Stories of the Decade: #3

Oskaloosa–Producing enough points to tie as the best overall athletic department in the league is #3 on the Stories of the 2010s top-10 list.

William Penn ended the inaugural Heart of America Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup competition in 2018-2019 in a tie for first place with 51 points. The Statesmen eventually lost the fourth tiebreaker (fourth-place finishes) to Benedictine.

The Cup is an all-sports award that further recognizes the achievements of its student-athletes and member institutions. The navy and gold gathered regular-season titles in women’s basketball (tournament as well), women’s bowling, women’s golf, and baseball.

Schools are required to count point totals for the five sports that all members sponsor (women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, and softball), along with their next three highest point totals from the remaining sports, regardless of gender.

The Statesmen also collected high points for men’s golf (second), men’s bowling (second), and men’s basketball (third). William Penn made massive moves throughout the school year, sitting in 10th after the fall and then improving to fourth after the winter.

“We are excited about this result, but even more excited for the future,” Athletics Director Nik Rule said. “We are seeing a lot of positive trends with all of our teams. We are in a great spot and are continuing to develop an athletic department of the future.”

2018-2019 Heart Commissioner’s Cup Standings (FINAL)
1. Benedictine–51
1. William Penn–51
3. Central Methodist–50
4. Grand View–49
5. Baker–42
6. Clarke–38
7. MidAmerica Nazarene–36
8. Mount Mercy–29
9. Missouri Valley–26
10. Culver-Stockton–21
11. Evangel–20
12. Peru State–17
13. Graceland—16