Keene State College Raises Commissioner's Cup for 9th Straight Season
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass., (6/10/09) - Keene State College learned it had won its unprecedented ninth-straight Little East Commissioner’s Cup after the conference office released the final standings for the 2008-09 athletic season. The Owls averaged 6.552 points to win the trophy in each of the nine years it has been awarded. Eastern Connecticut State University finished second for the fourth-consecutive campaign (5.897).
“I would like to once again congratulate Keene State College on continuing its run on Little East Commissioner’s Cup trophies,” said Commissioner Jonathan C. Harper. “It is remarkable, in a league so balanced and steeped in tradition, that one institution can claim the conference’s top overall honor nine years running. I congratulate President Dr. Helen Giles-Gee, Director of Athletics John Ratliff, his administrative staff, coaches, and - most importantly - the student-athletes for their commitment to the program as an integral part of their overall academic experience.”
“Winning the Commissioner’s Cup is an outstanding achievement,” said Ratliff. “The program’s ability to sustain this high level of accomplishment over an extended period is a tribute to our coaches and student athletes.”
Keene State consistently finished in the top tier of the final regular-season standings in 14 of the 17 (.824) championship sports they competed in. The Owls used a sensational fall season to take command of the eight-team standings, winning four of the six championships to average 7.317 points. Keene State captured the conference tournament crown in field hockey and volleyball, while also winning the men’s and women’s cross country championships. The Owls continued to pad their lead in the winter by finishing in the top-three of the regular-season standings in four of five sponsored sports, including winning the women’s swimming and diving championship. Keene State captured the program’s first women’s lacrosse championship in the spring and finished second in men’s lacrosse, men’s outdoor track and field, and softball.
The Warriors used the highest seasonal average (spring, 7.333) to make a late charge in the Commissioner’s Cup standings, but were unable to catch the Owls for the sixth time in the trophy’s history. Eastern Connecticut finished in the top three of the regular-season standings in 10 of the 17 sports they competed in. The Warriors captured each of their two conference championships in the spring, raising the Little East trophy in baseball and men’s lacrosse. Eastern Connecticut won at least a share of the regular-season championships in women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and women’s lacrosse to fend off a late charge from the University of Southern Maine.
The Huskies won six Little East championships during the 2008-09 academic season, while also winning the regular-season title in baseball and men’s soccer, to average 5.357 points. University of Southern Maine captured all four of the track and field championships, in addition to its 19th women’s basketball tournament championship. The Huskies have finished in the top three of the Commissioner’s Cup standings six times in the past nine years.
