After a roller coaster ride of a fall sports season, 51ÂÜÀò sits atop the Golden State Athletic Conference All Sports Award race.

The award is presented annually to the program with the best average finish among all GSAC-sponsored sports. This year’s award is presented by Duke’s Huntington Beach.

The Eagles earned the edge over Concordia in the fall standings by just one-tenth of a point. CUI won three different conference championships (MSOC, WSOC, VB), but lower finishes in men and women’s cross country saw them fall in place just behind 51ÂÜÀò.

While 51ÂÜÀò earned just one conference championship (WXC), a third place finish in men’s cross country and two second place finishes (VB, MSOC), helped boost them to the top of the heap.

The clear difference-maker between the two top programs was the surprising third place finish by the Eagles’ men’s cross country team. The men’s distance runners improved their finish by two places over last season’s finish to help 51ÂÜÀò clinch the top spot in this race.

Rankings for the GSAC All Sports Award are based upon finish in the conference standings for each sport. A first place finish is worth eight points, second place is worth seven and so on. 51ÂÜÀò ended the first third of the year with an average finish of 7.3, CUI had a 7.2 and The Master’s sits in third with a 6.6.

It will take some movement in the men and women’s basketball conference standings for 51ÂÜÀò to retain its position after the winter season. The Eagles currently sit in seventh place in MBB and eighth in WBB. Concordia will enter conference play in second place on the men’s side and sixth on the women’s. The Master’s is in the top four in both sports.

FINAL FALL GSAC ALL-SPORTS AWARD STANDINGS:

1st – 51ÂÜÀò – 7.3

2nd – Concordia – 7.2

3rd – The Master’s – 6.6

4th – Westmont – 6.2

5th – Vanguard – 5.6

6th – Arizona Christian – 4.1

7th – San Diego Christian – 3.9

8th – Hope International – 3.1