PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Eastern Connecticut State University in 2025-26 has claimed the Little East Conference Commissioner's Cup for overall institutional athletic performance for the seventh time in the last nine years, as announced by LEC Commissioner Albert D. Bean, Jr.
The Warriors won the conference's top honor among its nine primary member institutions by the narrowest margin in the award's history, just one-hundredth of a point. The top-three institutions were separated by just one-tenth of a point.
"Congratulations to the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State University on winning the Little East Conference Commissioner's Cup for the seventh time since the inception of the award," said Bean. "My sincere congratulations to President Karim Ismaili, Athletic Director
Lori Runksmeier and most certainly to the Eastern student-athletes, coaches and staff that supported the Warriors throughout the entirety of the 2025-2026 season. This was an incredible season in the Little East Conference and certainly a highly competitive battle for top honors. The results clearly reveal the competitiveness of our membership in competition."
Consistency proved to be the key to Eastern claiming its seventh Commission's Cup in nine years under outgoing director of athletics
Lori Runksmeier, as just one of the Warriors' 20 conference programs earned less than fifth-place points. Eastern earned first-place points by winning the field hockey and women's soccer regular seasons, placing first among the LEC core institutions in both the men's and women's swimming & diving championship, and picking up second-place points in men's golf, and securing outright or sharing third-place points in baseball, women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, softball, women's indoor track & field and men's outdoor track & field.
"This is a proud moment for Eastern and for Warrior Athletics," noted Eastern president Ismaili. "Winning the Little East Commissioner's Cup reflects the sustained excellence of our athletics program and the remarkable dedication of the students, coaches and staff who represent Eastern with such distinction. I am especially pleased that this honor comes as a fitting capstone to
Lori Runksmeier's extraordinary career at Eastern. Lori's leadership has elevated Warrior athletics in every respect, and this Commissioner's Cup is a meaningful tribute to the culture she has helped build."
"More than in any other year, every athlete, every coach, every win or place earned in a championship made the difference that led the Warriors to this achievement," said Runksmeier. "I believe the institutions in the Little East Conference represent the best of Division III as it pertains to striving for the best student-athlete experience in all areas, and I'm proud we can achieve this in a tough league."
In the three-team race, the University of Southern Maine (6.82 points) finished second in the final LEC Commissioner's Cup standings behind Eastern (6.83), with Keene (6.73) third. The University of Massachusetts Boston (5.82) was fourth.
Southern Maine swept the women's track & field titles, repeated as men's golf champion, and claimed the baseball and women's basketball regular season championships. USM additionally earned second-place points in women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, and women's lacrosse. Keene, which had won the first 16 Commissioners, as well as the previous two (Eastern and Keene are the only Cup winners in the 25-year history of the award), was the top-scoring institution in baseball (tying with USM), men's cross country, women's golf and men's indoor track & field, while picking up second-place points in women's cross country, field hockey, women's soccer, men's and women's swimming & diving, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field.
Southern Maine swept the women's track & field titles, repeated as men's golf champion, and claimed the baseball and women's basketball regular season championships. USM additionally earned second-place points in women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, and women's lacrosse. Keene, which had won the first 16 Commissioners, as well as the previous two (Eastern and Keene are the only Cup winners in the 25-year history of the award), was the top-scoring institution in baseball (tying with USM), men's cross country, women's golf and men's indoor track & field, while picking up second-place points in women's cross country, field hockey, women's soccer, men's and women's swimming & diving, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field.
For sports in which the LEC conducts in-season play (baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball), points are determined by the ranked order of finish in the final regular season standings. For sports that do not conduct in-season play (cross country, golf, swimming & diving, track & field), points are awarded based on the order of finish at the LEC championship meet.
The Eastern field hockey team, a combined 3-9 in its previous two LEC seasons, recorded its first unbeaten (6-0) conference season this past fall, reaching the LEC title game for the third time and finishing with an overall record of 12-9.
The women's soccer team, 4-6-6 in the LEC regular season the previous two years, won its tenth LEC regular-season title (first in seven years) with a 5-1-2 record (10-5-3)
to win the LEC regular season title by a single point over unbeaten (4-0-4) Keene.
The men's and women's swimming programs added another couple of first-place finishes to the Warriors' resume in the winter season. The women won the LEC Championship meet for the second time in three yeaers in February, scoring 839.5 points to dominate the competition and break their previous point total record. Keene finished second, with 529 points. The defending champion Eastern men scored 756.5 points and scored the most points out of three Little East Conference core institutions at the meet. Bridgewater State University won the meet, scoring 870 points.
Final 2025-26 LEC Commissioner's Cup Standings
1. Eastern Connecticut - 6.83
2. Southern Maine - 6.82
3. Keene State - 6.73
4. UMass Boston - 5.82
5. UMass Dartmouth - 5.53
6. Rhode Island College - 5.05
7. Plymouth State - 4.88
8. Western Connecticut - 4.29
9. Vermont State Castleton - 3.24
LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE COMMISSIONER'S CUP HISTORY
25 Years
Year ECSU Place Points Winner
2025-26
1st 6.83
Eastern Conn.
2024-25 3rd 6.13 Keene State College
2023-24 2nd 6.39 Keene State College
2022-23
1st 7.11
Eastern Conn.
2021-22
1st 7.63
Eastern Conn.
2020-21 Not awarded
2019-20
1st 6.59
Eastern Conn.
2018-19
1st 6.26
Eastern Conn.
2017-18
1st 5.62
Eastern Conn.
2016-17
1st 5.735
Eastern Conn.
2015-16 3rd 5.353 Keene State College
2014-15 2nd 5.4706 Keene State College
2013-14 3rd 5.4706 Keene State College
2012-13 3rd 5.7353 Keene State College
2011-12 2nd 6.8718 Keene State College
2010-11 3rd 6.690 Keene State College
2009-10 2nd 5.812 Keene State College
2008-09 2nd 5.8960 Keene State College
2007-08 2nd 6.1565 Keene State College
2006-07 2nd 5.8783 Keene State College
2005-06 2nd 5.9459 Keene State College
2004-05 6th 4.800 Keene State College
2003-04 2nd 5.944 Keene State College
2002-03 3rd 5.527 Keene State College
2001-02 2nd 81 pts. Keene State College
2000-01 4th 68 pts. Keene State College
EASTERN'S LEC FINISHES IN 2025-26
In-Season Play
Sport Place LEC Pct.
Field Hockey 1st 6-0 1.000
Women's Soccer 1st 5-1-2 .750
Women's Lacrosse 3rd 6-2 .750
Baseball 4th 11-5 .688
Women's Volleyball 4th 5-3 .625
Softball 4th 10-6 .625
Men's Soccer 4th 4-3-1 .563
Men's Basketball 5th 8-8 .500
Men's Lacrosse* 5th 3-5 .375
Women's Basketball 6th 6-10 .375
*-Fifth among primary LEC institutions
LEC Championship Meets
Place
Women's Swimming 1st
Men's Swimming* 1st
Men's Golf 2nd
Men's Outdoor Track & Field 2nd
Women's Outdoor Track & Field 3rd
Women's Indoor Track & Field 3rd
Women's Golf* 3rd
Men's Indoor Track & Field 4th
Men's Cross Country 4th
Women's Cross Country 5th
*-Ranking among primary LEC institutions
