LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Gannon University Athletics Department narrowly missed winning a third consecutive Dixon Trophy while finishing second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's 18-team standings during the 2023-24 academic/athletic year. The conference released the final standings on Wednesday morning.
 
The Golden Knights finished less than one-quarter of a point behind Slippery Rock, which claimed its second Dixon Trophy all-sports title. The Rock finished with an average of 12.76 points per sport in the standings, while Gannon closed with an average of 12.53. Gannon had won the previous two Dixon Trophy titles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. SRU, which also won in 2007-08, joined Gannon and California as the only PSAC Western Division schools to claim two Dixon titles.
 
Gannon Athletics turned in another outstanding performance in 2023-24 as the women's golf team's fifth consecutive PSAC championship represented Gannon's fourth PSAC title of the athletic year. Earlier, the Golden Knights claimed conference titles in volleyball, women's basketball, and men's basketball.
 
Schools are awarded points based on their teams' finishes in the PSAC championships. Champions are awarded 18 points for first place, 17 for second … and so on. However, if a sport has fewer than 18 teams, the points are prorated based on the number of teams.
 
The GU women's programs were superb throughout the year as they led the PSAC with an average of 13.56 points per sport. SRU was second among the women's programs with 11.90 per sport. Gannon's men closed the year with an 11.50 average, which ranked fifth among the 18 men's programs.
 
Gannon's successful 2023-24 season reached far beyond the conference level. The Knights won regional titles in women's soccer, women's basketball, men's basketball, men's wrestling, and men's golf. The men's soccer team also reached the super regional title game, while the softball team earned a PSAC West regular-season title. The GU men's soccer, women's soccer, women's basketball, and men's basketball teams all reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
 
In non-PSAC competition, the Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team finished as the NCATA national runner-up and won two event national titles. The GU competitive cheer and dance team also claimed two third-place finishes in dance at nationals.
 
Gannon student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom, where the Golden Knights compiled a 3.47 grade point average during the Spring 2024 semester. A total of 110 student-athletes also were on Gannon's "A" Team with perfect 4.0 GPA's during the semester.
 
Gannon has also been focused on philanthropic causes and community service, as illustrated by the department's devotion to Make-A-Wish. Gannon student-athletes have teamed up to raise enough funds for GU to reveal a wish for six consecutive years. Gannon also has raised more than $10,000 during 2023-24 and is on course for a seventh consecutive year with a wish reveal.