Wednesday, November 30, 2011

MACON, Ga. – After the conclusion of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Fall Championship season, USC Upstate and Belmont hold the early lead for the Jesse C. Fletcher and Sherman Day Trophies. The Spartans sit at 37.5 points in the men’s all-sports race, while the Bruins earned 73.5 points in the women’s fall season.

USC Upstate raced to the program’s first men’s cross country title and finished tied for seventh in men’s soccer to earn its spot at the top. FGCU (36) and Lipscomb (34.5) completed the top-three through the fall season. The Eagles captured their second-straight men’s soccer regular season title en route to also winning the championship crown, while Lipscomb finished fourth in cross country and tied for fifth in men’s soccer to bolster its point total.

Belmont split the regular-season volleyball title with crosstown-rival, Lipscomb, and also placed third at cross country and fourth in women’s soccer to build its nine-point lead over the Lady Bisons (64.5) in second place. The Lady Bisons won the program’s first cross country title to lead the conference with two A-Sun women’s titles. FGCU (63) sits in third place for the Day trophy after splitting the women’s soccer title and a third-place finish in volleyball.

As a whole, Belmont is out front for the Bill Bibb Trophy with 105 points in the combined all-sports race. The Bruins lead FGCU and Lipscomb who are tied at 99 points for second place. ETSU and Jacksonville are tied for fourth with 82.5 points. The Buccaneers have won the past-five Bibb trophies and captured the Fletcher trophy in six-consecutive years, while the Dolphins have earned the Day trophy in three of the past four seasons.

North Florida (79.5) follows JU in the combined all-sports standings and ranks ahead of the Spartans (66), Mercer (66), Kennesaw State (66) and Stetson (49.5).

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.