Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University's unparalleled dominance in the South Atlantic Conference continued in 2018, with the Bulldogs claiming the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for a record 12th consecutive year. The award annually recognizes the athletic department with the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the conference's 20 sports. Wingate piled up 1,778.5 points in the new point system, winning by 316.5 points over second-place Queens

"Winning the Echols award is always a thrill since it recognizes the overall excellence of Bulldog athletics," Wingate University Wingate University Vice-President and Director of Athletics Steve Poston says. "To win this award for 12 consecutive years is unimaginable. It never gets old! There are many outstanding schools with high quality athletic programs in the South Atlantic Conference which makes this award even more special. The credit obviously goes to our outstanding coaching staff and many very special student-athletes."

Wingate continues its unprecedented run with a 12th straight Excellence Cup victory. Before Wingate's run, the previous record was eight by Elon from 1989-1997. Wingate's 12 all-time Excellence Cups are a league record. The other current 10 SAC schools have combined to win the cup five times.

Wingate's margin of victory through the years has also been record-breaking. Using the old point system, Wingate won by 20 or more points in each of the past seven years, starting with the 29-point win in 2010-11. The Bulldogs won by 20.5 in 2011-12, while winning by 20 in 2012-13. Wingate accumulated a record 184 points to win by 44 in 2013-14, while collecting 182 points to win by a record 49.5 in 2014-15. Wingate won by 24.5 points in 2015-16, before the new point system came into effect this year. Before Wingate's 29-point win, the highest margin of victory was 12.5 set by Elon in 1996-97. Under the old point system, Wingate accumulated 173.5 points last year, winning by 38 points over Queens, the third-highest margin ever. Using the old point system this year would calculate to a 34.5-point victory for the Bulldogs, compiling a new record 196 points.

Excellence Cup points are based on final regular season standings in all conference sports except men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, women's golf, men's track & field and women's track & field, where tournament standings are used. The trophy is presented at the SAC Annual Business Meeting at the conclusion of each academic year. The trophy is named in honor of former SAC Commissioner Doug Echols. A new formula began last season, where the champion will always receive 100 points and last place will receive 10 points regardless of the number of schools that sponsor that championship sport. The points earned for all other place finishes varied based on the number of schools that sponsor that particular sport.  

Wingate was incredibly balanced in the 2017-18 season, with all 20 SAC sports finishing in the top four of the league standings, picking up eight total SAC championships (four regular season, four tournament/meet) to go along with nine runner-up finishes.

The Bulldogs once again had a productive fall, with the defending national champion men's soccer team winning the SAC regular season and tournament titles. Wingate football also took home the regular season championship, with volleyball, men's cross country and women's soccer all finishing second to go along with a third-place effort from women's cross country. Football, men's soccer and volleyball all earned NCAA Tournament bids, with the volleyball team advancing to the regional title match.

The winter saw the women's basketball team finish second and the men finish fourth, while both track and field teams finished second at the Indoor SAC Championships. The women's basketball team advanced to the regional semifinals, while both track teams scored points at the NCAA Indoor championships.

Wingate's spring saw both tennis teams take home the regular season title, with the men adding a tournament championship. The women's golf team and women's track & field team both won titles at the SAC championships, while Wingate baseball, men's lacrosse and men's track & field finished second. The men's golf team finished third, with softball and women's lacrosse notching fourth-place finishes. Each tennis team picked up NCAA Tournament victories, while the women's golf team is currently playing at the NCAA regionals. Both track teams will send student-athletes to the outdoor championships later this month.

2017-18 Final Excellence Cup Standings
 

Rank	School	Points
1	Wingate	1,778.5
2	Queens	1,462
3	Lenoir-Rhyne	1,293.7
4	Carson-Newman	1,207.5
5	Lincoln Memorial	1,087.5
6	Anderson	1,055.5
7	Tusculum	841.33
8	Coker	814.16
9	Catawba	796.5
10	Newberry	704.49
11	Mars Hill	521.5

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 12 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 99 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 108 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.