Dr. Scott McQuilkin

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth University has claimed the Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports trophy, emblematic of the best all-around athletics program in the NWC, for the second time in school history.

Whitworth first won the trophy in 2005. By winning a conference-high six NWC titles and adding four runner up finishes in 2007-08, the Pirates finished first with 253 points, followed by Linfield (234) and two-time defending champion Puget Sound (221).

Click here for the complete list of team scores/points.

"The trophy represents the fact that we have a bunch of good coaches leading programs made up of terrific student-athletes," said Whitworth Director of Athletics Dr. Scott McQuilkin. "To have won six championships and finished second in four other sports, in one of the best Division III conferences in the country, testifies to how good our teams were this year."

Whitworth earned NWC titles in football, men's soccer, men's swimming, women's swimming, men's basketball and men's track and field in 2007-08, one third of the 18 total championships awarded by the nine-member conference. The Pirates had second place finishes in women's soccer, women's tennis, women's golf and men's golf.

Only four other schools have won the trophy in its 23 year history. Pacific Lutheran won the award 15 of the first 17 years. Linfield has won three times, while Whitworth and UPS have won two times each. Willamette won once in 1994.

The Northwest Conference All-Sports Trophy recognizes athletic excellence among Northwest Conference institutions across all fields of competition. It is named in honor of John Lewis, a baseball coach (1947-72), basketball coach (1947-67) and athletics director (1952-72) at Willamette University; and Jane McIlroy, Linfield College's women's athletics director and physical education professor from 1950-82 who also coached field hockey (1952-81), basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis.

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