FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – The Lasell College men and Johnson & Wales University women have earmed the 2016-17 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cups, as announced by GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh on Thursday. 

The GNAC Commissioner’s Cup annually recognizes the member institution that achieves the highest level of athletic success throughout the academic year. It is based upon a point system and standings are determined by percentages in order to reflect the different number of GNAC sports that our members sponsor. 

For the complete standings for both awards, please see below.

It marks the first-ever Commissioner's Cup for men or women for Lasell, which narrowly topped the JWU men, 66.67 percent to 65 percent, in the standings. The Lasers taking home the GNAC Men's Lacrosse Championship this spring helped put them over the top. Lasell also earned runner-up finishes this academic year in men's basketball and men's volleyball.

Finishing third on the men's side was Saint Joseph's College of Maine, followed by Suffolk University and Norwich University. 

For the JWU women, it marks their third-ever Commissioner's Cup victory, previously winning the honor in 2010-11 and 2014-15. The Wildcats came in with a mark of 72.5 percent, ahead of second-place Simmons College, which had a 66.67 percent ratio. Finishing third was Saint Joseph's (Maine), while Boston schools Emmanuel College and Suffolk finished in a tie for fourth place to round out the top-five.

JWU claimed an impressive four GNAC Championships this past year, winning the conference crown in women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's lacrosse and softball. The Wildcats were also semifinalists in both field hockey and women's basketball. 

The GNAC's Commissioner's Cup Standings will be enhanced in 2017-18 with the addition of Regis (Mass.) as a full-time member and the additions of men's swimming & diving and men's and women's outdoor track & field as official championship sports.

Schools receive five points for a GNAC Championship, four points for advancing to a conference title game, three for advancing to a GNAC Semifinal, two for qualifying for a GNAC Tournament, or one for sponsoring the sport.

2016-17 Men's Commissioner's Cup Standings
1) Lasell: 20/30 = 66.67%
2) Johnson & Wales = 26/40 = 65% 
3) Saint Joseph's Maine = 18/30 = 60%
4) Suffolk: 17/30 = 56.67%
5) Norwich: 16/30 = 53.33% 
6) Mount Ida: 12/25 = 48%
7) Albertus Magnus: 14/30 = 46.67%
8) Emmanuel: 13/30 = 43.33%
9) Rivier: 11/30 = 36.67%
10) Anna Maria: 6/25 = 24% 

2016-17 Women's Commissioner's Cup Standings
1) Johnson & Wales: 29/40 = 72.5%
2) Simmons: 30/45 = 66.67%
3) Saint Joseph's Maine: 24/40 = 60%
T4) Emmanuel: 15/30 = 50%
T4) Suffolk: 15/30 = 50%
6) Norwich: 16/35 = 45.71%
7) Albertus Magnus: 13/30 = 43.33%
8) Lasell: 15/35: 42.86%
9) Saint Joseph (CT): 15/40 = 37.5%
10) Rivier: 11/35 = 31.43%
11) Mount Ida: 11/40 = 27.5%
12) Anna Maria: 9/35 = 25.71%

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

– #TheGNAC –