LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Following the conclusion of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) spring championship season, the PSAC announced on Wednesday morning that the East Stroudsburg University athletic department finished third in the PSAC Dixon Trophy standings, the best finish in history since the honor was first introduced in the 1995-96 academic year.
Across its 20 PSAC-sponsored sports, ESU averaged 11.73 points, trailing only Dixon Trophy winner Slippery Rock (12.76) and Gannon (12.53).
ESU's previous best finish was fourth, set in three academic years in 1995-96, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Warrior men took second place across all 18 teams, with an average score of 13.06, just behind Slippery Rock's average of 14.00. ESU's women's team finished fifth, with an average mark of 10.83. PSAC Champions are awarded 18 points based on the league's total membership. Point values for remaining teams vary based on the number of schools sponsoring the sport.
The Warriors' baseball and softball teams put together historic campaigns to lead the Warriors during the Spring season as both teams earned 17 points with runner-up finishes at the conference tournament. The men's track and field team produced 15 points after finishing third at the PSAC Outdoor Championships, while the women's lacrosse team added 12 points with its trip to the PSAC tournament. The women's track and field team contributed eight points while women's golf and tennis combined for four points.
Introduced in the 1995-96 academic year, the award is named in honor of F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., former chairman of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's Board of Governors. Since then, nine PSAC institutions have claimed the Dixon Trophy. Shippensburg leads the conference with eight victories, followed by West Chester's five. Lock Haven and Bloomsburg have three titles apiece, while California, Gannon and Slippery Rock follow with two victories. Kutztown and Millersville have each won once.
ABOUT THE PSAC
Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California (PA), Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.
