Brandon Chabot
Equinox Staff
The Commissioner’s Cup: an extra taste of cumulative excelling performance and winning within the Little East Conference and amongst all the athletic programs offered at Keene State College.
For the past 12 years, the eight conference affiliates have not only strived to be the best teams for any one particular sport; they also strive to succeed cumulatively amongst all sports in their athletic programs, for the shot at the Commissioner’s Cup. KSC has won all 12 years the Commissioner’s Cup has been offered.
Athletic Director John Ratliff said the cup is awarded to the teams with the best athletic programs in the Little East Conference. Ratliff said there are many factors that contribute to being awarded the cup. He said, “I think by being successful, student athletes want to come to these programs that are already successful because they already know they will have a pretty good chance that your going to win.”
Ratliff said the tenure of the coaching staff is also a big factor in the winning of the cup. “The average tenure is going on 20 years right now,” Ratliff explained. “So I think from a recruiting standpoint, what I like to tell parents is that in all probability the coach that recruits your son or daughter is going to be here to see them graduate,” Ratliff said.
Little East Conference Commissioner Jonathan Harper said although the athletes don’t get any other incentive for winning the cup, there is a pride aspect that comes with being recognized as the most dominant overall program in the LEC. “It’s great that we have a program that is so successful across the board, because they represent us very well,” Harper said.
“I think its great to know that the rest of our programs strive to try to reach the achievements that Keene has secured over the last 12 years,” Harper added.
Harper also said KSC keeps winning because the athletics department is successful across the board. Harper commended our leadership, coaching, athletes and recruits. Harper said that the point system is cumulative of how successful all the teams are at the ends of their seasons, and when teams win a conference title, two additional points are factored in the colleges’ averages.
“I think that all that continuity, consistency, combined with the institutional support, Mr. Ratliff’s leadership, have really kept us at the forefront,” KSC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Robert Colbert said.
KSC Women’s Soccer Head Coach, Denise Lyons said the fact that KSC has won the cup every year of its existence, indicates that not just one of the sports, but all the sports program are contributing points to win. “The type of athletes we bring here to Keene State is very important,” Lyons said. “Once you’re successful, and continue to be, I think it’s a good attraction for students.”
Colbert said it’s all about tradition. “I am a big believer in tradition and tradition only comes when something happens repeatedly over a long period of time,” Colbert said. “We have been in the Little East now 15 years, and to win that for over such a long period of time shows a prolonged tradition of excellence.”
Senior Women’s Track and Field Runner Maggie Fitter said she wasn’t aware of the Commissioner’s Cup as a freshman until she was told about it.
“I actually didn’t know what it was, I had heard about it just through the banquets that we do, and the things John Ratliff talks about.,” Fitter said.
Fitter added, “I definitely feel it’s a very big accomplishment. It’s hard, because we don’t win the conference all the time, so it’s hard to get all the teams to work together, to get that together.”
Jonathan Harper said he gives out the trophy out at the end of the school year. The last Monday in October is another special day. The President’s Cup, based on cumulative GPAs of all the sports athletes at each Little East Conference school, will be announced that Monday. KSC took this trophy home last year too.
“I like to say we hold the two highest awards in the conference. We hold both the athletic award and academic award. It shows you can be successful in academics and athletics at the same time,” Ratliff said.
Speaking of last year, Robert Colbert said, “Academic and athletic excellence, I mean that was quite a year.”
Lyons said also winning President’s Cup says a lot about KSC’s athletic department.
“The Commissioner’s Cup is based on talent of field participation and athletic prowess. The President’s Cup is based on GPA, and I think number one, all the athletes here are students first before there athletes,” Lyons said.
The next Commissioner’s Cup will be given to the most successful team in the LEC at the end of the spring athletic season.
Brandon Chabot can be contacted
at bchabot@keene-equinox.com