Eastern Michigan Wins 2018 Reese Trophy
EASTERN MICHIGAN WINS REESE TROPHY AS TOP MAC MEN'S ATHLETIC PROGRAM
Cleveland, Ohio – Eastern Michigan was honored by the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with the Reese Trophy as the top men's athletic program during the 2017-18 academic year. Eastern Michigan University won the Reese Trophy as the top men’s athletic program from the MAC for the fifth time (2008, 1996, 1991, 1988) in program history and for the first time since 2008. Eastern Michigan programs won MAC Tournament Championships by completing the MAC Triple Crown, winning the MAC men’s cross country, men’s indoor track and field and men’s outdoor track and field championships.
During the 2017-18 academic year, Eastern Michigan competed in nine men’s sports and the men’s basketball program finished the regular season with a 20-11 overall record, 11-7 in the MAC for the No. 3 seed in the MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Eagles played in the postseason in the CIT Tournament with a win over Niagara before a second-round loss to Sam Houston State. In football, Eastern Michigan posted a 5-7 overall record and recorded the program’s first ever win against a Big Ten opponent with a 16-13 road win at Rutgers on Sept. 9, 2017.
In wrestling, the Eagles finished finished third in the MAC Wrestling Tournament, Sa’Derian Perry earned All-American with an eighth-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championship and David Bolyard garnered MAC Coach of the Year honors. Eastern Michigan men’s swimming and diving program finished second in the MAC Championship with 807 team points, while the baseball program finished with a 22-34 overall regular season record, including 14-13 in the MAC as the No. 6 seed in the Conference Tournament. In men’s golf, the Eagles posted a +93 to finish seventh in the MAC Tournament.
For the Reese TrophY, points are awarded based on each school’s finish, with the overall total divided by the number of sports sponsored by each school. The men’s trophy is named for former MAC Commissioner David E. Reese. Reese was the first-ever MAC Commissioner and served the conference from its inception in 1946 until 1964.
2017-18 Reese (Men’s) Standings
School, No. Sports, Points, Avg.
Eastern Michigan, 9 sports, 80.5 points, 8.944 avg.
Western Michigan, 5 sports, 44.0 points, 8.8 avg.
Miami, 7 sports, 56.0 points, 8.0 avg.
Kent State, 8 sports, 62.0 points, 7.75 avg.
Akron, 7 sports, 54.17 points, 7.738 avg.
Central Michigan, 7 sports, 48.67 points, 6.952 avg.
Toledo, 6 sports, 41.0 points, 6.833 avg.
Ball State, 6 sports, 40.5 points, 6.75 avg.
Buffalo, 7 sports, 42.5 points, 6.071 avg.
Ohio, 6 sports, 30.5 points, 5.083 avg.
Northern Illinois, 7 sports, 34.17 points, 4.881 avg.
Bowling Green, 6 sports, 24.5 points, 4.083 avg.
