Covenant Athletics Leads USA South Presidents Cup

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

After having a successful fall season, Covenant athletics currently ranks first in the overall USA South Presidents Cup standings, and also first in the women's cup rankings, announced the conference on Wednesday.

The USA South Athletic Conference Presidents Cup symbolizes the league's top men's and women's athletic program each year.

The Presidents Cup is awarded by a points system where the first place team in each sport will be awarded the number of points that corresponds to the number of schools that sponsor teams in that sport. The second place team receives one point less than the first place team and so on, down to one point for the last place team that competes.

In the fall, Covenant volleyball earned a West Division regular season title for a fourth consecutive season. Both cross country teams placed second overall in the conference meets, while men's soccer was runner-up in the conference tournament. Women's soccer advanced to the semifinal round of the USA South Tournament after finishing third in the West Division. Women's cross country runner Lilly Smith garnered additional points for Covenant with her second place finish at the USA South meet.

The team winning the USA South Tournament championship, with the exception of football, receives two bonus points for that sport while the runner-up will receive one bonus point. In the sports of golf and cross country, the athlete placing first will earn two bonus points for his/her institution while the runner-up will earn one bonus point. If athletes from the same institution place first and second, that institution will earn the two bonus points for the first place finish only. Finally, for those sports with divisional standings, the Presidents Cup points are separated by divisions.

Covenant's highest-ever finish in the Presidents Cup was fourth in the 2015-16 academic year. The Scots also led the Presidents Cup standings through the fall last year before placing sixth overall, and third in the women's cup.

The Cup standings are updated after each season of competition comes to a close. The final rankings, with this year's winners, will be announced following the spring seasons.