Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
ST. LOUIS -- On the strength of four Missouri Valley Conference Championships as well as five second place finishes, the Indiana State Sycamores achieved a school record by earning second place in the 2013-14 MVC All Sports Trophy race.
The four MVC Championships by Sycamore programs in 2012-13 are a school record and are the most by any league school behind trophy winner Wichita State. The Sycamores aggregate score of 3.538 was the best-ever for Indiana State in the All Sports Trophy point standings. Indiana State enjoyed its highest finish in the league's all-sports trophy race, matching a school record second place showing in 1999-00.
"Everyone knows when the Sycamores are in town, we are there to win," ISU Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman said. "This has been an outstanding year overall for Sycamore Athletics. I am very proud of our student-athletes, coaching staff and administrative team for their outstanding efforts to represent Indiana State in a very positive way showing high levels of sportsmanship and quality of play. We have a University administration who understands the value of a quality intercollegiate athletics program in a quality university like ours. It has truly been a team effort. Indiana State and Sycamore Athletics will always strive to be the best."
The Sycamores captured league championships in women's basketball, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field as well as men's outdoor track and field. Indiana State was second in baseball, men's basketball, women's golf, women's soccer and women's outdoor track and field.
Wichita State took home their 20th all-sports trophy race with a MVC record score of 2.133. Indiana State was second with a school record mark of 3.538. Illinois State was third with a score of 3.971 while Southern Illinois captured fourth (4.031) and Northern Iowa was fifth (4.900). Only the Top 5 institutions are released annually by the league office.
The All-Sports Trophy is based on a school's average finish in each of the sponsored championships by the Missouri Valley Conference. Teams are awarded one point for first, two for second, three for third, etc., and the total accumulated points are divided by the number of sports in which a particular school competes. Finishes in baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball are based on regular-season competition. All other sports are determined by finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.
Indiana State's second place finish continues a strong upward trend for the athletic program. After a five year absence from the Top 5, the Sycamores returned in 2011-12 with a fifth place showing and earned three league championships which ranked third in the league. ISU earned a fourth place finish with three MVC championships in 2012-13 for its best showing since 2004-05. This year's second place finish with four league championships is a school record.
Three Sycamore programs now move onto the NCAA Championships with baseball playing on the nation's biggest stage in the NCAA Division I Championship Regional at Bloomington, Ind., from May 30-June 2. The baseball team opens play as a No. 2 seed against No. 3 Stanford on Friday, May 30 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) in a contest that will be televised worldwide on ESPN3.
The men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will send 19 combined athletes to Jacksonville, Fla., for the NCAA East Regional Track & Field Championship which will be held from May 29-31.
