Trojans dominate spring, capture Hawn Cup competition

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 4, 2012 1:48 PM

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HIGH POINT -- Break out the polishing cloth.

Mount Olive College has three new trophies to keep shiny in its ever-growing collection.

The Trojans swept the 2012 Joby Hawn Cup competition, recording the highest rating of performance in men's and women's sports and overall athletic excellence during the 2011-12 season. MOC emerged the second Conference Carolinas school to take all three cups in the same season.

Queens University of Charlotte accomplished the feat in 2010-11, the first year the league offered Cups in men's and women's sports, and overall.

"Our goal each year is to be the top program in our conference and win the Hawn Cup," Trojans athletics director Jeff Eisen said. "We have been close the past several years, but it is a special achievement to actually win the Cup. The great thing about winning is that every team contributes to this honor.

"We had a great, all-around year and I'm very proud of our coaches and student-athletes."

MOC won conference championships in four sports -- baseball, men's and women's track and field, and men's tennis. The baseball and tennis teams claimed East Division titles. Men's volleyball had its string of two consecutive conference championships snapped, but reached the tournament final for the third straight year.

Women's golf placed second.

The Trojans accumulated bonus points in five of 11 spring sports. The men posted an .844 rating, while the women had a league-best .860.

Hawn Cup points are awarded in each sport based on regular-season finish. The tournament champion receives two bonus points and the runner-up earns one. Golf, cross country and track and field points are determined solely by conference tournament finish.

The Hawn Cup is named in honor of former Commissioner HC "Joby" Hawn for his many years of service to the former Conference Carolinas. The first Cup was awarded in 1976 when schools competed in the old NAIA-based Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.

MOC joined the CIAC in 1988.

The league changed its named to Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference when its member institutions achieved NCAA Division II status in 1995-96. The league underwent another name change, Conference Carolinas, just three years ago after its lone Virginia school -- Longwood University -- had moved up to Division I.