MANSFIELD, Mass. – Southern New Hampshire University claimed its second consecutive NE10 Presidents' Cup for the 2022-23 school year, the league office announced at its end-of-the-year banquet Sunday night, becoming the first institution since Merrimack College in 2017-18 and 2018-19 to win back-to-back Presidents' Cups. Prior to its first win last year, SNHU's previous highest finish in the Presidents' Cup standings came in 2018-19 when it placed fourth.
SNHU registered 159.0 points, with Adelphi University coming in as the runner-up for a second straight campaign with 158.0 points. Bentley University (151.0) slotted in third, with Franklin Pierce University (148.5), Assumption University (145.0) and Southern Connecticut University (142.0) placing fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. 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 an incredible amount of Pride that we accept SNHU's second-ever NE10 Presidents' Cup," said SNHU Director of Athletics Anthony Fallacaro. "I would like to first thank the NE10 Conference and staff for this tremendous honor and all of their hard work throughout the year. An accomplishment like this starts with the support provided by my University leadership in [Vice President of Student Affairs] Heather Lorenz, [Executive Vice President, Campus Administration] Don Brezinski, [Chief Operating Officer] Amelia Manning and [University President and Chief Executive Officer] Paul LeBlanc. Thank you for providing us with the resources to compete. I'd also like to thank my athletic staff; our athletic operations staff, athletic trainers and our communications staff for all that they do throughout the year to support our student-athletes. Repeating as the winner of the Presidents' Cup is no easy task and highlights what an incredible job our coaches and student-athletes did this year to once again win the NE10 Presidents' Cup. Every team is represented in the point total and that is what makes this their honor, their award and something every SNHU student-athlete can call their accomplishment."
Since Fallacaro took over prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, the Penmen have not checked in lower than ninth, have four top-five finishes in the last six seasons, and have an average finish in the standings of 5.25 over those eight 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.
Sponsoring 18 of the conference's 24 sports, the Penmen gathered 76 percent of their possible 208 points – the highest in the league. Southern Connecticut State University (70%), Adelphi (65%), Bentley (62%), Franklin Pierce (62%) and Saint Anselm (62%) were the next closest. The six sports SNHU is not eligible to earn points in are the third most in the conference. Despite that, it was the only school in the league to earn more than 70 percent of its possible points in each of the three seasons and did so by a wide margin, with 75 percent in the fall, 88 percent in the winter and 72 percent in the spring. Southern Connecticut (67/80/63) was the closest competitor.
That consistency and high level of play from all the Penmen teams is what enabled them to take home their second straight Presidents' Cup. Of SNHU's 18 squads, 14 finished sixth or better, with an incredible 10 placing in the top three and 13 in the top four. The Penmen earned the highest number of points from baseball (14.0), women's cross country (13.0), men's basketball (13.0) and women's basketball (11.0), Baseball, men's basketball, women's tennis (10) and men's tennis (6.0) all won NE10 Regular-Season Championships, while women's cross country (10.0), women's indoor track & field (10.0) and women's outdoor track & field (10.0) all captured their respective league crowns. Men's cross country (10.0), men's golf (10.0), women's volleyball (9.5) and men's soccer (9.0) also contributed a high number of points.
2022-23 NE10 Presidents' Cup Standings
1. Southern New Hampshire – 159.0
2. Adelphi – 158.0
3. Bentley – 151.0
4. Franklin Pierce – 148.5
6. Assumption – 145.0
7. Southern Connecticut – 142.0
8. Le Moyne – 129.0
9. Saint Anselm – 121.0
10. New Haven – 115.5
11. American Int'l – 88.0
12. Pace – 79.0
13. Saint Rose – 61.5
14. Saint Michael's – 57.0
