CAPE COD, Mass. – Five-time winner Williams College and first time winner Duke University have been selected co-recipients the 2009 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Jostens Institution of the Year Award.

Williams won the first ECAC Jostens Award presented in 1995 and has now won an ECAC record five awards (1995, 1999, 2001, 2004 & 2009) in the 15-year history of the award.

Williams and Princeton University (2) are the only two schools to win the ECAC Jostens Institution of the Year Award more than once.

The ECAC features a membership of 320 institutions representing all three NCAA competitive divisions, stretching across 16 states from Maine to North Carolina.

The ECAC Jostens Institution of the Year Award is given annually to the ECAC institution that best exemplifies the highest standards of collegiate academic and athletic performance. 

Logan Todhunter '12

“We are thrilled to win the Jostens Institution of the Year Award and honored to share it with a great institution and athletic department like Duke University,” said Eph Athletic Director Harry Sheehy. “This award recognizes the highest standard of academic and athletic success and I am thankful for the terrific coaches and student-athletes who have made this possible. The Jostens Award is one that the Williams College Athletic Department truly appreciates and cherishes.”

The award will be presented on –Tuesday, October 6 at the ECAC Honors Luncheon presented by Jostens at The Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis, Massachusetts during the 2009 ECAC Fall Convention and Trade Show.  Presenting the award will be Jim Dougher, Jostens National Sports Manager and long-time supporter of the ECAC. 

The Jostens Institution of the Year Award is based annually on participation and success of an institution's athletic program in recognition of the following selection criteria:

1.  Documentation and confirmation of academic success by the institution’s student-athlete population

2.  Number of ECAC championships won

3.  Number of institution’s teams selected for participation in ECAC championships

4.  Number of institution’s teams selected for participation in NCAA championships

5.  Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Points

Brooks Udelsman '09

ECAC Jostens Institutional of the Year Award Winners:

2009   Williams College and Duke University

2008   Stevens Institute of Technology

2007   Brandeis University

2006   New York University

2005   Keene State College

2004   Williams College

2003   Harvard University

2002   University of Maryland

2001   Williams College

2000   Georgetown University

1999   Williams College

1998   Princeton University

1997   Middlebury College

1996   Princeton University

1995   Williams College

Katherine Robinson '09

Williams won its 11th consecutive Directors’ Cup award in 2008-09 and 13th of the 14 awarded in NCAA Division III with a strong spring campaign that featured the women’s tennis team repeating as NCAA Champions and the women’s crew team winning a record 4th consecutive NCAA title.

Ten Eph teams finished in the top 10 in the nation, eight in the top five. Williams scored in 17 of a maximum of 18 sports in the 2008-09 Directors’ Cup: 

Women’s Crew – 1st

Women’s Tennis – 1st

Women’s X-C – 3rd

Men’s X-C – 3rd

Women’s Soccer – 3rd

Women’s Swimming & Diving – 4th

Men’s Tennis – 5th

Women’s Volleyball – 5th

Women’s Lacrosse – 9th

Wrestling – 10th

M/W Skiing – 14th (Div. I)

Outdoor Women’s Track & Field – 14th

Outdoor Men’s Track & Field – 15th

Men’s Swimming & Diving – 21st

Indoor Men’s Track & Field – 48th

Indoor Women’s Track & Field – 48th

Justin Moore celebrates with US Junior National 8+ gold medal winners

Most recently women’s crew head coach Justin Moore guided the US 8+ boat to the gold medal at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, earning the US boat a spot in the 2010 Youth Olympic games next August in Singapore.

In July Katherine Robinson ’09 won a silver medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships in the Lightweight Quad Boat in Racice, Czech Republic. Robinson was the lone non-Division I rower in the boat. 

Last fall the Ephs repeated as ECAC Cross-Country Champions in both the men’s and women’s competitions. For the Ephmen it was their fourth consecutive ECAC title.

Andy Ward ’09 and Dan Kenefick ’11 were invited to U23 Lightweight National Crew Team Selection Camp. 

The 2008 Williams men’s and women’s eights won prestigious Head of the Charles, a first for the Men’s Team.

During the 2008-09 academic year Williams won 10 NESCAC titles, tops in NESCAC. For the 24th straight year the Ephs won the most Little Three titles in a year in the competition with Amherst and Wesleyan that features 26 team titles.

