Liberty Widens Big South Sasser Cup Lead
3/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
Updated Big South Sasser Cup standings
Following a winter season where Liberty claimed three out of four conference titles, the Flames have opened up a larger lead in the 2011-12 Big South Sasser Cup, Women's All-Sports and Men's All-Sports trophy standings.
The Big South Conference released its updated standings for all three races yesterday, following the conclusion of the winter sport championship season.
During the winter, Liberty captured both the men's and women's indoor track & field conference titles and the Big South women's basketball regular-season and championship titles.
Liberty's men's track & field program has won the indoor title each of the last 15 years, extending the longest-running conference winning streak in league history. The Lady Flames have won the Big South indoor track & field crown the last three years and 10 times overall.
Liberty's women's basketball team continued to control the pace of play in its sport, winning its 13th regular-season title and the conference's championship title for the 14th time in the last 16 seasons.
With the success of Liberty's winter sports programs, the Flames now hold a 2.95 point lead over High Point in the Sasser Cup standings (13.95-11.00). The gap between Liberty and High Point was 2.08 points following the fall season (13.58-11.50).
After gaining the maximum number of points during the winter in terms of women's sport programs, Liberty has a sizeable lead in the Women's All-Sports standings heading into the spring. Liberty holds a 4.10 point lead over High Point (15.30-11.20), an advantage that grew from a 1.10 point advantage over Winthrop after the fall season (14.50-13.33).
The top two teams in the Men's All-Sports standings remained the same from the fall to winter seasons, with Liberty also widening its edge. Liberty now leads the men's standings by 1.85 points over High Point (12.60-10.75), after the Flames held a 0.17 advantage over the Panthers after the fall (12.67-12.50).
Overall this season, Liberty's fall and winter sport programs have captured six out of 10 Big South conference titles (men's cross country, men's soccer, volleyball, women's indoor track, men's indoor track and women's basketball).
Eight Big South titles will be awarded during the spring season, with Liberty being eligible for seven of those titles (men's golf, women's tennis, men's tennis, men's outdoor track, women's outdoor track, softball and baseball).
During the spring, Liberty will be looking to become the first Big South program in league history to capture five straight Big South Sasser Cup titles.
Behind eight conference titles during the 2010-11 athletics season, Liberty secured its fourth Big South Sasser Cup title in a row (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). Liberty and Coastal Carolina are the only athletics programs in Big South history to win four Sasser Cup titles in successive years.
Liberty's 2010-11 Big South Sasser Cup title also tied the Flames with Coastal Carolina for the most titles in league history. Each program has won the title nine times during the 25 years the conference has sponsored the overall athletics department race.
The Big South Sasser Cup trophy, named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser, is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year athletically based on an average points system.
Points are awarded based on both regular-season and tournament finish in each of the league's 18 championship sports, based on the number of teams participating in the regular-season and tournament, respectively.
A school must be eligible to participate in a specific sport championship to receive Sasser Cup points in the sport. There is a weighted factor of 1.5 for those sports which only participate in regular-season play (football) or a tournament (cross country, track and golf), but not both. Teams tied in regular-season or tournament play split the points earned.
2011-12 Big South Sasser Cup and Women's and Men's All-Sports standings
(complete through the winter season)
Sasser Cup Standings
1. Liberty - 13.95
2. High Point - 11.00
3. Winthrop - 9.50
4. Campbell - 9.47
5. Coastal Carolina - 8.97
6. Radford - 8.75
7. Charleston Southern - 7.69
8. UNC Asheville - 7.44
9. VMI - 6.44
10. Gardner-Webb - 5.93
11. Presbyterian College - 4.46
Women's All-Sports Award Standings
1. Liberty - 15.30
2. High Point - 11.20
3. Winthrop - 10.40
4. Radford - 9.80
5. Campbell - 9.65
6. Coastal Carolina - 7.60
7. Charleston Southern - 7.50
8. UNC Asheville - 6.90
9. Gardner-Webb - 6.00
10. VMI - 4.58
11. Presbyterian College - 4.50
Men's All-Sports Award Standings
1. Liberty - 12.60
2. High Point - 10.75
3. Coastal Carolina - 10.69
4. Campbell - 9.25
5. Winthrop - 8.38
6. UNC Asheville - 8.13
7. Charleston Southern - 7.94
8. VMI - 7.55
9. Radford - 7.44
10. Gardner-Webb - 5.85
11. Presbyterian College - 4.42
