MACON, Ga. (May 22, 2009) - Following the conclusion of both the 2009 Atlantic Sun Baseball regular season and the Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the ETSU Buccaneers have compiled enough points to claim their fourth straight Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy and the third Bill Bibb Trophy in as many years, league officials announced Friday afternoon.

ETSU collected enough points in the men's all-sports race to take home the Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy for the fourth consecutive season, named in honor of Dr. Jesse C. Fletcher, a founding member of the Atlantic Sun and the conference's first president. The Buccaneers won four titles this season to jump to the top of the standings with 174 points. Meanwhile, the Bucs won a program-best nine championships in 2008-09, as the ETSU men's track and field team pulled off the "Trifecta" last weekend in Jacksonville.

ETSU's first-place finish on the men's side and third-place standing in the women's race accrued enough points for the Buccaneers to again reign as the combined all-sports champions, securing the Bill Bibb trophy for the third-consecutive season with 343.5 points. The award, named for former commissioner Bill Bibb, recognizes the man who served the Atlantic Sun membership for 17 years; the longest tenured commissioner in A-Sun history.

ETSU now joins Georgia Southern as the only other four-consecutive-year winner of the Fletcher Trophy. Georgia Southern won five straight trophies from 1987-1991.

Points for the all-sports standings are awarded on a descending basis in three-point increments and are established according to the number of teams participating in each sport. In team sports, points are awarded based on a school's regular season finish. In individual sports, such as cross country, golf, and track and field, points are awarded based on their A-Sun Championship standings. In the event of a tie, the two schools split the combined points.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.