Bishops Win Third Straight All-Sports Title

THE BEST PARTIES end on a high note. So, it's fitting that the North Coast Athletic Conference's 25th anniversary year closes with a bang - an extraordinary tie for first place in the annual All-Sports standings. Denison and Ohio Wesleyan close out the 2008-09 season with matching 159.5 point totals to share this year's All-Sports championship. This is the first tie for the trophy in the conference's history.

Ohio Wesleyan entered the spring season in third place, one point behind Denison and a half-point behind Wittenberg. The Battling Bishops matched Denison's spring championship count with crowns in golf and men's and women's outdoor track & field to climb into first place. On the year, Ohio Wesleyan took home six championship trophies and also posted 10 top-five finishes on its way to its third straight, and ninth overall All-Sports trophy. The Bishops also won the All-Sports crown six straight times between the 1988-89 season and the 1993-94 campaign.

The All-Sports award 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, nine for a second, eight for a third, and so on. Men's and women's performances are combined, exemplifying the North Coast's commitment to equity and balance among programs. Wooster won three of the first four All-Sports championships, interrupted only by Denison in year two. Ohio Wesleyan followed with a six-year run leading to titles by Wooster (twice), Wittenberg (once), Denison (nine) and finally OWU the last two years.

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