MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire University captured its first ever NE10 Presidents' Cup for the 2021-22 school year, the league office announced at its end-of-the-year awards show Thursday evening. SNHU's previous highest finish in the Presidents' Cup standings came in 2018-19 when it placed fourth.

SNHU registered 171.5 points, with Adelphi University coming in as the runner-up with 161.5 points. Bentley University (152.0) slotted in third, with Franklin Pierce University (151.5) and Stonehill College (151.5) tying for fourth. The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the NE10. It is awarded to the institution that compiles the most cumulative points based on finishes in the regular-season standings from all of its programs competing in league championships.

"It is with immense Penmen Pride that we accept the athletic department's first-ever NE10 Presidents' Cup," said SNHU Director of Athletics Anthony Fallacaro. "There are many people that have a hand in this, but it starts and ends with the student-athletes that work hard at practice, during competition, in the classroom and in our community. This also would not be possible without our coaches, who put in a tireless amount of effort throughout the entire calendar year, as well as our athletic administration and support staff, and university administration, which provide us the tremendous resources needed to achieve this type of honor. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch each of our teams contribute to our overall success this season. What makes this honor so incredible is that we do not have the ability to garner points in six conference sports that many of our league opponents offer. We are at a disadvantage in total points available to us, so it illustrates just how successful we were this year across the board in the sports we sponsor."

Since Fallacaro took over prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the Penmen have not checked in lower than ninth, have three top-five finishes in the last five seasons, and have an average finish in the standings of 5.86 over those seven years (the Presidents' Cup was not awarded during the 2019-20 or 2020-21 school years, due to the pandemic. Instead, champions were awarded for each of the individual seasons that were played, including the fall of 2019, which saw the Penmen finish first). In the 13 years prior, the department placed ninth or better on just two occasions and averaged an 11.77 finish in the standings.

"Moving from 10th place the year before I arrived to first in the last nine years is a testament to the commitment our University, coaches, and student-athletes have to Penmen Athletics," Fallacaro said. "Penmen Pride is real and tangible, especially when you examine the growth and success all of our teams have experienced over the last nine years."

Sponsoring 18 of the conference's 24 sports, the Penmen gathered 77 percent of their possible 223 points – by far the highest in the league. Southern Connecticut State University (64%), Adelphi (63%) and Stonehill (62%) were the next closest. The six sports SNHU is not eligible to earn points in are the fourth most in the conference. Despite that, it was the only school in the league to earn more than 60 percent of its possible points in each of the three seasons and did so by a wide margin, with 74 percent in the fall, 80 percent in the winter and 79 percent in the spring. Southern Connecticut (60/69/63) was the closest competitor.

That consistency and high level of play from all the Penmen teams is what enabled them to take home their first Presidents' Cup. Of SNHU's 18 squads, 14 finished sixth or better, with an incredible 11 placing in the top three. The Penmen earned the highest number of points from women's soccer, women's basketball and baseball, which all gathered 14 points for winning NE10 Regular-Season Championships. Women's cross country, which finished second at the NE10 Championships, gathered 12 points, while women's outdoor track & field, which captured its first league crown, and softball, via a fourth-place finish, both contributed 11 points toward the tally. Men's ice hockey grabbed all seven possible points with a regular-season title, while women's tennis (10), women's indoor track & field (10) and men's tennis (7) posted runner-up finishes. Men's soccer (10.5) was third in the standings, as was men's golf (8).

2021-22 NE10 Presidents' Cup Standings

1. Southern New Hampshire – 171.5
2. Adelphi – 161.5
3. Bentley – 152.0
4. Franklin Pierce – 151.5
4. Stonehill – 151.5
6. Assumption  – 147.5
7. Southern Connecticut  – 140.5
8. Le Moyne – 134.0
9. American Int'l  – 124.0
10. Saint Anselm – 123.0
11. New Haven – 109.0
12. Pace – 90.5
13. Saint Rose – 87.5
14. Saint Michael's – 48.5