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KSC Captures Commissioner's Cup for 11th Time

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Keene State College continued to hold a firm grip on the Little East Commissioner’s Cup standings as the Owls won their unprecedented 11th consecutive trophy this afternoon when the conference office released the rankings for the 2010-11 academic year. Keene State captured six Little East championship titles and finished either first or second in the final regular season standings in nine of its 17 sponsored sports to average 7.931 points.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (6.709) edged Eastern Connecticut State University (6.690) for second place, while Western Connecticut State University finished in fourth (6.565).

“Keene State continues to set the pace for athletic excellence in the Little East Conference,” said Commissioner Jonathan C. Harper. “By winning the award every year the Commissioner’s Cup has been offered, the Owls solidify themselves as a regional and national power in Division III. I would also like to recognize UMass Dartmouth for its outstanding performance as the runner-up in this year’s standings.”

“Winning the Commissioner’s Cup is an outstanding achievement,” said KSC Director of Athletics John 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.”

Under the watchful eye of Ratliff, Keene State has raised the Commissioner’s Cup trophy in each of the 11 years it has been presented. The Owls were among the top three teams in the conference standings in 13 of their 17 (.765) sponsored sports to become the lone program to boast a seven-plus average in each season. Keene State was represented in nine NCAA Division III Championships and produced 16 All-Americans. The Owls also captured the program’s third-straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Softball Championship, second consecutive ECAC Division III Northeast Women’s Soccer Championship, and the program’s first ever ECAC Division III New England women’s volleyball title.

Keene State seized control of the cup standings in the fall by posting an insurmountable 8.878 average. The Owls placed among the top three in each of their six sports, including capturing three Little East championships (men’s cross country, women’s cross country, and men’s soccer). Keene State continued to widen the gap in the winter after earning the program’s fifth-straight women’s swimming and diving title. The Owls sealed the conference’s top athletic program award in the spring by becoming the first institution in Little East history to sweep the men’s and women’s lacrosse tournament titles.

The Corsairs earned the program’s highest finish in the 11-year history of the award, surpassing the previous high-water mark of third place in 2001 and 2002. UMass Dartmouth boasted an average of at least six points in each season, including a seasonal-best average of 6.979 in the spring. The Corsairs completed the conference standings in either first or second in five of their seven spring sports, including raising the men’s tennis tournament trophy. The field hockey team secured its second-straight Little East tournament title to join the men’s tennis team as the conference’s automatic qualifiers in their respective NCAA Division III tournaments. UMass Dartmouth was able to hold off the Warriors based in large part to the success of its cross country and track and field programs. The Corsairs finished second in three of the six championships, including earning runner up honors in men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

Eastern Connecticut is ranked among the conference’s top athletic programs for the sixth-straight season and marks the ninth time in the past 11 years in which the Warriors placed among the top three institutions. Eastern Connecticut earned seven top-two finishes in the final regular season standings, including winning four regular-season titles. The Warrior softball team captured the program’s lone Little East tournament championship, winning the title for the second-straight season. Head Coach Diana Pepin led Eastern Connecticut to the NCAA Division III Providence, R.I. Regional Championship and a berth into the national championship round where the Warriors placed fifth. The baseball and women’s lacrosse teams won their respective regular- season titles, but were upset in the conference championship round. Eastern Connecticut was the most successful program in the spring and used the 7.905 average to keep the charging Colonels at bay.

University of Southern Maine (5.934), Rhode Island College (5.688), University of Massachusetts Boston (4.5), and Plymouth State University (3.816) complete the eight-team Commissioner Cup standings, respectively.

The Commissioner’s Cup measures an institution’s overall performance in the 19 sports sponsored by the Little East Conference. For sports in which the conference conducts in-season play (baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball), point totals are determined by the order of finish in the final regular season standings with bonus points awarded to the champion of the ensuing postseason conference championship tournament. For sports that do not conduct in-season play (cross country, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and swimming and diving) points are awarded based on the order of finish in the conference championship meet.

The Little East Conference celebrated its Silver Anniversary during the 2010-11 academic year. The conference began sponsoring men’s and women’s basketball in 1986 as a six-member conference. The Little East has grown to its current eight-institution membership and sponsorship of 19 intercollegiate sports.

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229 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435