April 15, 2008

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Outright titles in women's basketball, men's swimming, and women's swimming, and a shared championship in men's basketball, has moved UC Santa Barbara into first place in the race for the 2007-08 Big West Conference Commissioner's Cup, it was announced Monday.

Through the fall and winter seasons, Gaucho teams have won or shared six league crowns. In addition to sweeping the quartet of winter sports, UCSB posted championships in men's soccer and women's cross country in the fall, and also finished second in men's cross country.

Entering the winter sports season, Santa Barbara was in third-place in the Commissioner's Cup standings, trailing first-place Long Beach State and second-place Cal Poly, but the Gauchos now hold a sizable 145.1 to 110.0 advantage over the 49ers, with the Mustangs in third-place at 102.2. Cal State Fullerton, which shared the men's basketball title with UCSB and Cal State Northridge, is in fourth-place entering the spring, while UC Irvine is in fifth.

"We have had a very good year so far," said Athletics Director Gary Cunningham. "It would be quite an achievement for this department to win the Cup again. It would be a great testament to our coaches and athletes."

UCSB has won six of the last seven Big West Commissioner's Cups, including the 2006-07 title, ending Long Beach's one-year reign. Prior to 2005-06, the Gauchos won an unprecedented five consecutive Cups. In all, Santa Barbara has won six of the nine titles.

The Big West Commissioner's Cup, which started during the 1998-99 season, is presented at the end of the spring season to the institution with the top overall point average tallied from Big West Conference Championships. To determine the champion for the Commissioner's Cup, total points are summed and divided by the number of championships in which each institution competes. Each sport champion is also given a 20-point bonus.