GORHAM, Maine  -  Keene State College accrued 87 points to narrowly finish ahead of runner up Eastern Connecitcut State University (81 points) and capture its second consecutive Little East Conference Commissioner's Cup.

Keene State, which secured the inaugural Commissioner's Cup a year ago, won four titles during the course of the 2001-02 academic year. The Owls were triumphant in the sports of men's soccer, men's and women's cross country and women's swimming.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth finished third with 65 points, while the University of Southern Maine and Western Connecticut State University each earned 63 points to tie for fourth place. Rounding out the order of finish were Plymouth State College in sixth (61.5 points), Rhode Island College seventh (42) and the University of Massachusetts Boston in eighth (32.5).

The Commissioner's Cup measures an institution's overall performance in the 19 sports sponsored by the conference. For sports in which the Little East conducts round-robin play (baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball), point totals are determined by the order of finish in the final regular-season standings, with bonus points being awarded to the champion of the ensuing post-season conference tournament. For sports that do not conduct in-season play (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, swimming, and tennis), points are awarded based on the order of finish at the conference championship.

The Little East Conference celebrated its 16th year of athletic competition during the 2001-02 academic year. Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.