After sending six teams to postseason tournaments last academic year, the Brandeis athletics department was rewarded for its on-and-off court success by receiving the 13th annual East Coast Athletic Conference Jostens Institution of the Year award Sunday. The award recognizes the ECAC member school that "best exemplifies the highest standards of collegiate academics and athletic performance," according to a University press release. Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa '90 accepted the award Sunday at the ECAC honors dinner in Hyannis, Mass.

Four of the Judges' varsity teams reached their respective ECAC tournaments last season, while the men's and women's basketball teams both made the NCAA tournament.

"This is a tremendous honor," Sousa said in the release. "The ECAC has held an important role in Brandeis athletics over the years, and we are proud to be a part of this respected organization. To be recognized for our success is a tribute to our dedicated staff of coaches and administrators."

The ECAC is comprised of 319 schools from as far north as Maine to as far south as North Carolina, according to its Web site, and its members come from Division I, II and III athletic programs.

Eight components are included in the selection process for the award, including participation in ECAC and NCAA postseason tournaments, student-athlete academic successes and representation on ECAC selection and administrative committees, according to an ECAC press release. Brandeis' cumulative score for numerical tallies of each component was the highest among 10 finalists for the award, according to ECAC Senior Associate Commissioner Steve Bamford.

"The biggest thing is [Brandeis'] combined athletic and academic excellence," Bamford said in a telephone interview. "Those were the key ingredients for past recipients, and that certainly held true for Brandeis this year."

Last spring, the men's basketball team won five straight conference games to reach the NCAA tournament before falling to Rhode Island College 70-67 in the second round, while the women's team earned its second straight NCAA appearance before bowing out to Emmanuel College in the second round.

The men's soccer team won the ECAC New England tournament championship last fall despite entering the tournament seeded fourth of eight teams, riding forward Mike Snyder '07 to the title. The volleyball also won its ECAC tournament last fall without dropping a single set throughout the competition.

In addition, the men's fencing team made history last winner, winning the épée competition at the International Fencing Association championships.

Two other varsity teams also made ECAC tournament semifinal appearances last season. In just her first season replacing Mary Sullivan, who was controversially fired in September 2006, coach Jessica Johnson led the softball team to its first-ever ECAC tournament appearance, while the women's soccer team earned its third-straight ECAC tournament berth last season.

Brandeis athletes also excelled off the court last season, as 156 varsity athletes were named to the all-University Athletic Association all-academic team last season, according to the university press release.

"You always wonder what these athletes are majoring in, and when you find out, it's pretty impressive," men's basketball coach Brian Meehan said.

The increased success for the program has coincided with a rise in fan support, particularly at basketball games. For the first time, the athletics department had a separate student section at that game, known as "The Jury."

"It is so much easier to win with the support of a great home crowd," Sousa told the Justice last March. "A lot of the fan support has been student driven. [The Athletics Department] can do all sorts of things, but the students have to want to be a part of school spirit.