Overall athletic balance during the 2010-11 school year has enabled Columbus Grove to win its first “Don Bachman Award of Excellence” which recognizes the school in the conference that exhibits the highest level of consistent excellence in conference-sponsored sports and scholastic bowl competition.
The Bulldogs compiled 86.5 points to edge Bluffton by just one point and Lima Central Catholic by three points. The Thunderbirds had won four straight Bachman Awards after Crestview captured the honor in the first year of competition.
The award was started during the 2005-06 school year to honor longtime Northwest Conference commissioner/secretary, Don Bachman, who served in that position for more than thirty years before passing away late in 2005.
This year Columbus Grove won outright NWC titles in Boys Cross Country and Boys Basketball and added second place finishes in Golf, Wrestling, and Boys Track.
Other NWC champions were Ada (Academic), Allen East (Wrestling), Bluffton (Boys Track), Crestview (Volleyball and Softball), Delphos Jefferson (Girls Basketball), L.C.C. (Golf, Football, Baseball), and Spencerville (Girls Cross Country and Girls Track).
The final order of finish for the 2010-11 school year is as follows:
2010-11 Don Bachman Award of Excellence
| Schools | Bachman Award Points |
|---|---|
| 1. Columbus Grove | 86.5 |
| 2. Bluffton | 85.5 |
| 3. Lima Central Catholic | 83.5 |
| 4. Crestview | 81.5 |
| 5. Spencerville | 66.5 |
| 6. Paulding | 65 |
| 7. Delphos Jefferson | 54.5 |
| 8. Allen East | 50.5 |
| 9. Ada | 39.5 |
| 10. Lincolnview | 36 |
