HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point University has finished third in the Big South Sasser Cup standings for the fourth-straight year, it was announced on Friday. The Panthers won the Big South women’s cross country title and finished in the top three in seven sports’ final standings or championships.
“We’re proud of the way our student-athletes and coaches have worked to make High Point University one of the top schools in the Big South on a regular basis,” said HPU Athletic Director Craig Keilitz. “With that said, we’re always striving for all of our teams to improve and we hope to move up in the Sasser Cup standings in the future. Our goal is to compete for Big South Championships in every sport.”
High Point started the 2011-12 season strong, getting a win from the women’s cross country team and a runner-up showing from the men’s cross country team in the first two Big South Championships contested. Also in the fall, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams finished fourth in the conference standings and the men’s soccer team advanced to the Big South semifinals.
The winter season was highlighted by the High Point University women’s basketball team’s performance. The Panthers went 20-13 overall, finished second in the league standings with a 13-5 conference record and advanced to the Big South championship game. It was HPU’s second 20-win season and the Panthers earned their second Women’s NIT appearance since moving up to the NCAA Div. I level in 1999-2000.
In the spring, the HPU men’s track & field team placed third in the Big South Championship, matching the team’s best-ever finish in that sport. High Point had finished third in the outdoor championship twice before, but not since 2003. The baseball team also contributed to the Sasser Cup finish with its run in the Big South Tournament. The team advanced to the semifinals with wins over UNC Asheville and Campbell, the last win sealing the third-place Sasser Cup finish for HPU.
Next year, the Big South will sponsor women’s lacrosse so the Panthers’ team will be able to contribute to the Sasser Cup standings. High Point won the National Lacrosse Conference regular season and advanced to the NLC title game in 2012. The Big South’s women’s lacrosse teams will be former NLC members HPU, Davidson, Liberty, Longwood and Presbyterian College along with Campbell, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop, which are starting teams next spring.
Liberty won the Big South Sasser Cup for the fourth year in a row and Coastal Carolina finished second. High Point finished third, edging new conference member Campbell by 0.07 in the scoring. Charleston Southern finished fifth followed by Radford and Winthrop. UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb tied for eighth followed by VMI and Presbyterian College.
High Point has finished third in the Sasser Cup four times in a row after never finishing higher than fourth prior to that. HPU joined the Big South when it moved up to NCAA Div. I in 1999-2000.