For Immediate Release
June 7, 2011
South Easton, Mass. – Stonehill College registered 177 points to win the Presidents' Cup for the second consecutive year, and the third time overall. It's the seventh consecutive year that the Skyhawks have finished in the top three. Stonehill's first Presidents' Cup came during the 2005-2006 school year.
The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the Northeast-10 Conference, and is awarded to the institution that compiles the most points based on the placement at the conclusion of the regular season of each of its programs which compete in league championships. Points for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's golf are awarded based on placement in respective conference championships.
"Congratulations to the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators at Stonehill College on their outstanding accomplishment of capturing the Presidents' Cup for the second straight year," said Northeast-10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "In a 16-team Conference as deep and competitive as the Northeast-10, the success necessary to earn this honor requires tremendous dedication and commitment from the entire campus community and all of Stonehill should share in the celebration of this accomplishment. Stonehill is clearly living up to the ideals of Division II by providing high-level athletics competition, and balancing that with notable academic achievements in the classroom."
Stonehill, which participates in 19 of the 23 total sports offered by the conference, was consistently successful in a number of their programs as men's basketball, field hockey, women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, and men's and women's cross country all finished in the top five in the conference during their respective seasons.
"This prestigious honor is a direct result of the collective contributions of our student-athletes and coaches to the rich tradition of athletic excellence at Stonehill," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Brendan Sullivan. "To earn this award for two consecutive years in the highly competitive Northeast-10 points to the ability, dedication, and most importantly, passion of our student-athletes and coaches. I stand in awe of their impressive achievements, and I would like to thank each of them for their continued commitment to the purple and white of Stonehill. Most importantly, I look forward to witnessing their next great academic and athletic accomplishments."
Bentley, which claimed the cup during the 2008-2009 campaign, finished second overall in the standings with 173 points. The Falcons tied for the best record in football, and won the regular season title in men's and women's basketball. Bentley's women's basketball team and men's tennis team each won NE-10 championships.
Southern Connecticut State University finished third with 161 points, moving up from fourth a year ago. Adelphi University finished in fourth with 154.5 points, and American International College finished fifth accumulating 149.5 points. The Yellow Jackets moved up from seventh to fifth this year, and had the largest jump in terms of total points, increasing 30.5 points from a total of 119 in 2009-2010.
The rest of the field includes, in order, The University of Massachusetts Lowell (141.5), Merrimack College (128.5), The College of Saint Rose (123.5), The University of New Haven (122), Le Moyne College (111), Southern New Hampshire University (108.5), Assumption College (98.5), Saint Anselm College (90), Franklin Pierce University (88), Saint Michael's College (79), and Pace University (71.5).
Other schools that saw notable gains from last year's total were Saint Rose (from 105.5 to 123.5), So. New Hampshire (96.5 to 108.5), and Saint Michael's (68.5 to 79).
2010-2011
Presidents' Cup Standings
1. Stonehill 177.0
2. Bentley 173.0
3. So. Connecticut 161.0
4. Adelphi 154.5
5. American Int'l 149.5
6. UMass Lowell 141.5
7. Merrimack 128.5
8. Saint Rose 123.5
9. New Haven 122.0
10. Le Moyne 111.0
11. So. New Hampshire 108.5
12. Assumption 98.5
13. Saint Anselm 90.0
14. Franklin Pierce 88.0
15. Saint Michael's 79.0
16. Pace 71.5
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