Patriot League Presidents' Cup Goes To Bucknell For 11th Time

May 11, 2004
Contact: Tom Byrnes
(610) 289-1957
Patriot League Presidents' Cup Goes To Bucknell For 11th Time Bison Tie Navy Atop The Men's Standings And Edge American In The Women's Standings
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Bucknell only won three championships during the 2003-04 academic year, but finished in the top half of the standings in 17 out of 22 championship sports to finish on top of the 2004 Presidents' Cup standings. It is the 11th time in the 14-year history of the Patriot League, and seven-straight years, that BU won the overall Presidents' Cup title.
In 22 championship sports, Bucknell compiled 115.00 points to beat Army (103.50), American (100.00), Lehigh (98.00), Navy (94.25), Colgate (83.50), Lafayette (64.75) and Holy Cross (43.25) for the title. Army, American and Lehigh all ranked as Bucknell's top three challengers for the third-straight year.
Bucknell's 115.00 points is a BU record, the third-highest overall point in League history and the highest total since Army won the 1994-95 crown with 124.00 points. It's also the largest margin of victory (11.50 points) since 1994-95, when Army topped BU by 20.50 points.
Navy, which increased its Patriot League participation from 12 sports in past years to 17 this season with the inclusion of men's and women's cross country, men's swimming & diving, men's outdoor track & field and men's lacrosse, boasted its highest point total since joining the League as a full member in the 1991-92 academic year.
Other highlights included American's first time achieving 100 points in three years as a member of the League, Lehigh's highest point total since the 1991-92 campaign (113.00) and Colgate's highest overall total since 1999-2000 (88.50).
Bucknell's three championships included both women's indoor and outdoor track & field crowns, as well as the women's swimming & diving title, to help the University compile a League-best 59.50 points in the women's standings. The Bison edged American (58.25) for their 10th women's Presidents' Cup, including seventh-consecutive crown. American won three fall-sport crowns (cross country, field hockey and volleyball) and added a women's tennis playoff title, a first-place regular-season finish in women's soccer and second-place finish in women's basketball to make a run at the title.
Army finished third in the women's standings with 48.75 points, followed closely by Colgate (46.75), Lehigh (45.25) and Navy (38.75). Colgate won two women's team titles this season (basketball and lacrosse) while Lehigh (softball) and Navy (soccer) each won one. The Raiders posted their best women's point total since winning the Women's Presidents' Cup Championship in 1996-97 (48.00 points).
BU's best performances on the men's side were a first-place finish in the men's soccer regular season and a second-place finish in men's swimming & diving. BU compiled 55.50 points in 11 men's sports to share the crown with Navy, which won three men's championships (swimming & diving, indoor track & field and lacrosse) and finished second two other times (cross country and outdoor track & field).
It is the first time Navy has ever finished first in a Presidents' Cup final standings. It's also the second time the Men's Presidents' Cup chase ended in a tie. Bucknell and Lehigh shared the award in 1998-99.
Army (54.75) and Lehigh (52.75) also challenged for the men's Presidents' Cup crown, followed by American (41.75), Colgate (36.75) and Lafayette (36.75). Army tied Navy for the most Patriot League men's team championships this year (baseball, golf, outdoor track & field). American captured the PL men's championship trophy twice (cross country, tennis) while Colgate (football), Lafayette (soccer) and Lehigh (basketball) all claimed one team crown.
Presidents' Cup points are awarded based on a team's performance in the regular-season and post-season. In cross country, football, golf, swimming & diving and track & field, the points are awarded on the final team standings. In team sports with post-season tournaments, such as basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball, points are awarded based on a combination of the League championship tournament and regular-season standings.
The Patriot League, an NCAA Division I athletics conference founded on the principle of admitting athletes who are academically representative of their class, is in its second decade of academic and athletic excellence. Participation in intercollegiate athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of the undergraduate experience. A successful Division I-AA football conference since 1986 and an all-sport conference since 1990, membership includes American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy, while six additional institutions hold associate membership. Patriot League member institutions are among the oldest and most prestigious in the nation, graduating alumni who are well prepared for life with the ability to make meaningful contributions to their community and society in general. In the most recent NCAA Graduation Rate Report of student-athletes, the Patriot League ranked FIRST among NCAA Division I conferences.
More information may be obtained by contacting Tom Byrnes (tbyrnes@patriotleague.com) at the Patriot League Office at (610) 289-1957 or the League website at www.patriotleague.com.

2003-04 Presidents' Cup Standings
(Final Standings Through 22 Championship Sports)
OVERALL STANDINGS MEN'S STANDINGS WOMEN'S STANDINGS
Institution Points Institution Points Institution Points
1. Bucknell (22) 115.00 1. Bucknell (11) 55.50 1. Bucknell (11) 59.50
2. Army (19) 103.50 (T) Navy (10) 55.50 2. American (10) 58.25
3. American 100.00 3. Army (10) 54.75 3. Army (9) 48.75
4. Lehigh (22) 98.00 4. Lehigh (11) 52.75 4. Colgate (11) 46.75
5. Navy (17) 94.25 5. American (8) 41.75 5. Lehigh (11) 45.25
6. Colgate (21) 83.50 6. Colgate (10) 36.75 6. Navy (7) 38.75
7. Lafayette (22) 64.75 (T) Lafayette (11) 36.75 7. Lafayette (11) 28.00
8. Holy Cross (20) 43.25 8. Holy Cross (10) 21.50 8. Holy Cross (10) 21.75 (#)-number of Patriot League sports
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