Somerset, NJ -- The Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup serves as a symbol of broad-based athletic excellence within the Northeast Conference (NEC). Sparked by a memorable spring that yielded six NEC championships, Bryant rocketed past the competition to the top of the standings and earned it’s first Cup. The Bulldogs also won their first-ever NEC Men’s Commissioner’s Cup, while Saint Francis U repeated as the Joan Martin Women’s Commissioner’s Cup winner.
The Bulldogs racked up 208.37 points over the course of the 2013-14 academic year, besting runner-up Saint Francis U (193.93 points) and third place Sacred Heart (192.03). Bryant`s amazing spring run netted NEC titles in baseball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s tennis. The six championships were the most in a single season in NEC history, surpassing the five won by UMBC (2000) and Monmouth (2007), and one shy of the calendar year mark shared by Fairleigh Dickinson (1991-92), UMBC (1999-00) and Monmouth (2006-07). The Bulldogs also finished in the top-three of the NEC regular season standings in eight of the ten round-robin sports the school offers.
On the men’s side, Bryant amassed 110.20 points to win by a comfortable margin over Central Connecticut (88.18) and Sacred Heart (87.98). The total was the second-highest in NEC history behind Monmouth’s 112.14 points during the 2006-07 season. The Bulldogs won four NEC titles on the men’s side and earned top-three regular season finishes in all five of their round-robin sports.
“We are grateful to the NEC for inviting us into their family six years ago,” said Bill Smith, Bryant Director of Athletics. “We are proud to have won the Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup in just our second year of Division I eligibility, and this reflects the hard work and dedication of our coaches and student-athletes.”
Saint Francis U netted the second-highest score in program history on the women’s side to win the Joan Martin Commissioner’s Cup for the second year in a row and third time in school annals. With 123.48 points, the Red Flash won by a wide margin over LIU Brooklyn (108.36) and Sacred Heart (104.05). Saint Francis U won the NEC women’s soccer and women’s bowling regular season and tournament titles, and finished second at the women’s golf championship.
“Our Red Flash Family is very proud of our female student-athletes for the great accomplishment of winning the Joan Martin Cup for a second consecutive year,” said Erika Renwick, Saint Francis U Deputy Director of Athletics. “The Department of Athletics would like to thank the entire University community for its continued valuable support of our women’s athletics program. We would like to recognize and extend our thanks for the support provided by the coaches, administration, faculty and staff at Saint Francis University. This honor is a great testament to the outstanding women in our athletics department who excel daily in the classroom, the community and the arena.”
Following Bryant (208.37 points), Saint Francis U (193.93) and Sacred Heart (192.03), Robert Morris (172.12) just edged out Central Connecticut (172.07) for fourth place in the Cup standings. LIU Brooklyn was sixth (162.38), followed by Wagner (144.37) and Fairleigh Dickinson (138.44). Mount St. Mary’s (128.26) and St. Francis Brooklyn (75.88) rounded out the pack.
“Congratulations to Bryant University for an historic spring season and its rise to the top of the Brenda Weare Commissioner Cup standings; winning six championships in a span of two months is an incredible feat!" said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "And congratulations to Saint Francis U for repeating as the Joan Martin Women’s Commissioner Cup winners. Their female student-athletes have certainly made it a habit of competing at the highest level in the NEC."
Weare, who passed away in June, 2009, made a lasting impact in her three years as Commissioner of the NEC. In that time, she introduced a number of new programs aimed at upgrading the caliber of the league’s championship sports and enhancing the opportunities and experiences for the more than 4,000 student-athletes that compete in the conference. In addition to securing Bryant as the NEC’s 12th full-time member, Weare was instrumental in the NEC gaining automatic access to the NCAA Division I Football Championship beginning in 2010, spearheading the conference’s Strategic Plan and implementing a new leaguewide sportsmanship policy. The Commissioner’s Cup was renamed in her honor in May, 2009.
Joan Martin played an integral part in Monmouth athletics for 33 years, serving as an Associate Athletics Director, Assistant Athletics Director, Senior Woman Administrator and Compliance Director, as well as a coach during her time in West Long Branch. Martin joined the Monmouth staff in as a coach in 1969 and continued until 1982, when she joined the athletic administration. Martin was the women’s basketball coach for 13 years, and mentored the softball (11 years) and field hockey (eight years) programs as well. Along with the NEC Women’s Commissioner Cup bearing her name, she was inducted into the Monmouth University Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
About the Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup
The NEC Commissioner’s Cup was instituted during the 1986-87 season with Long Island winning the inaugural award. Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson lead all NEC schools with seven and six Cups to their credit, respectively. 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, women’s bowling, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and baseball, the final regular season standings are used to determine Cup points. Starting with the 2012-13 season, the Conference began awarding three bonus points to the NEC Tournament champion in those sports. In all other sports, points are awarded based on the finish at NEC Championship events.
