St. Scholastica holds small lead in Kruse standings following fall season
ST. PAUL, Minn.---This year, the College of St. Scholastica will be in pursuit of its 10th-consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Jerome Kruse All-Sport Trophy. Following the conclusion of the fall season, though, that 10th victory may not come as easy as it has in years past as the Saints hold just a five -point lead over the University of Wisconsin-Superior, it was announced Friday.
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UMAC Jerome Kruse Award Website |
After winning regular season titles in three sports, the Saints tallied 56 total points while the Yellowjackets also win three titles to capture 51 points in the standings. The two institutions have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as the next-best total is just 39.5 points belonging to the University of Minnesota Morris.
The Saints repeated as champions in women's cross country and women's golf, and recaptured their spot atop the women's soccer throne. Adding to the Saints' strong fall were three teams with runner-up finishes including men's cross country, football and men's soccer which helped make up for lower point totals in women's cross country and women's golf due to incomplete teams from other institutions.
The Yellowjackets were able to pressure the Saints thanks to program-first regular season titles in both men's golf and men's soccer, as well as a third-straight title in men's cross country. Volleyball and women's soccer also made jumps in the conference standings for the Yellowjackets with volleyball taking the runner-up spot.
Minnesota Morris may not have captured any regular season titles this fall, but the Cougars placed solidly in third behind four top-three finishes in men's and women's cross country, women's golf and volleyball. The University of Northwestern sits just 3.5 points back in fourth place thanks to another championship in volleyball and runner-up placings in men's golf and women's soccer.
Martin Luther College trails Northwestern by just two total points with 34 following an undefeated conference football season and the program's first regular season championship since 2009.
Bethany Lutheran College comes in sixth with 27.5 points led by a postseason appearance in volleyball. Northland College saw a slight uptick in points from a year ago with 23 points to come in seventh after a third-place finish from women's soccer. Crown College held eighth place with 17.5 points, while North Central University rounded out the standings with 12.5 points.
Since the award's inception in 1996-97, St. Scholastica has won the Kruse Award a UMAC-best 14 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 (2018-2019 - through fall sports)
1. St. Scholastica - 56 points
2. Wisconsin-Superior - 51 points
3. Minnesota Morris - 39.5 points
4. Northwestern - 36 points
5. Martin Luther - 34 points
6. Bethany Lutheran - 27.5 points
7. Northland - 23 points
8. Crown - 17.5 points
9. North Central - 12.5 points
KRUSE AWARD POINTS (2018-2019)
UMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
| School |
MCC |
WCC |
FB |
MSC |
WSC |
VB |
MGF |
WGF |
Total |
| Bethany Lutheran College |
5 |
3 |
- |
3 |
4.5 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
27.5 |
| College of St. Scholastica |
8 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
56 |
| Crown College |
1 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
1.5 |
2 |
3 |
- |
17.5 |
| Martin Luther College |
6 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
- |
34 |
| North Central University |
3 |
- |
- |
4 |
1.5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12.5 |
| Northland College |
2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
23 |
| University of Minnesota Morris |
7 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
4.5 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
39.5 |
| University of Northwestern |
4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
- |
36 |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior |
9 |
6 |
- |
9 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
4 |
51 |