FanPost

Baylor Women Set Record Ranking in 2016-17 Capital One Cup

In 2010, Capital One created the Capital One Cup where they recognize the best men’s and women’s Division 1 College Athletic Programs in the nation.

On July 12th at the 25th ESPYS, the winners were announced at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Ohio State won the Men’s Capital One Cup with 111 points, edging Florida by six points for their first win ever. The Buckeye’s men’s volleyball title gave them a final push to in the standings.

Schools earn points for each team top 10 finish that they post for the final official coaches’ poll in 21 women’s and 20 men’s sports. The university with the most points at the end takes home the Capital One Cup along with $400,000 in student-athlete scholarship funds.

Stanford was awarded the Women’s Capital One Cup in a landslide with a record-setting 175.5 points. The Cardinal won NCAA titles in volleyball, water polo and swimming and diving. No other school was even close to touching Stanford.

However, Baylor was able to improve nine places from 2016 and finished 20th in the 2017 Capital One Cup standings with 33 points. The Bears accumulated their points thanks to top-10 (all in the top eight technically) finishes in golf, softball and basketball.

Coach Jay Goble and All-American Amy Lee helped lead Bears team to the seventh seed in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships. However, they fell to the Stanford Cardinal in the NCAA quarterfinals.

The Lady Bears softball team defined all odds and advanced out of the NCAA Super Regionals in Tucson, Arizona to the Womens College World Series (WCWS). Where they ultimately fell to the Oregon Ducks and Big 12 foe (and eventual national champion) Oklahoma Sooners.

But in the process they added historic feats to their program’s legacy including two Gia Rodoni no hitters in the Waco Regional and a towering, game-winning, three run home run by freshman Shelby McGlaun that sent the Bears to their fourth WCWS and was coach Glenn Moore’s 700th career win.

The last top eight finish was from the famous Kim Mulkey’s Lady Bears on the hardwood. The accolades are endless, yet there is still one elusive goal that evades coach Mulkey and her Bears. Another senior class, this one led by the lovable Nina Davis, did not only dance all the way to an NCAA tournament title in March; they could never advance past the Elite Eight.

This year the Bears lost in overtime to the Mississippi State (and eventual U-Conn killer) Bulldogs. But not before they won their seventh straight Big 12 regular season championship with a 17-1 conference record.

Mulkey may need to find a way to replace four seniors from the 2016-2017 season; however, she will return the best player in the nation in Kalani Brown. The sophomore led the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Averaging 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 21.4 minutes per game.

A big congrats to all Baylor Lady Bears athletes—especially to those on the golf, softball and basketball teams— as they all helped Baylor University finish 20th in the 2016-17 Capital One Women’s Cup.

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