Kruse Award Website
ST. PAUL -- After winning or sharing league titles in 13 different sports in the last year, the College of St. Scholastica claimed its fourth straight Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Jerome Kruse All-Sport Trophy. The Saints, who bested the second place school by 15 points in 2012-2013, have now won nine annual Kruse Awards since the accolade's inception before the 1996-1997 academic year.
St. Scholastica, who finished with 88.5 points, claimed at least share of the UMAC title in five fall sports before taking both the men's and women's indoor track championships in February. St. Scholastica then won all six conference titles in the spring.
The University of Minnesota Morris finished the 2012-2013 year with 73.5 points to place second for the third straight year after taking home the UMAC title in women's basketball. Northwestern College, who won UMAC championships in volleyball and men's basketball as well as a share of the football title this year, finished in third place with 66.5 points. Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College finished in fourth and fifth place, tallying 47.5 and 46.5 points respectively.
The Jerome Kruse Memorial Award, with its inaugural season of 1996-1997, is in honor of Mr. Jerome Kruse, a long-time athletic director of Northwestern College (Wis.) and later Martin Luther College. Mr. Kruse's life ended early and because of his dedication to the UMAC and to the student-athlete, the award bears his name. The annual honor recognizes the top overall institution in the UMAC, using a rating system with points accumulated by the place finishes of the institution's athletic teams in the final regular season standings of all conference-sponsored sports.
2012-2013 Kruse Award Standings
1. College of St. Scholastica (88.5)
2. University of Minnesota Morris (73.5)
3. Northwestern College (66.5)
4. Bethany Lutheran College (47.5)
5. Martin Luther College (46.5)
6. Northland College (22.5)
7. Crown College (17)
Past Kruse Award Winners
2012-13 - College of St. Scholastica
2011-12 - College of St. Scholastica
2010-11 - College of St. Scholastica
2009-10 - College of St. Scholastica
2008-09 - Northwestern College
2007-08 - Northwestern College
2006-07 - College of St. Scholastica
2005-06 - College of St. Scholastica
2004-05 - Northwestern College
2003-04 - Northwestern College
2002-03 - Martin Luther College
2001-02 - Northwestern College
2000-01 - Northwestern College
1999-00 - College of St. Scholastica, Northwestern College (tie)
1998-99 - Martin Luther College
1997-98 - College of St. Scholastica
1996-97 - College of St. Scholastica
