ROCK HILL, S.C. - Carson-Newman's athletic department finished third in the 2015-16 Echols Athletic Excellence Award standings, the South Atlantic Conference announced Wednesday afternoon.
The Echols Athletic Excellence Award is presented annually to the member athletic department that earns the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the Conference's 18 sports. Regular season finish is used in the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball, while SAC Championship results are used for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf and men's and women's outdoor track.
Carson-Newman's third place finish was driven by South Atlantic Conference titles in men's and women's soccer, as well as runner-up finishes in football, men's and women's golf, volleyball and baseball. The
Wingate won its 10th-straight SAC Echols Award with 180 total points, while Queens finished in second place with 155.5. C-N had 138.5 points whle Lenoir-Rhyne followed with 131. The Bears narrowly edged fifth-place Lincoln Memorial, which finished with 130.5 points. Anderson rounded out the top half of the standings in sixth place with 104.5 points.
Dating back to 2006, Carson-Newman has the second most points in the Echols standings, following Wingate.
This is Carson-Newman's highest finish since 2009-10 when the Eagles' shared the award with Wingate.
2015-16 SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award standings
1. Wingate - 180
2. Queens - 155.5
3. Carson-Newman - 138.5
4. Lenoir-Rhyne - 131
5. Lincoln Memorial - 130.5
6. Anderson - 104.5
7. Catawba - 99.5
8. Tusculum - 98
9. Coker - 91.5
10. Newberry - 91
11. Mars Hill - 86.5
12. Brevard - 87.5