YORK, Pa. — Second-year Capital Athletic Conference member Christopher Newport University, strengthened by strong showings in the four women's sports, took a small early lead over Salisbury and the rest of the CAC in the chase for the conference's 2014-15 Richard C. Cook All-Sports Trophy.
The Captains, supported by CAC titles in women's cross country, volleyball and a first-place regular-season finish in women's soccer, compiled 64.5 points during the fall season to take the all-sports trophy lead into the winter season. Christopher Newport also compiled 45 points to lead the chase in the women's sports campaign.
CNU, which also won the men's soccer playoff title after finishing fifth in the regular-season standings, is the defending Richard C. Cook All-Sports Trophy and Women's Commissioners Award champions.
Salisbury University, the 10-time winner of the Richard C. Cook All-Sports Award and three-time defending champion in the Men's Commissioners Award, is second in the all-sports standings with 61.0 points. The Sea Gulls, who scored 23.0 points in the two fall men's sports, won the 2014 CAC men's cross country title and topped the regular-season standings in men's soccer.
The University of Mary Washington, which boasts a CAC-best 12 Richard C. Cook All-Sports Awards titles, is third in all three categories following the fall 2014-15 campaign. The Eagles, who compiled 49.0 points in the fall season, were second in the CAC women's cross country championship, second in the field hockey regular season and added top four finishes in men's cross country, men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball.
York College of Pa., St. Mary's College of Md. and Frostburg State are tightly bunched in the middle of the pack in all three races. The Spartans, with 39.5 points in the overall standings, edged St. Mary's (38.5) by just one point, with FSU (31.5) close behind.
YCP was third in both cross country meets and tied for third in the field hockey regular-season standings. St. Mary's received strong point totals from both soccer, field hockey and volleyball teams. FSU collected its second women's soccer championship trophy in the past three years and was also improved in both men's soccer and women's cross country.
There is just a two-point gap between the three schools in the Men's Commissioners Cup standings, with Penn State Harrisburg also challenging after its second-place finish in men's soccer, and six points seperating the Spartans, Seahawks and Bobcats in the women's standings.
While not challenging for the lead, there is another battle developing between Wesley (20.0), Southern Virginia (19.5), Marymount (18.5) and Penn State Harrisburg (16.0) in the all-sports standings. Wesley improved this year in women's cross country and women's soccer while Marymount and Southern Virginia tied for second in the volleyball standings. MU also had a strong showing in the men's cross country championship.