2018-19 RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup Release

COLORADO SPRINGS - After a record-setting 2018-19 school year, Colorado School of Mines has won its fourth consecutive RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup, which measures overall department excellence among the RMAC's member institutions.

The Orediggers' point total of 952.5 is the highest in the history of the cup, besting the 937 set by Mines in 2015-16. It is only the second time in the history of the cup that an institution has won four straight as Mines joins former member Nebraska-Kearney, which won 11 in a row between 1995 and 2005. No active RMAC member has won more total cups than Mines (5) with Adams State (4), MSU Denver (2), and Colorado Mesa (2) also having more than one. 

"I am extremely proud of our student-athletes, coaches, athletics staff, administration, faculty, alumni, and parents who all work so hard to make Mines Athletics successful on the field and in the classroom," said Mines director of athletics David Hansburg. "To win one RMAC All-Sports Cup is an extraordinary accomplishment. To do it four years in a row is astounding considering the high level of competition we face in the RMAC year in and year out. Mines is proud to be part of the best Division II conference in the nation and we congratulate all of the other schools for what they have accomplished as well in 2018-19."

The Cup is awarded to the institution which accumulates the most points over the year based on its teams' outcome in the RMAC's four core sports, along with six wild card sports. The four core sports are football or men's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball, while the six wild card sports consist of three men's sports and three women's sports, which are designated by that institution's best finish in those 19 non-core sports (23 total RMAC sports). All points are based on regular-season finishes, or RMAC Championship finishes in cross country, track & field, and swimming.

In 2018-19, Colorado School of Mines became the first program in conference history to win 10 total championships, capturing eight regular-season titles and two tournament crowns. The Orediggers were regular-season champions in men's basketball, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's outdoor track and field, and were RMAC co-champions for football, volleyball and wrestling. Mines also captured RMAC Tournament titles in men's and women's soccer.

Mines earned a league-best 375 points from its core as men's soccer and men's basketball scored perfect 100s, and volleyball earned 97; Mines had the second-highest women's wild card total of 282 (behind UCCS' 285) thanks to soccer (100), outdoor track & field (94), and cross country (88), while Mines was nearly perfect in its men's wild card with a league-best 295.5 points courtesy of golf (100), outdoor track & field (100), and football (95.5). Impressively, Mines had three 90+ scores not even count towards the overall total in wrestling, men's indoor track & field, and baseball.

"Even in our highly competitive league, the Orediggers were able to register a record-setting year in the All-Sport standings," said RMAC Commissioner Chris Graham. "It's an impressive run to their fourth-straight
title. Congratulations to all of Colorado School of Mines' student-athletes, President Paul Johnson, Director of Athletics David Hansburg, Associate Director of Athletics Dixie Cirillo and the entire staff on this historic accomplishment"

Colorado Mesa (902 points) was the runner-up followed by UCCS (793.5), Dixie State (773.5), and CSU-Pueblo (687.5). 

The Cup win is Mines' fifth overall, and since winning it for the first time in 2011-12, Mines has finished no lower than third in the standings. Mines will be presented with the Cup during the RMAC Hall of Fame & Awards Ceremony on Friday, July 12 at the Colorado Springs Marriott.
 

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2018-19 RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup Standings
1. Colorado School of Mines - 952.5
2. Colorado Mesa - 902
3. UCCS - 793.5
4. Dixie State - 773.5
5. CSU-Pueblo - 687.5
6. MSU Denver - 675.5
7. Western - 666.5
8. Adams State - 638
9. Westminster - 633.5
10. Regis - 608.5
11. Black Hills State - 579.5
12. Colorado Christian - 499
13. Chadron State - 439.5
14. Fort Lewis - 372
15. New Mexico Highlands - 352
16. South Dakota Mines - 335.5