St. Mary's College athletic teams earn Presidents' Cup

For the second consecutive school year the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s and women’s athletic programs have garnered the United East Conference Presidents’ Cup, a holdover honor from the Colonial States Athletic Conference that merged with the current conference last summer.

Over the course of the 2023-2024 school year, the St. Mary’s College men’s teams earned United East Conference titles in soccer and lacrosse while the women’s teams garnered the cross country and lacrosse crowns. Based on a formula that takes into account the titles that each school earns, St. Mary’s College edged Penn State Harrisburg for the overall honor.

“What a monumental achievement for the Seahawks athletics department and St. Mary’s College of Maryland to be awarded the United East Presidents’ Cup, for the second consecutive year,” Crystal Gibson, St. Mary’s College director of athletics and recreation, said. “How we got here is not only with the tremendous work of our incredibly dedicated coaching staff, support staff and relentless efforts and selflessness of our student-athletes.”

In the overall standings, St. Mary’s College (5.31) edged Penn State Harrisburg (4.56) followed by Keystone (3.33), Penn College (3.31) and Lancaster (3.28).

In the men’s standings, St. Mary’s (5.25) finished just ahead of Penn State Harrisburg (4.75), followed by Keystone (4.25), Penn College (4.00) and Lancaster Bible (3.67). In the women’s standings, St. Mary’s (5.38) finished a full point better than Penn State Harrisburg (4.38), followed by Cairn (4.00), Bryn Athyn (3.83) and Wilson (3.67).

In addition to its quartet of UEC tournament championships, the Seahawks claimed three regular season titles in men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse and men’s tennis. Both the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams placed second at the UEC championships, as did the men’s indoor track and field team. St. Mary’s College gained the top spot in the Presidents’ Cup standings in the fall and never relinquished it through the winter and spring seasons.

The local women’s lacrosse team has won the UEC championship in each of coach Brittney Morris first three seasons at the helm and the Seahawks’ ladies are among the primary reasons the school has now earned two consecutive Presidents’ Cup awards.

“I think the girls have really bought into what we’ve asked of them,” Morris said. “Our goal each year is to win the conference tournament and then see how far we can go in the NCAA [Division III] tournament.”

“Our student-athletes continue to set the standard in the classroom, the competition field and with their work throughout the inner and outward community,” Gibson said. “This honor is a culmination of all these efforts and support, and we couldn’t be more grateful to represent the United East at its highest level.”