Winston-Salem State came up short of conference titles in football and men's basketball in its return to the CIAA but thrived in other sports, winning six championships. The latest titles came last weekend, in baseball, softball and women's tennis.
Chancellor Donald Reaves said in a statement that seeing such success on the field made him extremely proud.
"Taking six CIAA championships certainly show the quality of our athletics program and the hard work of our coaches and team members," he said in the statement. "I've also been pleased with emphasis on academic achievement that has been led by our athletics director, Bill Hayes."
There was controversy in September 2009 when WSSU made the decision to stop the transition to Division I because of cost, but the Rams have made themselves at home in the CIAA, their former conference.
"Of course, being back in the CIAA also has been a sweet homecoming for our campus and for our alumni," Reaves said. "I think you can say that this year is truly the start of our 'Return to Glory.' "
WSSU also won the CIAA men's and women's cross-country titles in the fall and the women's indoor track title in the winter.
The CIAA stages 16 championships, and WSSU had solid chances at other titles. The men's tennis and golf teams and the women's outdoor track team all had second-place finishes.
Hayes spent most of Saturday going from championship to championship at Virginia State, trying to keep up, and said he was worn out Saturday night.
"My staff and my coaches all did a tremendous job this year, and I couldn't have been more proud of what we've accomplished," Hayes said. "We had a plan from the start, and we stuck to the plan, and we were just thrilled with how the kids all performed."
Hayes said that part of that plan was fundraising, to get programs what they needed to succeed.
"And I can't say enough about our fans and alumni," Hayes said. "We had a lot of fans this weekend who came to Virginia State, and they supported all our teams. It was a community effort and they all should share in this as well."
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