Willamette Bearcats
Encyclopedia
The Willamette Bearcats are the athletic teams of Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
, United States. Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division III level, the school fields twenty teams. Most teams compete in the Northwest Conference
with their primary rivals being Linfield College
. The main athletic venues of the school are McCulloch Stadium
, Cone Field House, and Roy S. "Spec" Keene Stadium. Willamette moved to the NCAA's Division III in 1998 after previously being a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) institution. The 1993, men's basketball team won the school's only team national championship, while the 1997 football team lost in the national championship game.
18 to 4, and finishing the season 1-4-1, losing four games and tying another against the Salem YMCA. In 1895, they went 2-2, including two losses to the University of Oregon and one win against what is now Oregon State University
. During the early years of the program teams played a hodgepodge of other teams including games against the school’s alumni, the University of Oregon School of Law
, the Chemawa Indian School
, the Multnomah Athletic Club
, Hill Military Academy
, Reed College
,
Mt. Angel College
, and the Vancouver Barracks among others. In 1926, Willamette was a founding member of the Northwest Conference along with Pacific, rival Linfield College
, Whitman College
, the College of Puget Sound, and the College of Idaho, and is still a member of the conference.
On December 6, 1941, the team played the University of Hawaii
in Honolulu, losing 20 to 6 in what was supposed to be the first of two post season games. The following day, December 7, 1941, Japan attacked
the nearby naval base at Pearl Harbor, stranding the team on Hawaii. The military pressed the team into service to defend the island from possible invasion by giving the players rifles, having them lay barbed wire, posting them to defend storage tanks above the city, and using them as police. Willamette’s team and boosters were able to leave aboard the ocean liner SS President Coolidge
on December 19, and arrived in San Francisco on December 25.
During World War II
, the school played abbreviated schedules, and did not field a team in 1945, with a return to normalcy in 1946. The school had previously not fielded teams in 1897 and 1898 due to the Spanish-American War
and in 1918 due to World War I
. Willamette played their first game at the new McCulloch Stadium in 1950, beating Central Washington
21-0. Previously teams played at Sweetland Field located on campus where the school’s Quad is situated south of Waller
and Eaton
halls.
In October 1997, Liz Heaston
became the first female player in a college football game, kicking two extra points in the game at McCulloch against Linfield
. The team was coached by future Boise State
and Colorado
coach Dan Hawkins, who led the team to a 40-11-1 record from 1993 to 1997. In 2008, Willamette ended the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and winning a conference championship. The team was ranked as high as fourth in Division III, and won first round playoff game. The team lost in the second round of the playoffs to defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater
30-27, and finished the year 11-1.
Willamette’s team has won conference championships in the Northwest Conference 23 times, most recently during the 2008 season. Other championships were in 1929, 1934 to 1938, 1940 to 1942, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1958 to 1960, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1995 to 1997, and 1999. Willamette made the playoffs in 1968, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2008. The 1997 team made the school’s only appearance in a national championship, losing to 14-7 to the University of Findlay
in the NAIA title game. Willamette and the conference moved to the NCAA’s Division II in 1998. The university’s overall record through the 2008 season is 472-374-38 and a .555 winning percentage. Former head coach Ted Ogdahl holds the school records for most victories at 98 and for most seasons at the school with 20, compiling a 98-64-10 mark from 1952 to 1971. Roy "Spec" Keene
is in second place in both categories with an 84-51-6 record over 17 seasons from 1926 to 1942.
The Bearcats appeared in the NAIA
Division I men's basketball national tournament
3 times; 1960
, 1972
, 1975
. The Bearcats lost in the first round each year. In 1993, the men’s basketball team won the NAIA Division II national championship, with coach Gordie James winning national coach of the year honors.
. Beth Fitzgerald won the 800m national championship in 1999, while Jimmy Watts won the title for the decathlon. Race walker Olympian Andrew Hermann graduated from the university in 1993. From 2002 to 2006, both the men’s and the women’s track teams won consecutive conference titles. The men’s team was led by multiple NCAA champion and later Olympic runner Nick Symmonds
from 2003 to 2006. The Bearcat women had last won a title in 1978.
In 2002, the men’s cross country team placed fifth at the Division III national championship after winning their second conference title in a row. The women’s cross country team had its highest finish in 2003, placing eighth at the Division III championship after winning a their second conference championship in 2002. Men’s golf won conference titles in 1999 and 2003. The volleyball team won five straight conference championships from 1992 to 1996. In 2006 and 2007, Sarah Zerzan won the NCAA Division III
individual title in cross country. The swimming program at the school started in 1974. From 1978 to 1982 swimmer Steve Koga was an All-American four times after winning five national title.
