AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University athletic department ended the 2020-21 school year with a third place finish in The Sun Conference Commissioner's Cup standings, the highest finish in school history. The Gyrenes accumulated 106.5 points, behind only first place Southeastern and second place Keiser. 

The Commissioner's Cup is awarded to the school that accumulates the most points according to their finish in each sport. Points from the top four men's sports and top four women's sports are totaled to determine each school's score.

Ave Maria's third place finish marks the next step in the department's ascension to the upper echelon of The Sun Conference. The Gyrenes finished tenth in 2018-19, then rose to fifth during the 2019-20 school year before breaking into the top three in 2020-21. Ave Maria's finishes during both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school year set new high water marks for the department.

Athletic Director Joe Patterson said Ave Maria's success during the 2020-2021 seasons reflects the growth of the department, as well as the work of teams across all seasons, both male and female.

"AMU was able to leap from 10th place to 3rd place in just two years because of the tremendous work and tremendous faith of all of those associated with Ave Maria Athletics," Patterson said. "Our rosters are strong with solid retention; the future is certainly bright."

Eight Ave Maria programs finished in the top four of The Sun Conference, with five - men's cross country, women's cross country, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, and men's basketball - earning top two finishes in the league. 

The accomplishments of the cross country, volleyball, beach volleyball, and tennis teams accounted for AMU's scoring in the women's half of the Commissioner's Cup standings, earning a total of 59.5 points for the Gyrenes.

On the men's side, top four finishes from basketball, cross country, tennis, and a top six finish from soccer accounted for the other 47 points. AMU's football and women's lacrosse teams, which compete in the Mid-South Conference, are not included in Commissioner's Cup consideration.

The Ave Maria athletic department is currently preparing for the 2021-2022 season, with five new teams joining the fray. Two of these teams - the re-instituted men's and women's golf programs - will compete in The Sun Conference, and will be eligible to aid in AMU's Commissioner's Cup score. The 2021-2022 fall season is scheduled to begin in August.