ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – In a very competitive year which has seen 11-of-12 SAC schools win Regular-Season or Tournament Championships, Queens University of Charlotte placed third in the 2014-15 South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award. Queens was just 2.5 points behind Lenoir-Rhyne grabbing 130 points.
 
The Royals swept the outdoor track and field championships  and won the women's lacrosse championship, while taking second place in men's and women's cross country and third place in men's basketball, men's golf and women's tennis. Additionally, men's lacrosse tied for first place.
 
Wingate University won the Echols Athletic Excellence Award for a SAC record ninth-consecutive year.  Wingate turned in 182 points in the standings to go along with five SAC Championships. The Bulldogs' 49.5 point margin of victory in the standings is also the largest margin in SAC history.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne placed second in the standings with 132.5 points with League titles in women's soccer and football, while Lincoln Memorial claimed the SAC men's basketball championship and placed fourth in the field with 119.5 points. Coupled with the SAC softball championship, Carson-Newman rounds out the top five in the standings with 117.5 points.
 
Tusculum came in sixth in the standings with 113.5 points, followed by Anderson with 113 points. Newberry's 111.5 points was good for eighth in the standings, while Mars Hill came in at No. 9 with 99 points. Catawba finished at the No. 10 spot with 95.5 points and Coker placed 11th with 92.5 points. Brevard rounded out the list at No. 12 with 55.5 points.
 
The Pioneers grabbed the South Atlantic Conference tournament title in men's soccer, while Anderson won the SAC championship in women's basketball. Newberry claimed the Conference tournament championship in women's basketball.
 
The Mars Hill Lions claimed the men's cross country League crown and Catawba brought home the SAC baseball championship and softball tournament title. Coker shared the men's lacrosse South Atlantic Conference title with Queens.
 
The Echols Athletic Excellence Award is presented annually to the member athletic department that earns the highest point total based on cumulative final standings in each of the Conference's 18 sports. Regular season finish is used in the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball, while SAC Championship results are used for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf and men's and women's outdoor track.
 
 
2014-15 SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award Standings
Rank     School                          Total
1.           Wingate                       182
2.           Lenoir-Rhyne              132.5
3.           Queens                        130
4.           Lincoln Memorial       119.5
5.           Carson-Newman         117.5
6.           Tusculum                     113.5
7.           Anderson                    113
8.           Newberry                    111.5
9.           Mars Hill                      99
10.        Catawba                       95.5
11.        Coker                           92.5
12.        Brevard                        55.5