The University of Montana, the 2006-07 winner, tied for second in the race for the 2010 Sterling Savings Bank Big Sky Conference Presidents Cup the league office announced late last week. Eastern Washington won its first Presidents Cup, holding off Montana and Northern Arizona, which tied for second.

The Presidents Cup, which is in its eighth year, reinforces the Big Sky Conference’s dedication to both athletic and academic performance. Overall athletic success is combined with team grade point averages, graduation rates and all-conference performers with grade point averages of at least 3.00 to determine the annual winner.

Weber State won the first two President Cups in 2002-03 and 2003-04 and had won the last two in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Montana (2006-07), Montana State (2004-05) and Northern Arizona (2005-06) are all one-time winners.

With top-three finishes in nine of the Big Sky’s 14 sports, Montana finished atop the athletic standings. The Grizzlies were followed by Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, Eastern Washington and Weber State.

The Eagles won the Presidents Cup on the strength of their first-place academics standing. EWU ranked first in team grade point averages, second in graduation rates and tied for fourth in all-conference athletes with a 3.00 GPA.

Eastern Washington was trailed by Montana State in second in the overall academic standings. Weber State was third, Northern Arizona fourth and Montana fifth.

The Grizzlies ranked fourth in both team grade point averages and graduation rates and finished sixth in all-conference performers with a 3.00 GPA.

Eastern Washington’s first-place academic standing (for one point) and fourth-place athletic standing (four points) gave the Eagles a winning score of five points.

Montana, first in athletics and fifth in academics, and Northern Arizona, second in athletics and fourth in academics, both finished with six points.

Montana State and Weber State, with eight points, tied for fourth, Sacramento State, with 11 points, finished sixth, Idaho State and Northern Colorado, with 15 points, tied for seventh, and Portland State, with 16 points, placed ninth.

The 2009-10 campaign was another impressive year for Big Sky Conference student-athletes. Of the 125 Big Sky teams, 86 finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and 232 athletes who earned first- or second-team all-conference honors had a GPA of at least 3.00.

Eastern Washington’s cumulative grade point average was 3.244, followed by Weber State’s 3.241, Montana State’s 3.23 and Montana’s 3.14.

Final Presidents Cup standings
1. Eastern Washington (5 points)
2. Montana (6)
    Northern Arizona (6)
4. Montana State (8)
    Weber State (8)
6. Sacramento State (11)
7. Idaho State (15)
    Northern Colorado (15)
9. Portland State (16)

Athletic standings
1. Montana
2. Northern Arizona
3. Sacramento State
4. Eastern Washington
5. Weber State
6. Montana State
7. Portland State
8. Idaho State
9. Northern Colorado

Academic standings (rank for cumulative GPA, graduation rates and all-conference athletes with a 3.00 GPA)
1. Eastern Washington (1, 2, t4)
2. Montana State (3, 3, 2)
3. Weber State (2, 5, t4)
4. Northern Arizona (6, 6, 1)
5. Montana (4, 4, 6)
6. Northern Colorado (8, 1, 8)
7. Idaho State (5, 7, 7)
8. Sacramento State (9, 8, 3)
9. Portland State (7, 9, 9)