FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Penmen Win Fall Title; Skyhawks Claim Winter.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – In acknowledgement of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on intercollegiate athletics, the Northeast-10 Conference will not recognize an overall 2019-20 Presidents' Cup champion. Instead, the Conference is proud to announce that it will honor Presidents' Cup seasonal champions, which have been awarded to Southern New Hampshire for its performance during the 2019 fall season and to Stonehill College for its teams' collective accomplishments during the 2019-20 winter season.
The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the NE10. After the cancellation of the spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NE10 Athletics Council – which consists of athletic directors and senior woman administrators from each member institution – determined it would honor the institutions that accumulated the highest point totals in both the fall and winter seasons, allowing the Conference to appropriately recognize the accomplishments of the membership through the conclusion of 17 of the 24 sports that comprise the award.
"Congratulations to all of the student-athletes, coaches and administrators at both Southern New Hampshire and Stonehill," said Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "While this year was unlike any other in our history, it was important to our Conference leadership that we were able to acknowledge, despite the cancelled spring season, the significant time and effort that went into the fall and winter seasons across our campuses. We were able to complete 17 NE10 sports in 2019-20 and these revised President Cup awards provide us the opportunity to honor the tremendous dedication and commitment of the SNHU and Stonehill athletic departments."
The Presidents' Cup is awarded to the institution that compiles the most cumulative points based upon overall regular season finishes in the team sports and final placement in the annual NE10 Championships in individual sports.
To see the complete list of Presidents' Cup standings for the fall and winter seasons, please see below. For year-by-year history of the award, please click HERE.
Southern New Hampshire tallied 86.0 points in the fall, edging Stonehill (82.5) and Adelphi (75.0) for the top mark in the league. The Penmen had six sports garner double-digit point totals, including second-place finishes for field hockey (13.5 points) and women's cross country (13 points). SNHU women's tennis was a regular season tri-champion, earning the maximum of 10 points.
Stonehill had an NE10-best 48.0 points in the winter, earning an impressive 86-percent of its possible point total (56.0) to hold-off Southern Connecticut (46.0 points) for the top spot. Assumption was close behind in third place with 42.0 points. Stonehill women's basketball earned its maximum of 14 points as Northeast Division champions, while women's indoor track & field won the NE10 Championship to record 11 points.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
