2017 Early Contenders: No. 5 St. Thomas AquinasWatch a preview of the 2016 MaxPreps Cup champion Raiders as they prepare for the 2017 football season.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) has been a perennial winner of the Sunshine Cup, honoring the top all-around sports programs in the state of Florida. Now the Raiders have gone national, winning the MaxPreps Cup for the 2016-17 school year.
The MaxPreps Cup annually honors the top all-around high school sports programs in the nation. While St. Thomas Aquinas has regularly been near the top of the MaxPreps Cup rankings, the Raiders took the top spot this year by winning state titles in football, boys lacrosse, boys cross country, girls soccer and girls volleyball.
They were also ranked in the top 25 in national rankings in football, boys lacrosse and girls volleyball. St. Thomas Aquinas also finished second in the state in girls track and girls lacrosse.
The Raiders finished 16 points (930-914) ahead of Hawaii powerhouse Punahou (Honolulu), which won a national-best nine state titles and also had four second-place finishes.
Two-time champion Bentonville finished in third place with 907 points and eight state titles. Bentonville (Ark.) won the MaxPreps Cup in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Hoover (Ala.), which won five state championships, comes in at No. 4 with 834 points while La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.) comes in at No. 5 with 826 points.
Oxford (Miss.) is the top medium-sized school, coming in at No. 7 overall with 819 points. The Chargers won seven state titles at the 5A level in Mississippi.
Walker Governor's (Richmond, Va.) is the top small program. The Virginia school comes in at No. 14 overall with 732 points. Walker Governor's won nine state titles at the 2A level this year.
The MaxPreps Cup standings are determined by awarding points for teams that win a state title or finish second. Points are also given to teams that finish first or second at the group or sectional level for states that do not have state championships. Points are also given depending on the type of sport, the size of state and the enrollment size of the playoff division. Teams can also earn points for appearing in national rankings.
2016-17 MaxPreps Cup Final Standings

Three teams with national Top 10 rankings and five state titles propelled the Raiders to the top spot.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 930State Titles: Boys lacrosse, boys cross country, football, girls soccer, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls track, girls lacrosse
National Rankings: Football No. 6, boys lacrosse No. 7, girls volleyball No. 8
2. Punahou (Honolulu), 914
State Titles: Boys soccer, boys swimming, boys track, boys volleyball, girls golf, girls swimming, girls tennis, girls water polo, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Boys basketball, boys golf, boys cross country, girls soccer
National Rankings: Boys volleyball No. 4
3. Bentonville (Ark.), 907
State Titles: Boys swimming, boys track, girls soccer, girls swimming, girls tennis, girls cross country, softball, wrestling
State Runner-up: Girls golf
, Girls track
National Rankings: Softball No. 12
4. Hoover (Ala.), 834
State Titles: Baseball, boys track, football, girls basketball, girls track
State Runner-up: Girls golf, volleyball, wrestling
National Rankings: Football No. 23
5. La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.), 826State Titles: Boys soccer, boys tennis, girls golf, baseball, softball
State Runner-up: Boys swimming, girls soccer, girls swimming, girls track, girls basketball
National Rankings: Baseball No. 8, softball No. 10
6. Bozeman (Mont.), 824
State Titles: Boys tennis, boys cross country, girls golf, girls soccer, girls tennis, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Boys basketball, boys golf, boys swimming, girls swimming, wrestling
National Rankings: Boys cross country No. 1, girls cross country No. 8
7. Oxford (Miss.), 819
State Titles: Boys golf, boys soccer, boys tennis, boys track, boys cross country, girls soccer, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls track, girls cross country, baseball
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 17, Girls Basketball No. 25
8. Bishop England (Charleston, S.C.), 818State Titles: Boys lacrosse, boys swimming, girls golf, girls lacrosse, girls tennis, girls track, baseball, girls basketball, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys cross country, girls swimming
9. Westminster (Atlanta), 793State Titles: Boys tennis, girls tennis, girls cross country, boys lacrosse, boys soccer, girls soccer, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys cross country, boys swimming
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 3
10. Carmel (Ind.), 776
State Titles: Boys swimming, boys tennis, boys track, football, girls tennis, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys cross country
National Rankings: Girls cross country No. 4
11. Blacksburg (Va.), 766
State Titles: Boys golf, boys cross country, football, girls track, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Boys soccer, boys tennis, boys track
National Rankings: Girls cross country No. 17
12. Fayetteville (Ark.), 750
State Titles: Boys golf, girls basketball, girls track, girls volleyball, football
State Runner-up: Girls tennis, girls cross country
National Rankings: Girls basketball No. 10
13. Walker Governor's (Richmond, Va.), 732State Titles: Boys tennis, boys track, boys cross country, girls tennis, girls cross country, girls track, boys swimming, girls swimming, boys soccer
14. Jackson Prep (Miss.), 722State Titles: Baseball, softball, football, swimming, boys soccer, boys golf, boys tennis, boys track, girls track
National Rankings: Boys soccer No. 19
15. Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.), 720
State Titles: Boys basketball, boys golf, boys tennis, girls tennis, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys cross country, girls track, girls cross country
16. Marist (Atlanta), 701State Titles: Boys tennis, girls swimming, girls cross country, baseball
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys track, boys cross country, girls track, girls soccer
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 23
17. Buford (Ga.), 700
State Titles: Boys basketball, girls basketball, softball, girls volleyball, wrestling
State Runner-up: Girls soccer, football
17. Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) 700
