OWU Ties for NCAC All-Sports Championship,
Third Straight Title for Battling Bishops

May 13, 2009

Ohio Wesleyan University and Denison University have tied for the 2008-09 North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophy championship, it was announced by the NCAC.

The all-sports title is the third in a row for Ohio Wesleyan, which won outright crowns in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Ohio Wesleyan compiled 70 points during the spring 2009 season, posting top-3 finishes in 5 of the 9 spring sports, including championships in golf, men's outdoor track & field, and women's outdoor track & field; and a second-place finish in men's lacrosse. The 70 points hiked Ohio Wesleyan's total to 159 1/2 for the 2008-09 academic year, helping the Battling Bishops move past Wittenberg and into the tie for the top spot in the standings.

During the 2008-09 academic year, Ohio Wesleyan won 6 NCAC championships, adding men's soccer and men's and women's indoor track & field to the 3 spring titles, and added 4 second-place finishes. The Bishops finished in the top 5 in 16 of the 22 sports in which the NCAC offers championships.

The All-Sports Trophy is given annually to the school that performs the best across the NCAC's 22 sports. Ten points are awarded for a first-place finish, 9 for a second, 8 for a third, and so on. Men's and women's performances are combined, exemplifying the NCAC's commitment to equity and balance among programs. Wooster won 3 of the first 4 all-sports championships, interrupted once by Denison. Ohio Wesleyan followed with a 6-year run leading to titles by Wooster (twice), Wittenberg (once), Denison (9), and Ohio Wesleyan (twice) before this year's tie, the first in NCAC history. This is Ohio Wesleyan's ninth all-sports championship.

Ohio Wesleyan leads the way with 118 team championships in the NCAC's 25 seasons of competition. Denison is next with 104 titles, followed by Allegheny (103), Kenyon (94), Wooster (68) and Wittenberg (62).

2008-09 All-Sports Standings