(Des Moines, IA) – Drake University has announced that they have earned their first Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship which marks the second private school in MVC history to earn the honor.
The University of Drake has seen success in every sport this season. Drake has won a regular-season team championship in men’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and tournament titles in men’s and women’s basketball. Drake also had top-five finishes in men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s cross-country, women’s golf, women’s tennis, and volleyball.
Director of Athletics Brian Hardin said, “The Drake Bulldogs have made history. This prestigious award is a monumental honor of achievement, a testament to the collective effort of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, and the unwavering support of our (fans). From a historical standpoint, this is an incredibly rare accomplishment. We will continue striving to make (all Bulldogs) proud to be associated with Drake Athletics.”
The Valley began the All-Sports trophy after the 1949-50 season after Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State) earned the league’s first award after pulling away with a successful season. Out of all the schools in the Missouri Valley Conference, Drake is the first private school since The University of Tulsa to earn the honor that happened all the way back in the 1960-61 season.
Ten different schools across the Valley earned at least one regular-season league title this past season, and Indiana State led the league overall with a total of six titles.