With the end of the high school sports season, the NIAA has announced its Award of Excellence in Academics, Athletics and Citizenship winners for 2013-2014.
Whittell was the Division IV winner, The Meadows took home the top honor in Division III, Faith Lutheran in Division I-A and Bishop Gorman in Division I.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association - the non-profit governing body of high school athletics in the Silver State - began the program in 2001. The scoring system awards points to schools based on their varsity teams' performances in the classroom, at the athletic venue and in the Citizenship Through Sports (CTS) Program.
Each of the three major categories in high school activities -academics, athletics and sportsmanship - are weighted equally, and boys and girls programs are combined in the standings table. Spirit and student council/leadership points were added after the conclusion of the winter season. Points were deducted at the conclusion of the spring season for ejections and other acts of unsportsmanlike conduct.
The NIAA honors the winning school in each classification by presenting it with a championship banner and commemorative trophy. The NIAA considers the Award of Excellence in Academics, Athletics and Citizenship to be its top overall program.
Faith Lutheran won six state championships this season Division I-A, scoring a record 3,762 points. Boulder City, who won the last four award championships was second at 2,841. Clark was third with 2,542 points and Lowry was the highest finishing Division I-A school in fourth at 2,362, Churchill County, Elko, Spring Creek, SECTA, Moapa Valley and Pahrump Valley rounded out the top 10.
Lowry won team state championships this year in wrestling and girls basketball. The boys golf team was the state runner up and the boys basketball team reached the semifinals of the state basketball tournament.
The Buckaroos' 16 state championships in wrestling is a Nevada state record, as is the 12 state titles in boys golf. The Lady Bucks' six titles are tied for fourth most in state history.
The Buckaroos won academic state championships in wrestling, boys basketball, girls basketball, girls swimming, girls track and field and boys golf.
The Meadows Mustangs switched places at the top of the Division III standings with Incline, winning with 2,224 points. Incline, the 2013 and 2011 champions, scored 2,117 points to place as the runner-up. Yerington was third at 1,818 and West Wendover (1.522) and Laughlin (1,358) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Needles, Calif, (1,356), Lincoln County (1,240), Mountain View (1,155), Battle Mountain (1,105) and Rite of Passage (886) rounded out the top 10.
The Whittell Warriors, in their first season at the Division IV level, unseated the eight-time defending champion Pahranagat Valley
Panthers on the throne with 1,810 points. Pahranagat Valley was second at 1,680 and Wells was third at 1,560. Sierra Lutheran (1,360) and Smith Valley (1,300) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Sage Ridge (1,250), Virginia City (1,160), Eureka (1,030), Round Mountain (980) and Coleville, Calif., 855 rounded out the top 10.
The Bishop Gorman Gaels captured their first award title in Division I with 3,350 points. The Bishop Manogue Miners, who had won two straight and three award titles in the last four years,tallied 3,215 points to finish second.
Coronado was third with 3,210 points, Centennial was fourth at 3,050 and Galena was fifth at 2,760.The standings were completed by McQueen (2,310), Palo Verde (2,285), Arbor View (2,205), Reno (2,150), Green Valley (2,110), Douglas (1,790), Foothill (1,755), Wooster (1,580), Las Vegas (1,460) and Shadow Ridge (1,390).[[In-content Ad]]
