Bentonville became the first back-to-back winner of the MaxPreps Cup, an honor which is given to the nation’s top high school athletic program.
Bentonville finished the final MaxPreps Cup standings with 1,092 points, while Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons finished second with 1,033. Carmel, Ind., was third with 948, followed by Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas with 922 and Darien, Conn., with 908.
MaxPreps Cup rankings are compiled by schools earning points for winning state championships or earning state runnerup finishes. Points are also awarded for size of playoff division (championships won at the large-school level are worth more than championships at the small-school level), size of state (championships for Texas, for example, are worth more than championships for less-populous states like Alaska) and type of sport (football championships are worth more than tennis championships).
MaxPreps, which made the announcement earlier today, recognized Bentonville’s state titles in baseball, football, volleyball, boys and girls tennis, girls track, girls cross country, boys and girls swimming and boys soccer. Bentonville also finished as the Class 7A runnerup in girls golf, boys cross country, boys basketball and boys track.