ELMHURST, Ill. − With the winter season of the 2007-08 academic year in the books, Oakland remains in the lead in the race for The Summit League Commissioner???s Cup with 60.0 points. However, new member South Dakota State is close behind the Golden Grizzlies with 56.0 points. In the race for the Dr. William Steinbrecher Men???s All Sports Award, Oakland holds the top spot, while in the Dr. Helen Smiley Women???s All Sports Award, the Jackrabbits are in first place.
The Commissioner???s Cup is given annually to the member institution that collects the most combined points in relationship to placement in league-sponsored sports between its men???s and women???s athletic programs, while the All Sports Awards are given to the institutions that accumulate the most points in men???s sports and women???s sports.
The men???s award is named for former Valparaiso Director of Athletics Dr. William Steinbrecher, who guided the Crusaders from 1979-2004, while the women???s award is named for former Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Helen Smiley, who headed up WIU???s athletic program from 1994-2001.
Oakland beat South Dakota State for the top spot by four points after two seasons and has a three-point margin over Oral Roberts in the men???s standings. South Dakota State has a sizeable 9.5-point margin over North Dakota State in the women???s standings.
Oakland finished in the top three in four of the six Summit League Championship sports contested in the winter, including team championships in men???s and women???s swimming and diving. The Golden Grizzlies also tied for second place in women???s basketball and had a third-place finish in men???s basketball.
South Dakota State sits atop the women???s standings and in second place in the Commissioner???s Cup rankings thanks to finishing first in women???s basketball, second in women???s indoor track and field and third in women???s swimming and diving.
Oral Roberts and Western Illinois are tied for third in the Commissioner???s Cup standings. The Golden Eagles finished first in men???s basketball, second in men???s indoor track and field and third in women???s indoor track and field. Western Illinois was second in women???s swimming and diving, and third in both men???s swimming and diving and men???s indoor track and field.
Oral Roberts won last year???s Commissioner???s Cup, the Dr. William Steinbrecher Men???s All Sports Award and the Dr. Helen Smiley Women???s All Sports Award.
Commissioner???s Cup Standings
School Points 1. Oakland 60.0 2. South Dakota State 56.0 T-3. Oral Roberts 54.5 T-3. Western Illinois 54.5 5. North Dakota State 52.5 6. Southern Utah 43.0 7. IUPUI 42.0 8. IPFW 34.5 9. UMKC 20.0 10. Centenary 15.0 Dr. William Steinbrecher Men???s All Sports Award Standings School Points 1. Oakland 30.0 2. Oral Roberts 27.0 3. IUPUI 25.0 4. Western Illinois 20.0 5. Southern Utah 19.5 6. North Dakota State 18.0 T-7. UMKC 12.0 T-7. South Dakota State 12.0 9. Centenary 9.0 10. IPFW 8.5 Dr. Helen Smiley Women???s All Sports Award Standings School Points 1. South Dakota State 44.0 T-2. North Dakota State 34.5 T-2. Western Illinois 34.5 4. Oakland 30.0 5. Oral Roberts 27.5 6. IPFW 26.0 7. Southern Utah 23.5 8. IUPUI 17.0 9. UMKC 8.0 10. Centenary 6.0
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