Boston University has been awarded the 2002-03 Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup it was announced today by Chris Monasch, Commissioner of America East. This is the second consecutive year that the Terriers have received this award after last winning the Commissioner's Cup in 1990-91. The Commissioner’s Cup annually recognizes the strongest athletic program in America East as determined by a scoring system which rewards a school for success both during the regular season and at championship competition in the conference’s 21 sports.
Boston University totaled 326 points to outdistance second-place finisher University of New Hampshire, which had 293 points. Northeastern University was third with 286 points, followed by University of Vermont (271), Stony Brook University (267), University of Maine (248), University at Albany (236), University of Hartford (208), and Binghamton University (191).
Boston University’s point total was bolstered by championships in five of the 18 sports in which it competes in America East. In addition, the Terriers were runners-up in five other championships and regular-season champions in three sports.
Boston University recorded championships in women's basketball, women’s cross country, women’s lacrosse, softball, and women’s tennis. In addition, the Terriers were runners-up in men's basketball, men’s cross country, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, and men's swimming and diving. Boston University’s men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, and softball teams were regular-season champions.
New Hampshire’s second-place finish was led by championships in men’s cross country and women's volleyball, the regular-season title in field hockey and women's volleyball, and runners-up finishes at the women’s lacrosse, and women’s swimming and diving championships.
Northeastern won an America East-best six conference championships including field hockey, men's soccer, women’s swimming and diving, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and baseball. The Huskies were runners-up in men's outdoor track and field, and won regular season championships in field hockey and men's soccer. Northeastern competes in 14 of the 21 sports offered by America East.
Vermont won the men’s basketball championship, while Hartford won the women's soccer championship. Albany (men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, and men's lacrosse) and Binghamton (men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, and men's golf) won their first America East Championships, after joining the conference last year.
The Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is named in honor of the first commissioner of America East. Haskell served as commissioner of the conference from 1987 until his retirement in 1997.
The scoring system for the Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner’s Cup is as follows: In sports where regular-season round robin competition is conducted, the first place institution in the final standings receives four points times the total number of teams involved in conference play. The second place institution receives four less points; third place receives eight less points, and so on. Additionally, the America East (tournament) champion receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second place institution receives two less points; third place receives four less points and so on down to the last place institution which receives two points.
In sports where regular-season round robin competition is not conducted (cross country, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming and diving), the first place institution at the America East championship receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second place institution receives two less points; third place gets four less points and so on down to the last place team which receives two points.