Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State Wins Back-to-Back Commissioner's Cups
5/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
May 26, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - With a team-first approach to performing at the pinnacle of athletic competition, Fresno State repeated as the best overall Western Athletic Conference program by winning the 2008-09 WAC Commissioner's Cup.
"I am extremely proud of this achievement by our student-athletes and coaches," Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh said. "Winning the WAC Commissioner's Cup two years consecutively is a tremendous reflection upon their collective character, fortitude and work ethic. They have made all of us in the Fresno State community very proud."
The back-to-back champion Bulldogs were powered by five conference team titles (soccer, women's basketball, women's tennis, softball and baseball) and five other squads (men's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's tennis and women's outdoor track and field) securing a spot in the top three in their respective standings.
"It's an awesome award. It is a great indication of how the bigger picture of being a part of a team allows every individual, sport and team to clearly make a contribution," head softball coach Margie Wright said, who directed the Bulldogs to their 28th NCAA Tournament appearance this past season. "We were happy to contribute as much as we could to this victory."
The WAC awards its Commissioner's Cup to the school that performs the best in each of the conference's 19 men's and women's championships. Points are awarded in order of finish, equal to the number of teams that participate in each sport and are averaged between a team's regular season finish (if applicable) and its WAC championship finish. Ties are not broken but instead are averaged between the tied teams.
"We are thrilled that our athletic department has won the WAC Commissioner's Cup for the second straight year," head women's basketball coach Adrian Wiggins said of the accomplishment. "This is a great honor and it shows the hard work that is put in by everybody in the department to make sure our student-athletes have a positive experience."
This is the seventh year of the WAC Commissioner's Cup and the Dogs have finished in the top half of the standings in all seven seasons. Fresno State becomes the first repeat Cup winner since Rice University took home the trophy for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years.
"What is even more gratifying is the fact that these unprecedented competitive achievements have run parallel with the recent profound improvement of our teams' NCAA Academic Progress Rates," Boeh added. "In short, today's Fresno State student-athletes are proving that we can reach our ultimate goal to consistently achieve high-quality academic and competitive success at the same time."
The Bulldogs surged past the Nevada Wolf Pack in the final weekend of the competition for a tally of 85.50 points during the year-long campaign.
2008-09 WAC Commissioner's Cup Standings
1. Fresno State (85.50)
2. Nevada (84.75)
3. Boise State (80.50)
4. Utah State (76.50)
5. New Mexico State (67.25)
6. Idaho (66.75)
7. Hawai'i (62.75)
8. Louisiana Tech (60.75)
9. San Jose State (54.25)
Past WAC Commissioner's Cup Winners
2008-09 Fresno State
2007-08 Fresno State
2006-07 Nevada
2005-06 Boise State
2004-05 Rice
2003-04 Rice
2002-03 SMU
"Join the State - Fresno State!" --- Fresno State opens the 2009 NCAA baseball tournament at the Irvine Regional on Friday at 8 p.m. The game will be live on KMJ Radio and ESPNU. The Bulldog Shop is selling a limited edition of "UnderDOGS to WonderDOGS: Part 2" t-shirts for $16. Also, make sure to secure your 2009 Bulldog Football Season tickets and get the best seats in the house in the premium seating sections. For more information, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page.
