(Peru, Neb.) – Benedictine College has claimed the first-ever Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) Commissioner's Cup after their overall performance though three sport season during 2018-19. The award will be formally presented at the Heart Conference Summit on July 29.
Benedictine and William Penn tied in the final standings, both accumulating 51 points, but the tie was broken based on head-to-head regular-season conference finishes. Both institutions earned four first-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and one third-place finish, but the Ravens broke the tie in fourth-place finishes at a 6-0 margin.
The Ravens earned a significant amount of points in the fall with top finishes in football, men's cross country, and women's soccer.
The Statesmen, who finished the fall standings in tenth place, made a comeback with a strong winter and spring showing. William Penn claimed top spots in women's basketball, women's bowling, women's golf, and baseball.
Central Methodist, who secured a regular-season title in men's soccer, claimed third place with 50 points. Rounding out the top five were Grand View with 49 points and Baker with 42 points.
Peru State gained points in three sports. The Bobcats earned ten points in men's basketball as they won the Heart postseason tournament. The baseball team earned three points while the women's golf team picked up two points for their total of 17 points.
2018-19 Final Standings
| 1 |
Benedictine* |
51 |
| 2 |
William Penn* |
51 |
| 3 |
Central Methodist |
50 |
| 4 |
Grand View |
49 |
| 5 |
Baker |
42 |
| 6 |
Clarke |
38 |
| 7 |
MidAmerica Nazarene |
36 |
| 8 |
Mount Mercy |
29 |
| 9 |
Missouri Valley |
26 |
| 10 |
Culver-Stockton |
21 |
| 11 |
Evangel |
20 |
| 12 |
Peru State |
17 |
| 13 |
Graceland |
16 |
*Indicates tie-breaker was used to determine finish in final standings
About the Commissioner's Cup
The award, which will be presented to one-member institution annually, will serve as a symbol of athletic excellence in conference-sponsored championships.
Schools are required to count point totals for the five sports that all members sponsor (women's volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and softball), along with their next three highest point totals from the remaining sports, regardless of gender.
The points system for scoring is as follows. Points are assigned based on conference standing at the conclusion of the regular season. Points for conference sports without regular season standings will be determined by the conference championship meet.
Points will be awarded on a decreasing scale with first place earning 8 points, second place earning 7 points, etc. Three bonus points will be awarded to the conference tournament champion. When two or more teams tie for final placing, the conference post-season seeding will determine the tiebreaker. In the event of a tie in the final standings, the tie break will be made with a head-to-head examination of regular-season finishes on a decreasing scale.
Conference sponsored sports for consideration include: M/W Cross Country, Football, M/W Soccer, M/W Volleyball, M/W Basketball, M/W Indoor Track & Field, M/W Bowling, Wrestling, Competitive Cheer, Competitive Dance, Baseball, Softball, M/W Golf, and M/W Outdoor Track & Field.
