WHITEFISH, Mont., April 18, 2019 –  The Frontier Conference awarded Rocky Mountain College the distinguished 2018-2019 Bandy Award Thursday afternoon. 

The award counts as the seventh for the Battlin' Bears which ranks as second most in the Frontier Conference. Rocky received the honor in the seasons of 1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2008-09, and 2013-14.

The Battlin' Bears finished with 112 points ahead of Lewis-Clark's 88 points and Carroll College's 82 points. Montana Western finished in fourth with 58.75 followed by University of Providence 57.5 points. MSU-Northern finished with 54.5 points while Montana Tech earned 49 points. 

Southern Oregon, College of Idaho, and Eastern Oregon all earned 9.75 points as members in only football.

The Battlin' Bears won the regular season conference titles in football, volleyball, men's golf, and women's golf.

The Bandy award is given within the Frontier Conference to the institution with the most points awarded for regular season finishes. The conference regular season champion for each sport receives 17 points. Second place earns 12 points, third earns 10 points, fourth earns nine points, fifth earns eight, sixth earns seven, and eighth place earns three. 

The award is named in honor of the first commissioner of the Frontier Conference, George Bandy, his wife Cheryl Ann, and their son, Michael.