Hartford Hawks

The Hartford Hawks are the NCAA Division I athletic teams of the University of Hartford, located in West Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the America East Conference, Hartford sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports with the men's golf team competing as an affiliate member of the Big Sky Conference,[2] and the women's golf team as an associate member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.[3] The men's and women's tennis teams were discontinued at the end of the 2016 season, and women's lacrosse was added.[4]

Hartford Hawks
University	University of Hartford
Conference	America East Conference
NCAA	Division I
Athletic director	Maria Feeley (interim)
Location	West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Varsity teams	17
Basketball arena	Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion
Baseball stadium	Fiondella Field Dunkin' Donuts Park
Soccer stadium	Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium
Lacrosse stadium	Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium
Mascot	Howie the Hawk
Nickname	Hawks
Fight song	"Fly High"
Colors	Scarlet and White[1]
Website	www.hartfordhawks.com

Sports sponsored

Men's sports	Women's sports
Baseball	Basketball
Basketball	Cross country
Cross country	Golf
Golf	Lacrosse
Lacrosse	Soccer
Soccer	Softball
Track and field^†	Track and field^†
	Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

America East Conference logo in Hartford's colors

Men's golf

America East Champions	1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007

Women's golf

America East Champions	2005

Men's soccer

NCAA Tournament appearances	1991, 1992, 1996, 1999
America East Tournament Champions	1989, 1991, 1992, 1999
America East Regular Season Champions	1996, 1999

Women's soccer

College Cup appearances	1992
NCAA Tournament appearances	1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006
America East Tournament Champions	1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006
America East Regular Season Champions	1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018

[5]

Volleyball

America East Tournament Champions	1993
America East Regular Season Champions	1993

Rivalries

As a newer member to division 1 athletics and the conference landscape changing it has been difficult for Hartford to establish a rivalry with other division 1 programs. A new rivalry is starting to emerge between the Central Connecticut Blue Devils and Hartford, with most sports teams playing each other annually.

Discontinued sports

Men's tennis

America East Champions	1989, 1990, 1994–1995, 2001–2002

Athletic facilities

Sport	Facility[6]	Capacity
Baseball	Dunkin' Donuts Park Fiondella Field	6,121 1,000
Basketball	Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion	4,017
Cross Country	Elizabeth Park, Hartford	N/A
Golf	Men–Gillette Ridge Golf Club Women–Wampanoag Country Club	N/A
Lacrosse	Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium	2,500
Soccer	Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium	2,500
Softball	Hartford Softball Field	1,000
Track & Field (Indoor)	No home field house	N/A
Track & Field (Outdoor)	No home stadium	N/A
Volleyball	Hartford Volleyball Arena	500

Academics

From Hartford's athletic website: "Hartford, which has posted a combined GPA of 3.0 or higher in each of the last 15 semesters, saw an average of 70 percent of its student-athletes record a 3.0 in one or both semesters last year. In addition, 43 percent of Hawk student-athletes notched at least a 3.5 while five percent registered perfect 4.0 GPA's for the 2012–13 academic year."[7] "The University of Hartford clinched its second-straight America East Academic Cup in 2012–13 after posting the highest grade-point average of any school in the 18-year history of the award. Compiling a 3.24 GPA in 2012–13, the Hawks won their third Academic Cup all-time."[7]

Mascot and nickname

From Hartford's athletic website: "Howie is well known among the University of Hartford community and fans, and has been known for his on court antics during basketball games. The current version of Howie the Hawk began its tenure during the winter of 2008–09."[8] "The nickname originated in the late 1940s when the school competed as Hillyer College. It is believed that the nickname stemmed from spectators having to climb four flights of stairs in the old Chauncey Harris School on Hudson Street in Hartford to the "Hawk's Nest" to watch basketball and wrestling events."[8]

Notable Hawks

• Jeff Bagwell – Former Hartford third baseman (1987–89). 2x All-American (1988, 1989), 2x Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year (1988, 1989). Hartford's all-time leader in batting average and slugging percentage. Selected as the 110th overall pick in the 4th round of the 1989 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox (1989–90). Traded to the Houston Astros (1990–2005) on August 30, 1990. NL MVP (1994), 4x MLB All-Star (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999), NL Rookie of the Year (1991), Gold Glove Award (1994), 3x Silver Slugger (1994, 1997, 1999). Former Houston Astros hitting coach (2010), Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY, inducted (2017).
• Vin Baker — Former Hartford center (1989–93). North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Player of the Year (1992–93). Hartford's all-time leading scorer. Selected as the 8th overall pick in the 1st round of the 1993 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks (1993–97). Seattle SuperSonics (1997–02), Boston Celtics (2002–04), New York Knicks (2004–05), Houston Rockets (2005), Los Angeles Clippers (2006), Minnesota Timberwolves (2006). 4x NBA All-Star (1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98). All-NBA Second Team (1997–98). All-NBA Third Team (1996–97). NBA All-Rookie First Team (1993–94).
• Jerry Kelly
• Tracey Kelusky
• Tim Petrovic
• Patrick Sheehan
• Saralyn Smith
• Earl Snyder — Former Hartford first/third baseman (1995–98). Hartford's all-time leader in hits, runs, home runs, runs batted in (RBIs), and total bases.
• Sean Newcomb — Former Hartford starting pitcher (2012–14). Baseball America All-American Third Team (2014), ABCA All-American Second Team (2014), Perfect Game All-American Second Team (2014). ABCA All-Northeast Region First Team (2014). America East Pitcher of the Year (2014). Selected 15th overall in the 1st round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2014–present).

Athletic directors

• Peter A. LoMaglio [9]
• Gordon McCullough (1974-1986)
• Pat Meiser (1993–2014)[10][11]
• Anton Goff (2014–2016)[12]
• Mary Ellen Gillespie (2017–2019)[13]
• Maria Feeley (interim) (2019–present)

References

1. University of Hartford Brand Identity Guide (PDF). Retrieved April 9, 2016.
2. "WSU joins friends/foes as Big Sky brings back men's golf". Standard-Examiner. June 4, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
3. "Hartford Hawks". University of Hartford Athletics. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
4. "University of Hartford Athletics Adds Women's Lacrosse, Discontinues Men's and Women's Tennis". Hartford Courant. October 29, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
5. "Another Title For Hartford Women's Soccer". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
6. University of Hartford Athletic Facilities at hartfordhawks.com, URL accessed October 4, 2009. Archived 10/04/09
7. "Hartford Hawks".
8. "Hartford Hawks".
9. "A. Peter LoMaglio Honored with Memorial Highway". we-ha.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
10. "Hartford's Meiser-McKnett Receives Regional AD of the Year Award at NACDA Convention". Hartford Athletics. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
11. "UHart's Meiser to retire; One Of Just 30 Female Division I ADs". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
12. "Goff Leaving Hartford To Become Athletic Director At St. John's". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
13. "Mary Ellen Gillespie resigns as Hartford athletic director". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 18, 2020.

External links

• Official website