Mountaineers and Bulldogs Hold Advantage Following Fall Season
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Appalachian State University’s men and Samford University’s women hold the early leads in the races for the Southern Conference’s respective all-sports trophies following the completion of the fall sports season.
The Mountaineers, winners of 29 Commissioner’s Cups overall, including 16 of the last 17 seasons, were conference champions in two of the three fall sports, football and cross country. The Mountaineers men’s soccer team finished in a three-way tie for fifth place to earn seven points, giving ASU 31 points overall.
In second place is Elon with 29 points. The Phoenix fifth or better in all three fall sports, including second in football and third in men’s soccer.
Furman is in third place in the race for the Commissioner’s Cup with 24 points while Wofford’s regular season and tournament championships in men’s soccer vaulted it to fourth place with 21.5 points.
UNC Greensboro (19 points), Davidson (18) and Chattanooga (17.5) fill the fifth through seventh spots, respectively, followed by College of Charleston (16), Georgia Southern (13.5), Samford (10), Western Carolina (10) and The Citadel (9.5).
In the race for the Germann Cup, the trophy presented to the top all-around women’s athletics program, Samford has a sizeable eight-point advantage on the nearest school. The Bulldogs earned 33.5 points with first-place finishes in cross country and volleyball (North Division) and a tie for second in women’s soccer. In its first season in the SoCon in 2008-09, Samford finished in third place in the final Germann Cup ledger, just two points behind winner College of Charleston.
There is a three-way tie for second place among College of Charleston, Elon and Furman, each of which has amassed 25.5 points. College of Charleston won the volleyball tournament and finished tied for second in women’s soccer while Furman won the South Division in volleyball and placed fourth in the league cross country meet. Elon’s top fall finishes were second at the cross country championship and a tied for fourth in women’s soccer.
Closely following the three teams in second are Appalachian State (24.5) in fifth, UNC Greensboro (24) in sixth and Davidson (23.5) in seventh. Western Carolina (13), Chattanooga (12), Georgia Southern (10), Wofford (10) and The Citadel (9.5) complete the standings.
The Commissioner’s and Germann Cups are awarded annually to the Southern Conference schools fielding the league’s best all-around men’s and women’s sports programs. Schools earn points based upon its regular season finish, with two bonus points going to the team that wins the conference tournament.
The Commissioner’s Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named after former SoCon Commissioner, Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women’s athletics to the league.
Appalachian State has won the Commissioner’s Cup 29 times since entering the SoCon in 1971, earning 16 of the last 17 trophies. Chattanooga won the award in 2004-05.
College of Charleston, the 2008-09 winner of the Germman Cup, is one of just four schools to ever win the trophy, joining Appalachian State, Furman and Chattanooga.
Commissioner’s Cup
(through fall men’s sports)
1. Appalachian State 31
2. Elon 29
3. Furman 24
4. Wofford 21.5
5. UNC Greensboro 19
6. Davidson 18
7. Chattanooga 17.5
8. College of Charleston 16
9. Georgia Southern 13.5
10t. Samford 10
10t. Western Carolina 10
12. The Citadel 9.5
Germann Cup
(through fall women’s sports)
1. Samford 33.5
2t. College of Charleston 25.5
2t. Elon 25.5
2t. Furman 25.5
5. Appalachian State 24.5
6. UNC Greensboro 24
7. Davidson 23.5
8. Western Carolina 13
9. Chattanooga 12
10t. Georgia Southern 10
10t. Wofford 10
12. The Citadel 5