In an announcement by the league office Tuesday, University of Southern Indiana Athletics has captured its third Great Lakes Valley Conference Commissioner’s Cup and its first since the 2017-18 season. The Screaming Eagles earned the award for the 2020-21 campaign by posting the strongest finish in the league’s seven core sports.
Points are allocated for the Commissioner’s Cup based on the athletic department’s finish in the GLVC’s postseason tournaments and regular-season standings in men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball and baseball. All 15 Conference members sponsor these sports at the intercollegiate level.
Under the guidance of Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall, USI earned 81 points throughout the course of the academic year, besting runner-up Lewis University (76) by five points and third-place University of Indianapolis (75) by six. Drury University (67) was fourth, while Lindenwood University (63) and the University of Missouri-St. Louis (63) was tied for fifth.
Three points separated No. 7 Maryville University (59) and No. 10 Quincy University (56), with McKendree University (58) and Rockhurst University (57) finishing eighth and ninth, respectively. Truman State University (48), the University of Illinois Springfield (46), Missouri S&T (35), Southwest Baptist University (28) and William Jewell College (27) rounded out the bottom half of the standings.
USI qualified for GLVC Championship Tournaments in six of the seven core sports this past year, highlighted by a GLVC title in volleyball as well as a runner-up finish in women’s soccer.
Despite not being able to participate in the conference tournament due to COVID-19 safety protocols last year, USI Men’s and Women’s Basketball made significant contributions to the Eagles’ cause. The men’s team had earned the No. 2 seed and garnered fourth-place points following the conclusion of the GLVC Tournament, while the women’s team garnered third-place points after earning the No. 3 seed.
Men’s Soccer earned the No. 6 seed in the GLVC Championship Tournament, while Baseball was the No. 3 seed from the GLVC Blue Division.
Created prior to the 2002-03 season, the Commissioner’s Cup has had six different institutions claim the award. USI earned its second Cup in 2017-18 and its first in 2003-04.
In addition to the GLVC Commissioner’s Cup, the league office announced the GLVC All-Sports Trophy results on Monday, with USI finishing sixth with 146.5 points. Men’s Cross Country and Women’s Cross Country had second and third-place points, respectively, to aid the Eagles, while Women’s Track & Field had a fourth-place finish.
