Milwaukee Leads McCafferty Trophy Standings Heading Into Spring Championships

INDIANAPOLIS – Milwaukee, on the strength of five championships in the fall and winter, enters the spring championship season in the lead for the 2013-14 McCafferty Trophy, given to the all-sports champion of the conference.

The Panthers, who have won the McCafferty Trophy six times in their history, hold a 9.5-point advantage over Horizon League newcomer Oakland with eight spring championships left to be contested.

UWM jumped out to an early lead in the standings after capturing fall championships in men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball. The Panthers added to their title collection in the winter by winning the men’s basketball championship and the men’s indoor track and field championship.

Oakland won its first two Horizon League Championships in February as the Golden Grizzlies won both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships hosted in Cleveland, Ohio. Oakland is in second place in the standings on the men’s side, while they rank third in the women’s race.

Boosted by its fall championship in women’s cross country and its winter championship in women’s indoor track and field, Youngstown State is just three points back of Oakland in third overall and sits in second in the women’s standings.

UIC (men’s soccer regular season champions) is just 5.0 points behind the Penguins in fourth overall, with Green Bay (men’s and women’s basketball regular season champions) trailing the Flames by just two points in fifth place.

Wright State sits in sixth place, with Detroit (men’s cross country champions) just one point behind in seventh, Cleveland State is in eighth, while Valparaiso rounds out the field.

Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference’s first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to a member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points, based on its finish in the League’s 19 championship sports.

For the sports of men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes.  For all other sports, points are based on performance in the League championships.

McCafferty Trophy Standings
1. Milwaukee 40
2. Oakland 30.5
3. Youngstown State 27.5
4. UIC 22.5
5. Green Bay 20.5
6. Wright State 18
7. Detroit 17
8. Cleveland State 14
9. Valparaiso 8

Men’s Sports Totals
1. Milwaukee 17
2. Oakland 15
3. UIC 12
4. Cleveland State 11
5. Youngstown State 10
6. Detroit 8
    Green Bay 8
    Wright State 8
9. Valparaiso 1

Women’s Sports Totals
1. Milwaukee 23
2. Youngstown State 17.5
3. Oakland 15.5
4. Green Bay 12.5
5. UIC 10.5
6. Wright State 10
7. Detroit 9
8. Valparaiso 7
9. Cleveland State 3