A cross-city rivalry has reignited as Rockhurst University and William Jewell College have begun competition for the 2024-2025 Kansas City Crown, with the Hawks taking an early lead.

“The best part about winning the game was earning the first point for Rockhurst towards winning the KC Crown. After dominating with so many scoring chances, it was great to see Olivia bury the game-winning goal,” said freshman women’s soccer player Kaitlyn Hobart.

On the men’s side, senior Jacopo Belardo led the way, netting two goals that pushed the team to a 2-1 victory. Before this meeting, the men’s team had won 13 games against the Cardinals since 2011, outscoring them 33-7 during the stretch. This latest win continued Rockhurst’s dominance in the rivalry and added a point for the Hawks in the KC Crown competition.

With the soccer teams putting Rockhurst ahead 2-0, the Hawks aim to secure the KC Crown for the third consecutive year.

Since its start in September 2022, the KC Crown has become a yearly tradition where the two NCAA Division II institutions, located just 21 miles apart, have competed for points across a variety of sports for area bragging rights and a trophy. Rockhurst has won both years since the competition was created.

In the competition, each school competes for points based on head-to-head victories in GLVC regular-season games. Extra points are added during postseason competition, while non-conference games and scrimmages are excluded. The champion will receive the traveling trophy that stays at the school until the next winner is crowned.

The KC Crown point scale is as follows:

• Women’s Volleyball – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Men’s Soccer – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Women’s Soccer – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Men’s & Women’s Cross Country – 1 point per gender for higher team finish at GLVC Championship
• Men’s & Women’s Track & Field – 1 point per gender for higher team finish at GLVC Championship
• Men’s Basketball – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting (play twice per year so 2 total points)
• Women’s Basketball – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting (play twice per year so 2 total points)
• Baseball – ½ point per regular season GLVC meeting (4 games: 2 pts possible in weekend series)
• Softball – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting (2 pts possible in doubleheader)
• Men’s and Women’s Golf – 1 point per gender for higher team finish at GLVC Championship
• Men’s Tennis – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Women’s Tennis – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Men’s Lacrosse – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Women’s Lacrosse – 1 point per regular season GLVC meeting
• Men’s & Women’s Swimming and Diving – 1 point per gender per regular season GLVC meeting
• Additional Points/Notes:
  • +1 point per GLVC Tournament meeting
  • The point is split in the event of ties/draws
  • If after all competitions are complete the total challenge score is tied, the final tiebreaker is decided by who finishes higher in the GLVC Commissioner’s Cup.

The schools have enjoyed a long-standing rivalry since the early 1900s, evolving from NAIA to NCAA competition, with Rockhurst joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in 2005 and William Jewell following in 2011. With over a century of athletic history, the KC Crown competition has engaged the local sports community and enhanced the game environments as the stakes have been raised. 

“This challenge just heightens that long-standing tradition of competition between the Cardinals and the Hawks,” said Michael Koehler, Rockhurst’s athletic director.

Student-athletes agree that the competition has added a special dynamic to every meeting with opponents from William Jewell. For junior Chloe Frank, a transfer from William Jewell on the Rockhurst women’s basketball team, the KC Crown fuels competitiveness and school pride.

 “The most fun part about this rivalry is the competitiveness that comes from playing against familiar faces. A rivalry like this is important to me because of my history at William Jewell. It makes every play matter that much more,” said Frank. “Rockhurst versus Jewell games always feel more personal, and the Kansas City Crown heightens the stakes.”

Women’s volleyball team will be the next team with the opportunity to score points against the Cardinals in the KC Crown. They face off at home on Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. in Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse. Not long after, the men’s and women’s basketball teams will face William Jewell at home on Dec. 5 in hopes of earning more points.