N E W S   R E L E A S E Contact: Dennis Collins, Executive Director Phone: (440) 871-8100 Fax: (440) 871-4221 E-mail: ncac@northcoast.org Edited: May 20, 2003 NCAC All-Sports Update Denison Wins Sixth Consecutive All-Sports Championship; Big Red Claim Three Team Titles in 2002-03 CLEVELAND -- Denison posted top-two finishes in 11 of 22 sports on the way to a successful defense of the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports Championship. The Big Red stood a close second after the winter season, a mere half point behind then-leader Allegheny, but jumped into the top position with a strong spring performance. Denison earned two championships and four second-place finishes this spring to compile 77 points, giving the Big Red a year-long total of 173.5. Denison, winners of six consecutive All-Sports crowns (seven overall), also won the title in the 1985-86 season. Wittenberg, which won the award in 1995-96, totaled 158.5 points to earn second place. The Tigers won three championships overall to duplicate last year's second-place finish. Wooster (155.5) finished third, followed by Allegheny (152.5) and Ohio Wesleyan (132.0) in fourth and fifth, respectively. Kenyon (125.5), Oberlin (90.0), Earlham (72.5), Wabash (59.5) and Hiram (56.5) took positions six through ten. Denison's championship campaign featured three NCAC titles -- women's indoor track, softball and women's tennis. The Big Red picked up eight second place finishes to cement their All-Sports win. Two teams advanced one spot in the standings from last year: Allegheny improved from fifth to fourth and Earlham moved from ninth to eighth. The All-Sports award is given annually to the school that performs the best across the NCAC's 22 sports. Ten points are awarded for a first-place finish, nine for a second, eight for a third, and so on. Men's and women's performances are combined, exemplifying the North Coast's commitment to equity and balance among programs. Wooster won three of the first four All-Sports championships, interrupted only by Denison in year two. Ohio Wesleyan followed with a six-year run before titles by Wooster (twice), Wittenberg and Denison (six times) over the past nine seasons. Ohio Wesleyan leads the way with 88 team championships during the NCAC's 19 playing seasons. Allegheny is next with 78 titles, followed by Kenyon and Denison (76), Wooster (50) and Wittenberg (48). North Coast Athletic Conference 2002-2003 Final All-Sports Standings   School Points 1.   Denison University 173.5 2.   Wittenberg University 158.5 3.   College of Wooster 155.5 4.   Allegheny College 152.5 5.   Ohio Wesleyan University 132.0 6.   Kenyon College 125.5 7.   Oberlin College 90.0 8.   Earlham College 72.5 9.   Wabash College * 59.5 10.  Hiram College 56.5 Click for complete 2002-2003 All-Sports chart (.pdf) * Note: Wabash is an all-male institution