Before the decade 2010 through 2019 runs out and its memories start to fade, now is a good time to reflect on a collection of highlights and achievements and some of the growth that will help designate the last 10 years as one of the most successful periods in the history of Tiger Athletics, athletically as well as academically.

2010 - Gymnastics Captures ECAC Title: In Dick Filbert's final season as head coach the Tigers post a 20-4 record, winning a 6^th straight ECAC championship and a 14^th overall. Led by double champion Alise McDonald (all-around, vault) and Jackie Schweitzer (ECAC Specialist of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year), it would be the program's crowning gymnastics moment of the decade.

2010 - Men's Golf Claims CAA Championship: Overall the Tigers finish among the top 5 in eight tournaments. John Duthie (73.4), Chris Scialo (73.6), Nyasha Mauchaza (73.1) and Pat Hinch (76.3) combine to lead the Tigers to their only CAA Men's Golf championship. The title also includes an automatic team berth to the NCAA Championships, marking Towson's fourth trip overall.

2011 - Football Seeks a Title: Towson's turnaround football team stuns the FCS, rebounding from a 1-10 season the year before to post an historic 9-2 regular season record that includes the Tigers' first CAA Championship. That title earns the Tigers a spot in the FCS playoffs as Towson becomes the first football program in NCAA history to qualify for post-season play at three different levels. Lehigh hangs on to beat the Tigers 40-38 in a first round game before a sell-out crowd of 11,198 at Unitas Stadium. The Tigers' Rob Ambrose is named the Eddie Robinson FCS National Coach of the Year and running back Terrance West is honored with the first-ever Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman player in the FCS.

2011- President's Day at the Towson Center: November 26, 2011, Barack Obama, the 44^th President of the United States, visits the Towson Center as a college basketball fan to support his brother-in-law, Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson, older brother of former First Lady, Michelle Obama. The Beavers give the First Family plenty to cheer about, handing the Tigers a 66-46 loss in Towson's 2011-12 season home opener. The Tiger Football Team, on hand to be honored for its championship season, takes advantage of a photo opportunity to grab a memorable shot with the President.

2011- Dominating Force in the Water: Meredith Budner, Towson's most decorated women's swimmer, has an exceptional year in the pool. The CAA's two-time Swimmer of the Year, she is a three-time All-American in leading the Tigers to four-straight CAA women's swimming titles. Her record breaking times in the 1650 free, 500 free and the 400 IM in 2011 remain all-time CAA records. She goes on as the top mid-major performer at the NCAA Championships, finishing second in both the 500 and 1650 freestyles. Later in the year she breaks Israeli National Records in five events.

2012-13 - Hoops Sets Turnaround Record with 18-13 Finish: During the second year of head coach Pat Skerry, a 67-64 victory over Hofstra is Towson's 18^th victory of the season to set the NCAA Division I single-season turnaround record, helping to erase the memory of the 1-31 record the previous year. The win also marks the final game played in the Towson Center, home of the Tigers for 37 years.

2013 – Tigers Slug Way to CAA Baseball Title: After qualifying as the number four seed with an unremarkable 14-13 conference record, the Tigers get hot, setting a league tournament record that still remains intact by hitting .406 (63-155) to carry them to a 4-0 sweep and earn Towson its first, and only, CAA baseball championship. Zach Fisher is named as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The Tigers down No. 23 Florida Atlantic 7-2 before bowing to No. 1 North Carolina and Florida Atlantic in the elimination game of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. It's Towson's third NCAA baseball appearance.

2013 - A Change at the Helm: Tim Leonard becomes Towson's ninth Director of Athletics. He arrives at Towson after having served as a senior associate athletics director at SMU. His career in athletics also includes stops at Central Florida, Boise State and Illinois State.

2013 – A New Home: The much anticipated opening of the 5,200-seat, 117,000-square-foot SECU Arena happens, providing the Tigers with a new home for basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. With 340 club seats, four private suites and 96 courtside seats it becomes a premier, multi-purpose venue in the metropolitan Baltimore area.

2013 – Gridders Advance All The Way: The Tigers set a program record for wins in a season with 13 and string together a 10-game road winning streak to punch their ticket to Frisco, Tex. for the FCS National Championship. It's Towson's second appearance in a national title game, having competed in the Stagg Bowl for the NCAA Division III title 37 years earlier. After beating Fordham 49-28, a Jimmy Garoppolo-led Eastern Illinois 49-39 and Eastern Washington 35-31, the Tigers are stopped by North Dakota State, 35-7 as the Bison won their 24^th consecutive game and third straight title. Terrance West's FCS single game record 354 rushing yards against Eastern Illinois gives him Towson's single season record, surpassing Tony Vinson's 2,016 yards.

2013-14 – Cagers Compile Record Number of Wins: A year after setting the NCAA single-season turnaround record, the Tigers, under third-year head coach Pat Skerry, pile up a program record 25 victories that include a 13-5 CAA mark, good for second place, their highest league finish ever. Jerrelle Benimon earns his first of two CAA Player of the Year honors. Skerry is the league's Coach of the Year.

