Saints maintain lead in Kruse Award standings following winter season

Saints maintain lead in Kruse Award standings following winter season

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ST. PAUL, Minn.---The College of St. Scholastica put together a solid winter season in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) to extend it's lead in the Jerome Kruse All-Sport Trophy competition to 15.5 points with just the spring season left to complete, the conference office announced Tuesday. 

| UMAC Jerome Kruse Award Website | Fall Update |

St. Scholastica owns 84.5 points after winning another title in women's indoor track and field and finishing second in both men's basketball and men's indoor track and field. Following the fall, the Saints were ahead of the University of Northwestern by 13 points. The Saints managed to hold their lead and add to it slightly thanks to posting an improved performance in women's basketball placing fifth to qualify for the postseason tournament. 

While the Saints remained consistent atop the standings, there was a slight mix-up among the next three teams fighting for second that are separated by just 5.5 points. Northwestern dropped from second all the way to fourth with 63.5 points seeing the University of Wisconsin-Superior jump up a spot with 69 points. The University of Minnesota Morris also made a jump on spot to third with 65.5 points to hold a narrow advantage over Northwestern.

The Yellowjackets won the most titles in the winter season snatching up a third-straight title in women's basketball and a second-straight in men's indoor track and field. Wisconsin-Superior also made a move to second in women's indoor track and field to help propel the Yellowjackets up two spots and 3.5 points head of Minnesota Morris.

The Cougars moved to third place after two post-season finishes for men's and women's basketball as well as top three finishes in both men's and women's track and field. Northwestern is just two points behind Minnesota Morris, though, after finishing third in men's basketball and fourth in women's basketball. 

Bethany Lutheran College made up huge ground in the winter after falling to sixth in the fall and 11.5 points behind Martin Luther College. After winning men's basketball and finishing second in women's basketball, the Vikings bumped the Knights to sixth with the programs posting 51.5 and 43 points respectively.

Crown College moved up from seventh to sixth in the standings with 27.5 after a fourth-place finish in men's basketball. The Storm overtook Northland College in eighth with 25 points, while North Central University was ninth with 21.5 points. 

Since the award's inception in 1996-97, St. Scholastica has won the Kruse Award a UMAC-best 13 times. The award, which is named after Mr. Jerome Kruse, a longtime athletic director at the former Northwestern College (Wis.) and Martin Luther College, travels to the full-member institution with the most points accumulated by the place finishes of the college's athletic teams in the final standings of 18 conference sponsored sports.

KRUSE AWARD POINTS (2017-2018 - through winter sports)
1. St. Scholastica - 84.5 points
2. Wisconsin-Superior - 69 points
3. Minnesota Morris - 65.5 points
4. Northwestern - 63.5 points
5. Bethany Lutheran - 51.5 points
6. Martin Luther - 43 points
7. Crown - 27.5 points
8. Northland - 25 points
9. North Central - 21.5 points

KRUSE AWARD POINTS (2017-2018)
UMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
School MCC WCC FB MSC WSC VB MGF WGF MBB WBB MITF WITF Total
Bethany Lutheran College 4 5 - 1 4 4 6 4 9 7.5 4 3 51.5
College of St. Scholastica 6 9 5 9 8 5 9 8 8 5.5 6 6 84.5
Crown College 1 4 1 3 1 2 4 - 5.5 4 1 1 27.5
Martin Luther College 7 6 3 5 6.5 6 3 3 1 2.5 - - 43
North Central University 3 1 - 4 2 1 2 2 2 2.5 2 - 21.5
Northland College 2 2 - 2 5 3 5 1 4 1 - - 25
University of Minnesota Morris 5 8 2 6 6.5 8 1 7 5.5 7.5 5 4 65.5
University of Northwestern - 3 4 7 9 9 8 6 7 5.5 3 2 63.5
University of Wisconsin-Superior 8 7 - 8 3 7 7 5 3 9 7 5 69