APPLETON, Wis. -- The first week of April marks Division III Week among NCAA member institutions, and Lawrence University joins in celebrating its student-athletes.
    Division III Week is a positive opportunity for all individuals associated with a Division III institution to observe and celebrate the impact athletics and student-athletes have on campus and in the surrounding community.
    The Lawrence Department of Athletics is hosting multiple outreach activities for the benefit of its student-athletes during Division III Week. The object is to unite the student-athletes and community to build a greater awareness and understanding of Division III athletics.
    In celebration of our current student-athletes, Lawrence will host a sports psychology session with University of Wisconsin-Madison sports psychologist Dr. Kayla Gromen on April 3. Lawrence also will host a session on sports nutrition with Dr. Kate Harrell on April 4.
    Lawrence's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is hosting Athletics Day on Campus on April 5, and April 6 is National Student-Athlete Day.
    The week also provides opportunities to see Lawrence's student-athletes in action at home and on the road. 
    Lawrence baseball is set to host Grinnell College on April 6 and 7 at Don Hawkins Field. The April 6 doubleheader gets under way at noon and the game on April 7 begins at 11 a.m. Lawrence softball hosts Illinois College at 1 p.m. on April 6 at St. Mary Catholic High School and takes on Knox College on April 7 at 1 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic. Lawrence track and field competes at the Wisconsin Private College Championships at Carroll University on April 6, and men's tennis travels to Lake Forest College on April 7.
    Lawrence is a charter member of NCAA Division III and joined when it was established in 1973. Prior to that, Lawrence competed at the national level in the College Division, which was established in 1956 for small colleges and universities. 
    Lawrence has a strong history of achievement at the NCAA Division III level.
    >>Lawrence football is the only team in the Midwest Conference to have reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs, which the Vikings accomplished in 1981. Lawrence was the first team in the Midwest Conference to host and win a Division III playoff football game.    
    >>Lawrence women's soccer has played in the NCAA Division III Tournament three times and was the first Midwest Conference school to win a NCAA Division III Tournament game back in 2001. 
    >>Lawrence men's basketball was one of the top programs in all of NCAA Division III in the first decade of the 21st century. The 2005-06 team posted an undefeated regular season and finished with the best record in the nation at 25-1. The 2005-06 Vikings became only the second team in Midwest Conference history to be ranked No. 1 when they were elevated to that position in the D3hoops.com poll in February 2006. Men's basketball went on an unprecedented run of success starting in 2003-04 when that team finished 24-5 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The 2004-05 team went 20-6 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The run of success was capped by the 2005-06 team, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament. During those three seasons from 2003 through 2006, the Vikings had the best record in the nation at 69-12 for a sizzling .852 winning percentage.
    >>Lawrence women's basketball has also been on the national stage by competing in the 1999 NCAA Division III Tournament.
    >>Lawrence softball has made two appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1998 and 1999, and that included a 2-0 shutout of No. 2-ranked Chapman University on its home field in 1998. The Vikings won a pair of games in the 1998 tournament before being eliminated. 
    >>Lawrence baseball was the most recent team playing in the NCAA Division III Tournament after winning the Midwest Conference title in 2022. The Vikings also played in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1977 and 1979. 
    >>Lawrence has had countless individual All-Americans in individual sports like swimming and track and field, but three stand out. Jiayi "Diana" Ling was the NCAA Division III champion indoors in the long jump in 1994 and was Lawrence's first individual national champion. Mike Gattnar won the epee title at the NCAA Championships in 1995. Andy Kazik capped a perfect 40-0 season to take the wrestling title at 184 pounds at the 2002 NCAA Division III Championships.