May 20, 2013
ST. LOUIS -
Illinois State continued its phenomenal streak by finishing in the Top-5 of the all-sports trophy race for a 31st-straight year, with a runner-up finish to Wichita State in the 2012-13 Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy standings.
Either Illinois State, Missouri State or Wichita State has earned the league's all-sports championship trophy every year since 1995. Illinois State won five of six all-sports championships from 1996-2001, while Missouri State claimed the league's trophy in 2001-02, 2002-03 and in 2011-12.
Illinois State finished second in the all-sports race with a score of 3.38. ISU, which has 12 all-sports crowns, has finished first, second, or third in 22 of the past 23 years. ISU had titles in women's cross country, women's golf and baseball.
Wichita State finished in the Top-3 in 14 of the 15 sports it sponsors (with softball the lone exception). The Shockers won four team championships (women's basketball, women's indoor track & field, men's golf, and women's tennis) and finished second in eight others.
Creighton (5) and Wichita State (4) combined for nine of the league's championships (shared or outright titles), but eight different institutions won at least one league champion¬ship this year. Illinois State (3) and Indiana State (3) were next best. Creighton's five titles tied for the third best in 21 years. Only twice since 1992-93 (merger of MVC men's and women's sports) has an institution had more than five team titles.
Wichita State set a record with its aggregate score this year (2.300). Counting Wichita State this year, a school has had an aggregate point total better than 3.0 (average finish of each sponsored sport) eight times since 1993-94. Illinois State's 2.47 score in 1996-97 was the previous league standard.
The All-Sports Trophy is based on a school's average finish in each of the sponsored championships by the Missouri Valley Confer¬ence. Teams are awarded one point for first, 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 finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.
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