2014 – It's Perfect on the Softball Diamond: On April 9^th Missy McCormick makes Tiger Softball history by pitching a perfect game in a 7-0 victory over Temple. It remains the only Towson game wherein an opposing player never reaches base in the 44-year history of the program. It is one of 10 no-hitters hurled all-time by Tigers, and it is the last one of the decade tossed.

2014 – Booters Make First CAA Tourney Appearance: It took a while but finally, in their 13^th year in the CAA, the Towson women's soccer team qualifies for the conference tournament. Towson blanks William & Mary 2-0 on goals by Natalia Pinkney and Marissa Green in the regular season finale to earn the berth. The Tigers then bow to Hofstra in the quarterfinals.

2015 – Tigers Dominate the Pool: From 2008 to 2015 the Tigers dominate CAA women's swimming, winning seven of the eight championships. The 2015 title is a second three-peat and proves to be Towson's last women's swimming championship of the decade. Macy Arnold, named the Swimmer of the Meet, shows the way with four medals.

2016 – Eighth Time the Charm for Women's Lacrosse: Towson carries an undistinguished 0-7 postseason record into its eighth NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament appearance. Undaunted, the 2016 Tigers roll to a convincing 16-5 first round victory over Old Dominion that snaps that nasty streak. CAA Rookie of the Year, freshman Natalie Sulmonte and sophomore Emily Gillingham with three goals each lead a contingent of 10 players who score in the rout. The victory improves Towson's season record to 16-3, matching its most victories in a single season. The Tigers qualify for the NCAA Tournament seven times during the decade, including four CAA titles in a five-year span under head coach Sonia LaMonica.

2017 – Men's Lacrosse Enjoys A Championship Weekend: Towson is back in college lacrosse's version of the Final Four for a third time, following trips in 1991 and 2001. After taking down Penn State 12-8 the Tigers send The Orange back to Syracuse with a 10-7 quarterfinal loss, setting up a semifinal date with Ohio State. The Buckeyes prevail 11-10. Defensive middies Jack Adams and Zach Goodrich are second team All-Americans.

2017 – Towson's Marathon Chase Pays Off With A Title: After 42 years of chasing a women's outdoor track and field championship through six different conferences, the Tigers finally catch one, surprising a talented field of CAA competitors to bring home the league's 2017 team title. Towson had runner up finishes twice in the East Coast Conference and once in the Big South. In 2010 they are third in the CAA but never get closer than fifth in the league's other previous 14 championships. With sprinter Zanae Freeland, who is named co-Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet, showing the way with gold medals in the 100 and 200 dashes the Tigers (163.5) hold off Elon (158) and JMU (140). Towson's Mike Jackson is honored as CAA Coach of the Year.

2017 - Volleyball Team Enjoys A Postseason Opportunity: The Tigers are back into postseason action for the first time in 13 years, facing Colgate in the revived National Invitational Volleyball Championship. Towson earns its first postseason volleyball victory ever with a 3-2 decision over the Red Raiders. The win is the 27^th for the Tigers, the third most in a single season. Syracuse ends Towson's season by downing the Tigers 3-0 in the ensuing round.

2018 – At Long Last, A Field They Can Call Their Own: Field hockey is Towson's oldest women's intercollegiate sport, dating back to 1947 when the Towson women, under coach Kathleen Fitzgerald, tie Maryland College 1-1, lose to the College of Notre Dame 1-0 and conclude the campaign with their first victory, 1-0 over St. Agnes College. Seventy-one years later, on October 28, 2018, a field is dedicated to the sport in the form of the TU Field Hockey Complex.

2018 – A Season for the Softball Record Book: In addition to setting numerous school records, the Tigers accept an invitation to compete in the National Invitational Softball Championship, their first postseason play in the program's 43-year history. The Tigers blank Austin Peay 3-0 before edging Eastern Kentucky 4-3 for a school record 42^nd win. Eastern Kentucky then downs Towson 5-4 and 9-2 for the NISC championship. Senior Brook Miko is a highlight for Towson. She leads the team, the conference and the nation in RBI with a school record 76.

2019 – Women's Basketball Goes Dancing: Under second year head coach Diane Richardson the Tiger women's basketball squad makes program history by winning a second conference tournament championship. It's been 35 years since Towson captured the East Coast Conference title but no automatic qualifier. The difference between the two titles is monumental, however, because this time the achievement earns the Tigers a first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Towson is the 15^th seed, drawing UConn in the opening round where they bow to the Huskies. The Tigers post just the second 20-win season (20-12) ever. It proves to be only their second winning season in the decade. Coach Richardson is the CAA Coach of the Year, becoming the first Towson women's basketball coach or player to be recognized as a CAA annual award recipient.

2019 – They're No. 1: The Tigers are off to a 4-0 start to open the 2019 lacrosse season with the 12-10 victory over then- No. 1 Loyola the game that catches the eye of every pollster. For the first time in its Division I lacrosse history the Tigers are the unanimous choice as the top ranked college team in the country. Of course the 17-8 pounding of Johns Hopkins in the opener figures prominently into the ranking also.

