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Eastern Repeats as LEC Commissioner's Cup Winner

Published on June 06, 2018

Eastern Repeats as LEC Commissioner's Cup Winner

The women’s cross country team captured its first-ever LEC title in fall 2017 and was a major contributor to Eastern winning the 2017-18 Commissioner’s Cup.

For the second straight year, Eastern Connecticut State University has claimed the Little East Conference (LEC) Commissioner's Cup, the league's top honor for overall institutional athletic performance among the LEC's eight primary member institutions in its 19 sponsored sports. The Warriors captured the 2017-18 Commissioner's Cup after accumulating a point average of 5.62 among their 17 programs that compete in the LEC.

"We are thrilled and honored to win the Commissioner's Cup again as the top performing school in our conference," said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. "Eastern's student-athletes work hard in the classroom to prepare themselves for rewarding professional careers, and they compete with the same commitment and enthusiasm on the playing field. For Eastern athletes to perform at a consistently high level across all varsity sports in the Conference is a tribute to them, their coaches and our Athletic Department staff. Well done Warriors!"

Lori Runksmeier, Eastern's athletics director, added, "We are very proud to receive the Commissioner's Cup for the second straight year. The LEC has proud athletic traditions and earning the Commissioner's Cup is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes and coaches."

Eastern's women's cross country team captured its first-ever LEC title in the fall, while the men's basketball team won the outright regular season title and the women's soccer team finished tied for first place in the final regular season standings. The Warriors recorded a second-place finish in five sports, all during the spring season-baseball, men's and women's lacrosse, softball, women's outdoor track & field-and finished third in field hockey, women's volleyball and women's swimming & diving.

"Congratulations to the Eastern Connecticut State University administration, coaches and student-athletes on earning back-to-back Commissioner's Cups," said LEC Commissioner Cora H. Brumley. "The Warriors exemplify the NCAA Division III philosophy by excelling both on and off the field of play and are continuing to usher in a new era of competitive parity across the LEC!"

Second place for the 2017-18 Commissioner's Cup was UMass Boston with a point average of 5.34, while 16-time LEC Commissioner's Cup winner Keene State College finished third with a point average of 5.18. Rounding out this year's Commissioner's Cup standings were the University of Southern Maine (fourth, 4.89 points), UMass Dartmouth (fifth, 4.71 points), Plymouth State University (sixth, 4.67 points), Western Connecticut State University (eighth, 4.31 points) and Rhode Island College (eighth, 4.26 points).

For sports in which the LEC conducts in-season play (baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball), points are determined by the ranked order of finish in the final regular season standings. For sports that do not conduct in-season play (cross country, swimming & diving, track & field), points are awarded based on the order of finish at the LEC championship meet.

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The Little East Conference (LEC) was formed in 1986 when six public institutions gathered to create a single sport athletic conference and has expanded into what is now New England's premier athletic conference for public institutions in NCAA Division III. The LEC features 19 Championship Sports and sponsors quality competition in every season for our student athletes while following the Division III mission of passion, responsibility, sportsmanship and citizenship.

Written by Bob Molta

Categories: Athletics