SOMERSET — For the second straight year and fourth time in the award’s history, Monmouth University is the winner of the Northeast Conference Commissioner’s Cup.
Monmouth also concluded the year as the men’s Cup champion, while St. Francis (Pennsylvania) claimed the women’s Cup award.
With 199.11 points, Monmouth outdistanced second-place St. Francis by nearly 13 points as the Red Flash recorded its fourth consecutive top-three Cup finish with 186.53 points. Quinnipiac (Connecticut), which has slowly climbed the chart since joining the league in 1998, came in third with 177.70 points in its best-ever finish in the Cup standings. Long Island University placed fourth (174.41 points), followed by Sacred Heart University (Con-necticut) (167.50) in fifth and Robert Morris University (Pennsylvania) (166.82) in sixth.
“We are excited to be recognized as the best overall program in the Northeast Conference,” Monmouth Director of Athletics Marilyn McNeil said.
Monmouth’s outstanding year included NEC titles in men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field.
The Hawks also earned a share of the NEC football crown, finished tied for first place in women’s lacrosse, and won the regular season men’s basketball championship.
Monmouth athletes won 69 All-Northeast Conference honors during the season, the highest total among the league’s 11 schools, followed by Long Island (55), Quinnipiac (52) and St. Francis (50).
Blake Hamilton and Katie Degen were named NEC Player of the Year in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse, and Anthony Campanile, Megan Nutter and Christian Keller were tabbed NEC Rookie of the Year for men’s golf, women’s lacrosse and men’s outdoor track and field, respectively. Ashley Huffman earned Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Field Athlete at the women’s indoor track and field championships, and Katina Alexander was named Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the women’s outdoor track and field championships. Alexis Hiering rounded out the MU individual honors, being tabbed NEC Defensive Player of the Year for women’s lacrosse
Among other feats, Monmouth coaches won five awards for Northeast Conference Coach of the Year in 2004-05. Track and field coach Joe Compagni earned the award for men’s indoor, women’s indoor and men’s outdoor. Men’s golf coach Dennis Shea and women’s golf coach Sheri McDonald were also recognized as the top mentors in their respective sports.
“This award pays tribute to the great effort all of our coaches and student-athletes have put forward this year,” McNeil said.
The NEC Commissioner’s Cup was instituted during the 1986-87 season, with Long Island winning the inaugural award. Fairleigh Dickinson leads all NEC schools with six Cups to its credit. Cup points are awarded in each NEC-sponsored sport. For men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, football, softball, field hockey, women’s lacrosse, and baseball, the final regular season standings are used to determine Cup points. In all other sports, points are awarded based on the finish at NEC Championship events.
2004-05 NEC Commissioner’s Cup
Overall Standings
1 Monmouth 199.11
2 St. Francis (Pa.) 186.53
3 Quinnipiac 177.70
4 Long Island 174.41
5 Sacred Heart 167.50
6 Robert Morris 166.82
7 Central Conn. St. 141.65
8. Mount St. Mary’s 140.54
9 Wagner 126.69
10 Fairleigh Dickinson 106.32
11 St. Francis (N.Y.) 80.95
2004-05 NEC Commissioner’s Cup
Men’s Standings
1 Monmouth 99.02
2 Quinnipiac 81.44
3 Robert Morris 79.30
4 Long Island 75.32
5 St. Francis (Pa.) 74.38
6 Mount St. Mary’s 65.04
7 Sacred Heart 63.21
8 Central Conn. St. 60.44
9 Fairleigh Dickinson 56.99
10 Wagner 49.03
11 St. Francis (N.Y.) 44.85
2004-05 NEC Commissioner’s Cup
Women’s Standings
1 St. Francis (Pa.) 112.15
2 Sacred Heart 104.29
3 Monmouth 100.09
4 Long Island 98.49
5 Quinnipiac 96.26
6 Robert Morris 87.52
7 Central Conn. St. 81.21
8 Wagner 77.66
9 Mount St. Mary’s 75.50
10 Fairleigh Dickinson 49.33
11 St. Francis (N.Y.) 36.10
NEC Commissioner’s Cup Champions
2004-05 Monmouth
2003-04 Monmouth
2002-03 University of Maryland –
Baltimore County (UMBC)
2001-02 UMBC
2000-01 UMBC
1999-00 UMBC
1998-99 UMBC
1997-98 Monmouth
1996-97 Mount St. Mary’s
1995-96 Mount St. Mary’s
1994-95 Mount St. Mary’s
1993-94 Fairleigh Dickinson
1992-93 Fairleigh Dickinson
1991-92 Fairleigh Dickinson
1990-91 Monmouth
1989-90 Fairleigh Dickinson
1988-89 Fairleigh Dickinson
1987-88 Fairleigh Dickinson
1986-87 Long Island