HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The Samford Athletics Department was awarded the Germann Cup, which goes to the top overall women's athletics program in the Southern Conference, and the league's Graduation Rate Award for a fifth-straight year each when the SoCon released its postseason awards Wednesday evening. Samford also finished second in the Commissioner's Cup standings, which is awarded to the top overall men's athletics program in the league.
 
Samford was the only school to finish in the top two for all three awards. Prior to this season, Samford had swept the three honors in back-to-back seasons.
 
"Our continued success year-after-year in the all-sports standings and the Graduation Rate award standings shows the continued commitment our coaches, student-athletes and staff make to being successful both in competition and in the classroom." Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton said. "At Samford, we pride ourselves in producing true student-athletes and these results prove those efforts are paying off."
 
Scoring for both awards is conducted on a percentage basis, with only the top seven sports for each school counting toward its season total. The SoCon sponsors 20 total sports, with the league's three co-ed rifle teams counting toward the Commissioner's Cup standings and the two women's rifle teams counting toward the Germann Cup.
 
Each sport is worth 10 points, with each spot in the standings given equal measure relative to how many schools sponsor that particular sport. For sports that determine a regular-season champion, a two-point bonus is awarded for winning the league tournament. Each school's total for the year is divided by 70, the maximum number of points possible when counting seven sports, to find its percentage.
 
In the Germann Cup race, Samford's indoor and outdoor track & field crowns were the 10th and sixth consecutive wins, respectively. The women's soccer championship was the fourth in six seasons. The Bulldogs finished with 59.17 points and an .845 percentage.
 
Since joining the SoCon in 2008-09, Samford has finished in the top two of the Germann Cup standings 14 of a possible 16 times and in the top four each year in the league.
 
In the Commissioner's Cup standings, ETSU's men finished with a total of 60.89 points, which is good for an .870 percentage. Samford followed closely behind with 59.56 points and a .851 percentage. The Bulldogs claimed tournament titles in indoor and outdoor track & field and men's tennis.
 
The Commissioner's Cup was inaugurated in 1970 and the Germann Cup was first awarded in 1987. The latter is named for former SoCon Commissioner Ken Germann, who served as commissioner of the Southern Conference from 1974-86 and spearheaded the effort to introduce women's athletics to the league. For a full history of both awards, click here: ALL-SPORTS AWARDS HISTORY.
 
Germann Cup
(Women's athletics – final standings)

1. Samford	.845
2. Furman	.821
3. Wofford	.725
4. Chattanooga	.720
5. ETSU	.678
6. Mercer	.675
7. Western Carolina	.631
8. UNCG	.547
9. VMI	.250
10. The Citadel	.238

Commissioner's Cup
(Men's athletics – final standings)

1. ETSU	.870
2. Samford	.851
3. Western Carolina	.710
4. Furman	.681
5. UNCG	.626
6. Chattanooga	.598
7. Mercer	.546
8. The Citadel	.451
9. VMI	.412
10. Wofford	.399

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford Athletics, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordSports (Twitter), and @SamfordSports (Instagram).