2019 – Tiger Soccer Complex Is Dedicated: The final facilities enhancement project of the decade is christened when Towson opens its soccer season by hosting Old Dominion on the new Tiger Soccer Complex, featuring two full-field surfaces with lighting and scoreboards for all of the athletic department's field sports (football, soccer, men's and women's lacrosse). There's also a third practice field. "… this addresses a number of needs for us, both from a game day field and practice fields," says AD Tim Leonard. A second phase to include a new grandstand plus buildings for concessions, restrooms and a press box is scheduled and will doubt be a headliner to begin the next decade.

2019 -  Saunderson Carries the Swimming Banner: Jack Saunderson's college career at Towson is all about records and awards. There aren't many of either the four-time All-American backstroker/butterflyer doesn't own at Towson, in the CAA, in the ECAC. At the Phillips 66 National Championships he recorded the 5^th fastest time in the world for the men's 100-meter fly, and the second quickest American time. He's selected to the USA National Team where every Olympic hopeful aspires to be a member.

2019 – Volleyball Presents Towson With A Very Happy Ending To The Decade: An impressive 29-3 record that includes the CAA's first-ever 16-0 run through its regular season in the rally scoring era followed by a league tournament title all leads the Tigers into the NCAA postseason where program history is made again. Towson downs American University in the opening round for a first-ever NCAA tournament victory before being eliminated by 11^th ranked Penn State. The Tigers are showered with honors. Don Metil picks up Coach of the Year awards from the CAA, the ECAC and the AVCA East Region. Setter Marrisa Wonders is the CAA Player and Setter of the Year and claims the MOP conference tournament award too. Junior libero Camryn Allen is a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American®.

AND …
2010 Women's Basketball – Four-time All-CAA selection Shanae Baker-Brice becomes Towson's all-time scoring leader, finishing her career with 1,793 points. 2010 Women's Lacrosse – Accolades continue to pile up for Hillary Fratzke, two-time CAA Player of the Year and the only Towson women's lacrosse player selected as a 1^st team All-American. 2011 Women's Golf – Airielle Dawson becomes the first Towson golfer in either men's or women's golf at Towson to win a national title when she earns medalist honors at the 25^th Annual PGA of America Minority Collegiate Golf Championship posting rounds of 75, 73 and 72. . 2011 Women's Track – Record setting hurdler Ashley Adams remains the only Towson trackster to capture an ECAC Indoor Pentathlon title as she compiled a school record 3,858 points to earn the honor. 2012 Men's Basketball – Remember that 66-46 loss to Oregon State in 2011, well, the Tigers avenge it the following year, upsetting the Beavers 67-66 in Corvallis with Jerrelle Benimon's 20 points and 21 rebounds showing the way. 2013 Football – Tigers capture their first, and only thus far, win over an FBS opponent by smacking UConn 33-18 as Towson is 1-9 against the bigs for the decade. 2014 Ninja Warrior – Kacy Catanzaro, the 2012 ECAC and Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year, becomes the first woman to scale the Warped Wall obstacle on NBC's "American Ninja Warrior." 2017 Baseball – John Schuerholz, a two-sport All-Conference selection  in his days as a Tiger in the early 60's, receives the sport's highest honor as he is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown following 45 years as an executive in professional baseball.  2018 Baseball –  Tiger shortstop Richie Palacios becomes the second-highest Towson baseball player ever to be taken in the MLB Draft, going in the 3^rd round to the Cleveland Indians. 2018 No. 1 Academically – Towson achieves an 87% NCAA Graduation Success Rate that ranks the Tigers at the top of the University of Maryland System's Division I institutions. 2019 Men's Lacrosse – Alex Woodall, Towson's all-time leader with 583 faceoff wins, is the number one overall pick in the Major League Lacrosse's Collegiate Draft. 2019 Athletics – It's cause to celebrate, and the Tigers did just that as they unveiled Towson's Community Service Team Works Helper Helper National Championship banner, earned by completing 5,583 hours during the fall while averaging more than 10,000 hours per year in each of the previous six years.

JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING ABOUT …
The Total Tiger Program for the Decade - 2014 – Receive the President's Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion Award. 2018 – Runner up for the NACDA Community Service Award (National) sponsored by the Fiesta Bowl. 2018 – Susan G. Komen Volunteer of the Year Award. 2018 – BTU Partnership Award Finalists.  2019 – Tigers unveil Towson's Community Service Team Works Helper Helper National Championship banner, earned by completing 5,583 hours during the fall while averaging more than 10,000 hours per year for the 8^th consecutive year. The Tigers garner top honors from the TU Staff Board of Regents Award and honorable mention recognition from the USM Board of Regents Award for Extraordinary Public Service to the University or Greater Community.
The Tigers' Academic Health – Over the decade the Tigers graduate 1,126 student-athletes. The department's cumulative GPA rises from 2.878 to 3.197 for an 11.08% increase. That GPA has been above 3.00 since Spring, 2008. Ten sports post a perfect APR a total of 27 times.