RPI has always been synonymous with“engineering” and “science.” Many of the students who choose to attend RPI don’t even enjoy sports. Some students do enjoy sports but don’t play, and there are many who come to RPI to play on a specific team. Recently, the Institute has been gaining a lot of prestige in the realm of athletics.
Most recently, Flynn Cochran was recognized by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as a member of the 2003 National Scholar-Athlete Class. As part of this recognition, Cochran has also been awarded a post-graduate scholarship. Beyond this, the team’s coach, Joe King, recently achieved his 100th win in his 15 years at RPI.
The success of athletics at RPI has not just been limited to the football team. From the 2000-2001 to the 2002-3003 academic years, 15 National Academic All-Americans have been named at RPI, placing the Institute third in the nation in the Division III league. The women’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, football, track and field, and men’s tennis teams have all contributed to RPI’s tally of Academic All-Americans. Outside of Division III, RPI is ranked 10th in the nation for athletics.
While these achievements often get overlooked, they represent the high level of commitment to athletics by RPI and the strong efforts being made both on and off the field by the members of the athletic teams on campus. Through their efforts, the members of these teams give the entire student body something about RPI that they can be proud of, even if they don’t follow sports.
With this in mind, the editorial board of The Polytechnic would like to take a moment to congratulate all of the athletes on campus for a job well-done and thank them for all of the hard work that they do season-in and season-out. Keep up the good work, and best of luck in your respective seasons!
