UM wins President's Cup
for student-athletes

Regardless of how many points Grizzly athletes scored on the field this year, one thing is certain – they made a lot of three-pointers off it.

UM was awarded the 2006-2007 Sterling Savings Bank Big Sky Conference Presidents Cup, an award that goes to the school with the most successful student-athletes in the classroom and on the field. Team grade-point averages, graduation rates and number of all-conference performers with a GPA above 3.0 are used to determine the academic side, while athletic points are determined by regular-season standings for all men’s and women’s sports.

It is UM’s first Presidents Cup in the five-year history of the program.

“It’s a real accomplishment for the entire University,’’ said UM Athletic Director Jim O’Day. “It’s a credit to what our coaches, administrators and all of the people in Main Hall have been striving for for many years and comes at a time when we are certainly appreciative of everything our fans and boosters have done for the program.’’

Montana finished with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.11. Thirty student-athletes who received All-Conference honors earned a GPA of at least 3.0. The UM women’s tennis team and the women’s cross country team tied for the best GPA at 3.39. The golf team was a close third with 3.35, followed by the women’s indoor and outdoor track teams, who both posted 3.42 GPAs. The volleyball team and the women’s basketball team posted 3.19 GPAs. The soccer team finished at 3.17.

Athletic points were determined by regular-season standings and also given for finishes in the Big Sky Championships. The Grizzlies averaged 10.5 points per sport, a close second to Northern Arizona (10.6). Montana captured the football championship, advancing to the national semifinals. The Lady Griz captured the women’s regular-season title with a 15-1 conference record, as Robin Selvig’s team went 27-2 during the regular season, gaining a top 25 national ranking.

Montana’s women’s cross country team took second, and the soccer team tied for second. The men’s tennis team also took second.

“This award is shared with all across campus,’’ O’Day said. “We certainly appreciate all of the efforts of the deans and professors and what other academic personnel do to assure out student-athletes are successful.’’

Northern Arizona, the 2005-06 champion, was second in the competition this year. Weber State, winner of the first two Presidents Cups, was third.