Mount Olive College posts highest-ever finish in Hawn Cup standings

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on April 28, 2006 2:20 PM

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Mount Olive earned its highest-ever finish in the 2005-06 Joby Hawn Cup standings, tying for third place with 83 points, only two points out of second place. Hawn Cup points are awarded for each team's finish in the regular season Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference standings and the post-season CVAC men's/women's cross country and golf championships.

Eight Trojan teams earned top-four finishes in 2005-06, including a first-place finish for women's volleyball and a second-place finish for men's basketball.

Four Mount Olive spring sports teams earned third-place finishes: baseball, women's golf, men's tennis and women's tennis. In the fall, men's soccer tied for third and women's soccer finished fourth.

"To achieve a third place finish in the Hawn Cup standings is a tribute to the hard work put in by all of our coaches and student-athletes," Mount Olive director of athletics Jeff Eisen said. "With seven teams being represented in NCAA championships over the last two years, this finish is further evidence that our athletics program has become one of the best in the CVAC and the region."

Along with its best-ever Hawn Cup finish, Mount Olive set a school record with four teams earning berths in NCAA Championships. Women's volleyball competed in the NCAA II Atlantic Regional in November for its second consecutive post-season appearance.

Men's basketball reached the NCAA II East Regional in March for the third year in a row, joining baseball as the second Trojan team to make NCAA Tournament appearances in three consecutive years.

Baseball earned an automatic bid to the NCAA II South Atlantic Regional after winning the CVAC championship Monday. The Trojans earned their sixth trip to NCAA Tournament play and first since 2001. The regional takes place May 18-21.

Men's golf will make its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance as a team next week as the Trojans compete in the NCAA II Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional May 1-3 at Concord. Sophomore Mick Moberg, who participated in the individual competition last year, makes his second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.

In addition to winning the CVAC Baseball Tournament, three other Mount Olive teams reached CVAC Tournament championship games in 2005-06.

The Trojans reached the title contest in the CVAC Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball and Men's Basketball Tournaments.

Pfeiffer won this year's Hawn Cup with 92 points, followed by Barton with 85 points. Belmont Abbey tied Mount Olive with 83 points.