Excellence Cup History

Rock Hill, S.C.----For the eighth consecutive year, Wingate University is the winner of the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award, which annually recognizes the athletic department with the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the conference's 18 sports. Wingate piled up a record-breaking 184 points in the 2013-14 year, winning by an incredible 44 points. It is the highest margin of victory ever, shattering Wingate's record from 2010-11, when the Bulldogs won by 29 points.

The eighth consecutive victory ties a record set by Elon, which lasted from 1989-97. In Wingate's eight-year run, the Bulldogs have accumulated 200.5 points more than the next closest school. Wingate has won by 20 or more points in each of the past four years, starting with the previous record 29-point win in 2010-11. The Bulldogs won by 20.5 in 2011-12, while winning by 20 last year. Before Wingate's 29-point win, the highest margin of victory was 12.5 set by Elon in 1996-97. The Bulldogs now have more Excellence Cup Awards (eight) than the other 11 current conference schools combined (five).

"It is an honor to receive the SAC Echols Excellence Cup once again," Wingate University president Dr. Jerry McGee says. "We have been blessed by the skills of gifted scholar-athletes and the dedication of an exceptional group of coaches. We are grateful to everyone associated with our athletic program."
 
"By any measure, this year has been one of the most successful years in the history of Bulldog athletics," Wingate vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston says. "Our 14 conference championships and this prestigious award are a credit to outstanding young people led by coaches who are committed to success both on and off the field of play."

Excellence Cup points are based on final regular season standings in all conference sports except men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, women's golf, men's track & field and women's track & field, where tournament standings are used. The trophy is presented at the SAC Annual Business Meeting at the conclusion of each academic year. The trophy is named in honor of former SAC Commissioner Doug Echols.

Wingate got off to a quick start, winning conference titles in volleyball and women's cross country in the fall. Both teams would also go on to win regional championships. The women's soccer team finished second in the regular season, then went on to win the Food Lion SAC tournament and the NCAA regional title, advancing to the Elite Eight. The men's soccer team was also second, while the football team finished in a tie for fourth.

The Wingate women's basketball team won the regular season SAC title in the winter, giving the Bulldogs a 6.5 point lead heading to the spring season. The Bulldogs piled up spring championships in men's tennis, women's tennis, women's golf, baseball and men's track & field. The men's golf team and women's track & field teams finished second, while the softball team finished third. 
 
"Our student-athletes and coaches are committed to success on the field, in the classroom and in service to the community," Poston says. "Our athletic department receives incredible support from our administration, faculty, staff and students. We are honored to share this award with them."
 
Lenoir-Rhyne finished second with 140 points, two points ahead of third-place Queens. Carson-Newman was fourth, followed by Anderson and LMU. Wingate put up more points in the spring sports (105.5) than seven schools collected during the entire 2013-14 year.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, ranked as the 8th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past seven years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000's with 59 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 57 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 68 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)

2013-14 SAC Athletic Excellence Cup Final Standings
1 Wingate                 184        
2 Lenoir-Rhyne            140
3 Queens                  138
4 Carson-Newman           112
5 Anderson                111.5
6 LMU                     105
7 Mars Hill               102.5
8 Tusculum                101.5
9 Newberry                99
10 Catawba                95.5
11 Brevard                75.5
12Coker                   72.5

SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award Standings (since 2006)
1 Wingate                 869
2 Carson-Newman           668.5
3 Tusculum                656
4 Lenoir-Rhyne            653
5 Catawba                 594
6 Newberry                581
7 Lincoln Memorial        546
8 Mars Hill               528.5
9 Anderson                346.5
10 Brevard                243
11 Queens                 138
12 Coker                  72.5