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The Rutgers-Camden women's softball team won the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship in a 3-2 match against defending two-time champ University of St. Thomas May 22. The achievement is the first national title for any Camden sports team and appears to be the first NCAA title for a team sport on any Rutgers campus.
The Scarlet Raptors, who completed their season at 47-5, went 4-0 at the national championships, including a pair of wins over St. Thomas. Rutgers-Camden, which entered the championships ranked third in the country, won 37 of its final 38 games en route to its national title.
For Head Coach Carl Taylor, the win represents a happy ending to a “Cinderella” story. In 1997, the team won one game.
Rory “Cal” Maradonna, associate provost for development, took a vacation day to watch the Raptors bring the national title home. “They were determined to win,” Maradonna said. “It just goes to show that with a little bit of support and appropriate playing facilities, Rutgers-Camden can recruit serious students who are good athletes, and compete on a national level.” A cheering section of students traveled to North Carolina to voice their support at the game. “Rutgers-Camden had the biggest and most vocal fan base,” Maradonna added. “It was bedlam on the field when we won. Everybody was just so happy.”
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