Bucknell University Athletics
Eight Patriot League Championships Lift Bucknell to 16th Presidents' Cup Title
5/24/2010 8:00:00 AM | General
May 24, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Propelled by a school-record-tying eight Patriot League championships in 2009-10, Bucknell has captured the Patriot League Presidents' Cup for the 16th time in the conference's 20-year history. Bucknell earned the league's all-sports title for the fifth straight year and for the 12th time in the last 13 years. The Bison also swept the overall, Men's and Women's Cups for the sixth time. Bucknell won the Women's Cup for the 13th straight year and 16th time overall, while it earned the Men's Cup for the seventh time.
Bucknell entered the spring season with an eight-point lead on second-place Lehigh and a 12-point cushion over third-place Navy in the overall points race, and the Bison made it a runaway by winning five spring championships.
In the overall Presidents' Cup standings, Bucknell finished with 123.75 total points, its second-highest total ever and the fourth-highest tally in league history. Navy moved up to second place with 108.5 points, followed by Lehigh (103), Army (98.25), Colgate (80), Lafayette (70), Holy Cross (67.25) and American (64.75).
The Bison men's teams accounted for 59.5 points, the second-highest men's total in program history. Lehigh was second in the Men's Cup standings with 52.5 points, with Navy third with 51.5. In the Women's Cup race, Bucknell's 64.25 points was 7.25 ahead of runner-up Navy.
The eight Patriot League championships equaled a program record previously achieved in 2005-06. The last school to produce more than eight was Army with 10 titles back in 1996-97. Army is the only program to earn more than eight championships in one academic year.
In the fall, Bucknell claimed Patriot League championships in women's cross country and men's soccer, and then in the winter season the Bison won the women's indoor track and field crown. That set the stage for an incredible spring season that was highlighted by championships in men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's rowing, softball, and just this past weekend, baseball.
Bucknell has now won 81 championships since the Patriot League's inception in 1990-91.
In addition to the eight Patriot League championships, Bucknell was consistently strong in each of the 23 league-sponsored sports. Adding to the terrific spring performance, the women's tennis team advanced to the league championship match and finished runner-up in the standings. Men's indoor track and field and both men's and women's swimming all turned in second-place finishes, while men's cross country placed third. The Bison field hockey program tied for first place in the regular-season standings, while men's basketball and women's soccer finished second in the regular season.
“The consistency of excellence required to win the Presidents' Cup for the 16th time in 20 years in the competitive Patriot League is a real tribute to the dedication, hard work and talent of our student-athletes across every sport," said Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell. "We congratulate all of them, and the coaches who have guided them to this level of success and further distinguished the great tradition of college athletics at Bucknell.”
Presidents' Cup points are awarded based on a team's performance in the regular-season and postseason Patriot League standings. In cross country, football, golf, swimming & diving, track & field and women's rowing, the points are awarded based on the final Patriot League Championship team standings. In team sports with postseason tournaments, such as basketball, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball, points are awarded based on the average finish in the league championship tournament and regular-season standings.
It should also be noted that Bucknell's four non-Patriot League sports also fared very well in 2009-10. The women's water polo program captured its first Southern Division championship this spring, giving Bucknell a total of nine league titles in all sports. To put it another way, one-third (9 of 27) of all Bison varsity programs captured league championships this past year.
Also, the Bison wrestling team finished fourth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, one of the nation's top affiliations, then went on to claim two All-Americans at the NCAA Championships. The women's golf team established new team and individual records this season as part of the competitive Big South Conference. And the men's water polo team finished third at the Eastern Championship, its best showing since 1993.
“It is a primary competitive goal at Bucknell to present each and every Bison student-athlete with an opportunity to contend for a conference championship, so to win nine league titles and capture our 16th Presidents' Cup in 2009-10 validates that we are succeeding in that mission,” said John Hardt, director of athletics and recreation. “It is particularly satisfying to achieve this level of success given the increasingly competitive stature of the Patriot League. To retain the Presidents' Cup title while continuing to be listed among the national leaders in scholar-athlete achievement is a reflection of the passionate work of everyone associated with Bucknell athletics.”
Even though commencement ceremonies took place over the weekend, there is still plenty of action left for Bison sports programs. The baseball team will find out its NCAA Tournament destination on May 31. The outdoor track and field teams will have six athletes competing at the NCAA Regional Championships beginning Thursday in Greensboro, N.C. And the women's rowing team will compete at the IRA Lightweight National Championships on June 4-5.
2009-10 Patriot League Presidents' Cup Final Standings:
Overall
1. Bucknell, 123.75
2. Navy, 108.5
3. Lehigh, 103
4. Army, 98.25
5. Colgate, 80
6. Lafayette, 70
7. Holy Cross, 67.25
8. American, 64.75
Men
1. Bucknell, 59.5
2. Lehigh, 52.5
3. Navy, 51.5
4. Army, 51
5. Lafayette, 44.25
6. Colgate, 29.5
7. Holy Cross, 28.75
American, 28.75
Women
1. Bucknell, 64.25
2. Navy, 57
3. Colgate, 50.5
Lehigh, 50.5
5. Army, 47.25
6. Holy Cross, 38.5
7. American, 36
8. Lafayette, 25.75
