HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Appalachian State University won its 30th Southern Conference Commissioner's Cup and football star Armanti Edwards is the SoCon's Bob Waters Male Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced on Tuesday at the league's spring meetings in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Both prestigious awards will be presented at the SoCon's annual Honors Dinner on Tuesday evening at the Hilton Head Crowne Plaza resort.

On the strength of four conference championships (football, cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field) and a division title (basketball), in the SoCon's 10 men's sports in 2009-10, Appalachian cruised to its 30th Commissioner's Cup, which annually recognizes the league's best overall men's athletics program.

ASU brings the Commissioner's Cup back to Boone for the fifth-consecutive year, 17th time in the last 18 years and 30th time in 33 years since winning the award for the first time in 1977-78. The Mountaineers' 30 Commissioner's Cups are by far the most in SoCon history — William & Mary boasts the second-most with five, followed by East Carolina (four) and Chattanooga, East Tennessee State and Furman (one each).

Appalachian racked up a total of 94 points in the year-long all-sports competition, easily out-distancing second-place UNC Greensboro (75.5 points). Furman (65.5), Davidson (60), Elon (58.5), The Citadel (58), Wofford (57.5), Chattanooga (57), Western Carolina (56), College of Charleston (55), Samford (47) and Georgia Southern (39) rounded out the Cup standings.

Edwards is the fourth Mountaineer in the last six years and the seventh overall to earn recognition as the SoCon's top male athlete. He did so on the strength of a record-breaking senior campaign during which he cemented his spot as the most decorated player in NCAA Division I FCS history.

Edwards became the first two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award (given to the nation's top NCAA Division I FCS player) in 2009 after throwing for a school-record 3,291 yards and running for 679 more as a dual-threat quarterback. His 330.8 yards of total offense per game ranked third nationally and he also ranked among the nation's top 20 in rushing touchdowns (t-3rd - 18), completion percentage (4th - .680), passing yards (8th), scoring (10th - 108 pts.), passing efficiency (12th - 147.90 rating), completions (13th - 257) and touchdowns responsible for (16th - 30).

In addition to winning his second-straight Payton Award, Edwards was the 2009 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American and a finalist for the prestigious Sullivan Award, which is given annually to the nation's top amateur athlete.  

For his career, Edwards ranks second in FCS history behind only Steve McNair with 14,753 yards of total offense (McNair amassed 16,823 at Alcorn State from 1991-94). With 10,392 passing yards and 4,361 rushing yards, he is the only player in Division I history (FCS or FBS) with at least 9,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career and the only FCS player to reach the 8,000 passing/4,000 rushing plateau. He was responsible for 139 touchdowns in his career (74 passing, 65 rushing), highlighting his 64 ASU and 14 Southern Conference records.

The only four-time all-American in Appalachian history, Edwards compiled a 42-7 record as a starter and led the Mountaineers to back-to-back national championships (2006 and '07) and four-straight SoCon crowns. He is the only player in SoCon history to quarterback his team to four conference titles.

Off the field, Edwards graduated from ASU in December with a bachelor's degree in graphic arts and imaging technology. An honors student, Edwards earned his degree in just three-and-half years, a feat accomplished by less than three percent of all ASU undergraduates. 

In April, he was selected in the third round (89th selection overall) of the National Football League Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

On the women's side, ASU finished fourth in the final standings for the 2009-10 Germann Cup. The Mountaineers' 73 points were just 14 behind Samford, which won its first Germann Cup in only its second year in the conference. Appalachian has won eight Germann Cups since the award's inception in 1987, which is the second-most in league history behind only Furman's 12.