UMAC: St. Scholastica remains in lead in Kruse All-Sports Award (3/16/2017)
Earlier: UW-Superior is fourth in UMAC's Jerome Kruse Award Standings after fall season (11/17/2016)
UMAC Jerome Kruse Award Standings

Adding championship finishes in women's basketball and men's indoor track & field to a successful fall season, the University of Wisconsin Superior remains fourth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference's Jerome Kruse All-Sport Trophy award standings after the winter season. The Yellowjackets trimmed the distance between third and fourth to just 2.5 points while remaining 5.5 points back of second and 15 points back of first-place the College of St. Scholastica.

Per the UMAC:

St. Scholastica led after the fall season with 58 points, but pushed their lead even further with 80.5 points heading into the spring. The Saints won the UMAC Women's Indoor Track and Field title and collected two other top three finishes in four sports to add to their hold on the top spot. 

The Saints remain the lone team to ever win the women's indoor track meet which helped the institution hold a lead over the University of Northwestern in second place with 71 points in the Kruse standings. A second-place finish in men's basketball and third-place showing in men's track and field also added to the Saints' lead.  

The Eagles keep the Saints within striking distance, though, after adding significant gains in basketball. On the men's side, the Eagles reclaimed their reign atop the conference with an outright title in the regular season, while the Eagles' women's team placed third to add significant points to their total. 

The University of Minnesota Morris pulled within three points of Northwestern thanks to second-place finishes in women's basketball and men's indoor track and field. The Cougars also made the postseason in men's basketball and were third in women's indoor to move to 68 points in the standings.

The University of Wisconsin-Superior also closed the gap to just 2.5 points from Minnesota Morris remaining in fourth place with 65.5 points. The Yellowjackets' jump is due to winning two conference titles in men's indoor track and field and women's basketball.

Bethany Lutheran College jumped up a spot to fifth place with 48.5 points after its men's basketball team placed second and women's track and field made a significnat jump to third place. Martin Luther College is one place behind the Vikings with 38 points in sixth, while Northland College follows immediately behind in seventh with 35 points. 

Crown College is eighth with 26.5 points, while North Central University rounds out the standings with 19 points. 

Since the award's inception in 1996-97, St. Scholastica has won the Kruse Award a UMAC-best 12 times. The award, which is named after Mr. Jerome Kruse, a longtime athletic director at the former Northwestern College (Wis.) and Martin Luther College, travels to the full-member institution with the most points accumulated by the place finishes of the college's athletic teams in the final standings of 18 conference sponsored sports.

KRUSE AWARD POINTS (2016-2017 - through fall sports)
1. St. Scholastica - 80.5
2. Northwestern - 71 points
3. Minnesota Morris - 68 points
4. Wisconsin-Superior - 65.5 points
5. Bethany Lutheran - 48.5 points
6. Martin Luther - 38 points
7. Northland - 26.5 points
9. North Central - 19 points

KRUSE AWARD POINTS (2016-2017) - UMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

School	MCC	WCC	FB	MSC	WSC	VB	MGF	WGF	MBB	WBB	MITF	WITF	Total
Bethany Lutheran College	3	7	-	1	5	5	3	3	7.5	6	4	4	48.5
College of St. Scholastica	6	9	4	9	8	7	8	7	7.5	4	5	6	80.5
Crown College	1	4	2	5	1.5	1	5	-	3	1	2	1	26.5
Martin Luther College	8	3	1	6	4	6	2	2	1	5	-	-	38
North Central University	2	1	-	4	3	3	1	-	2	2	1	-	19
Northland College	4	2	-	2	9	2	6	1	6	3	-	-	35
University of Minnesota Morris	7	8	3	3	7	8	4	6	5	8	6	3	68
University of Northwestern	5	5	5	7	6	9	9	4	9	7	3	2	71
UWS	9	6	-	8	1.5	4	7	5	4	9	7	5	65.5