Whitworth Surges to All-Sports Trophy Title

SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University surged past two-time defending champion University of Puget Sound during the spring sports season to win the Northwest Conference's 2008 McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports trophy. It is the second time the Pirates have won the trophy, after winning initially in 2005.

Whitworth won the NWC title in men's track and field, and added runner up finishes in men's golf, women's golf and women's tennis, to score 105 points in the spring for a final total of 253. The Pirates won a total of six conference titles, and were runners-up in four other sports, in 2007-08.

Linfield College had the strongest spring and made the biggest move up the standings. The Wildcats claimed four NWC spring titles to score 128 points this season and finish with 234 points overall. Linfield won conference titles in baseball, softball, women's tennis and men's golf. It is the second year in a row that Linfield finished second in the standings.

UPS, winners of the last two trophies, fell to third place in the final standings with 221 points.

Willamette University, winners of the NWC women's track and field title, edged ahead of Pacific Lutheran University for fourth place in the final standings (185 - 184).

George Fox University, with runner up finishes in baseball and women's track, moved up from eighth to sixth with 135 points, while Pacific University used a championship in women's golf and a second place finish in softball to move from ninth place to seventh with 131 points. Whitman College took the men's tennis title and finished eighth with 129 points. Lewis & Clark College (115 points) was ninth.

The Northwest Conference All-Sports Trophy recognizes athletic excellence among Northwest Conference institutions across all fields of competition. It is named in honor of John Lewis, the baseball coach (1947-72), basketball coach (1947-67) and athletics director (1952- 72) at Willamette University; and Jane McIlroy, Linfield College's women's athletics director and physical education professor from 1950- 82 who also coached field hockey (1952-81), basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis..

key: wxc = women's cross country; mxc = men's cross-country; wsoc = women's soccer; msoc = men's soccer; vb = volleyball; fb = football; wsw = women's swimming; msw = men's swimming; wbb = women's basketball; mbb = men's basketball; bb = baseball; sb = softball; wtn = women's tennis; mtn = men's tennis; wg = women's golf; mg = men's golf; wtf = women's track & field; mtf = men's track & field.

2007-08 NWC Sport Winners:
Whitworth, 6 (Football, Men's Soccer, Women's Swimming, Men's Swimming, Men's Basketball, Men's T&F)
Linfield, 4 (Baseball, Softball, Men's Golf, Women's Tennis)
Willamette, 3 (Men's Cross-Country, Women's Cross-Country, Women's T&F)
Puget Sound, 2 (Women's Soccer, Women's Basketball - tie)
Pacific Lutheran, 1 (Volleyball)
George Fox, 1 (Women's Basketball - tie)
Pacific, 1 (Women's Golf)
Whitman 1 (Men's Tennis)