ANDERSON, S.C. – For the seventh consecutive year and ninth time in the last ten years, Anderson University has claimed possession of the coveted Beville Cup in the rivalry between Anderson and Erskine.
Early success in the fall enabled Anderson to take a lead in the standings and the Trojans never looked back after building an insurmountable lead through the winter.
The prestigious Beville Cup, originally known as the Anderson/Erskine Cup, is a competition between Erskine and Anderson's athletics programs that was established in the fall of 2003 and is sponsored by ARAMARK in order to promote and enhance the rivalry between the Trojans and Flying Fleet, whose campuses are separated only by 20 miles.
The winner of the Beville Cup each year traditionally has the award presented each spring to its student-athletes and coaches by the losing athletics director, usually at their postseason banquet/awards night.
The Fleet last claimed the Cup in 2012 has held it in back-to-back years just once (2005-06), with Anderson holding it for 12 total years.
Normally, there is a total of 15.5 points available, but with Erskine not sponsoring men's cross country last fall and bowing out of the men's and women's tennis competition this spring, a total of 12 1/2 points were available.
Erskine garnered an early lead off the court this year by claiming the Academic Success Rate (1 ½ points), while the Trojan volleyball squad got AU on the board with a dominating 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-14) win at the Abney Athletic Center in early September.
The men's and women's soccer teams continued the run and built the lead to 3-1 ½ by defeating the Flying Fleet on back-to-back days in mid-October in the Electric City, while the AU women's cross country team – which went on to make is' second straight appearance at the NCAA National Championships – pushed the lead to 2 ½ points by finishing third at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships in Oakwood, Ga. Erskine did not sponsor men's cross country in 2018, so that point was unavailable for either program to claim.
The Trojan men's and women's basketball squads pushed the lead to 6-1 ½ by posting decisive 11-point and 26-point victories, respectively, in November at the Abney Center.
The Flying Fleet opened the spring slate by claiming two full points after sweeping the baseball point and taking the men's golf point at the Bearcat Golf Classic in Greenwood, S.C. Erskine closed within 2 ½ points with a win in the opening game of the softball twin bill, but the Trojans took the nightcap and rebuilt a 7 ½ - 4 advantage when the women's golf team won the Coker Cobra Invitational.
The Anderson-Erskine Cup was changed to the "Beville Cup" in the spring of 2007 in honor of Bobby and Susie Beville. Susie Beville was a graduate of Anderson College and Erskine College, where she played softball. Susie Beville passed away in the summer of 2004. Her husband Bobby played baseball both at AU and Erskine and went on to serve as baseball coach at Anderson before becoming the athletics director for 10 years. He left AU in 2007 to work for the Anderson City Parks and Recreation Department.
Results
2003-04: Anderson 19, Erskine 13
2004-05: Erskine 19.5, Anderson 12.5
2005-06: Erskine 18.5, Anderson 13.5
2006-07: Anderson 20, Erskine 12
2007-08: Anderson 20, Erskine 12
2008-09: Erskine 16.5, Anderson 15.5
2009-10: Anderson 20, Erskine 18
2010-11: Anderson 10.5, Erskine 9.5
2011-12: Erskine 9.5, Anderson 9.0
2012-13: Anderson 9.25, Erskine 6.25
2013-14: Anderson 12, Erskine 3.5
2014-15: Anderson 9, Erskine 3.5
2015-16: Anderson 8.5, Erskine 7.0
2016-17: Anderson 12, Erskine 3.0
2017-18: Anderson 7.5, Erskine 7.0
2018-19: Anderson 7.5, Erskine 4.0 (All-Academic Point TBD)
