ERAU Athletic Director John Phillips (left) and Commissioner Mark Pope (right)
Embry-Riddle Captures 2013-14 Commissioner’s Cup
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics program was recognized as the winner of the 2013-14 Sun Conference Commissioner’s Cup on Friday. Commissioner Mark Pope presented the trophy to ERAU Director of Athletics John Phillips at the spring meeting of the league’s Athletic Directors at Mystic Dunes.
Southeastern’s Drew Watson was also selected by his peers as the league’s Athletic Director of the Year at Friday’s meeting. Under Watson’s guidance, the Fire earned nine top-five finishes in conference completion, including winning the program’s first conference tournament title in baseball.
The Eagles won nine regular season conference titles to finish with an average of 11.11, capturing their 15th consecutive Commissioner’s Cup. Thomas was second with a score of 9.00, just ahead of third-place SCAD Savannah (8.85).
The Eagles won regular season titles in volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s cross country in the fall and earned a bonus point courtesy of the volleyball team’s conference tournament crown. In the spring, ERAU’s softball, baseball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track field teams also finished at the top of their respective regular season standings, with each tennis team winning a conference tournament crown to grab extra points.
After finishing sixth a year ago, Thomas vaulted to the No. 2 spot in 2013-14. The Night Hawks captured its first conference title in men’s golf and after finishing as league runner-up in men’s soccer, they earned a bonus point by winning the conference tournament. TU also posted top-five finishes is baseball (3rd), softball (3rd), women’s soccer (4th) and men’s basketball (5th).
SCAD won the league championship in women’s cross country and was also crowned league champion in women’s golf on the way to a national runner-up finish. The Bees were third in women’s tennis and men’s cross country and earned top-five finishes in men’s soccer (4th), men’s tennis (5th) and women’s track and field (5th).
Northwood won the regular season crown in women’s soccer and the tournament crown in men’s basketball and those titles helped the Seahawks to a fourth-place finish in the Commissioner’s Cup race with a score of 8.70. Northwood also placed second in women’s tennis and men’s golf, and placed third in men’s and women’s track and field and women’s golf.
South Carolina Beaufort averaged an 8.44 to finish in fifth place, just ahead of St. Thomas (8.18) and Southeastern (8.07). USCB garnered runner-up finishes in softball and women’s golf and was third in women’s cross country. St. Thomas won the regular season titles in both men’s and women’s basketball and captured the women’s soccer conference tournament crown. Southeastern’s scoring included runner-up finishes in volleyball and baseball, ties for second in men’s and women’s basketball, and a bonus point for winning the baseball conference tournament.
The Cup points are awarded in descending order to the 12 league members based on regular-season standings in the 15 conference sports; 12 for first place, 11 for second place, and so on. In addition, one bonus point each is awarded to the tournament champions of those sports with a regular season conference schedule. Total points are then divided by the number of sports sponsored by each institution to get the overall scores.
Since the league's inception in 1990, only five teams have captured the Commissioner's Cup, formerly known as the All-Sports Trophy. Former conference member Nova Southeastern took home the honor five times (1992-93, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99), while St. Thomas claimed the cup in 1993-94 and 1997-98. Webber International (1990-91) and Flagler (1991-92) each earned the award during the first two years of the conference when the league was known as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.