INDIANAPOLIS – Milwaukee has taken the overall lead in the race for the 2021-22 McCafferty Trophy after the conclusion of the Horizon League fall championship season.
The Panthers picked up 26 points in their fall championship campaign, 21 coming from the women's side. By season's end, Milwaukee had clinched the regular season titles in volleyball and women's soccer and earned as many championships by securing the women's cross country and women's soccer titles. The Panthers also saw the men's soccer team earn a tournament berth and a top-five finish in men's cross country. Oakland leads the men's McCafferty standings after winning the men's soccer regular season and championship. Milwaukee sits atop the overall standings with 26 points, followed by Oakland with 18 points and third place UIC's 10 points.
The Golden Grizzlies' second-place overall finish is boosted by their women's soccer team earning a No. 2 seed and being runner-up in the #HLWSOC championship. Additionally, the men's cross country team earned a top-five finish at the cross country championships in Carmel, Ind. UIC took third place after earning a No. 4 seed and then going on to win the #HLVB championship, as well as finishing third in the men's and fourth in the women's cross country championship standings.
Boasting eight points and tied for fourth is Northern Kentucky after appearances in the women's soccer and volleyball tournaments as well as Youngstown State as a result of the men's team placing second and the women finishing third at the #HLXC championship. Following in the overall standings is IUPUI who clinched the men's cross country title for the third year in a row.
Cleveland State takes the seventh spot in the standings as a result of the men's soccer team earning the No. 2 seed and a runner-up finish in the #HLMSOC championship and their women's soccer team earned a tournament appearance after finishing fifth in the regular season. Green Bay sits in eighth place after their women's soccer team battled to the semifinal round of the #HLWSOC championship. The Raiders hold the ninth-place position after landing third in the volleyball regular season and advancing to the semifinals of the #HLVB championship. Detroit Mercy earned fifth in the women's cross country championship to earn tenth in the overall standings.
Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to the member institution that compiles the greatest number of performance points, based on its finish in the League's 19 championship sports.
For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes. For all other sports, points are based on performance in the League championships.
Standings are updated after each championship season.
2021-22 McCafferty Trophy Standings - Fall
1. Milwaukee – 26
2. Oakland – 18
3. UIC – 10
T4. Northern Kentucky – 8
T4. Youngstown State – 8
6. IUPUI – 7
7. Cleveland State – 6
8. Green Bay – 3
9. Wright State – 2
10. Detroit Mercy – 1
T11. Purdue Fort Wayne – 0
T11. RMU – 0
Men's Standings
1. Oakland – 8
2. IUPUI – 7
T3. Milwaukee – 5
T3. UIC – 5
T3. Youngstown State – 5
T3. Cleveland State – 5
7. Detroit Mercy – 1
T8. Northern Kentucky – 0
T8. Green Bay – 0
T8. Wright State – 0
T8. Purdue Fort Wayne – 0
T8. RMU – 0
Women's Standings
1. Milwaukee – 21
2. Oakland – 10
3. Northern Kentucky – 8
4. UIC – 5
T5. Youngstown State – 3
T5. Green Bay – 3
6. Wright State – 2
7. Cleveland State – 1
T8. IUPUI – 0
T8. Detroit Mercy – 0
T8. Purdue Fort Wayne – 0
T8. RMU – 0