Stockton's 50 Greatest Moments, Part 1

Stockton Athletics has a rich history that dates back practically to the inception of Stockton University. Osprey teams and student-athletes have achieved success at the highest levels of NCAA Division III, winning national championships and earning All-American honors. Thousands of student-athletes have worn a Stockton uniform as the intercollegiate athletics program has grown to its current plateau of 19 sports.

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Stockton University, Stockton Athletics has chosen its 50 greatest moments. Here is part one, with the events listed chronologically.

1972 - Stockton plays its first intercollegiate athletic contests

Stockton Women’s Basketball defeated Livingston College 25-17 on November 18, 1972. Stockton Men’s Basketball opened with a home game against John Jay College on November 28, 1972 that was played at Holy Spirit High School.

1978 - Michael Price becomes the first Stockton student-athlete in any sport to earn an All-American honor

Price finished second in the long jump at the 1978 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a distance of 7.17 meters (23’6.25”).

1981 - Paul Lewis wins the NCAA National Championship in the 400-Meter Run

Lewis won the event at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 47.19 seconds to become Stockton’s first NCAA national champion. Price also helped the 4x400 relay team finish third to become a two-time All-American.

1983 - Men’s Soccer defeats the University of Notre Dame

Bill Nowack scored the game’s only goal as the Ospreys downed the Fighting Irish 1-0 on October 27, 1983 in a game that was played at Stockton. 

1984 - Women’s Basketball earns the University’s first NCAA Tournament berth in any sport

Stockton earned an NCAA Tournament berth with a 19-6 record and downed Ohio Northern 77-69 in the first round to earn the program’s first victory in an NCAA Tournament game.

1985 - Val Brown becomes the first Stockton basketball player to score 2,000 career points

Brown reached the 2,000-point mark by sinking a free throw during the first half of Stockton’s game against Manhattanville in I-Wing Gym on March 1, 1985 to become the first Osprey male or female to achieve the milestone. Brown remains the leading scorer in Stockton Women’s Basketball history with 2,207 career points.

1985 - Softball wins the first ECAC Championship and first postseason title of any kind by a Stockton team

The Ospreys defeated Ursinus 2-0 and then topped Salisbury State in a pair of games, 2-0 and 4-3, to win the ECAC regional championship and become the first Stockton team in any sport to win a postseason tournament. Stockton, which rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the final game 4-3 in eight innings, finished the season with a 21-9-1 record.

1986 - Mike Mielke wins the NCAA National Championship in the Discus

Mielke won by almost eight feet with a toss of 54.94 meters (180’3”). The win was Mielke’s third consecutive top-five finish in the discus at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. With the performance, he earned All-American status for the fifth time in his career.

1987 - Men’s Basketball wins the first NJAC Championship by any Stockton team

The Ospreys defeated William Paterson 85-71 at I-Wing Gym on February 27, 1987 to win Stockton’s first league championship in any sport. George Briscoe scored a game-high 30 points to lead the Ospreys to victory.

1987 - Men’s Basketball earns the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth

Stockton earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in men’s basketball by winning the NJAC championship. The Ospreys entered the tournament with a 20-6 record and a 14-game winning streak.