ELGIN, Ill. - The success of the Judson University athletic department keeps improving as this past year (2008-09) they finished third in the CCAC (Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) All-Sports Trophy competition. Judson finished behind the two CCAC powers in St. Xavier and Olivet Nazarene.
Judson finished with 49 points and was just five points behind Olivet Nazarene's 54. St. Xavier won the trophy with 61.5 points. Judson finished just ahead of the University of St. Francis (48 points) after the Eagles won two of three games in the final baseball series of the year.
"Judson Athletics made some great strides this year as we continue to establish ourselves as one of the top programs in the CCAC," quotes Judson University's Director of Athletics Nancy Binger. "To finish third in the CCAC All-Sports standings is quite an accomplishment, especially finishing right behind the two powerhouses in St. Xavier and Olivet. With the current coaching staff at Judson, I foresee us competing for the top spot in the standings in the near future."
There are 11 conference schools that participate in the CCAC and for the trophy. Last year, Olivet Nazarene won the first-ever trophy by one point over St. Xavier (61-60) as Judson was fifth. The trophy is awarded to the institution that earns the most total points in the nine sports sponsored by the conference (men's & women's cross country, men's & women's soccer, volleyball, men's & women's basketball, baseball and softball) on an annual basis. Schools are awarded points based on their conference finish in each of those sports. An additional point is awarded to any school that claims a conference tournament title.
Judson finished fifth in the 2007-08 competition and improved two spots this past year. Judson won CCAC championships in men's soccer (tournament) and men's basketball (regular season). The baseball team also had their best finish, ever, in the CCAC in third place.
The 2009-10 year will bring more excitement and competition for Judson as they add both men's and women's tennis and golf to their programs along with cheerleading and poms.
