sam" was developed to replace Chief Quabachi and continues to serve as Indiana State's mascot.^[1]

During the 1950s and 1960s, the sycamore tree itself was used as Indiana State's mascot. However, as a tree does not lend itself well to an athletic mascot, especially considering Indiana State's in-state rivalries with the Ball State Cardinals and Butler Bulldogs, the university created an Indian mascot named Chief Quabachi in 1969.^[2] The university dropped Chief Quabachi as a mascot in 1989.^[3]

Indiana State University sponsors six men's and eight women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports:^[4]

• Note = The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Current (and discontinued) programs have won more than 75 conference titles.

The Men's Basketball team won the 1950 NAIB National Championship and finished as National Runner-up in 1946 and 1948.

They were the NCAA College Division (Div II) National Runner-up in 1968 and the NCAA Division I National Runner-up in 1979.

The 1950 team sent 8 players to the 1951 Pan-American Games Gold Medal-winning Team. Head Coach John Longfellow also served as co-head coach of the Pan-American team.

Kurt Thomas led the Men's Gymnastics Team to the 1977 NCAA National Championship. In 1973 and 1979, they men finished 3rd place in the NCAA Championships. In 1971, Coach Grete Treiber led the ISU Women's gymnastics team to a National Runner-up finish at the AIAW National Championships. In 1964, Coach Roger Counsil led the ISU Men's Freshman Gymnastics team to a National Runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships.

The Sycamores have won 34 individual national championships; 21 by men and 13 by women.

NCAA Individual Titles (29):

• Holli Hyche (Indoor/Outdoor Track) - 7

(Indoor 55M, 200M 1993 & 1994) (Outdoor 100M, 200M 1993, Outdoor 100M 1994)

• Kurt Thomas (Gymnastics) - 5

(All-Around 1977, 1979, Parallel Bars 1977, 1979, Horizontal Bar 1979)

• Kylie Hutson (Indoor; Outdoor Track) - 4
  • (Indoor and Outdoor Pole Vault 2009, Indoor and Outdoor Pole Vault 2010^,~)

^ Indoor: 14' 9" - NCAA Record
~ Outdoor: 14’ 7.25” - NCAA Record

• Felisha Johnson (Indoor/Outdoor Track) - 2

(Indoor Weight Throw 2011, 2013)

• David Seal (Gymnastics) - 2

(Rings 1970, 1972)

• Curt Hahn (Gymnastics) - 1

(Sidehorse 1964)

• Ken Scorra (Gymnastics) - 1

(Horizontal Bars 1964)

• Bob Mahorney (Gymnastics) - 1

(Rings 1973)

• Ed Slezak (Gymnastics) - 1

(Pommel Horse 1973)

• Rick Danley (Gymnastics) - 1

(Horizontal Bar 1974)

• Mike Hanna (Outdoor Track) - 1

(Pole Vault 1968)

• Bruce Baumgartner (Wrestling) - 1

(Heavyweight 1982)

• Chris Lancaster (Outdoor Track) - 1

(110M High Hurdles 1990)

• Aubrey Herring (Indoor Track) - 1

(60M Hurdles 2001)

NAIA Individual Titles (5):

• John Caddell (Swimming & Diving) - 3

(1M Diving 1963, 1964; 3M Diving 1964)

• Mike Lane (Swimming & Diving) - 1

(3M Diving 1965)

• Larry Dalton (Swimming & Diving) - 1

(200M Freestyle 1965)

3 titles in baseball.

11 titles in baseball and men's basketball.

30 titles in baseball, men's basketball, men's cross-country, men's golf, football, men's swimming, men's track & field and wrestling.

• Paul Wolf -- ICC Baseball Coach of the Year (1958, 1963, 1966 and 1967)
• Paul Selge -- ICC Swimming Coach of the Year (1965)
• Chester Sanders -- ICC Wrestling Coach of the Year (1966)
• Ted Parker -- ICC Wrestler of the Year (1966)

4 titles in women's basketball, women's track & field and women's cross-country.

50 titles in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field and men's and women's cross-country.

• NOTE—All of the above championships are pulled from the media guides available at www.gosycamores.com or from the Indiana State archives (each yearbook from 1896-1993 is available)^[5]

Indiana State University has hosted ten (2002, 2004–2011, 2013) NCAA Division I cross country championships at the spectacular LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. They have been selected to host the 2014 and 2016 championships.^[6] They will also host the 2017 NCAA Great Lakes Regionals in cross country.^[7]

The University hosted the 1975 NCAA Gymnastics National Championships.

Indiana State University hosted the 10th NCAA Wrestling Championships in 1937; remarkable considering the school had yet to establish a wrestling program.

Indiana State University's rivalries include the Illinois State Redbirds, cross-state Ball State Cardinals (formerly a regional campus of Indiana State) with whom the Sycamores football team competed for the Victory Bell, the Evansville Purple Aces and the nearby Eastern Illinois Panthers.

Indiana State's marching band is called the Marching Sycamores. The marching band performs at home football games and is the feature band at the Brickyard 400.

There are two alternating bands that play at men's and women's basketball games. They are known as the Blue and White Basketball Bands.

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• Clint Barmes (baseball)
• Bruce Baumgartner Olympic & World Champion (freestyle wrestling)
• Larry Bird (basketball)
• Glenn M. Curtis (head basketball coach)
• Benita Edds (Olympic archery)
• Vencie Glenn (football)
• Tunch Ilkin (football)
• Duane Klueh (head basketball coach)
• Wally Johnson (baseball)
• Bryan Leturgez (Olympic bobsledding)

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• Thad Matta (assistant basketball coach)
• Carl Nicks (basketball)
• Sean Payton (assistant football coach)
• Dave Schellhase (head basketball coach)
• Steve Smith (track and field) Silver Medalist, 1995 Pan-Am Games
• Gordon Stauffer (head basketball coach)
• Zane Smith (baseball)
• Greggmar Swift (Olympic hurdler)
• Joe Thatcher (baseball)
• Kurt Thomas (gymnastics)
• John Wooden (head basketball coach)

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• Go Sycamores