April 15, 2011

MILWAUKEE - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee stands second in the Horizon League's McCafferty Trophy race and leads for the women's all-sports award following the conclusion of the winter sports season.

The league office announced the updated standings this week.

The Panthers have won four more conference championships in recent months, claiming crowns in men's and women's indoor track and field, men's basketball and men's swimming and diving during the winter sports season.

Those titles pushed Milwaukee up to 48.5 points in the race for the league all-sports award, just behind Butler's 51 points. UWM earned 31.5 of those points during the winter months.

The Panthers have overtaken the Bulldogs, 27.5-27, on the women's side while Butler leads Milwaukee, 24-21, for the top spot in the men's sports tally.

Last season, Butler held off Milwaukee by half of a point to win the McCafferty Trophy. The two schools have combined for 12 all-sports awards, with UWM's five trophies all coming in the last 10 years. Milwaukee has also won the last five women's all-sports awards.

Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to a member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points, based on their finish in the League's 19 championship sports. For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes. For all other sports, points are based on performance in the League championships.