Herkimer College earns 2019-20 Daktronics Cup for national athletic excellence

Fourth time Herkimer has won this award.

Is back on top nationally fathlr the 2019-2020 daktronics cup.

Formerly the natycaa cup - the daktronics cup recognizes athletic excellence in two- year colleges - based on combined success in championship competition between all sports.

In other words - combining results from all sports season this academic school year - generals teams overall placed highest nation-wide in the n- j-c-a-a non- scholarship category.

This is the fourth time herkimer has earned this award - first since the 2016-2017 school year.

The generals have placed in the top three every year since the award's inception in 2004 - except for 2009 when the school finished fourth.

Taking a look at some of the generals teams that helped lift the school to the top.

--- the men's soccer team was this year's national runner-up.

--- the women's soccer team finished fifth nationally.

--- both the men's and women's cross country team's finished 11th overall.

--- a year after capturing the national title - the men's basketball team returned with a strong fifth place finish.

--- men's and women's bowling both placed 12th.

There are many teams that have contributed to the college's success this year and in years prior.

Earlier tonight - we caught up with one of the generals team coaches to get his thoughts on the daktronics cup win.

Jason palkovic: it's some thing that i know our athleticds on dutcher yoll hear himtalk abw competitive we are as coaches and as teams and it's just really exemplifies everything that we try to do here so it is special time every time we win it.

It's a very close knit group and me from being outside the area it's one of the reasons i'm still at herkimer this because of the atmosphere.

If you see a team win a regional championship especially if it's somewhere close by, if it's home, you'll see that we are all going and celebrating with them at the field or at the game watching them.

It all goes to that atmosphere and the athletes all supporting each other it really just makes it special.

I know a lot of times schools will say that stuff but it really is a special place and that's why a lot of our athletes, student athletes do so well herkimer college dean of students and director of athletics - don dutcher released a statement that said - in part: "i am extremely proud of our student-athletes and coaches for another outstanding year in the classroom, community and on the playing fields.

We strive to achieve excellence in those three areas each and every day, and that's why we continue to rank among the best."

I'll have his full statement on our website -