N E W S R E L E A S E Contact: Dennis Collins, Executive Director Phone: (216) 871-8100 Fax: (216) 871-4221 E-mail: ncacoffice@aol.com Edited: May 20, 1999 NCAC All-Sports Report Denison claims third All-Sports title; Big Red shatter own scoring record CLEVELAND -- Denison posted top-three finishes in 17 of 22 sports on the way to a successful defense of the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Sports championship. The Big Red, who have won three titles overall, built a 15-point advantage after the winter season and finished strong with three championships and two second-place finishes in the spring to total 160.5 points and shatter the previous scoring record of 149.5 that they established last year. Denison's remaining All-Sports title came in 1985-86. Allegheny totaled 132.5 points to earn second place for the first time since the NCAC expanded in 1989-90. The Gators won four spring championships to climb three spots from fifth in the standings after the winter season. Six-time champion Ohio Wesleyan (124.5) placed third, followed closely by five-time champ Wooster (124) in fourth and Wittenberg (123.5) in fifth. Kenyon (107.5), CWRU (82), Oberlin (62.5) and Earlham (48) took positions six through nine. Denison's championship campaign featured eight NCAC titles -- outright crowns in men's cross country, women's indoor track & field, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, women's soccer and men's tennis, plus co-championships in women's cross country and field hockey. The Big Red improved their standing in nine sports and added 11 points to their total from a year ago. Allegheny (+9.5), Earlham (+8.5) and Ohio Wesleyan (+3) also made sizeable gains in point totals. Allegheny and Ohio Wesleyan both climbed three positions in the standings. The All-Sports award is given annually to the school that performs the best across the NCAC's 22 sports. Nine points are awarded for a first-place finish, eight for a second, seven 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 leading to titles by Wooster (twice), Wittenberg and Denison (twice) over the past five seasons. Allegheny leads the way with 68 team championships in 15 different sports during the NCAC's 15 playing seasons. Ohio Wesleyan is next with 66 titles, followed by Denison (58), Kenyon (57) and Wooster (42). NORTH COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Final 1998-99 All-Sports Standings Place School Points 1. Denison University 160.5 2. Allegheny College 132.5 3. Ohio Wesleyan University 124.5 4. College of Wooster 124.0 5. Wittenberg University 123.5 6. Kenyon College 107.5 7. Case Western Reserve University 82.0 8. Oberlin College 62.5 9. Earlham College 48.0