HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — High Point University was awarded the 2017-18 Big South Conference Women’s All-Sports trophy and finished third in the Sasser Cup standings, the conference announced Thursday night (May 31) at the Big South Spring Meeting Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa.
The Panthers’ women’s programs averaged 9.44 points to win the Women’s All-Sports trophy over second place Liberty, who averaged 9.36 over nine women’s programs. HPU finished in the top four in every women’s sport and captured six Big South crowns, including regular season titles in lacrosse, soccer and volleyball and Big South Championships in cross country, lacrosse and soccer.
This is the first time High Point University has won one of the three major year-end trophies since joining the Big South in 1999.
On the men’s side, the Panthers finished third by averaging 6.93 points over seven sports. Campbell won the Men’s All-Sports Trophy with an average of 9.13 points across eight programs, while Liberty was second at 8.33 points over nine sports.
In the Big South George F. “Buddy” Sasser Cup standings, Liberty claimed the crown for the third-consecutive year and 14th time overall with an average of 8.85 points in 18 sports. Campbell just edged High Point for second with an average of 8.31 points (18 sports), while High Point was third at 8.28 points over 15 sports. It is the Panthers’ ninth top-3 finish in the last 10 years.
The Panthers had top-3 finishes in 11 of 15 Big South sports. In addition to the six women’s conference titles, HPU men’s soccer captured the regular season crown. Also, men’s lacrosse, which competes in the Southern Conference, won a share of its regular season title.
The Sasser Cup Trophy is named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser and is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year athletically, based on an average points system.
In addition to the year-end awards given out, women’s soccer graduates Aley Kate McKinley and Paige Rombach were honored during the awards ceremony. McKinley was recognized with the prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence, while Rombach was the recipient of the Bob Mccluskey Insurance Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship.
To cap the evening, former HPU track and field/cross country standout Taylor Milne became the first Panther to be inducted in to the Big South Conference Hall of Fame. A class of 2005 graduate of HPU, Milne was a six-time Big South champion and eight-time All-Conference honoree. He has represented Canada in the Summer Olympics twice in 2008 in Beijing and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
2017-18 Big South Sasser Cup Standings
1. Liberty 8.85 2. Campbell 8.31 3. High Point 8.28 4. Radford 6.48 5. Charleston Southern 5.86 6. Winthrop 5.64 7. UNC Asheville 5.02 8. Gardner-Webb 4.45 9. Longwood 4.25 10. Presbyterian 3.88
HPU in the Sasser Cup
Year Rank Score 2017-18 3rd 8.28 2016-17 3rd 7.73 2015-16 4th 7.73 2014-15 3rd 8.38 2013-14 2nd 13.00 2012-13 3rd 11.53 2011-12 3rd 9.29 2010-11 3rd 8.98 2009-10 3rd 9.90 2008-09 3rd 8.84 2007-08 4th 7.38 2006-07 4th 7.88 2005-06 4th 122.5 2004-05 5th 117 2003-04 T-4th 115 2002-03 Below 4th N/A 2001-02 5th 62 2000-01 8th 47 1999-00 8th 37