AU Repeats As NIIC All-Sports Champ

AURORA, Ill. May 24, 2005 - The Aurora University Spartan athletic teams that competed in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC), captured the 2004-2005 All-Sports title, repeating as NIIC champions after winning the title following the 2003-2004 season.

AU won NIIC championships in men’s soccer, men’s basketball, softball, and baseball; and had second-place finishes in women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and third-place finishes in men’s golf and men’s tennis. With the lowest finishing team coming in at fifth place, the Spartans out distanced rival Benedictine University 131 points to 113. NIIC schools are awarded points for each sports finish in the regular season conference standings.

The NIIC has been in existence for 35 seasons. The conference was formed in 1969-70. Today the NIIC is comprised of seven schools: Aurora, Benedictine, Clarke (IA), Concordia, Eureka, Rockford, and Dominican. Conference champions are crowned in 12 sports including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s golf, and men’s and women’s cross country.

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