DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – All year long the Embry-Riddle Athletics Department has been celebrating its 25th year of intercollegiate athletics. After the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year, the Eagles coaches and staff were polled to select the top 25 moments of the year. Beginning tomorrow, July 2, and continuing for the next 25 days, a new moment will be revealed on ERAUAthletics.com. Today we celebrate a few accomplishments of the past athletic year.
 
CHEERLEADING WINS IN FIRST COMPETITION SINCE 2008
 
The Eagles' cheerleading team participated in a competition for the first time in over five years, and the Blue and Gold were victorious in their return. Embry-Riddle took first place in the collegiate division of the Tallahassee Diamond Championship, defeating Tallahassee Community College in a direct competition between the two squads.
 
WE ARE 1 RUN
 
The Embry-Riddle Athletics program showed the true meaning of the "Forever an Eagle" slogan adopted by the University's alumni department, as they teamed up with the Phi Gamma Delta International Fraternity (FIJI) for the "We Are 1 Run" Jan 25-26. The event served as a fundraiser to benefit ERAU women's soccer alumnae Kate Waidmann (formerly Schwikert) who was diagnosed with colon cancer last fall.
 
ERAU WINS 14TH CONSECUTIVE COMMISSIONER'S CUP
 
For the 14th straight year, the Eagles brought home The Sun Conference Commissioner's Cup, awarded to the best overall athletics program in the conference. ERAU won at least a share of seven regular season titles to finish with a score of 10.75, besting SCAD Savannah (9.65) and South Carolina Beaufort (9.17).
 
EAGLES FINISH FOURTH IN LEARFIELD SPORTS DIRECTOR'S CUP STANDINGS
 
The Blue and Gold earned a fourth-place finish in this year's Learfield Sports Directors' Cup race, placing in the top five for the third consecutive year. The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is awarded to the best overall athletics program in the NAIA; it is a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The Eagles scored points in 13 sports, including the maximum 100 points thanks to the men's tennis team's national championship.
 
SPORTS MARKETING DEPARTMENT CLAIMS SIX AWARDS AT NACMA
 
The Eagles' Sports Marketing department collected six awards at the 2013 Best of Awards Ceremony presented by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA). The Blue and Gold won awards in six of the 13 categories, taking home a bronze, two silver and three gold awards.
 
SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT GARY SPITLER AWARD
 
ERAU's Sports Information won the Gary Spitler Award for Excellence in Publications for the fifth year in a row. The award is presented annually by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics – Sports Information Directors Assocation (NAIA-SIDA) to the Sports Information Office that accumulates the most total points among all of the publications contests in the NAIA. The Blue and Gold grabbed four first-place awards along with two seconds and a third.
 
RIDDER NAMED CONFERENCE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
 
Embry-Riddle Director of Athletics Steve Ridder was named The Sun Conference Athletics Director of the Year, the seventh time he has earned that accolade. Ridder was selected as the AD of the Year based on the votes of the league's AD's after leading the Eagles to their 14th straight Sun Conference Commissioner's Cup and a fourth-place finish in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.