In a very close result, Westmont Athletics will hold on to the Golden State Athletic Conference All-Sports Award presented by Duke’s Restaurant in Huntington Beach. The Warriors averaged 6.83 points, edging out Concordia by 0.02 points in the final standings.
“The GSAC all-sports award is especially pleasing because it is our second in a row and for me establishes that we are a well-rounded and consistently solid athletic program,” said Westmont athletic director Dave Odell. “Our aim is to field competitive teams in every sport we’ve chosen to compete and this award demonstrates that we are doing this.
“I am especially pleased that with success on the field, we were also able to achieve strong results in the classroom,” noted Odell. “The fall semester GPA average for student-athletes was higher than any previous semester. Achieving within the academic rigors of Westmont, while being a full-time athlete, is quite a growing experience. I am quite proud of the way our student-athletes approach their business on and off the field.”
The All-Sports Award is an indicator of success within GSAC regular-season play. Teams earn points based on the final standings with the regular season champions earning eight points and the second place finishers earning seven, etc. The combined total is then divided by the number of sports in which a school competes to determine the average.
While Westmont won only one regular season championship in Men’s Track and Field, four of its teams finished second – women’s soccer, women’s track and field, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
Concordia, with a 6.81 average, was followed by Vanguard with 6.77, Biola with 6.54 and The Master’s with 6.30. San Diego Christian, Arizona Christian and Hope International averaged from 4.50 to 4.14.
Since the conference began, only three schools have won the All-Sports Award: Westmont, Azusa Pacific and California Lutheran.
In a measure of national postseason success, Westmont has finished 19th in the NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. The Cup seeks to honor institutions that maintain a broad-based program and achieve success in many sports, both men’s and women’s.
Westmont has finished in the top-20 three years in a row. The Warriors placed 13th in the 2012-13 season and 19th in the 2011-12 season.
Teams earn points for their institution based on success in national championship play. A national champion team earns 100 points while a second place finisher earns 90. A maximum of 12 teams can score points for an institution. Out of 14 opportunities, Westmont sent teams to 11 national championships.
During the fall season, Westmont women’s soccer got the ball rolling for the Warriors when they finished as the national runner-up. Women’s cross country placed 18th to claim 38 points and women’s volleyball added 37.5 points with a 19th place finish.
In the winter sports, women’s indoor track and field added 61.5 points with a 14th place finish. The women’s basketball team added 25 points with a 17th place finish. Men’s indoor track and field tallied 26 points for a 47th place finish.
Spring sports garnered the most points. Men’s and women’s tennis each finished ninth, tallying 53 points apiece. Baseball claimed 26th place in the NAIA to record 37.5 points. Women’s track and field earned 60.75 points with a 14th place finish. Men’s track and field finished 54th and notched 17.5 points.
