UM wins President's Cup

GrizinWashington · Post by **GrizinWashington** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:32 pm

Montana Wins Presidents Cup

The University of Montana has captured the 2006-07 Sterling Savings Bank Big Sky Conference Presidents Cup for the first time in the five-year history of the prestigious award.

It is the first major all-around league award for Montana, since 1970-71 when the Grizzlies claimed the Men’s All-Sports Trophy. Montana is the fourth different winner since the award was first given in 2002-03. Northern Arizona, the 2005-06 champion was second. Weber State, winners of the first two Presidents Cups, was third.

“It’s a real accomplishment for our entire university,’’ said Montana Athletics Director Jim O’Day. “It’s a credit to what our coaches, administrators and all of the people in main hall have been striving for for many years. It comes at a time when we are certainly appreciative of everything our fans and boosters have done for the program. They allow us to provide the best opportunity for our student-athletes to get a great education and excel on the playing fields.’’

The Sterling Savings Bank Presidents Cup is unique to collegiate athletics in that it reinforces the Big Sky’s dedication to the academic side of being a student-athlete. Team grade point averages, graduation rates and number of all-conference performers with a grade point average above 3.0 are used to determine the academic side.

Athletic points are determined by regular-season standings for football, soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis. Finish in the Big Sky Championships for men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and golf also determine points.

Montana excelled on the field and in the classroom. The Grizzlies averaged 10.5 points per sport, a close second to Northern Arizona (10.6). Montana captured the football championship, advancing to the national semifinals. The Lady Griz captured the women’s regular-season title with a 15-1 conference record, as Robin Selvig’s team went 27-2 during the regular season, gaining a top 25 national ranking. Montana’s women’s cross country team took second, and the soccer team tied for second. The men’s tennis team also took second.

Montana finished with a cumulative grade point average of 3.11. Thirty student-athletes who received All-Conference honors earned a GPA of at least 3.0. The UM women’s tennis team and the women’s cross country team tied for the best GPA at 3.39. The golf team was a close third with 3.35, followed by the women’s indoor and outdoor track teams, who both posted 3.42 GPAs. The volleyball team and the women’s basketball team posted 3.19 GPAs. The soccer team finished at 3.17.

“This award is shared with all across campus,’’ O’Day said. “We certainly appreciate all of the efforts that the deans and professors assist us with, and the other academic personnel assist us with to assure out student-athletes are successful.’’

It was another banner year for Big Sky student-athletes in the classroom. Of the 109 teams eligible for the Cup, 70 finished with an average GPA of at least 3.0. Six of the eight institutions compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Northern Colorado, which joined the league this past season, was not eligible for this year’s Cup. A total of 220 All-Conference performers posted a GPA of 3.0 or better. Northern Arizona’s women’s tennis team had the highest overall GPA at 3.59. NAU’s men’s tennis team was second at 3.53.

“We congratulate Montana, as well as all of our member institutions,’’ said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. “In five years, we’ve had four different winners. I think that speaks to the overall quality top to bottom in our league. We had to use a tiebreaker each of the last two years. It was extremely close again this year. We thank Sterling Savings Bank for its support, and once again congratulate Montana for a great year on the field and in the classroom.”

Prior to the inception of the Sterling Savings Bank President Cup, the Big Sky awarded a Combined All-Sports Trophy from 1988-2002. Weber State claimed the first two Presidents Cups. Montana State won the award in 2004-05, followed by Northern Arizona in 2005-06.

HelenaCat95 · Post by **HelenaCat95** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:04 pm

Congratulations.
Well-deserved.....And glad to see a MT school get it.

coachouert · Post by **coachouert** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:13 pm

HelenaCat95 wrote:Congratulations.
Well-deserved.....And glad to see a MT school get it.

Second that. Good job UM athletes!

GrizinWashington · Post by **GrizinWashington** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:01 am

Thanks guys!

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:08 am

Congrats to all the student athletes that made that happen for UM. That is the top athletic honor a school can get in my opinion ... Good to see it stay in Montana. LOTS AND LOTS OF HARD WORK!

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:43 am

Congratulations! It's a great honor to your student athletes.

gtapp · Post by **gtapp** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:51 am

Great Job! Lets keep that award in Montana (at MSU or UM) for the forseable future.

LTown Cat · Post by **LTown Cat** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:04 pm

Anyone know where MSU finished in the ranking this year?

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:07 pm

LTown Cat wrote:Anyone know where MSU finished in the ranking this year?

The article I read only listed the top three and MSU wasnt one of them.

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:20 pm

Eastcoastgriz wrote:
LTown Cat wrote:Anyone know where MSU finished in the ranking this year?
The article I read only listed the top three and MSU wasnt one of them.

All they ever mention is the top three. When MSU won in '05 UM wasn't one of them.

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:00 pm

GOKATS wrote:
Eastcoastgriz wrote:
LTown Cat wrote:Anyone know where MSU finished in the ranking this year?
The article I read only listed the top three and MSU wasnt one of them.
All they ever mention is the top three. When MSU won in '05 UM wasn't one of them.

Good for the Evil empire