The contest came down to Mountain Boomers, a small ground squirrel that scampers about the woods and is extremely difficult to catch, and Catamounts.

Poindexter wanted his players to be Catamounts with "fierce spirit, savage attacks, and lightning quick moves."

A member of the Southern Conference, Western Carolina sponsors teams in 6 men's and 8 women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[5] The Catamounts baseball team has reached the NCAA tournament 12 times, including five straight years from 1985 to 1989, three straight years from 1992 to 1994, and four other times in 1997, 2003, 2007, and 2016.

The Catamounts men's basketball team reached the NCAA tournament in 1996, where they dropped their only game against No.1 seed Purdue, 73–71.

The Catamounts women's basketball team reached the NCAA tournament in 2005 and again in 2009 under the leadership of Kellie Harper, who went on to be the head coach for N.C. State and Tennessee.

His leadership and vision resulted in the construction of the first college football field on the Western Carolina campus.

In 1949, Coach Tom Young completed a four-year, post-World War II building program with an 8–2 regular season and the school's first North State Conference championship and first postseason appearance.

The team was rewarded by a bid to play in the Smoky Mountain Bowl in Bristol, Virginia, where the Cats lost to West Liberty State.

After these two setbacks, the Catamounts would go through the next 12 Saturdays unbeaten en route to the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Game.

9 national ranking, Coach Waters’ Cats barely made it into the I-AA Championship game needing come-from-behind wins the next three weeks.

The Cats' wins over Colgate (24–23), Holy Cross (28–21) and Furman (14–7) carried the team to the National Championship Game.

The winning streak ended with a loss to Southern Illinois in the National Championship Game in Charleston, South Carolina.

Gaines did not play in 1974, but his replacement, true-freshman Wayne Tolleson, caught the winning touchdown pass in a 21–17 Catamount victory.

The baseball facility was officially renamed Ronnie G. Childress Field at Hennon Stadium in a dedication program on April 23, 1994.

[17] Kevin Martin of Minnesota Timberwolves played for the Western Carolina Catamounts (2001–2004), and was a first-round draft choice, selected by the Sacramento Kings.

[19] All-time coaching history Lady Catamount basketball was added as a varsity sport at Western Carolina University in 1965.

Betty Westmoreland started Western Carolina's intercollegiate basketball program and coached the Lady Catamounts for 14 years.

All-time coaching history The Western Carolina women's fastpitch softball team completed its inaugural season in 2006.

Under Williamson, the Catamounts (men and women) have claimed 17 Southern Conference Team Championships between indoor and outdoor seasons.

[24] Danny Williamson retired in 2016 and Cale McDaniel was named the next head men's and women's cross country/track & field coach at Western Carolina as announced by director of athletics Randy Eaton.

Norman returns to Cullowhee after spending the previous 12 seasons as head coach of the UNC Asheville cross country and track and field programs.