Post by griz on Jul 8, 2011 11:33:21 GMT -5
www.gogriz.com/genrel/070711aab.html
Montana wins second Presidents Cup
Behind second-place league finishes in both athletics and academics, the University of Montana won the 2010-11 Big Sky Conference Sterling Savings Bank Presidents Cup the league office announced Thursday. The Grizzlies also won the Presidents Cup in 2006-07.
Montana edged Montana State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, which finished second, third and fourth, for this year's Cup.
Now in its ninth year, the Presidents Cup reinforces the Big Sky Conference's dedication to both athletic and academic performance.
Overall athletic success is combined with team grade point averages, graduation rates and all-conference performers with grade point averages of at least 3.0 to determine the annual winner.
After not cracking the top three the first four years the Cup was awarded, Montana has finished in the top three the last five years, taking possession of the Cup in 2006-07 and 2010-11 and posting runner-up finishes in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Montana joins Weber State - the Wildcats have won four of the nine Cups - as the Big Sky's only multiple-time winners.
Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Montana State have each won one Cup.
"This is exciting news for our program and for everyone associated with The University of Montana," UM Director of Athletics Jim O'Day said.
"This is a departmental goal each year, so everyone in our intercollegiate athletics program should share in celebrating this great honor.
"It is a tremendous accomplishment and demonstrates a great balance between academic and athletic success.
"To win the Presidents Cup is a true team effort, from our talented and dedicated student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators, to the University's leaders at Main Hall, to the thousands of fans across Griz Nation."
Montana won just one of the Big Sky's 14 league titles in 2010-11 - women's cross country last October - but the Grizzlies had eight top-three finishes, and 10 of UM's sports finished in the top half of the conference standings.
Men's basketball and women's outdoor track and field had second-place finishes, men's tennis tied for second, women's indoor track and field and women's tennis finished third and football and volleyball tied for third.
Montana won its first Women's All-Sports Trophy in May. Seven of the Grizzlies eight distaff programs had top-half-of-the-conference finishes.
The Grizzlies balanced their athletic success with similar academic prowess.
Montana's teams had a combined grade point average of 3.13. Ten of its 14 programs had team GPAs of 3.0 or better for the academic year.
Thirty-one of the Grizzlies' all-conference performers in 2010-11 had a GPA of at least 3.0, and Montana had a graduation rate of 75 percent.
"We congratulate President Royce Engstrom, Director of Athletics Jim O'Day and all the staff, coaches and Grizzly student-athletes on winning the Sterling Savings Bank Presidents Cup," Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said.
"The Cup can't be won with just one or two programs achieving success on the field and in the classroom. It takes an entire program, and Montana displayed that all-around success this past year."
The 2010-11 academic year proved to be another banner one for the entire Big Sky Conference.
Seven of the nine schools had combined GPAs of 3.0 or better, and 85 of the 125 teams within the league posted a GPA of 3.0 or better.
Montana State's athletic teams finished with a combined GPA of 3.22, best in the league. Weber State was second at 3.209, Eastern Washington third at 3.207.
The Eastern Washington volleyball team and the Montana State men's cross country team tied for the top overall GPA. Both teams finished at 3.53.
A total of 236 athletes who earned first- or second-team all-conference honors finished with a GPA of at least 3.0.
Montana State and Sacramento State led the way with 34, followed by Northern Arizona with 33 and Montana with 31.
Montana wins second Presidents Cup
Behind second-place league finishes in both athletics and academics, the University of Montana won the 2010-11 Big Sky Conference Sterling Savings Bank Presidents Cup the league office announced Thursday. The Grizzlies also won the Presidents Cup in 2006-07.
Montana edged Montana State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, which finished second, third and fourth, for this year's Cup.
Now in its ninth year, the Presidents Cup reinforces the Big Sky Conference's dedication to both athletic and academic performance.
Overall athletic success is combined with team grade point averages, graduation rates and all-conference performers with grade point averages of at least 3.0 to determine the annual winner.
After not cracking the top three the first four years the Cup was awarded, Montana has finished in the top three the last five years, taking possession of the Cup in 2006-07 and 2010-11 and posting runner-up finishes in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Montana joins Weber State - the Wildcats have won four of the nine Cups - as the Big Sky's only multiple-time winners.
Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Montana State have each won one Cup.
"This is exciting news for our program and for everyone associated with The University of Montana," UM Director of Athletics Jim O'Day said.
"This is a departmental goal each year, so everyone in our intercollegiate athletics program should share in celebrating this great honor.
"It is a tremendous accomplishment and demonstrates a great balance between academic and athletic success.
"To win the Presidents Cup is a true team effort, from our talented and dedicated student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators, to the University's leaders at Main Hall, to the thousands of fans across Griz Nation."
Montana won just one of the Big Sky's 14 league titles in 2010-11 - women's cross country last October - but the Grizzlies had eight top-three finishes, and 10 of UM's sports finished in the top half of the conference standings.
Men's basketball and women's outdoor track and field had second-place finishes, men's tennis tied for second, women's indoor track and field and women's tennis finished third and football and volleyball tied for third.
Montana won its first Women's All-Sports Trophy in May. Seven of the Grizzlies eight distaff programs had top-half-of-the-conference finishes.
The Grizzlies balanced their athletic success with similar academic prowess.
Montana's teams had a combined grade point average of 3.13. Ten of its 14 programs had team GPAs of 3.0 or better for the academic year.
Thirty-one of the Grizzlies' all-conference performers in 2010-11 had a GPA of at least 3.0, and Montana had a graduation rate of 75 percent.
"We congratulate President Royce Engstrom, Director of Athletics Jim O'Day and all the staff, coaches and Grizzly student-athletes on winning the Sterling Savings Bank Presidents Cup," Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said.
"The Cup can't be won with just one or two programs achieving success on the field and in the classroom. It takes an entire program, and Montana displayed that all-around success this past year."
The 2010-11 academic year proved to be another banner one for the entire Big Sky Conference.
Seven of the nine schools had combined GPAs of 3.0 or better, and 85 of the 125 teams within the league posted a GPA of 3.0 or better.
Montana State's athletic teams finished with a combined GPA of 3.22, best in the league. Weber State was second at 3.209, Eastern Washington third at 3.207.
The Eastern Washington volleyball team and the Montana State men's cross country team tied for the top overall GPA. Both teams finished at 3.53.
A total of 236 athletes who earned first- or second-team all-conference honors finished with a GPA of at least 3.0.
Montana State and Sacramento State led the way with 34, followed by Northern Arizona with 33 and Montana with 31.