High Point Panthers

High Point Panthers
University	High Point University
Conference	Big South Conference
Division	Division I
Athletic director	Craig Keilitz
Location	High Point, North Carolina
Varsity teams	16
Arena	Millis Center
Baseball stadium	Williard Stadium
Other venues	Vert Track, Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium (track, soccer, lacrosse)
Mascot	Prowler the Panther
Nickname	Panthers
Colors	Purple and White
Website	www.highpointpanthers.com

The High Point Panthers are the 16 varsity athletic teams that represent High Point University. All of HPU's varsity teams compete at the NCAA Division I level, with all but men's and women's lacrosse competing in the Big South Conference. The women's lacrosse team competes in the National Lacrosse Conference and will join the Big South when the conference begins sponsoring lacrosse in 2013. HPU announced the addition of varsity men's lacrosse in 2010 and will begin play in 2013.

The Panthers joined Division I in 1999, after previously having been Division II and being members of the NAIA prior to 1992. HPU was a founding member of the North State Conference, which is now the Division II Conference Carolinas.

Craig Keilitz became High Point's Athletic Director in January 2008 after serving as Associate AD at Wake Forest. He replaced Woody Gibson, who had been AD since 1999. HPU's other previous Athletic Directors include Jerry Steele, who was also basketball coach from 1972-2003, and Virgil Yow, who was also a coach. HPU's men's basketball coach is Scott Cherry, who was a member of North Carolina's 1993 NCAA Championship team.

HPU's main athletic facilities are the Millis Center (basketball and volleyball), Vert Stadium (track, soccer and lacrosse) and Williard Stadium (baseball). In September 2010, President Nido Qubein announced plans to build a 5,000-seat basketball arena in the future.

Cross Country/Track & Field

Head coach Mike Esposito leads HPU's men's and women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field teams. Esposito was coach at Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, N.C., for 19 years and has been High Point's head coach since 2005. HPU's longest-tenured coach was Bob Davidson, who led HPU for 39 seasons into the early 2000s. The Panthers' strongest events are cross country and long distance events in track & field. HPU's men's cross country team won three-straight Big South Championships from 2002-04 and has been runner-up at the Big South Championship from 2007-10. The Panthers have had one NCAA Div. I All-American in track & field, Jemissa Hess in the indoor mile in 2005. Notable alumni include Canadian Olympian Taylor Milne, former Tennessee head coach Bill Webb, current ZAP Fitness runners Jesse Cherry and Cole Atkins. HPU's Vert Stadium is named in honor of Dick Vert, an HPU trustee who was a cross country and middle distance runner and graduated from HPU in 1960.

Women's Golf

High Point University started women's golf in 2003-04 and the team achieved its highest Big South Championship finish - third - in 2005. HPU has had one individual Big South women's golf champion, Ann Marie Dalton in 2008. Vici Pate Flesher was named head coach in 2010 and led HPU to a fourth-place finish in the 2011 Big South Championship, up from eighth the year before. Pate Flesher previously led the Methodist College women's golf team to seven-straight NCAA Div. III championships.

Men's Lacrosse

High Point University announced the addition of men's lacrosse as part of the University's $2.1 billion growth plan in September 2010. HPU's first varsity men's lacrosse season will be 2013. HPU named Jon Torpey head coach in 2010 and he remained associate head coach at Dartmouth until joining HPU on a full time basis in June of 2011. Torpey's college teammate at Ohio State, Pat Tracy, as well as former Maryland attacker Michael Phipps joined HPU as assistant coaches in 2011. High Point brought in 20 players for the 2011-12 season, who will redshirt and train in preparation for the inaugural varsity season.