Softball was added at Willamette in 1981.
From 1985 to 1999, the softball team had a losing record each season except 1993. In 2000, the team was ranked for the first time in the program's history. That season the team opened its first home field, located next to the city's railroad station on land donated by the railroad. Nikki Franchi became the school's first All-American in softball in 2008 while setting school records for strikeouts and wins in a season.
The Bearcats baseball team's career leader in wins as a coach is David Wong with 286. He coached the team for 13 seasons from 1991 to 2003 and earned a 286-220-3 record. In 1950, 1953, 1955, 1969, 1986, 1998, and 2001 the baseball team won the Northwest Conference title.
Willamette used to field a wrestling team.
Both the track and fields teams and the football team host home events at McCulloch Stadium
. Built in 1950, it is two blocks south of the Willamette campus, with Salem Hospital in between. Next to the stadium is Roy S. "Spec" Keene Stadium, home of the baseball team. Completed in 1989, it includes batting cages. Both stadiums are next to Salem’s Bush's Pasture Park
used by the cross country teams for their annual home meet. The softball field is located south of the Tokyo International University of America
campus on the east side of 13th Street.
The Lestle J. Sparks Center is the main indoor facility for the school, and contains Cone Field House and Henkle Gymnasium. Sparks was built in 1974 and expanded in 1995. Home basketball games are held in Cone Field House, with swimming meets and volleyball matches also held at Sparks. Sparks contains the offices for the athletic program as well as training facilities. Adjacent to the building on the south is the soccer field, with the main tennis courts nearby. Crew and golf teams do not have practice facilities or venues on campus.
Willamette’s official booster organization is the Willamette Bearcat Club. The Willamette Athletic Hall of Fame was started in 1991 with 16 inductees. As of 2008 the hall had inducted 67 former athletes, 9 coaches, 12 teams, and 10 others. Linfield College
to the north in McMinnville
is Willamette’s main rival. The Bearcats began facing the Wildcats in football in 1902.
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, United States. Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division III level, the school fields twenty teams. Most teams compete in the Northwest Conference
Northwest Conference
The Northwest Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington.-History:...
with their primary rivals being Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
. The main athletic venues of the school are McCulloch Stadium
McCulloch Stadium
McCulloch Stadium is a 2,500-seat outdoor stadium in Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1950, the multi-use facility serves as home to Willamette University's football and track & field teams, high school football games, and the Cascade Surge soccer club...
, Cone Field House, and Roy S. "Spec" Keene Stadium. Willamette moved to the NCAA's Division III in 1998 after previously being a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) institution. The 1993, men's basketball team won the school's only team national championship, while the 1997 football team lost in the national championship game.
Details
Willamette University was founded in 1842 in what is now Salem, Oregon. A small liberal arts school, it has an enrollment of 1,810 undergraduates and 659 graduate students for a total student population of 2,469. Intercollegiate teams for the university are football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s crew, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s track & field. Since October 2000, Mark Majeski has overseen the twenty teams as Willamette’s athletic director. Bill Trenbeath had served in the role from 1988 to 2000.Football
The Willamette football team started in 1894, winning their first game against Pacific UniversityPacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
18 to 4, and finishing the season 1-4-1, losing four games and tying another against the Salem YMCA. In 1895, they went 2-2, including two losses to the University of Oregon and one win against what is now Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. During the early years of the program teams played a hodgepodge of other teams including games against the school’s alumni, the University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
, the Chemawa Indian School
Chemawa Indian School
Chemawa Indian School is a Native American boarding school in Salem, Oregon, United States. It was opened on February 25, 1880 as an elementary school, but as of 2005, served ninth through twelfth grades. It is sometimes referred to as Chemawa High School...
, the Multnomah Athletic Club
Multnomah Athletic Club
The Multnomah Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in Portland, Oregon, United States.Founded in 1891, the club has expanded greatly from its beginnings. It now fills two buildings totaling , making it the largest indoor athletic club in the world...
, Hill Military Academy
Hill Military Academy
Hill Military Academy was a private, College preparatory military academy in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1901, it was a leading military boarding school in the Pacific Northwest. Originally located in Northwest Portland, it later moved to Rocky Butte where it remained until it...
, Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
,
Mt. Angel College
Mount Angel Abbey
Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks near the city of Mt. Angel, Oregon, United States. It was established in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg, Switzerland. The abbey, located on the top of Mount Angel, a 485-foot high butte, has its own post office separate from the city of Mt....
