St. Bonaventure Bonnies

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (formerly the St. Bonaventure Brown Indians from 1927 to 1992[2]) are the varsity intercollegiate athletic programs of St. Bonaventure University, based in St. Bonaventure, New York between the two towns of Allegany and Olean. The Bonnies compete in the National Collegiate Athletics Association's Division I Atlantic 10 Conference,[3] of which it has been a member since 1979.[4] The school's athletic director is Tim Kenney, who was hired in early 2015.[5] The programs' mascot is the Bona Wolf and the colors are brown and white.[6]

St. Bonaventure Bonnies
UniversitySt. Bonaventure University
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
NCAADivision I
Athletic directorTim Kenney
LocationSt. Bonaventure, New York
Varsity teams14 (7 men's, 7 women's)
Basketball arenaReilly Center
Baseball stadiumFred Handler Park at McGraw-Jennings Field
Soccer stadiumTom and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex
Lacrosse stadiumTom and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex
MascotThe Bona Wolf
NicknameBonnies
Fight song"Unfurl the Brown and White"
ColorsBrown and White[1]
         
Websitewww.gobonnies.com

Sports sponsored
Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross country
Cross countryLacrosse
GolfSoccer
LacrosseSoftball
RugbySwimming and diving
SoccerTennis
Swimming and divingTrack and field†
Tennis
Track and field†
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

A member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, St. Bonaventure University sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

Men's lacrosse is slated to be added as a varsity sport in spring 2019.[7]

In addition, the Bonnies field an ice hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association ("club" level hockey). The hockey Bonnies play at the William O. Smith Recreation Center in Olean and are members of the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League, primarily playing other area colleges' second-tier club squads.

Men's basketball
Main article: St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball

The men's basketball program has enjoyed success on and off throughout its history, including an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1970,[8] and an NIT Championship in 1977.[9] St. Bonaventure's most recent NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2018, where the Bonnies won its play-in game against UCLA. The win marked the program's first NCAA Tournament win since reaching the Elite Eight in 1970. The Bonnies would drop their next game, a 77–62 loss to Florida. Currently, St. Bonaventure's head men's basketball coach is Mark Schmidt.[10]

NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier played at St. Bonaventure, leading them to the 1970 Final Four.[8] The men's and women's basketball teams play at the 6,012-seat Reilly Center.[11] The playing surface was renamed Bob Lanier Court in a dedication ceremony on October 12, 2007. Lanier attended along with his mother, sister, and daughter.[12]

Men's golf

The Bonnies men's golf team is coached by John Powers, a 2010 graduate of Bowling Green University. Powers took over the team in the summer of 2011.[13] The team hosts the annual Leo Keenan Invitational at Bartlett Country Club in Olean, New York, where it has been held since the late 1980s.[14]

Women's basketball
Main article: St. Bonaventure Bonnies women's basketball

In the 2011–2012 season, the Bonnies women's basketball team had the best season in their history. They accumulated a record of 31–4 in the regular season, including a perfect 14–0 record in the Atlantic 10 conference. They were ranked as high as 16th in the national polls and earned a 5th seed in the NCAA Tournament. They beat Florida Gulf Coast and Marist in the Tallahassee Regional to advance to the Sweet 16, where they lost to eventual national runner-up Notre Dame. The women's basketball team made its second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016.

Former sports

Football
Main article: St. Bonaventure Brown Indians football

St. Bonaventure fielded an American football team sporadically from 1892 to 1970. The program gained national recognition in the post-World War II era under Coach Hugh Devore, a former All-American player at Notre Dame. The Brown Indians compiled a record of 25-9-1 during his tenure, which ended after the 1949 season (http://archives.sbu.edu/football/the_history.htm).

Wrestling

The Brown Indians had a wrestling team in 1927, led by player-coach Ed George,[15] and again in 1954, coached by Mike Green. They were winless each season, going 0–2 in 1927 and 0–1 in 1954. Due to their lopsided loss to Alfred Ag Tech in 1954, they discontinued the sport.[16]

Ice Hockey

While currently a club team, St. Bonaventure had a Division III from 1982 through 1993. The Brown Indians had success as an independent recording four consecutive winning seasons before joining the ECAC West in 1986. After a 19–11 mark the program declined and finished near the bottom of the conference for six years before the program dropped from Division III to club status.[17]

Mascot and colors
St. Bonaventure's former athletics logo in use prior to 1992, depicting the school's Brown Indian mascot.

