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.
Boulder City, which previously captured the 3A award in 2005, 2006 and 2007, made it back-to-back-to-back again for the top honor with a grand total of 3,354 points.
The Eagles recorded a spring season record of 500 athletic points. Boulder City notched season totals of 840, 530 and 1,040 points to go along with its 844 CTS points. It did not give back a single point due to coach-player ejections.
As has been the common thread amongst the 2011-2012 award winners other than 1A Pahranagat Valley, the Eagles captured a surprisingly low number of state championships. They won only one academic and one athletic title but placed high athletically and academically in just about every sport contested.
Lowry, which took home a record total of nine academic state championships to go along with three athletic titles, placed second with 2,841 points. The Buckaroos posted 1,380 academic points, 700 athletic points and 836 CTS points before losing just 75 points for one player ejection.
Lowry's nine academic state championships were football, girls golf, sprit, boys basketball, wrestling, baseball, boys track and field, boys swimming and girls swimming. The Buckaroos won state titles in wrestling, boys basketball and boys golf.
Elko, which posted seasonal point totals of 890, 400 and 630, finished third with 2,684 points. The Indians added 844 points in
the CTS program and lost 150 points.
The second- and third-place finishes were award bests for Lowry and Elko, respectively.
Rounding out the top six in the 3A were Churchill County (last year's runner-up) with 2,280 points, Sparks (1,757) and Dayton (1,745).
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