Penn State Berks Earns Second NEAC Athletics Directors’ Cup
The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced Penn State Berks as the winner of the NEAC Athletics Directors’ Cup, which is determined annually by athletic success. This year’s honor marks the second time the Nittany Lions have won the Athletics’ Directors Cup, with their first win coming in the 2012-13 year.
The Athletics Directors’ Cup serves as one component of the NEAC Presidents’ Cup. The conference determines four individual cup winners in academics, athletics, sportsmanship and community service to encompass the NCAA Division III philosophy. Penn State Berks joins Lancaster Bible, Keuka College and Morrisville State College as individual cup winners that were announced throughout the week with the culminating announcement of the NEAC Presidents’ Cup recipient scheduled for tomorrow.
“Over the past three to five years, I think we have seen an overall increase in the competitiveness of the NEAC from top to bottom and Penn State Berks has been driving a lot of that improvement within the conference,” said Greg Carroll, Chair of the NEAC Board of Athletic Directors and Morrisville State College Director of Athletics. “As you look at the success of their entire slate of spring sports, it is nothing but impressive. From an administrative perspective, I know the work it takes to stay on top of that kind of success so it’s great to see Berks' athletic department be recognized for the terrific work going on there.”
The Athletics Directors’ Cup for athletics success is determined by the overall winning percentage of each full-member institution from the past academic year. The rankings are calculated by the final regular season standings for each team sport and the championship finish for each individual sport within the NEAC.
Penn State Berks closed out the 2017-18 year as the most successful institution in both male and female sports throughout the NEAC. The Nittany Lions earned 84.5 points out of a possible 98 points (86.2 percent) in 12 NEAC-sponsored sports.
“It was an awesome year where we had some success in the fall and then had high hopes heading into the spring,” shared Lisa Deibler, Penn State Berks Director of Athletics. "All of our student-athletes made a commitment to be successful and they all came through. It was amazing to see the time and effort they all put in.”
Penn State Berks’ men’s teams led the NEAC by earning 41 out of 52 points (78.8 percent) while the its women’s programs boasted an incredible 43.5 out of 46 points (94.6 percent). The Nittany Lions won seven conference championships last year, including a spring sweep in all five conference sports they competed in.
“It’s worth recognizing that while our coaches may all be part-time, they approach coaching as a full-time job,” Deibler added. “We have a great group here and we are so fortunate to have great coaches that are even better people.”
“Each year it is exciting to watch the athletic success of programs throughout the conference and to see repeat success among some of our members,” said Candice Murray, NEAC Commissioner. “We are thrilled to honor Penn State Berks with the Athletics Directors’ Cup as they had a tremendous year and continue to prove their program is led by a dedicated coaching staff and a group of strong athletic administrators. We also love to watch the continued success of Berks’ teams as they advance to the NCAA Tournament.”
Morrisville State College placed second in the Athletics Directors’ cup with 73.5 points out of a possible 101 (72.8 percent) after winning three conference championships in 2017-18. SUNY Polyfinished third with 77 out of 106 (72.6 percent) while Lancaster Bible and Keuka College closed out the top five after earning 68.5 and 67.1 percent of their possible points, respectively.
The week-long NEAC Presidents’ Cup series will conclude tomorrow with the announcement of the overall Presidents’ Cup winner.
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The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has 12 NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Cazenovia College, College of Saint Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University – Abington, Pennsylvania State University – Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville State College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and Wells College. Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (W Lacrosse), Hilbert College (M&W Lacrosse), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse), Rutgers University – Camden (M Golf), and Wilson College (M Volleyball). The NEAC has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sport of men’s tennis and with the Colonial State Athletic Conference in the sport of Field Hockey. For more information, please visit: www.neacsports.com.
