William Penn Ties for First in Inaugural Commissioner’s Cup, Loses Tiebreaker
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–Two more sport crowns in the spring led the Statesmen athletics department to nearly capturing the overall league title as the final 2018-2019 Heart of America Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings were announced Friday.
WPU completed the inaugural competition tied for first out of 13 institutions with 51 points, tying Benedictine for the lead. Unfortunately, the tiebreaker went in favor of the Ravens. The tiebreaker was based on head-to-head regular-season finishes; both schools collected four firsts, two seconds, and one third, but BC broke the tie in fourth-place finishes with a 6-0 edge.
This is the inaugural year for the Commissioner’s Cup, which 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).
“What a great accomplishment for our University and the culture that has developed in our athletic department,” William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule said. “Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are all working toward a common goal of creating an uncommon experience for small college athletics. When we focus on the little things and developing people, winning will take care of itself.”
William Penn made massive moves throughout the school year, sitting in 10th after the fall and then improving to fourth after the winter.
Points are assigned based on conference standing at the conclusion of the regular season, while points for league sports without regular season standings are determined by the conference championship meet.
Eight points are given to the conference champion, seven to second place, six to third, etc., while three bonus points are awarded to the conference tournament champion. Also, when two or more teams have the same placing, conference postseason seeding will determine the tiebreaker.
“We are excited about this result, but even more excited for the future,” 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
