May 24, 2010
ST. LOUIS -
For the second time in three seasons, the Illinois State Athletics Department captured the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy. The Redbirds claimed five Valley championships during the 2009-10 seasons and finished fifth or better in 16 of their 17 sports. Illinois State earned regular-season league titles in women's soccer, women's golf, women's basketball, baseball and men's tennis.
"This award symbolizes all the hard work that is put in daily by members of the entire athletics department and the campus leadership, as well as the support from the Redbird community," Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger said. "I'm extremely proud of our student-athletes and our coaches for bringing the Valley's All-Sports Trophy back to the Illinois State campus."
The Valley All-Sports Trophy is based on a school's average finish in each of the sponsored championships by the Missouri Valley Conference. Teams are awarded one point for finishing in first place, two for second, three for third, etc., and the total accumulated points are divided by the number of sports in which a particular school competes. Finishes in baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball are based on regular-season competition. All other sports are determined by the place of finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.
Illinois State's all-sports championship marked the 12th all-sports trophy in school history, the most by any Valley member since 1982, when the Redbirds joined the conference. The Redbirds have finished in the top-five of the league's all-sports race for 28-straight years. ISU has finished first, second or third in the all-sports trophy standings in 18 of the past 20 seasons.
Wichita State, meanwhile, finished second, followed by Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Northern Iowa.
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