Wingate Claims Eighth-Straight SAC Echols Award
With the completion of SAC spring sport regular seasons, Wingate has officially clinched the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the eighth-consecutive year.
ROCK HILL, S.C. – With the completion of SAC spring sport regular seasons, Wingate has officially clinched the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the eighth-consecutive year.
The SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award is named after former commissioner Doug Echols. Cumulative points are calculated based on final regular-season standings in men's and women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, softball and baseball, while SAC Championship results are used in men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, and men's and women's track and field.
Wingate won or shared SAC regular-season titles in 2013-14 in volleyball, women's basketball, men's tennis, women's tennis and baseball, and captured SAC Tournament titles in women's cross country, men's track and field, and women's golf. WU finished with 184 points in the final Echols Award standings.
Lenoir-Rhyne placed second in the standings with 140 points after the Bears won SAC titles in women's soccer, football, women's basketball, men's lacrosse and softball. SAC-newcomer Queens, meanwhile, finished third with 138 points with league championships in men's soccer, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse, and a conference tournament title in women's track and field.
Carson-Newman placed fourth in the standings with 112 points, followed by No. 5 Anderson with 111.5, No. 6 Lincoln Memorial with 105, No. 7 Mars Hill with 102.5 and No. 8 Tusculum with 101.5. Carson-Newman won the SAC men's golf title, Anderson earned a share of the conference's softball championship, LMU won the men's basketball title and Mars Hill claimed the league's men's cross country championship.
Completing the Echols Award standings are No. 9 Newberry with 99 points, No. 10 Catawba with 95.5, No. 11 Brevard with 75.5 and No. 12 Coker with 72.5. Catawba was the conference's co-champion in baseball this season.
The 2013-14 SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award will officially be presented to Wingate at the league's annual Hall of Fame banquet on June 5 in Asheville, N.C.
2013-14 SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award Standings (Final)
1. Wingate (184)
2. Lenoir-Rhyne (140)
3. Queens (138)
4. Carson-Newman (112)
5. Anderson (111.5)
6. Lincoln Memorial (105)
7. Mars Hill (102.5)
8. Tusculum (101.5)
9. Newberry (99)
10. Catawba (95.5)
11. Brevard (75.5)
12. Coker (72.5)