WINTHROP, Mass. – After claiming five Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships in 2025-26, the Emmanuel Women's Athletic programs received the GNAC Women's Commissioner's Cup, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. It's the Saints third-ever Women's Commissioner's Cup, as they captured the cup for the first time since 2018-19.
The five conference championships are the most Emmanuel has recorded in a single academic year since joining the GNAC in 1995.
"This is such a special moment for Emmanuel Athletics and one I'm incredibly proud to celebrate," said Emmanuel Director of Athletics Olivia Berry. "Winning the GNAC Women's Commissioner's Cup is the ultimate institutional award — it honors every program, every coach, and every student-athlete who competed with excellence this year."
Since its creation following the 2007-08 season, the GNAC Commissioner's Cup annually recognizes the member institution achieving the highest level of athletic success in an academic year.
Collecting points based on a team's postseason results, then determining the percentage of maximum points a school can earn, the Saints combined for 35 out of a possible 40 points, setting a Women's Commissioner's Cup record by earning 87.5 percent of their possible point total.
Conference champions are awarded five points in the standings. Four points are awarded to second place or championship game runners-up. Three points go to any GNAC semifinals. Two points are awarded to teams that qualify for the postseason, while one point goes to programs that sponsor the sport.
With conference championships in women's soccer, women's cross country, women's indoor track & field, women's basketball, and women's outdoor track & field, the Saints were well on the way to the cup with 25 points from their GNAC Championship squads.
By reaching the GNAC Championship Game in May, women's lacrosse helped add four points to the total. Finally, women's volleyball chipped in three points with its GNAC Semifinal appearance, while softball also added three points courtesy of making the final day of Pod Play as a semifinalist.
"To see our Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Basketball, and Women's Soccer programs all capture GNAC Championships in the same year is just remarkable," said Berry. "The consistent excellence our women demonstrated across every sport this year is a true reflection of the standard our coaches and student-athletes hold themselves to. This one means a lot — Go Saints!"
In receiving the GNAC Women's Commissioner's Cup, the Saints join fellow Colleges of the Fenway and GNAC institution, Simmons University, for the second-most Women's Commissioner's Cups in conference history, both claiming three each.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE GNAC'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE 2025-26 COMMISSIONER'S CUP