About the Northeast Conference
Now in its 33rd year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary’s, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.
2013-14 Brenda Weare Commissioner’s Cup • Final Sport-By-Sport Standings
|
Sport |
BRY |
CCSU |
FDU |
LIU
|
MSM |
RMU |
SHU
|
SFBK |
SFU |
WC |
|
M. Cross Country |
9.88 |
14.00 |
4.38 |
---- |
7.13 |
12.63 |
8.50 |
3.00 |
11.25 |
5.75 |
|
W. Cross Country |
12.63 |
7.13 |
4.38 |
---- |
11.25 |
9.88 |
14.00 |
3.00 |
8.50 |
5.75 |
|
Women's Soccer |
3.00 |
11.25 |
11.25 |
11.25 |
6.44 |
4.38 |
6.44 |
---- |
17.00 |
8.50 |
|
Men's Soccer |
11.65 |
14.00 |
6.93 |
6.93 |
---- |
3.79 |
3.79 |
12.29 |
11.65 |
---- |
|
Women's Volleyball |
4.57 |
12.43 |
4.57 |
17.00 |
---- |
9.29 |
10.86 |
4.57 |
7.71 |
---- |
|
Football |
8.50 |
3.92 |
---- |
---- |
---- |
8.50 |
13.09 |
---- |
8.50 |
3.92 |
|
Women's Swimming |
12.17 |
10.33 |
---- |
---- |
6.67 |
---- |
4.83 |
3.00 |
8.50 |
14.00 |
|
M. Indoor Track |
4.22 |
11.56 |
5.44 |
14.00 |
9.11 |
6.67 |
12.78 |
3.00 |
7.89 |
10.33 |
|
W. Indoor Track |
4.22 |
6.67 |
5.44 |
12.78 |
9.11 |
11.56 |
14.00 |
3.00 |
10.33 |
7.89 |
|
Women's Bowling |
---- |
---- |
13.09 |
7.59 |
---- |
---- |
7.59 |
4.83 |
16.09 |
---- |
|
Men's Basketball |
11.56 |
7.28 |
5.44 |
5.44 |
12.72 |
14.00 |
3.00 |
9.72 |
7.28 |
12.78 |
|
Women's Basketball |
10.95 |
4.22 |
3.00 |
4.22 |
12.78 |
17.00 |
7.89 |
9.11 |
10.95 |
6.67 |
|
Women's Golf |
---- |
4.57 |
10.86 |
14.00 |
---- |
7.71 |
9.29 |
3.00 |
12.43 |
6.14 |
|
Men's Tennis |
14.00 |
---- |
12.43 |
---- |
5.36 |
5.36 |
10.08 |
5.36 |
10.08 |
5.36 |
|
Women's Tennis |
10.57 |
---- |
14.00 |
12.63 |
6.44 |
6.44 |
6.44 |
3.00 |
10.57 |
6.44 |
|
Men's Golf |
14.00 |
11.25 |
12.63 |
8.50 |
---- |
9.88 |
5.75 |
3.00 |
7.13 |
4.38 |
|
Women's Lacrosse |
17.00 |
9.29 |
---- |
3.79 |
6.93 |
10.86 |
6.93 |
---- |
3.79 |
12.43 |
|
Men's Lacrosse |
15.17 |
---- |
---- |
---- |
4.83 |
6.67 |
10.33 |
---- |
---- |
3.00 |
|
M. Outdoor Track |
4.22 |
14.00 |
5.44 |
12.78 |
7.89 |
11.56 |
10.33 |
3.00 |
6.67 |
9.11 |
|
W. Outdoor Track |
6.06 |
6.06 |
4.22 |
14.00 |
10.33 |
11.56 |
12.78 |
3.00 |
9.11 |
7.89 |
|
Softball |
17.00 |
11.94 |
11.94 |
9.88 |
6.44 |
4.38 |
3.00 |
---- |
8.50 |
6.44 |
|
Baseball |
17.00 |
12.17 |
3.00 |
7.59 |
4.83 |
---- |
10.33 |
---- |
---- |
7.59 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
208.37 |
172.07 |
138.44 |
162.38 |
128.26 |
172.12 |
192.03 |
75.88 |
193.93 |
144.37 |
|
Men |
110.20 |
88.18 |
55.69 |
54.02 |
51.87 |
79.06 |
87.98 |
39.37 |
70.45 |
62.22 |
|
Women |
98.17 |
83.89 |
82.75 |
108.36 |
76.39 |
93.06 |
104.05 |
36.51 |
123.48 |
82.15 |
|
|
BRY |
CCSU |
FDU |
LIU
|
MSM |
RMU |
SHU
|
SFBK |
SFU |
WC |