The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks are the 13 varsity athletic teams that represent California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, located in Arcata, California, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Lumberjacks compete as an associate member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for all sports except women's rowing, which competes in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference; women's triathlon, which competes unaffiliated; and men's wrestling, which competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Varsity sports Men's sports Women's sports Basketball Basketball Cross country Cross country Soccer Rowing Track and field Soccer Wrestling Softball Track and field Triathlon Volleyball

Basketball Recently the men's basketball team achieved its first-ever West Region title and advancement to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II for the first time in the program's 81-year history.

The men's head coach is Chris Tifft, and the women's head coach is Michelle Bento-Jackson.

Rowing The women's rowing team claimed the NCAA Division II national rowing championship title in 2012, 2014, and 2023. In 2012 they took first in both the varsity 8 and varsity 4 boats. In 2014 the varsity 8 was first, and the varsity 4 took third. In 2023 they swept every category, winning both the four and eight heats, as well as the four and eight finals. In 2011 the team finished third overall at the national championships, placing second in the varsity 4 and third in the varsity 8. The women's rowing program advanced both its varsity 4 and varsity 8 boats to the NCAA Championships in 2004, with the varsity 4 earning the individual boat national title and the varsity 8 placing second at nationals. In 2024 they finished in fourth, but needed one more point to tie for third, and three more points to tie for first. This likely was a result of Cal Poly Humboldt excelling in the heats, but falling short in the finals that year. Women's rowing became an intercollegiate sport at Cal Poly Humboldt in 1994.

Highlights 1994 Club Sport Emerges as an NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Team 2003 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist 2004 Division II National Championships ~ Finalist / National Champions 4+ 2010 WIRA Team Champions 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist 2012 NCAA Division II National Champions 2014 NCAA Division II National Champions 2015 NCAA Division II National Championships ~ Finalist 2017 WIRA Team Champions 2018 WIRA Team Champions 2019 WIRA Team Champions

Softball CPH's softball team has qualified for the NCAA post-season 18 times between 1990 and 2008, capturing the national championship in 1999 and in 2008.

Track and field The Lumberjacks have produced national champions and All-Americans in cross country and track and field. In 1980, the school's first year in Division II, the CPH men's cross country team claimed a national title. A year later, cross country runner Mark Conover earned the individual crown and later represented the US as a marathoner in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games.Dan Pambianco, Humboldt State Intercollegiate Athletics, Assistant AD/Media Relations The women's track and field team, led by future 1928 Olympic sprinter, Elta Cartwright, won the 1926 national championship meet conducted in telegraphic form by the Women's National Collegiate and Scholastic Track Association.

Wrestling The most recently added sport is men's wrestling, reinstated in 2024–25 after being dropped at the end of the 1988–89 season.

Former sports

Football

Cal Poly Humboldt won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2011 and 2015. The championship in 2015 led them to the Division II playoffs, during which they made it to the second round before losing to eventual champion Northwest Missouri State. The Lumberjacks played their home games in the Redwood Bowl.

Their biggest rivals in football were Western Oregon and Azusa Pacific. The university dropped football in 2018.

2015 season The 2015 season was one of the most successful in Cal Poly Humboldt history. The Lumberjacks won 10 games, 9 in the regular season, en route to a perfect 6–0 GNAC record, and the conference championship. For the first time in school history, CPH hosted an NCAA Division II home playoff game, played against Augustana University. The Lumberjacks defeated Augustana by a score of 45–31 to secure the first DII playoff victory since 1960. They lost their second round matchup with top seed and eventual champion Northwest Missouri State 54–7.

The season saw individual success as well, as running back Ja'Quan Gardner was named an All-American and finished as the runner-up in the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy. Gardner rushed for 2,266 yards on 337 carries, both GNAC records. Gardner also led the country in rushing yards per game (188.8) and rushing touchdowns (25). Gardner won the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year award, and set a school record for single-game rushing yards by running for 305 yards against Azusa Pacific. Offensive Lineman Alex Cappa was named the conference Offensive Lineman of the Year award for the second straight season, and was a second-team All-American.

Conferences 1924–1939: Independent 1940–1996: Northern California Athletic Conference 1997: Division II Independent 1998–2000: Columbia Football Association 2001–2005: Great Northwest Athletic Conference 2006–2007: Division II Independent 2008–2018: Great Northwest Athletic Conference

Discontinuation of football program

In July 2018, the university announced that the football program would be discontinued after the 2018 season.

Championships

NCAA appearances The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks competed in the NCAA Tournament across 12 sports (5 men's and 7 women's), 113 times at the Division II level.

Men's basketball (15): 1983, 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2026 Women's basketball (6): 1995, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018 Men's cross country (12): 1969, 1974, 1980, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2012 Women's cross country (5): 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2012 Football (1): 2015 Rowing (7): 2004, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024 Women's soccer (2): 1996, 2025 Softball (24): 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Men's indoor track and field (1): 2000 Women's indoor track and field (2): 1995, 1999 Men's outdoor track and field (27): 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2018 Women's outdoor track and field (15): 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017

Team NCAA The Lumberjacks earned six NCAA team championships at the Division II level. Men's (1) Cross country (1): 1980 Women's (5) Rowing (3): 2012, 2014, 2023 Softball (2): 1999, 2008

Results 1980–81 Men's cross country UNC Pembroke 115–120 1998–99 Softball Nebraska–Kearney 7–2 2007–08 Softball Emporia State 1–0 2011–12 Rowing Western Washington 20–13 2013–14 Rowing Nova Southeastern 16–152022-23RowingCentral Oklahoma30-25

Other national Women's Track & Field (1): 1926, at the highest level

Below is one national club team championship:

Women's disc golf (1): 2014 (NCDGU)

Individual Cal Poly Humboldt has had 39 athletes win NCAA individual championships at the Division II level.

NCAA individual championships Order School year Athlete(s) Sport Source 1 1967–68 Gary Tuttle Men's outdoor track and field 2 1968–69 Bill Scobey Men's outdoor track and field 3 1968–69 Gary Tuttle Men's outdoor track and field 4 1971–72 Mike Bettiga Men's outdoor track and field 5 1972–73 Chuck Smead Men's outdoor track and field 6 1973–74 Frank Logan Men's swimming and diving 7 1973–74 Chuck Smead Men's outdoor track and field 8 1980–81 Mark Conover Men's outdoor track and field 9 1981–82 Mark Conover Men's cross country 10 1981–82 Dan Grimes Men's outdoor track and field 11 1984–85 Eric Lessley Wrestling 12 1990–91 Luke Parham Wrestling 13 1998–99 Trinity Davis Women's indoor track and field 14 2003–04 Jolie SmithWinnie BellJessica LevLisa McDonnellMelanie Rowsey Rowing 15 2011–12 Kaitlyn ShanleAmanda NelsonShenae BishopJulia SmithKa'ena Sado Rowing 16 2011–12 Katie LepleyMolly FisherAnna WagnerAlex TorquemadaAshley FrakesEdi SullivanJacki McPhersonChyna BalonickKatie Harris Rowing 17 2013–14 Jamie LarrabeeRipley McChesneyMaggie WilhelmKayley WeberMaddy GuillaumeSamantha MorfordKatie DedrickMariah SmihterKatrina Rehrer Rowing 18 2016–17 Marissa McCay Women's outdoor track and field

References

External links