The school's current mascot is the Bona Wolf, the third mascot in school history.[6] The wolf is a reference to the Wolf of Gubbio, a story from the life of St. Francis. The school's colors, brown and white, reflect the colors of Franciscan friar robes. The university is closely affiliated with this religious order.[18]

From 1927 to 1992, St. Bonaventure's mascot was the Brown Indian. The school's athletics logo during this period featured a stylized letter "B" with a war bonnet hanging over the left side. As part of an ongoing debate over Native American mascots, however, this was changed to the Bona Fanatic.[19] This new mascot was poorly received, so much so that costume wearers were assaulted by St. Bonaventure fans. After only a few years (1996–1998) in existence, the Fanatic was dropped in favor of the current Bona Wolf.[20]

Facilities

Source:[21]

Sport Facility
Baseball Fred Handler Park
Basketball Reilly Center
Golf St. Bonaventure Golf Course/Bartlett Country Club
Lacrosse Tom and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex
Soccer Tom and Michelle Marra Athletics Field Complex
Softball Joyce Field
Swimming & Diving Reilly Center Pool
Tennis St. Bonaventure Outdoor Tennis Center

Accolades

Men's basketball

Conference championships
  • Men's Swimming and Diving 1993[25]
  • Women's Swimming and Diving 1996[26]
  • Women's Swimming and Diving 1997[26]
  • Women's Swimming and Diving 1998[26]
  • Men's Swimming and Diving 1999[25]
  • Men's Tennis 2001[27]
  • Men's Tennis 2003[27]
  • Baseball 2004[28]
  • Men's Swimming and Diving 2006[25]
  • Men's Basketball 2012[29]
  • Men's Swimming and Diving 2013
  • Men's Swimming and Diving 2014

Fight song

The school fight song is "Unfurl the Brown and White."[30] The song was written by St. Bonaventure graduates L.G. O'Brien '25 and C.R. Kean '24.[30]

References
  1. University Colors (PDF). St. Bonaventure University Writing Style Guide. September 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  2. Patt, David (April 4, 2008). "The St. Bonaventure Brown Indian". SBU.edu. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012. The Brown Indian represented St. Bonaventure University athletics from Fall 1927, its earliest mention in The Laurel, to 1992.
  3. "St. Bonaventure University". NCAA. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  4. "About Atlantic 10". Atlantic 10. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  5. "St.Bonaventure Athletics Staff". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  6. Patt, David. "The Athletic Symbols of St. Bonaventure University". The Symbols of St. Bonaventure University. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  7. http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/03/22/st-bonaventure-adding-men-s-lacrosse-to-its-sports.html
  8. "1970 Final Four team to be honored on Jan. 16". Go Bonnies. January 11, 2010. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  9. "NIT Champions". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  10. "2010–11 Men's Basketball Roster". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  11. "Reilly Center". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  12. "New Reilly Center Court To Be Named For Bob Lanier". CSTV. July 25, 2007. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  13. "John Powers". Go Bonnies. St. Bonaventure University. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  14. "Golf Opens Season Sunday at St. Bonaventure Leo Keenan Invitational". Cornell Big Red. Cornell University Athletic Department. September 16, 2011. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  15. "1926–1927 St. Bonaventure Wrestling". Armdrag. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  16. "1953–1954 St. Bonaventure Wrestling". Armdrag. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  17. "St. Bonaventure Hockey". St. Bonaventure. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  18. Patt, David (April 27, 2010). "Franciscan Friars and University Colors". The Symbols of St. Bonaventure University. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  19. Patt, David (April 4, 2008). "The St. Bonaventure Brown Indian". The Symbols of St. Bonaventure University. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  20. Patt, David (March 23, 2005). "The Bona Fanatic". The Symbols of St. Bonaventure University. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  21. "St. Bonaventure Athletic Facilities". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  22. "1960's Men's Basketball All-Americans". Hickok Sports. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  23. "1970 Men's Basketball All-Americans". Hickok Sports. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  24. "Nicholson, Watt on All-America list". The Buffalo News. March 26, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  25. "Sean McNamee". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  26. "A-10 Swimming & Diving Championships Set For Feb. 15–18". Atlantic 10. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  27. "Men's Tennis Set For A-10 Championship Action Beginning Friday". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  28. "Larry Sudbrook". Go Bonnies. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  29. "St. Bonaventure Captures 2012 A-10 Men's Hoops Crow". atlantic10.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  30. "Cheers and Fight Songs". The History of St. Bonaventure University Football. September 6, 2004. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
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