40 in 40 - Jacoby Trophy Wins

40 in 40 Tribute List

MAC Jacoby Trophy Year-By-Year List

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, wmubroncos.com takes a look at 40 key moments/females in the history of women's athletics at Western Michigan University. Though the selection process, an effort was made to highlight a moment and player/coach from each of our current women's sports programs, as well pay respect to our women's legacy sports. A different feature will be released each of the 40 days, July 24 through Sept. 1.

Jacoby Trophy Wins (6)

Named after former Mid-American Conference Commissioner Fred Jacoby, the Jacoby Trophy is awarded on a yearly basis to the institution with the most successful women's athletic programs as a whole. The most coveted trophy recognizing women's sports, it has been awarded by the conference since 1983.

Western Michigan has received the Jacoby Trophy on six occasions, second most only to Kent State, a seven-time recipient.

The Broncos won the trophy four straight-seasons from 1984-87, as well as in 1996, and most recently in 2011. Western Michigan has finished runner-up in the Jacoby standings three other years, 1989, 1995 and 2005.

The trophy is awarded each year on a point system, in which points are earned based on each school's conference finish, with the overall total divided by the number of sports sponsored by each school. An institution may count either indoor track and field or outdoor track and field, but not both.

During the 2010-11 academic year, Western Michigan competed in 10 sports (nine counted towards total, as WMU has indoor and outdoor track). Highlights of the season included the Bronco softball team winning the regular season and tournament championship for the first time ever in the same year.

Western Michigan also finished second at the indoor track & field MAC Championship, second in the West Division regular season in volleyball, third in the regular season and at the MAC Championships in gymnastics and third in the regular season in women's tennis. The women's soccer team advanced to the MAC Championship game after finishing fourth in the MAC West regular season.

In 2005-06, eight of WMU's women's teams finished fourth or higher for their respective sports, and the Broncos grabbed first-place regular-season finishes in three sports--gymnastics, softball and tennis.

Both of Western Michigan's last two Jacoby Trophy wins, and one runner-up finish, have come under current Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard.

Fred Jacoby was the MAC Commissioner from 1971-82 and is credited with incorporating women's athletics into the conference structure.