Illinois State Wins Fourth Consecutive MVC All-Sports Trophy
ST. LOUIS, MO. – For the fourth-straight season, Illinois State has won the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship as announced by the Conference office Thursday. The Redbirds have won the league's All-Sports Trophy in 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 (the Conference did not award the trophy during the 2019-20 pandemic-shortened season).
ISU last won at least four-straight MVC All-Sports Championships in 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 when it was the league's top overall program in those four seasons. Notably, Illinois State has 16 all-sports crowns and has finished first, second, or third in 29 of the past 32 years.
"It's our goal to win the MVC All-Sports Trophy every year, but the same could be said for every school in the Valley," ISU Interim Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs said. "To win it for the fourth-straight year in a row is a tremendous accomplishment by our student-athletes, coaches, and the entire Athletics staff. The dedication and hard work of our teams resulted in our programs winning five MVC titles this year and another in gymnastics in the MIC. I hope our fans, donors, alumni, and community are very proud of this accomplishment, because I know that I am."
Illinois State earned five team titles while recording an aggregate score of 8.551. ISU claimed league championships in men's golf, women's tennis, women's indoor track & field, women's outdoor track & field and shared the regular-season title in women's basketball. Notably, the Redbirds also finished in the Top 3 in men's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field, women's swimming & diving, and softball. In addition, the Redbirds added a Midwest Independent Conference team championship in gymnastics (does not factor into MVC All-Sport calculations).
Seven different institutions claimed at least one regular-season league title this past season, while Drake earned an MVC-best three league post-season tournament crowns.
Points -- Team (Championships*)
8.551 -- Illinois State (5)
8.341 -- Missouri State (5)
8.147 -- Drake (3)
7.870 -- Southern Illinois
7.812 -- UNI (2)
7.758 -- Indiana State (4)
*combined regular-season and tournament championships
Either Illinois State, Missouri State or Wichita State, meanwhile, has earned the league's all-sports championship trophy every year since 1995. Illinois State won five of six all-sports championships from 1996-01, Missouri State has five titles since 1999-00, and Wichita State had a stretch where it won 11 of 14 all-sports trophies from 2003-04 through 2016-17.
The All-Sports Trophy is based on a school's average finish in each of the sponsored championships by the Missouri Valley Conference. Teams are awarded 10 points for first, nine for second, eight for third, etc., and the total accumulated points are divided by the number of sports in which a particular school competes. For sports not sponsored by every MVC school, the points decrease by number of competing schools (i.e., in a sport where eight teams compete, 10/8 = 1.25, so point totals decrease by 1.25; 1st = 10, 2nd = 8.75, 3rd = 7.5, etc.)
Finishes in baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball are based on regular-season competition. However, institutions receive three bonus points for each league post-season championship earned in those aforementioned sports. All other sports are determined by finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.
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