May 30, 2000
Chicago, Ill. - The University of Illinois at Chicago Athletic Department has captured its first-ever Midwestern Collegiate Conference James J. McCafferty Trophy, the league's all-sports award, following championships in four sports this season it was announced today. UIC is just the sixth MCC institution to win the trophy, which has been presented to the league's all-sports champion since the league's inception in 1979-80.
"This award represents the progress that UIC Athletics has made over the last three years," Athletic Director James Schmidt said. "The efforts of all of our coaches and staff has been outstanding and to be recognized as the best program in the very competitive Midwestern Collegiate Conference is certainly an honor."
A symbol of a successful broad-based athletic program, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the MCC to the member institution accumulating the greatest number of "performance points" in conference championships. UIC totaled 38 points to finish first while Butler and UW-Milwaukee tied for second with 37 points. The Flames' men's sports tallied 18 performance points to tie for first while on the women's side, UIC's 20 points was just one shy of equaling Wright State for first place.
After finishing eighth in the 1998-99 standings, the Flames staged their remarkable turnaround this season by capturing four championships. Mike McGovern's softball squad recorded its fifth consecutive conference regular-season championship as well as its third straight tournament title while Mary Dailey's women's tennis team earned its fourth consecutive MCC Championship earlier this spring. Both teams then advanced to NCAA Regional competition.
On the men's side, Sasha Begovic coached the men's soccer program to its most successful season ever, winning the MCC regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's history. On the baseball diamond, Mike Dee led his young Flames to a school-record 33 wins while sharing the MCC regular-season title and finishing as runners-up at the 2000 MCC Championships.
"All of our sports teams contributed points toward the McCafferty award and I'm pleased that we have reached this short term goal," Schmidt said. "With our facilities, excellent coaching staffs and continued high-energy work ethic, the future is extremely bright."
In the closest McCafferty race in the 20-year history of the award, Butler and UW-Milwaukee tied for second with 37 points apiece, just one behind UIC. Wright State finished in fourth place with 35 points followed by UW-Green Bay (25), Loyola (21), Detroit (20) and Cleveland State (14).
Presented in honor of James J. McCafferty, former Xavier University men's basketball coach and director of athletics and the MCC's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy has previously been awarded to Oral Roberts, Evansville, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois and Butler.
1999-2000 McCafferty Trophy Standings1. UIC 38 points2. Butler 37 points UW-Milwaukee 37 points4. Wright State 35 points5. UW-Green Bay 25 points6. Loyola 21 points7. Detroit 20 points8. Cleveland State 14 points
1999-2000 Men's Sports Totals1. UIC 18 points Butler 18 points UW-Milwaukee 18 points4. Wright State 14 points5. Detroit 13 points6. Cleveland State 11 points7. Loyola 6 points UW-Green Bay 6 points
1999-2000 Women's Sports Totals1. Wright State 21 points2. UIC 20 points3. Butler 19 points UW-Green Bay 19 points UW-Milwaukee 19 points6. Loyola 15 points7. Detroit 7 points8. Cleveland State 3 points
