Huntingdon picked as SLIAC champ In its first-ever season in a conference, Huntingdon has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2008 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, as voted on by the league's eight coaches. The Hawks (5-5 in 2007) received six first-place votes, while Greenville (5-5, 4-3 IBC) earned the top spot from the remaining two voters, the SLIAC announced on Friday. Westminster (4-6, 4-3 UMAC) was voted to finish third, while nearby rival LaGrange (0-10) was picked fourth. Blackburn (4-6, 3-4 UMAC) and Eureka (2-8, 2-5 IBC) were selected to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, while the Huntingdon's inaugural SLIAC opponent, MacMurray (0-10, 0-7 IBC), was chosen seventh. Principia (1-8, 1-6 UMAC) was picked eighth. "This tells us a lot about what other coaches in the league think about our program," head coach Mike Turk said. "We (members of the SLIAC) don't really know a whole lot about each other, but I do know that by being the preseason favorite, we will have a bull's-eye on our back every Saturday." Huntingdon returns 31 lettermen from its 2007 squad that competed as a NCAA Division III independent. The 2008 season marks the first time since 1999 that the conference will sponsor football as a championship sport. Huntingdon and LaGrange both joined the SLIAC as affiliate members in football, and they join a core group of institutions that will have the opportunity to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs beginning with the 2010 season. 2008 SLIAC Coaches' Poll (First-Place Votes) 1. Huntingdon (6) 2. Greenville (2) 3. Westminster (Mo.) 4. LaGrange 5. Blackburn 6. Eureka 7. MacMurray 8. Principia |
| Permalink | Aug 23, 2008 |
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