UIC, Butler share James J. McCafferty Trophy as Horizon League All-Sports Champions

May 30, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Butler University and the University of Illinois at Chicago each received the James J. McCafferty Trophy, recognizing the schools as the All-Sports Champion of the Horizon League. The awards, presented Wednesday (May 30) at the League's Executive Council meeting in Lake Geneva, Wis., are given annually and honor McCafferty, who served as the League's first commissioner from 1979-80.

Both schools finished the 2006-07 academic year with 49 points, creating the first tie in League history. The closest previous margin in the all-sports tally came in 1999-2000, when UIC edged Butler and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by a single point (38-37) for its first (and only previous) McCafferty title.

Only previous League members University of Notre Dame and Oral Roberts University have won more McCafferty Trophy titles (seven each) than Butler's six.

UW-Milwaukee finished third in this year's McCafferty chase with 46 points, with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (32.5) edging Loyola University Chicago (32) and Wright State University (31) for fourth place. Cleveland State University (27.5), the University of Detroit Mercy (17.5) and Youngstown State University (13.5) rounded out the field.

BU's Bulldogs claimed four sport championships during the 2006-07 academic year. Butler won League tournament titles in men's and women's cross country, men's tennis and women's golf. The Bulldogs also shared the regular-season crown in men's basketball and finished second in women's basketball and women's tennis.

UIC's Flames claimed League titles in women's tennis and baseball, and took the regular-season crown in men's soccer while finishing second in men's cross country, men's outdoor track and field, and men's tennis. That multi-faceted pattern of success also gave UIC the Men's All-Sports Trophy, as the Flames' 28-point total was four better than runner-up Butler.

UW-Milwaukee---which had taken home the McCafferty Trophy in each of the last three years---earned the Women's All-Sports Trophy with 29 points, including League championships in volleyball and women's indoor and outdoor track and field. Butler finished second in the women's standings with 25 points, including titles in cross country and golf.

Seven of the League's nine member schools won at least one team championship in 2006-07, with UW-Milwaukee also sweeping the men's indoor and outdoor track and field titles, and Wright State taking top honors in men's basketball, men's swimming and diving, and softball. UW-Green Bay claimed the women's basketball and women's swimming and diving crowns, while Loyola swept the men's and women's soccer titles and Detroit won the men's golf championship.

A symbol of a successful broad-based athletic program, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to the member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points. Schools earn points based on their finish in all 19 championship sports the Horizon League sponsors. For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season and championship finishes. In the sports of men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's golf, and men's and women's tennis, points are based on performance in the League Championship.

2006-07 McCafferty Trophy Standings
School (Championships) - Points
Butler (4) - 49.0
UIC (2) - 49.0
UW-Milwaukee (5) - 46.0
UW-Green Bay (2) - 32.5
Loyola (2) - 32.0
Wright State (3) - 31.0
Cleveland State(0) - 27.5
Detroit (1) - 17.5
Youngstown State (0) - 13.5

2006-07 Men's Sports Totals
School (Championships) - Points
UIC (1) - 28.0
Butler (2) - 24.0
Wright State (2) - 21.0
UW-Milwaukee (2) - 17.0
UW-Green Bay (0) - 14.0
Cleveland State (0) - 13.0
Loyola (1) - 12.0
Detroit (1) - 8.0
Youngstown State (0) - 4.5

2006-07 Women's Sports Totals
School (Championships) - Points
UW-Milwaukee (3) - 29.0
Butler (2) - 25.0
UIC (1) - 21.0
Loyola (1) - 20.0
UW-Green Bay (2) - 18.5
Cleveland State (0) - 14.5
Detroit (0) - 10.5
Wright State (1) - 10.0
Youngstown State (0) - 9.0

2006-07 Horizon League Champions
Sport - Champion-*
Men's Soccer - Loyola
Women's Soccer - Loyola
Volleyball - UW-Milwaukee
Men's Cross Country - Butler
Women's Cross Country - Butler
Men's Basketball - Wright State
Women's Basketball - UW-Green Bay
Men's Swimming and Diving - Wright State
Women's Swimming and Diving - UW-Green Bay
Men's Indoor Track and Field - UW-Milwaukee
Women's Indoor Track and Field - UW-Milwaukee
Baseball - UIC
Softball - Wright State
Men's Tennis - Butler
Women's Tennis - UIC
Men's Golf - Detroit
Women's Golf - Butler
Men's Outdoor Track and Field - UW-Milwaukee
Women's Outdoor Track and Field - UW-Milwaukee
* -- post-season tournament champions

Year-by-Year McCafferty Trophy Standings
Year - School (Championships) - Points
1979-80 - Oral Roberts (4) - 29.0
1980-81 - Oral Roberts (4) - 36.0
1981-82 - Oral Roberts (4) - 39.5
1982-83 - Oral Roberts (2) - 43.5
1983-84 - Oral Roberts (4) - 46.0
1984-85 - Oral Roberts (3) - 55.0
1985-86 - Oral Roberts (3) - 46.0
1986-87 - Evansville (4) - 59.5
1987-88 - Evansville (5) - 64.5
1988-89 - Notre Dame (10) - 79.0
1989-90 - Notre Dame (10) - 76.5
1990-91 - Notre Dame (10) - 82.5
1991-92 - Notre Dame (7) - 68.0
1992-93 - Notre Dame (11) - 94.0
1993-94 - Notre Dame (13) - 101.0
1994-95 - Notre Dame (14) - 99.0
1995-96 - Northern Illinois (4) - 57.0
1996-97 - Butler (3) - 54.0
1997-98 - Butler (6) - 59.0
1998-99 - Butler (3) - 50.0
`99-2000 - UIC (3) - 38.0
2000-01 - UW-Milwaukee (7) - 53.0
2001-02 - Butler (4) - 53.0
2002-03 - Butler (3) - 47.5
2003-04 - UW-Milwaukee (3) - 48.0
2004-05 - UW-Milwaukee (4) - 49.0
2005-06 - UW-Milwaukee (7) - 53.0
2006-07 - Butler (4) - 49.0; UIC (2) - 49.0

All-Time McCafferty Trophy Championships by School:
Notre Dame 7, Oral Roberts 7, Butler 6, UW-Milwaukee 4, Evansville 2, UIC 2, Northern Illinois 1.

2005-06 McCafferty Trophy Standings
School (Championships) - Points
UW-Milwaukee (7) - 53.0
Butler (4) - 40.0
UIC (1) - 40.0
Loyola (1) - 29.5
Youngstown State (2) - 27.0
Cleveland State (2) - 26.0
Wright State (1) - 25.5
UW-Green Bay (1) - 22.5
Detroit(0) - 19.0