BLUE ASH, Ohio – For the third consecutive academic year, Cedarville University shelved the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Presidents’ Cup as 2015-16 officially came to a close.
Representatives from the institution were present to receive the trophy on Monday night at the Cooper Creek Banquet Center to help celebrate the league’s accomplishments.
The 2016 G-MAC Spring Awards Banquet also recognized the G-MAC Faculty Mentor of the Year and the second annual G-MAC Male and Female Collegiate Achievement Award Winners.
Throughout the 2015-16 academic year, Alderson Broaddus University, Cedarville University, Davis & Elkins College, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Ohio Valley University, Salem International University, Trevecca Nazarene University and Ursuline College, have battled through competition to earn points through their performances at the league championships for the Presidents’ Cup standings.
The Presidents’ Cup is annually awarded to the college that has the highest percentage score for sports sponsored within the conference. For the third consecutive year, Cedarville will officially take home the prestigious honor this evening.
The Yellow Jackets secured a total of nine G-MAC Championships, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, both indoor and outdoor track and field and a share of men’s tennis.
The Yellow Jackets qualified for a number of team automatic berths in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional including men’s soccer and women’s soccer.
Sophomore Carsyn Koch was crowned the NCAA indoor champion in the 800-meter dash and set a new Division II record in the event. Senior Benjamin Tuttle landed NCAA DII All-American honors in cross country with a 16th-place finish at the national meet.
Trevecca Nazarene was runner-up in the standings after winning softball, golf (men’s and women’s) and volleyball team titles; the Trojans were also runner-ups in men’s basketball and baseball. Ursuline won the inaugural women’s lacrosse title and collected its first women’s basketball trophy.
Other individual honors coming for Cedarville in 2015-16 included G-MAC Track & Field (I/O)/Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year Jeff Bolender, G-MAC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year Benjamin Tuttle, Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year Connor Gilmour, Volleyball co-Player of the Year Abby Shelton, Women’s Tennis Player of the Year Lauren Jackson, Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year Alan Edlund, Indoor/Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year Jonathan Scouten and Volleyball Freshman of the Year Taylor Wilkerson.
With automatic qualifiying bids at stake in current G-MAC Championship sport offerings and the addition of Malone University to the league, competition will continue to be close for the 2016-17 Presidents’ Cup.