First year Logan Todhunter set NCAA Division III women’s swimming records in winning the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events and senior Lauren Philbrook won the 10,000 at the Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Sophomore Ryan Malo finished second at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at 197. Senior Macklin Chaffee placed second in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 1,500 for the second year in a row.

Academic Highlights:

Elly Teitsworth '10

-- 165 Juniors and seniors earn Academic All-NESCAC Honors (minimum cumulative GPA 3.35).

-- Williams wrestling wins second consecutive National Scholar All-American Team Award from National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). NWCA also named five Ephs Scholar All-Americans: Ethan Cohen ’09, Nathan Shippee ’10, Jon Foster ’11, Josh Mattana ’11 and Corey Paulish ’11.

-- Men’s Cross-Country wins 2008 NCAA Division III USTFCCCA Men’s Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year – 17th straight year team has made the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team list

-- Women’s Volleyball earns fourth American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award in last five years

-- Women’s Cross-Country honored for 17th straight year on USTFCCCA All-Academic Team list and four Ephs recognized individually: Robin Kuntz ’09, Jessica Clarke ‘11, Elly Teitsworth ’10 and Meghan Shea ’11

-- Emily Fowler-Cornfeld ’09 named a recipient of a Fulbright Grant.

-- Robin Allemand ’10 named 2nd Team ESPN the Magazine District I Academic Team

-- Michael Gerbush ’09 named USILA Scholar All-American

-- 10 Ephs named to National Ski Coaches Association (NSCA) All-Academic Team -- Jim Whitledge ’09, Eirik Buraas ’09, Alex Dyroff ’10, Sam Kapala ’09, Fiona Worcester ’09, Alice Nelson ’10, Alex Taylor ’10, Keith Kantack ’11, Evan Dethier ’11, and Kirsten Johnson ’11.  Worcester and Kapala honored for the third straight year, while Dyroff, Nelson, Taylor, and Dethier received award for the second time.

-- Six Women and two Men earn USTFCCCA National All-Academic Track Honors: Lauren Philbrook ’09, Jessica Clarke ‘10, Olga Kondratjeva ’10, Nora Mitchell ’10, Lizzy Danhakl ‘11 and Meghan Shea ’11 along with Stew Buck ‘09 and Eric Jonash ‘09 

-- Four football players named to National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society: Tim Batty ’09, Charlie Birns ’09, Stew Buck ’09 and Austin Norris ‘09

-- Anne O’Leary named National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar for third straight year 

Duke finished 17th in the final 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings, which was released by the National Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). This marks the sixth consecutive season that Duke has placed in the top 20 of the annual all-sports rankings. Overall, Duke ended with 891.80 points, its third-highest point total in the rankings since its inception in 1994.

The Blue Devils captured two ECAC titles, the women’s indoor track and field championship and the men’s IC4A cross country championship.

“Duke is extremely honored to be named the 2009 ECAC Jostens Institution of the Year,” said Duke University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White. “As the nation’s largest athletics conference with 320 member institutions, it is privilege for Duke to be recognized in this way by such a prestigious organization. Not only has the ECAC provided an outstanding platform for achievement in athletics, it has done so in service and academic success as well.”
Two Duke squads were ranked No. 1 during the 2008-09 campaign -- men’s basketball and women’s tennis. A total of six Blue Devil squads were ranked in the top 10 nationally during the season. The women’s tennis team claimed its first NCAA Championship and Duke’s 10th overall in school history. The men’s lacrosse, women’s tennis and volleyball squads earned Co-ACC regular season titles.

The men’s lacrosse team won its sixth overall ACC Championship and the women’s tennis team notched its 16th overall ACC title.

Individually, freshman women’s tennis player Mallory Cecil won the NCAA Individual title, ITA National Player of the Year and the Honda Award. Coming off earning two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, freshman Becca Ward won the NCAA individual fencing title in saber. Blue Devil junior heavyweight wrestler Konrad Dudziak was the runner-up at the NCAA Championship.

Overall, Duke had 27 student-athletes named All-America and six Blue Devils were ACC champions. Amanda Blumenherst (golf) and Ned Crotty (lacrosse) were named ACC Players of the Year. Crotty was also selected USILA National Attackman of the Year. Mike Grella (soccer) earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Chante Black (basketball) was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The Blue Devils had 39 All-ACC selections, and 26 were All-Region.

Academically, a total of nine different Duke student-athletes were selected ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America, while 19 others received National Scholar-Athlete or Academic All-America accolades.