This week the Wichita State women played Western Illinois, and The Eagle's story referred to them as the Leathernecks. Aren't the women's teams there the Westerwinds?

Not anymore.

The school had used the Westerwind nickname for its women's teams since 1977, but it decided to go with one nickname beginning with this fall season.

WIU president Al Goldfarb made the decision after a two-year deliberation process.

"I thoroughly reviewed and read every letter, survey and e-mail, and I listened to all of the constituency groups. This was not an easy decision, nor was this a task I took lightly," Goldfarb said. "I considered all points of view and felt it was in the best interest for our student-athletes in regards to equity and marketing to unify the athletic team names."

As with any decision involving sports at the collegiate level, not everyone was pleased.

One commenter on the school's newspaper story regarding the decision argued, "'Westerwinds' represents 'Western Winds,' which signifies a strong, powerful wind ... The name symbolizes and embodies the formidable force that our female student-athletes always have been."

For better or worse, it's now the Leathernecks for all sports teams. The men's teams had used the nickname for the U.S. Marine Corps since 1927.

_Joshua Wood