June 24, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. - For the third straight year and the sixth time in last seven, Boston University has claimed the America East's Stuart P. Haskell Commissioner's Cup, as announced at the league's annual meeting on Tuesday evening. Paced by six league titles, the Terriers have once again been recognized as the top athletic program in the conference.

The Cup standings are determined by a points system that rewards a school for success both during the regular season and at championship competition in the league's 22 sports.

BU, which won six conference titles, three regular-season crowns and had four runner-up finishes, tallied 378 points, the most since the league went to its current nine-member configuration in 2005. Albany placed second for the third straight year with 318 points just ahead of UMBC (314) and Binghamton (291). New Hampshire and Stony Brook tied for fifth with 278 points, followed by Vermont (250), Hartford (206) and Maine (147).

The Terriers won regular-season and tournament championships in field hockey, women's soccer and women's lacrosse, while also capturing titles in women's indoor track & field, women's outdoor track & field and women's tennis. BU was also the runner-up in women's cross country, women's basketball and men's and women's swimming and diving.

The Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner's Cup is named in honor of the first commissioner of America East. Haskell served as commissioner of the conference from 1987 until his retirement in 1997.

The scoring system for the Stuart P. Haskell, Jr. Commissioner's Cup is as follows: In sports where regular-season round robin competition is conducted, the first-place institution in the final standings receives four points times the total number of teams involved in conference play. The second-place institution receives four less points; third place receives eight less points, and so on. Additionally, the America East (tournament) champion receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place receives four less points and so on down to the last-place institution which receives two points.

In sports where regular-season round robin competition is not conducted (cross country, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming and diving), the first-place institution at the America East championship receives two points times the total number of teams participating in the championship. The second-place institution receives two less points; third place gets four less points and so on down to the last place team which receives two points.