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Bloomsburg Captures 2011-12 Dixon Trophy

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 12:00 PM

All-Time Dixon Trophy Standings

Final 2011-12 Dixon Trophy Standings

Harrisburg, Pa. –  Bloomsburg University has captured the 2011-12 Dixon Trophy it was announced today at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Board of Directors meeting.  The trophy is awarded each year to the league school with the top athletics program among its 16 full-time members.

The Dixon Trophy is named after F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., former chairman of the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Each year it is awarded to the PSAC institution that accumulates the most points based on results of conference playoffs and/or regular-season records. Each institution's point total is calculated by adding its top six men's finishes and top six women's finishes in 23 conference sports.

In winning this year's crown, Bloomsburg accumulated 163 points to outdistance Shippensburg University, the two-time defending champion, by a five-point margin.  Kutztown University finished in third with 150 points, just ahead of Slippery Rock University with 149.5 points.  California (147), West Chester (146.5), Indiana (Pa.) (145.5) and Edinboro (144) Universities rounded out a tightly bunched group in fourth through seventh place. 

Of its total, Bloomsburg netted a league-best 88 points on the women's side and 75 points on the men's side, which tied for third.  The Huskies program won PSAC titles in field hockey, women's lacrosse and men's tennis, and had runner-up finishes in men's soccer, wrestling, softball and women's basketball.  Bloomsburg also registered a third place in women's tennis, fourth-place totals in football and women's cross country and a fifth-place total in men's basketball.

Bloomsburg now has three Dixon Trophy titles to its credit.  The Huskies were the top league program in 1995-95 and 1996-97, the first two years in which the award came into existence.  In addition to topping the field, Bloomsburg also made the highest ascension from the previous year, jumping up six spots from its seventh-place finish in 2010-11.      

Shippensburg fell short of winning a third straight and eighth overall title despite claiming a PSAC-best five championship crowns.  The Raiders topped the field in women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track & field, and men's and women's outdoor track & field.  They also had second-place showings in field hockey and men's cross country. 

Kutztown posted the best finish among men's programs with 80.5 points and collected 69.5 points on the women's side.  The Golden Bears won the PSAC Football Championship Game for the first time in school history and had runner-up finishes in men's tennis, baseball and women's soccer.  

Slippery Rock had the highest finish among league schools that did not win a PSAC title.  The Rock placed in the top three in six sports, including second in football, men's outdoor track & field, and men's and women's indoor track & field.  California finished right behind Bloomsburg on the women's side with 86 total points, boosted by championship titles in tennis, volleyball and soccer. 

Seven schools have won the Dixon Trophy since its inception in 1995-96. In addition to Bloomsburg, Shippensburg (7) and Lock Haven (3) have won multiple times. California, Kutztown, Millersville and Slippery Rock have claimed one apiece.