RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – After an unprecedented year of competition that did not officially get underway until January 1, 2021 due to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collective 12-school membership of the Great American Conference successfully managed to have regular seasons and conference championships for 12 of the 13 league-sponsored sports. As a result, the league was able to award its annual Commissioner's Cup (All-Sports Trophy) as well as the inaugural President's Trophy.
 
In that release, Arkansas Tech claimed the inaugural President's Trophy by earning 81% of their total points available and finished second in the Commissioner's Cup with a point total of 72.5. The impressive overall achievement for ATU came thanks to two regular season championships, two conference tournament titles and a pair of runner-up finishes at conference championship events.
 
"I am beyond proud of all our student-athletes, coaches and all athletic staff for not only what they achieved in their respective competitions, but what they all persevered through this past year," remarked ATU Interim Director of Athletics, Abby Davis. "Earning the President's Trophy while finishing runner-up in the Commissioner's Cup reflects just how well-balanced our department is and how each of our teams meets our expectations of competing year-in and year-out for championships."
 
The banner year for Tech Athletics saw the Golden Suns cross country team finish runner-up at the GAC Championships, marking their best finish in program history. Volleyball finished second in the GAC Eastern Division and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Women's basketball won the GAC Eastern Division and later earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals for the 16^th time in program history.
 
The Wonder Boys basketball team found their stride late in the season and finished fourth in the GAC Eastern Division in the first year under returning head coach Mark Downey. In tennis, the Golden Suns finished third in the regular season and advanced to the tournament semifinals.
 
In their inaugural campaign of competition, the Golden Suns outdoor track and field team (comprised mostly of distance runners) carried over their success from the cross season scored 16 points at the championships and added four points to the department's total.
 
On the diamond, the Wonder Boys claimed a share of the regular season championship, their second overall and first since 2014. The Golden Suns finished fourth in regular season, but went on to capture their third-consecutive tournament title.
 
On the links, Tech claimed the men's championship while the women tied for first and narrowly lost out on the title in a team playoff. Both teams went on to the National Championship and advanced to medal match play. Beyond the conference level, the Golden Suns won the regional tournament while the Wonder Boys captured the National Championship.