, and the Vancouver Barracks among others. In 1926, Willamette was a founding member of the Northwest Conference along with Pacific, rival Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
, Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
, the College of Puget Sound, and the College of Idaho, and is still a member of the conference.
On December 6, 1941, the team played the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
in Honolulu, losing 20 to 6 in what was supposed to be the first of two post season games. The following day, December 7, 1941, Japan attacked
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
the nearby naval base at Pearl Harbor, stranding the team on Hawaii. The military pressed the team into service to defend the island from possible invasion by giving the players rifles, having them lay barbed wire, posting them to defend storage tanks above the city, and using them as police. Willamette’s team and boosters were able to leave aboard the ocean liner SS President Coolidge
SS President Coolidge
The SS President Coolidge was a luxury ocean liner that was originally built, along with her sister ship the SS President Hoover, for Dollar Steamship Lines. They were the largest merchant ships the US had built up to that time. In 1938, when the Dollar Steamship Lines collapsed, she was...
on December 19, and arrived in San Francisco on December 25.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the school played abbreviated schedules, and did not field a team in 1945, with a return to normalcy in 1946. The school had previously not fielded teams in 1897 and 1898 due to the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and in 1918 due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Willamette played their first game at the new McCulloch Stadium in 1950, beating Central Washington
Central Washington University
Central Washington University, often abbreviated CWU, is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington in the United States.This location was selected by the state legislature as a consolation prize after Ellensburg lost its bid to be state capital...
21-0. Previously teams played at Sweetland Field located on campus where the school’s Quad is situated south of Waller
Waller Hall
Waller Hall is the oldest building on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1867 as University Hall, the five-story, red-brick structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975...
and Eaton
Eaton Hall (Oregon)
Eaton Hall is an academic building on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1909, the four-story brick and stone hall is the fourth oldest building on the campus of the school after Waller Hall , Gatke Hall , and the Art Building...
halls.
In October 1997, Liz Heaston
Liz Heaston
Elizabeth "Liz" Heaston Thompson is an American athlete who is the first woman ever to score in a college football game. She accomplished this feat on October 18, 1997 as a placekicker for the Willamette University Bearcats, which was competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate...
became the first female player in a college football game, kicking two extra points in the game at McCulloch against Linfield
1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game
The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was a college football game between the and the played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0...
. The team was coached by future Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
and Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
coach Dan Hawkins, who led the team to a 40-11-1 record from 1993 to 1997. In 2008, Willamette ended the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and winning a conference championship. The team was ranked as high as fourth in Division III, and won first round playoff game. The team lost in the second round of the playoffs to defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater
UW-Whitewater Warhawks
The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks are the athletic teams of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Twenty Warhawk athletic teams compete in NCAA Division III...
30-27, and finished the year 11-1.
Willamette’s team has won conference championships in the Northwest Conference 23 times, most recently during the 2008 season. Other championships were in 1929, 1934 to 1938, 1940 to 1942, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1958 to 1960, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1995 to 1997, and 1999. Willamette made the playoffs in 1968, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2008. The 1997 team made the school’s only appearance in a national championship, losing to 14-7 to the University of Findlay
University of Findlay
The University of Findlay is a private university located in the city of Findlay in Hancock County, Ohio, United States. It was affiliated with the Churches of God, General Conference, and was founded in 1882 by the city of Findlay and the Churches of God, General Conference. Findlay offers more...
in the NAIA title game. Willamette and the conference moved to the NCAA’s Division II in 1998. The university’s overall record through the 2008 season is 472-374-38 and a .555 winning percentage. Former head coach Ted Ogdahl holds the school records for most victories at 98 and for most seasons at the school with 20, compiling a 98-64-10 mark from 1952 to 1971. Roy "Spec" Keene
Spec Keene
Roy S. "Spec" Keene was a football, baseball, and basketball coach at Willamette University and an athletic director at Oregon State University.-Playing career:...
is in second place in both categories with an 84-51-6 record over 17 seasons from 1926 to 1942.
Basketball
From 1923 until 1974 the basketball team played home games at the Willamette Gymnasium, now the Theatre Playhouse. The men's team won or shared the conference title in 1949 to 1942, and 1958 to 1960.The Bearcats appeared in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Division I men's basketball national tournament
NAIA national men's basketball championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 . The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities...
3 times; 1960
1960 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1960 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 23rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format ....
, 1972
1972 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1972 NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 35th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format...
, 1975
1975 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 38th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format ....
. The Bearcats lost in the first round each year. In 1993, the men’s basketball team won the NAIA Division II national championship, with coach Gordie James winning national coach of the year honors.
