Kansas Wesleyan wins 2020-2021 KCAC Commissioner’s Cup

WICHITA — Kansas Wesleyan University has won the Commissioner’s Cup for the second consecutive year, the conference office announced Monday. The KCAC Commissioner’s Cup is awarded annually as a symbol of excellence in athletics representing 20 championships. Member institutions can earn points for their finish of each varsity team in those 20 officially recognized conference sports.

“I’m so proud of our student-athletes, our coaches, and our staff, coming together for a truly collective win,” Steve Wilson, director of athletics for Kansas Wesleyan University, said. “An honor like this takes everyone on campus rowing in the same direction. To have a season in a pandemic is a win. To have a successful season and a commissioner’s cup win like this is something to build on and to celebrate. I am extremely proud to be a Coyote and to get to work with these coaches and staff to serve our students.”

“We thank our good friends with McCownGordon Construction for their continued support and offer congratulations to everyone associated with Kansas Wesleyan University athletics on this tremendous accomplishment during a year no one will soon forget.  This award has always been about collaboration and team effort which proved to be as important as ever during 2020-21, ” stated Dr. Scott Crawford, KCAC Commissioner.  “I offer a special note of acknowledgment to Steve Wilson, his coaches, and his athletic department staff for a job well done with their student-athletes and fans.”

The Coyotes got out to a strong start in the fall season, taking the lead in the Commissioner’s Cup standings behind top-four finishes in men’s & women’s cross country, football, women’s soccer, and volleyball. In the winter, the Coyotes’ lead in the Commissioner’s Cup standings shrunk, but top-five finishes in women’s indoor track & field, competitive dance, and women basketball helped them hold on to the top spot. Conference titles in both men’s and women’s golf, along with a top-three finish in the baseball standings, guaranteed the Coyotes would win the Commissioner’s Cup for a second consecutive season.

Friends University finished second in the Commissioner’s Cup standings in 2020-21, and, like Kansas Wesleyan, had strong fall and spring seasons. Second-place finishes for the Friends men’s and women’s cross country teams, along with a fourth-place finish in men’s soccer, helped the Falcons get out to a strong start in the fall season, sitting in second place at that point behind KWU. Team titles in men’s and women’s track & field helped the Falcons make up some ground in the winter season, sitting only four points behind the Coyotes at that point. Friends had a strong spring season as well, with a second-place finish in men’s outdoor track & field, a third-place finish in women’s outdoor track & field, and a fourth-place finish in the softball standings, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Kansas Wesleyan.

Tabor College rounded out the top three of the Commissioner’s Cup standings. The Bluejays were in third place at the end of the fall season, behind top-four finishes in men’s and women’s cross country and volleyball. Finishing in the top six in men’s and women’s indoor track & field and men’s and women’s basketball helped Tabor make up ground in the winter, edging closer to Friends at the end of the winter season. Strong seasons in men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, as well as baseball, kept the Bluejays in the mix, but they ultimately ended up two points behind the second-place Falcons and five and a half points behind Kansas Wesleyan in the final standings.

2020-21 Final Standings