Rock Hill, S.C.----For the 13th consecutive year, the Wingate University Bulldogs have won the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award, league officials announced Thursday. Wingate won in dramatic fashion this year, with a men's lacrosse regular season title on the final weekend of the season, along with favorable results down the stretch from softball and baseball, allowing the 'Dogs to prevail 1,531-1,521 over Lenoir-Rhyne, who is still looking for its first-ever Excellence Cup. Queens, who is also in search of a first title, finished in third, 87 points behind the Bulldogs. Carson-Newman, the only other current SAC school with multiple Excellence Cups, finished fourth, 369 points behind Wingate.

"Winning the Echols Athletic Excellence Cup is a highlight to our year," Wingate University vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston says. "There are many excellent athletic programs in the South Atlantic Conference. To finish on top is indeed an outstanding accomplishment. The thing that makes me most pleased is that the Echols Cup acknowledges the accomplishments of all of our teams who compete in the SAC. We were thrilled when we won our first one in 2007 and we continue to be excited with number thirteen. I am proud of the way our student-athletes represent Wingate University in competition, in the classroom and throughout the community."

The Bulldogs have 13 Excellence Cups all-time. Wingate's 13-year run is now the longest in league history by five years, eclipsing Elon's eight-year run from 1990-1997. The Bulldogs have won 13 Excellence Cups, while the other current 10 current SAC schools have combined to win five. The Bulldogs have won in dominant fashion over the past several years, including last year's 316.5-point victory. This year's victory marks the first time Wingate has been threatened since the 2009-10 season. The 'Dogs have broken the margin-of-victory record numerous times during the unprecedented run.

The Echols Athletic Excellence Award is presented annually to the member athletic department that earns the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the Conference's 20 sports. Regular season finish is used in the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball, while SAC Championship results are used for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field.

Wingate got things started with a solid fall, which saw the Bulldog volleyball team win its 12th regular season SAC title in 13 years. The Bulldogs would go on to win the SAC Tourney championship and NCAA Southeast Regional title. The Wingate football team finished second, then advanced to the second round of the NCAA play-offs. The men's cross country team and men's soccer teams added third and fourth place finishes, respectively.

The winter was highlighted by a second-place finish from the women's basketball team, who made a fourth straight appearance in the SAC championship game and earned a sixth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. Women's track and field picked up a third-place finish at the SAC Indoor championships, while men's track and field and men's basketball both finished fourth.

Wingate's strong spring was highlighted by regular season championships from men's tennis and men's lacrosse. The women's tennis team finished second while going on to win the tournament title, while the Bulldog softball team also finished second. The women's golf team finished third while the track and field teams added third and fourth place showings at the SAC outdoor meet. Women's lacrosse also notched a fourth-place finish.

2018-19 SAC Excellence Cup Standings

Rank	School	Total
1	Wingate	1,531
2	Lenoir-Rhyne	1,521
3	Queens	1,443.5
4	Carson-Newman	1,162
5	Tusculum	1,107.2
6	Lincoln Memorial	1,049.2
7	Anderson	1,001
8	Catawba	985.5
9	Newberry	770.66
10	Coker	629.5
11	Mars Hill	453.5

 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
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 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 106 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 115 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.