Olivet Nazarene University

Posted: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The race for the 2008-2009 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophy has tightened with the completion of the basketball season as Olivet Nazarene University and Saint Xavier University have jumped over fall leader Illinois Institute of Technology to gain a share of the top spot. Both ONU and SXU are up to 40 points in the standings with Illinois Institute of Technology lurking just behind with its 39.5 points and Trinity Christian College within striking distance at 37.5.

Saint Xavier earned 10 points over the winter with seven coming from its women's basketball regular-season and conference tournament championships, while Olivet Nazarene picked up seven points to move into the first-place tie.

Trinity Christian gained ground by sharing the men's division II basketball regular-season title and winning the league tournament. Separated by nine points between itself and IIT, the leader after the fall, the Trolls are now within 2.5 points of the top spot heading into the spring.

Judson University also moved up in the standings with its regular-season co-championship on the men's division II side in basketball and second-place finish on the women's side. The Eagles now man the fifth position.

Cardinal Stritch University made the biggest gains over the winter by claiming a share of the men's division II basketball regular-season crown and both the regular-season and conference tournament titles on the women's division II side. The Wolves totaled 13 points to boost their overall score to 30 points.

The complete point standings through the winter are as follows:

Olivet Nazarene (40 Points)
Saint Xavier (40)
Illinois Tech (39.5)
Trinity Christian (37.5)
Judson (34)
St. Francis (33)
Cardinal Stritch (30)
Robert Morris (29.5)
Trinity International (28.5)
Calumet St. Joseph (9)
Indiana South Bend (9)
Purdue Calumet (5)
Purdue North Central (5)

Points are awarded in each sport according to the institution's position of finish at the end of the regular season with the point system being based upon the number of teams sponsored in each sport. For example, if six teams make up a conference sport, the point system would be as follows: 6-5-4-3-2-1. If two or more teams finish in a tie in the league standings, those points are equally distributed amongst each of the tied teams involved. An additional point is awarded to any team that also captures a conference tournament title.

Olivet Nazarene University captured the first-ever trophy last year totaling 65 points, or one more than Saint Xavier University.

Dave Laketa
CCAC SID