[caption id="attachment_34425" align="aligncenter" width="350"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ba.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-34425"><img class="size-full wp-image-34425" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ba.jpg" alt="Beaufort Academy Athletic Director Neal McCarty was presented the President's Cup Award at the 2017 SCISA Board of Directors meeting (also pictured is Mike Fanning, SCISA athletic director). The meeting was held at the SCISA headquarters in Orangeburg. Photo provided." width="350" height="466"></a> Beaufort Academy Athletic Director Neal McCarty was presented the President's Cup Award at the 2017 SCISA Board of Directors meeting (also pictured is Mike Fanning, SCISA athletic director). The meeting was held at the SCISA headquarters in Orangeburg. Photo provided.[/caption]

For the first time in school history, Beaufort Academy is the recipient of the South Carolina Independent School Association President's Cup for the 2016-2017 school year.&nbsp;

The James C. Williams, Jr. President's Cup is an annual award presented to the most outstanding athletic program in the state. There are approximately 34 SCISA Classification A schools that participate in athletics. Beaufort Academy won two state championships during the 2016-17 academic year: girls' and boys' soccer, while three other teams (girls' tennis, boys' tennis and sailing) finished as state runners-up.&nbsp;

"We are very honored to receive SCISA's President's Cup Award, which is the highest distinction for an athletic program," said Beaufort Academy Athletic Director Neal McCarty. "Our athletic program continues to make progress across the board each year with 100 percent of our varsity teams qualifying for the state playoffs or competed in a state tournament, meet and match in 2016-17. This distinction for BA was made possible by the support and commitment our athletic program receives from the coaching staff, student-athletes, faculty, administration, families and community."

The Beaufort Academy athletic program is off to a great start this school year as well.This fall, the Beaufort Academy volleyball and girls' tennis teams both won state championships for the first time in school history. The BA football team won a play-off game for first time.&nbsp;