ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference has released the final standings for the conference's Kruse Award following the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. The University of Northwestern maintained its second-place position it held after the previous two standings updates, provided at the end of the fall and winter sports seasons.

• UMAC Press Release

The award, which is named after Jerome Kruse, a longtime athletic director at the former Northwestern College (Wis.) and Martin Luther College, is awarded to the full-member institution with the most points accumulated by the place finishes of the college's athletic teams in the final standings of 18 conference-sponsored sports.

Northwestern won conference championships this school year in Volleyball and Women's Golf, and was the conference runner-up in Football, Women's Soccer, Men's Golf, Women's Indoor Track and Field, Baseball, Men's Tennis and Women's Tennis. UW-Superior finished atop the standings while UNW finished 13.5 clear of third-place Bethany Lutheran.

Since the first year of the Kruse Award (1996-97), Northwestern has won it seven times (1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09).
 

2023-24 Kruse Award Standings
School	MCC	WCC	FB	MSC	WSC	VB	MGF	WGF	MBB	WBB	MITR	WITR	BB	SB	MTN	WTN	MOTR	WOTR	Total
Wisconsin-Superior	8	8		8	8	6	8	6	6.5	8	7	7	5.5	4.5	5	6	7	7	115.5
Northwestern	6	3	3	5	7	8	7	8	5	6	2	5.5	7	4.5	4	5	1	4	91
Bethany Lutheran	4	5		7	6	3.5	3	2	8	4	3	5.5	8	6.5	3	2	3	5	78.5
Martin Luther	7	7	2	2	3.5	5	4	3	2	4	6	3	1.5	3	1	4	6	6	70
Minnesota Morris	2	4	4	2	3.5	7	2	4	3	7	5	2	4	6.5		3	5	2	66
Crown	5	6	1	4	5	1	5	7	4	2	4	4	5.5	2	2	1	4	3	65.5
North Central	1	2		2	1	2	6	1	6.5	4	1	1	3	1			2	1	34.5
Northland	3	1		6	2	3.5	1	5	1	1			1.5						25