April 30, 2009
By virtue of the men's golf team's higher finish at this week's SLC Tournament, Lamar University has clinched the inaugural Verizon Wireless Battle of the Border athletic competition with McNeese State University.
Lamar currently leads the scoring, 14-8, with three sports left to be contested - baseball this weekend and men's and women's outdoor track & field on May 8-10.
The Cardinals have clinched the trophy even if there is a tie at 14-14, based on the two predetermined tiebreakers which include: 1) The university with more combined points in the head-to-head sports of baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's tennis. soccer and volleyball; and 2) The school who won it the previous year retains the trophy. Since this is the first year of the series, the rules state that the school that would have won it the previous year under the same scoring format, which would have been the Cardinals by a 21-7 margin.
Verizon Wireless representatives, along with athletics officials from both Lamar and McNeese will be on hand prior to Friday's baseball game between the Cards and Cowboys for the formal presentation.
Until now, there had been no established means to recognize the overall athletic supremacy of the Cardinals or Cowboys. Lamar will now take possession of the granite traveling trophy and, most importantly, holds bragging rights for the following year.
The scoring format puts equal emphasis on all 14 sports that both schools sponsor. The scoring began women's soccer on Oct. 17 and will conclude with the Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Each head-to-head competition is worth two points.
In the sports of men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, where there is no true head-to-head competition, the points are awarded based on the team that finishes higher at the SLC Championship. Should the schools tie in a given sport, the points will be split.
This season, Lamar obtained its current 14 points via wins in volleyball, men's and women's cross country, women's basketball, men's indoor track & field, women's tennis and men's golf. McNeese State claimed its eight points in women's soccer, men's basketball, women's indoor track & field and women's golf.
Completed Sports LU MCN
Men's Basketball 2
Women's Basketball 2
Men's Cross Country 2
Women's Cross Country 2
Men's Golf 2
Women's Golf 2
Women's Soccer 2
Women's Tennis 2
Men's Indoor Track & Field 2
Women's Indoor Track & Field 2
Volleyball 2
Current Total 14 8
Sports still to be contested:
Baseball: May 1-3 - the two points will be awarded to the school that wins the series
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: May 8-10
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: May 8-10
