Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Publicly Receives Presidents' Cup, Honors Spring Patriot League Championship Teams
9/17/2009 8:00:00 AM | Bison Club
Sept. 17, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - At halftime of this past Saturday's football home opener at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium a special ceremony recognizing Bucknell's 15th Patriot League Presidents' Cup and three Bison spring sport championship teams took place.
Bucknell President Brian Mitchell, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt and associate athletic director and senior woman administrator Amanda Backus accepted the Presidents' Cup from Patriot League executive director for external relations Richard Wanninger, who was on hand for the celebration. The Presidents' Cup goes to the Patriot League all-sports champion and Bucknell has captured the prize 15 times in the 19-year existence of the league. Bucknell has earned four straight Cups, and 11 in the last 12 years.
In addition to the Presidents' Cup presentation, three Bison teams were honored on the field for their spring 2009 titles. The women's rowing, men's golf and women's outdoor track & field teams had representatives on the field to accept their trophies again. Each team received a hearty round of applause from the opening-night crowd.
The men's golf team won the Patriot League title and advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the third time in the last four years. They did so in come-from-behind fashion, overtaking both Navy and Army in the final round to win by five strokes. Andrew Cohen had a brilliant weekend at the tricky West Point Golf Course, winning the individual league title for the first time.
The Bison rowers won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Patriot League championship on the Cooper River last April. Stephen Kish's squad won every race in the event, including the varsity eight by more than four seconds over Navy. The V8 was named Boat of the Year for the fourth straight year, and Page Kannor had a seat in that boat in each of those four years. Kannor's achievement was recognized in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" column in the June 1 edition of the magazine.
The Bison women's track and field squad ran away with the outdoor championship, winning by nearly 70 points over second-place Navy. It was the eighth outdoor title in the last 10 years for the Bucknell women.
Saturday night was a success all around as the Bison football team claimed a 26-23 victory over Robert Morris. The defense posted five interceptions as the squad won its second straight home game, following a thrilling overtime victory against Fordham in the 2008 season finale.
