Wednesday, June 12, 2002
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Wednesday, June 12, 2002 |
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CCSU places third in cup standings
The 2001-02 year has been a season to remember for Clayton College and State University Athletics, and it got even better on Wednesday with the announcement of the 2001-02 Peach Belt Commissioner's Cup standings. Led by two PBC championships and two runner-up finishes in the league, the Lakers finished third in the Cup standings, which measures overall athletic success in the 12-member conference for the year. Before this year, Clayton State's best finish was eighth out of 12 schools in 2000-01, and prior to that, its best finish was 11th out of 12 in its first full year of PBC membership in 1997-98. "It has been an incredible year," said athletic director Mason Barfield. "We have come a long way since the inception of our athletic program 12 years ago. With two Peach Belt Conference championships and two runner-up finishes in the league out of a total of eight sports, this is without a doubt, our best year ever." The University of North Florida won the Commissioner Cup with a rating of .879, earning 95 out of 108 points. Kennesaw State University finished second at .841, earning 71.5 out of 85 points, followed by Clayton State at .714, earning 55 of 77. The ratings are determined by taking the maximum number of points available to each school, depending on how many sports each has, and dividing by the number of points won, based on conference finish through the regular season. The Lakers brought home PBC championships in both men's soccer and men's basketball, while finishing second in women's cross country and women's tennis. In addition, the men's cross country team placed fifth, the women's soccer team fourth, the women's basketball team eighth and the men's golf team seventh. Clayton State's men's soccer title was its first of the season, winning the conference championship with an undefeated a 5-0-1 mark in the league. CCSU received a berth for the second straight season to the NCAA Championships, led by a defense that posted a .78 goals against average, seventh best in the nation. The Lakers were ranked 13th in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. CCSU's men's basketball team captured the school's first PBC basketball title, posting a 19-9 overall and 15-4 record in the league. The championship run was a remarkable accomplishment, especially since the Lakers had never posted a winning record in its four prior years of competing in the league. The team relied on a stingy defense that ranked fourth in opposition scoring average and second in opponent field goal percentage. One highlight of the season was a record nine-straight road wins in Peach Belt play. Clayton State's women's tennis team was the PBC runner-up in 2002, posting a 16-8 overall record and a 9-1 mark in the PBC. The Lakers were ranked 10th in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll and advanced for the first time to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division II Championships. Clayton State's appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals capped a two-year run by the Lakers that includes a 33-11 dual match record, 19-1 record in PBC play and the 2001 Peach Belt Conference Championship. The Clayton State women's cross country team raced to a second place finish in the conference as all five of the Lakers scoring in the PBC meet placed in the top 20. The finish equaled the women's second place Peach Belt Conference finish in 1996. The Peach Belt Conference, which recently completed its 12th season, conducts championships in 12 sports for its 12 member schools.
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