Soccer
From 1987 to 1991, the Bearcat women won five straight NAIA District II titles. In 1998, the women’s soccer team complied a 19-1-4 record and lost in the NCAA Division III national semifinal game. The team finished 16-1-2 in 2003, but missed the playoffs after finishing in second place in the conference. From 1997 to 2004 the women’s team had a 74 game home unbeaten streak. The women won conference championships from 1993 to 1999.Track and field
The men's track team won conference championships in 1951 to 1953, 1961, and 1966. From 1981 to 1987 the men’s track and field team won seven consecutive conference titles, coached by Charles BowlesCharles J. Bowles
Charles J. Bowles was a professor of physical education and human anatomy at Willamette University for twenty-five years. He was also Willamette’s highly regarded cross-country and track and field coach. His teams won 20 Northwest Conference championships and 16 National Association of...
. Beth Fitzgerald won the 800m national championship in 1999, while Jimmy Watts won the title for the decathlon. Race walker Olympian Andrew Hermann graduated from the university in 1993. From 2002 to 2006, both the men’s and the women’s track teams won consecutive conference titles. The men’s team was led by multiple NCAA champion and later Olympic runner Nick Symmonds
Nick Symmonds
Nicholas "Nick" Symmonds is an American middle-distance track athlete from Boise, Idaho, specializing in the 800 meters and 1500 meters distances. He is also the part owner of a tanning salon. In college at Willamette University he won seven NCAA Division III titles in outdoor track. In 2007, he...
from 2003 to 2006. The Bearcat women had last won a title in 1978.
Other sports
NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
Each autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
individual title in cross country. The swimming program at the school started in 1974. From 1978 to 1982 swimmer Steve Koga was an All-American four times after winning five national title.
Softball was added at Willamette in 1981.
From 1985 to 1999, the softball team had a losing record each season except 1993. In 2000, the team was ranked for the first time in the program's history. That season the team opened its first home field, located next to the city's railroad station on land donated by the railroad. Nikki Franchi became the school's first All-American in softball in 2008 while setting school records for strikeouts and wins in a season.
The Bearcats baseball team's career leader in wins as a coach is David Wong with 286. He coached the team for 13 seasons from 1991 to 2003 and earned a 286-220-3 record. In 1950, 1953, 1955, 1969, 1986, 1998, and 2001 the baseball team won the Northwest Conference title.
Willamette used to field a wrestling team.
Facilities
McCulloch Stadium
McCulloch Stadium is a 2,500-seat outdoor stadium in Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1950, the multi-use facility serves as home to Willamette University's football and track & field teams, high school football games, and the Cascade Surge soccer club...
. Built in 1950, it is two blocks south of the Willamette campus, with Salem Hospital in between. Next to the stadium is Roy S. "Spec" Keene Stadium, home of the baseball team. Completed in 1989, it includes batting cages. Both stadiums are next to Salem’s Bush's Pasture Park
Bush's Pasture Park
Bush's Pasture Park is a public park and botanical garden in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is also the site of the Asahel Bush House, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and is now operated as the Bush House Museum.-Bush House Museum:The park and Italianate...
used by the cross country teams for their annual home meet. The softball field is located south of the Tokyo International University of America
Tokyo International University
is an institution of higher learning with a strong international focus, with a satellite campus--Tokyo International University of America --Willamette University in Salem, Oregon....
campus on the east side of 13th Street.
The Lestle J. Sparks Center is the main indoor facility for the school, and contains Cone Field House and Henkle Gymnasium. Sparks was built in 1974 and expanded in 1995. Home basketball games are held in Cone Field House, with swimming meets and volleyball matches also held at Sparks. Sparks contains the offices for the athletic program as well as training facilities. Adjacent to the building on the south is the soccer field, with the main tennis courts nearby. Crew and golf teams do not have practice facilities or venues on campus.
Culture
The Bearcats official colors are cardinal and old gold. Willamette's original colors of cardinal red and gold were selected in 1895. Fight Bearcats Fight is the official fight song for the school, and Ode to Willamette is the university’s Alma Mater. Blitz is the current mascot, who replaced Barney the Bearcat.Willamette’s official booster organization is the Willamette Bearcat Club. The Willamette Athletic Hall of Fame was started in 1991 with 16 inductees. As of 2008 the hall had inducted 67 former athletes, 9 coaches, 12 teams, and 10 others. Linfield College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
to the north in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
is Willamette’s main rival. The Bearcats began facing the Wildcats in football in 1902.