The first seven NCAA Division II championships are complete. West Florida shocked the DII football world with an unprecedented run to its first title, while Grand Valley State cemented itself as the ultimate DII women's soccer powerhouse.
FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Relive every DII fall title at the D2 Hub
Let's take a look back at the storylines and memorable moments that stood out from the first seven championships of the NCAA DII 2019-20 season.
Austin Reed leads West Florida to the 2019 DII football title in record-setting fashion
Which storyline do you pick from West Florida's run to the title? This program started just four years ago and was appearing in its second national championship game over that span. This Argonauts team did what the 2017 team couldn't do and brought home that national title. And what a romp it was: The Argos went on the road and took down five top-20 teams, that last four of which were undefeated and ranked in the top 6 of DII football.
RECAP: How West Florida won its first DII football title
But the story we're going with is the Argo's redshirt-freshman quarterback Austin Reed who erupted in the DII football championship tournament. In that championship game, Reed set the single-game record for passing yards in the first half by tossing for 399 yards and five touchdowns. He finished with a remarkable 523 yards and six touchdown passes (which also became the single-game record). He found Quentin Randolph for 254 yards and a record-tying three touchdowns while hooking up with Tate Lehtio on 13 receptions which — you guessed it — set the championship game record as well.
Grand Valley State wins record sixth DII women's soccer championship
Head coach Jeff Hosler had already turned the Lakers' program into the benchmark for DII women's soccer. Heading into this year, they had appeared in nine of the last 13 national championship matches, winning five of them. That tied the Lakers atop the DII women's soccer world with Franklin Pierce for the most titles ever.
GVSU's RUN TO THE TITLE: Look back at the entire DII women's soccer championship
Believe it or not, Grand Valley State outdid itself in 2019, setting a new single-season scoring record for the program and making conference history by going a perfect 9-0 with each game coming in shutout fashion. Western Washington's smothering defense looked as if it had solved the Lakers top-scoring offense by dominating them in the title match until Gianna Parlove snuck one by the Vikings goalie in overtime. The Lakers were golden in thrilling style for a record sixth time in program history.
Cal State San Bernardino runs the table for its first DII women's volleyball title
The Coyotes are DII women's volleyball championship regulars and no stranger to the title match. They had finished national runners-up in both 2008 and 2011. Now, Cal State San Bernardino can finally say it is national champions after posting an undefeated season en route to the 2019 title.
UNDEFEATED SEASON: Relive the Coyotes run to the title
There were two things for certain we knew heading into the title game. We knew we'd have a first-time champion and we knew the winner would be perfect. Both the Coyotes and Nebraska-Kearney entered the championship match without a loss, and the Coyotes made sure it stayed that way, dominating in a 3-1 victory. They became the first program to go undefeated since 2009 when Concordia-St. Paul pulled it off, and just the third ever, also joining the 28-0 2000 Hawaii Pacific team with the honors.
Adams State inches closer to DII history with its 18th DII women's cross country title
The past decade of DII women's cross country has pretty much been dominated by the Grizzlies and Grand Valley State. The two programs have flip-flopped the past six national championships and have become the primary targets for title contenders to take down.
CROSS COUNTRY RECAP: How the DII men's and women's cross country titles were won
Head coach Damon Martin picked up his 18th DII women's cross country title in 2019, and he did so in record-tying fashion. Of course, the record Adams State tied was its own, winning with the lowest score since the 1999 Grizzlies posted 23 points. The 18th national championship is now one shy of any sport in DII history, trailing just the Abilene Christian men's outdoor track and field program that captured 19 titles before jumping to Division I.
The DII men's soccer championship becomes a family affair
There is no denying the powerhouse that head coach Dan Stratford has built at Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles found their way to their fourth title match in the past six years, and won their second title in the past three seasons. They did so by handling two of the best teams DII men's soccer had to offer in 2019 in Lynn and Cal State LA.
SOCCER RECAP: Charleston (WV) wins second title in three years
But the story of the championship was a whole bunch of bloodlines culminating in a memorable run in the semifinals. Indianapolis made program history with its deepest run in the tournament ever and the Greyhounds were fueled by two sets of brothers in the Steinwaschers and Olczyks. Cal State LA made a run to the championship match without a loss thanks to the defense of the Orellana twins. These sets of brothers clashed in the semifinals, and it was the defensive duo that prevailed, ending the Greyhounds run in a 3-0 shutout.
West Chester caps off a PSAC dominated decade with third title
The big storyline entering 2019 was who could stop Shippensburg's run of three straight titles. The Raiders got off to a rough start and by the time the DII field hockey championship came around, they weren't even in the mix and the title was wide open. On one end was Saint Anselm, playing for its first DII championship in school history. On the other end was West Chester, a two-time title winner and a team that started the season on an 18-0 run.
FIELD HOCKEY RECAP: How West Chester won the 2019 title
The Golden Rams won the day and in doing so, took home their third title of the decade. That gave the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference nine of ten titles since 2010 with the Golden Rams falling one win shy of Shippensburg's four titles over the past ten years. With two-straight trips to the semifinals and now its third title, the question for 2020 is who will slow down the Golden Rams?
Colorado School of Mines historic DII cross country championships
The Orediggers had quite the day in Sacramento, California, site of the 2019 DII men's and women's cross country championships. The women's team finished third, the highest a women's team ever had in program history, but it was the men's team that did damage.
The Mines men's cross country team took home its second title in the past five years, and it did so by 79 points, the largest victory at the DII men's cross country championships since 1978. The Orediggers posted their lowest score in championship history with a 57. Kyle Moran led the way with a fourth-place finish, the highest an Oredigger has ever placed on the national stage.
