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| ASU wins 13th straight Commissioner’s
Cup |
by
James Nix
Editor-in-Chief |
For 12 straight years, Appalachian
State University’s men’s athletic programs
won the Commissioner’s Cup.
With conference championships in cross country, indoor
track, outdoor track, wrestling and basketball, this
year was no different.
Appalachian has won the Commissioner’s Cup, which
is awarded annually to the Southern Conference school
with the best all-around men’s sports program,
24 times since the cup’s 1970 inauguration.
Appalachian won the cup with a total score of 96 points
out of a 120. East Tennessee State University and
Furman University tied for second with 67 points each.
“To win the all-sports is a testament of our
student athletes, our coaches and their commitment
to success,” said Roachel Laney, athletic director
for ASU. “It’s about winning championships
across the board, not just in a certain sport, but
many sports.”
Since Appalachian joined the SoCon in 1971, the Mountaineers
have won 72 conference championships in men’s
sports, more than any other school in the conference’s
history.
In that time, Appalachian’s regional rival, Western
Carolina University has won only 11.
“To me, that says a lot about the overall strength
of our programs,” he said.
Appalachian football’s strong presence in the
conference helped the Mountaineer’s win the cup
again. Football’s 6-2 conference record and a
second place finish earned ASU 10 points from a 12-point
scale towards the cup.
“I’m always glad football is a part of that,”
football head coach Jerry Moore said.
This season marked Moore’s 111th win, making
him the winningest coach in the conference.
The men’s basketball team’s turnaround season
also earned the university 10 points towards the cup.
The team finished 11-5 in the conference and tied
for first place in the North Division.
“Not only have we done well in football and basketball,
our Olympic sports have been competitive,” Laney
said.
The biggest contributors to the Commissioner’s
Cup have been Appalachian’s running sports. The
men’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track
teams won the triple crown, all three conference championships,
for the second consecutive season.
Wrestling was undefeated in the conference this season
and senior Mark Fee was the first Mountaineer to be
named All-American for the second straight year.
“If you look at the order of finish in all of
our sports, its just that we have good coaches and
good student athletes and a university that attracts
quality people,” Laney said.
Appalachian’s women’s sports finished fifth
for the Germann Cup, the award for the best all-around
women’s sports program.
Laney said the two premier women’s sports in
the SoCon, volleyball and basketball, have struggled
the last several seasons, but he feels the programs
will improve.
In women’s sports, Appalachian has won 31 conference
championships. Only Furman University holds more,
with 33 championships. |
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For an up to date sports calendar below!
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