May 13, 2009
WACO, Texas -- Northwood University (Texas) finished the 2008-09 athletics season the same way the Knights wrapped up the previous year, by winning the Red River Athletic Conference baseball and softball championships and, ultimately, the conference's All-Sports Award.

Northwood edged out baseball rivals University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Wesleyan University with a conference tournament victory that cemented the top spot. It is Northwood's third All-Sports trophy including a tie in 2000-01 and last year's triumph.

The All-Sports Award is given annually to the RRAC member institution that performs best across the conference's sponsored sports in a given academic year. Points are awarded to the top five teams in each sport and a score for each school is determined as an average across the number of sports in which a school participates. Conference tournament results are used except in the case of soccer and softball where regular season conference records determine points.

For Northwood, its consistency included four conference titles including men's cross country and a tie in women's soccer. The Knights were also runners-up in men's golf and women's track and field. They registered points in all eight of their sports.

UTB accomplished its highest finish in second place thanks in part to titles in men's soccer and women's soccer (tie) along with third-place finishes in volleyball and baseball.

TWU collected titles in men's golf and women's soccer (tie) to finish in third. The Rams were runners-up in men's basketball and baseball.

Among the other top finishers were Langston University (Okla.), Jarvis Christian College (Texas) and Bacone College (Okla.). Langston claimed conference crowns in women's basketball and women's track and field. JCC's Bulldogs were the men's basketball tournament champs and Bacone won in men's track and field.

-RRAC-