Dec. 2, 2010
ELMHURST, Ill. - Oakland has its largest lead ever after the fall season in The Summit League Commissioner's Cup standings with 40.5 points, seven ahead of North Dakota State's 33.5, announced by the league office on Thursday. The Golden Grizzlies won regular-season conference titles in women's cross country and women's soccer.
Oakland also holds the top spot for both the Dr. William Steinbrecher Men's All Sports Award and the Dr. Helen Smiley Women's All Sports Award.
"It has been one of the best fall seasons for Oakland since we joined The Summit League," said Director of Athletics Tracy Huth. "Our student-athletes have demonstrated that they understand what it takes to be successful in and out of the classroom and we hope to continue the fall excellence through the winter seasons."
South Dakota State comes in third place with 30.5 points, trailing NDSU by just 3.5 points. There is a tight race in the next six positions, as each team is separated by two points or less. IUPUI (27.0 points) is just two points ahead of Southern Utah (25.0), while UMKC (23.0) trails the Thunderbirds by two points as well. IPFW (22.0) and Oral Roberts (21.0) trail its competitors by just one point and Western Illinois (19.0) is just two behind the Golden Eagles. Centenary (7.0) rounds out the standings.
Oakland propelled to the top of all three standings by winning two of the five championships contested during the fall season claiming crowns in both women's cross country and women's soccer. The Golden Grizzlies also ranked second in men's cross country and third in both men's soccer and volleyball.
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 WIU's athletic program from 1994-2001.
COMMISSIONER'S CUP STANDINGS
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | Oakland | 40.5 |
| 2. | North Dakota State | 33.5 |
| 3. | South Dakota State | 30.0 |
| 4. | IUPUI | 27.0 |
| 5. | Southern Utah | 25.0 |
| 6. | UMKC | 23.0 |
| 7. | IPFW | 22.0 |
| 8. | Oral Roberts | 21.0 |
| 9. | Western Illinois | 19.0 |
| 10. | Centenary | 7.0 |
DR. WILLIAM STEINBRECHER MEN'S ALL SPORTS STANDINGS
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | Oakland | 13.5 |
| 2. | IUPUI | 13.0 |
| 3. | UMKC | 12.0 |
| 4. | South Dakota State | 10.0 |
| 5. | North Dakota State | 8.0 |
| 6. | Oral Roberts | 7.5 |
| 7. | Western Illinois | 7.0 |
| 8. | Southern Utah | 6.0 |
| 9. | Centenary | 3.0 |
| 10. | IPFW 3.0 |
DR. HELEN SMILEY WOMEN'S ALL SPORTS STANDINGS
| Place | School | Points |
| 1. | Oakland | 27.0 |
| 2. | North Dakota State | 25.5 |
| 3. | South Dakota State | 20.0 |
| 4. | IPFW | 19.0 |
| 5. | Southern Utah | 19.0 |
| 6. | IUPUI | 14.0 |
| 7. | Oral Roberts | 13.5 |
| 8. | Western Illinois | 12.0 |
| 9. | UMKC | 11.0 |
| 10. | Centenary | 4.0 |
-OAKLAND-
