Ripon College Captures Midwest Conference All-Sports Trophy in Men’s Athletics

GRINNELL, Iowa – Last awarded following the 2018-2019 athletic year, the Midwest Conference (MWC) All-Sports Trophy has a new home. Ripon College, for just the second time in the fifty years the honor has been awarded, and first in 22 years, is this year’s Ralph Shively Men’s Athletic Award winner.

Ripon claimed three conference titles during the 2021-2022 sport campaign – men’s basketball, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Football, men’s tennis and baseball all finished third in league play, while men’s cross country and men’s swimming & diving each finished fourth. Men’s soccer rounded out the score with a tie for eighth place this season. The nine varsity programs combined for a league-high 61.5 points, which was 6.5 more than the next-highest total.

Grinnell was second with 55 points, improving from it’s third-place finish in 2018-2019. The Pioneers are defending league champions in men’s swimming & diving and men’s tennis. Despite not claiming a single Conference title, the Rams of Cornell College accrued 52.5 points – good for third place – behind four runner-up performances (men’s soccer, men’s cross country, men’s basketball and men’s outdoor track & field). Lawrence was just five points back at 47.5, winning it’s first baseball championship since 1980, as well as the men’s cross country title.

Lake Forest, the MWC football champion, concluded the year with 40.5 points – good for fifth place, followed by Monmouth (39.5), Illinois College (38), Knox (34) and Beloit (20.5). Knox College is the league’s men’s soccer champion.

The Ralph Shively Cup was not awarded in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 due to COVID and the absence of complete seasons across the league’s nine men’s sports.

The Red Hawks’ women’s programs also had one of the most successful seasons in recent history, finishing third in the MWC Women’s All-Sports standings, which is their highest finish in 17 years. Ripon’s women’s teams won two conference championships this year (Basketball and Indoor Track & Field).

Full release can be found at: https://riponredhawks.com/news/2022/5/16/baseball-ripon-wins-mwc-mens-all-sports-award-for-first-time-in-23-years.aspx