State Titles: Boys track, boys cross country, football, girls track, girls cross country, baseball, boys basketball
State Runner-up: Girls basketball
National Rankings: Boys basketball No. 10
19. Century (Bismarck, N.D.), 694State Titles: Boys swimming, boys cross country, football, girls swimming, wrestling, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls cross country, boys track, boys basketball
20. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 684State Titles: Boys golf, football, girls tennis
State Runner-up: Boys track, girls golf, girls track, softball
National Rankings: Girls lacrosse No. 17, football No. 10
21. Hunterdon Central (Flemington, N.J.), 682State Titles: Boys soccer, girls golf, girls soccer, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Wrestling, baseball
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 3, boys soccer No. 14
22. Albuquerque Academy (N.M.), 675
State Titles: Boys cross country, boys soccer, boys swimming, boys tennis, boys track, girls soccer, girls swimming, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Baseball
23. Bedford (N.H.), 672State Titles: Boys golf, boys tennis, football, girls track, girls swimming
State Runner-up: Baseball, boys basketball, girls lacrosse, girls soccer, softball, girls basketball
23. Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), 672State Titles: Boys lacrosse, girls track, boys soccer
State Runner-up: Boys track, boys cross country, girls lacrosse, girls soccer, girls volleyball
National Rankings: Boys soccer No. 1
25. Jonesboro (Ark.), 650
State Titles: Boys basketball, boys golf, girls golf, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls tennis, boys tennis, baseball
National Rankings: Boys basketball No. 5
25. Lambert (Suwanee, Ga.), 650
State Titles: Boys tennis, boys cross country, girls golf, girls soccer
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys lacrosse, girls swimming
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 1, boys lacrosse No. 17
27. Brentwood (Tenn.), 630
State Titles: Girls tennis, boys cross country, girls volleyball, baseball
State Runner-up: Girls track, boys track
National Rankings: Boys cross country No. 3
28. Star Valley (Afton, Wyo.), 629State Titles: Boys track, boys cross country, football, girls track, girls cross country, wrestling, girls basketball, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys golf
29. St. Paul's Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.), 620
State Titles: Boys golf, boys swimming, girls cross country, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys tennis, boys track, girls swimming, girls track
30. Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), 619State Titles: Boys basketball, football, girls swimming, boys soccer, girls basketball, girls soccer
State Runner-up: Girls volleyball
31. Wesleyan (Norcross, Ga.), 618State Titles: Boys track, girls golf, girls basketball, girls soccer
State Runner-up: Softball, girls tennis, girls track, girls cross country
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 25
32. Weddington (Matthews, N.C.), 616State Titles: Boys lacrosse, boys track, football, girls soccer
State Runner-up: Boys cross country, girls swimming
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 8
33. Green Hope (Cary, N.C.), 614State Titles: Boys soccer, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys cross country, girls tennis, girls cross country
National Rankings: Boys soccer No. 1, girls soccer No. 14
34. Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, Idaho), 612State Titles: Boys basketball, boys track, boys cross country, girls track, wrestling, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls cross country, girls basketball
35. Clovis (Calif.), 610
State Titles: Girls softball (section), baseball (section), boys soccer (section), boys volleyball (Southern California)
State Runner-up: Wrestling
National Rankings: Wrestling No. 7, boys volleyball No. 10, baseball No. 19
36. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 608
State Titles: Boys golf, girls volleyball, softball (section)
State Runner-up: Girls basketball, girls soccer (section)
National Rankings: Girls soccer No. 25, softball No. 10, girls basketball No. 9
37. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), 605State Titles: Boys swimming, girls swimming, girls track, baseball
State Runner-up: Boys cross country, football, girls cross country
38. Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 601State Titles: Boys golf, boys track, boys cross country, girls cross country, girls basketball
State Runner-up: Girls swimming, baseball, girls soccer
39. 'Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii), 595
State Titles: Boys golf, boys tennis, boys cross country, girls soccer, wrestling, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Football, girls golf, girls cross country
40. Glenwood (Phenix City, Ala.), 586State Titles: Boys basketball (AISA), girls basketball (AISA), baseball (AISA), girls soccer (AISA), softball (AISA)
State Runner-up: Boys golf (AISA), girls tennis (AISA)
41. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 582State Titles: Boys basketball, boys lacrosse, football, softball, baseball
State Runner-up: Girls volleyball, boys swimming, girls swimming
42. Tupelo (Miss.), 580
State Titles: Baseball, boys golf, boys swimming, girls golf, softball
State Runner-up: Girls swimming, girls cross country
42. La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.), 580State Titles: Boys lacrosse, boys cross country, girls tennis, girls cross country, baseball, girls swimming
State Runner-up: Football, girls soccer, girls basketball
44. Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), 573State Titles: Boys track, boys cross country, girls tennis, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys basketball, boys golf, girls cross country
45. Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho), 572State Titles: Boys basketball, boys golf, boys track, boys cross country, baseball
State Runner-up: Girls soccer, girls track
46. Bridgewater-Raritan (Bridgewater, N.J.), 570State Titles: Boys volleyball, girls lacrosse, girls swimming
State Runner-up: Boys swimming, football (group), girls volleyball
National Rankings: Girls lacrosse No. 2, boys lacrosse No. 14
47. Homewood (Ala.), 566
State Titles: Boys cross country, girls basketball, girls track, girls cross country
State Runner-up: Boys golf, boys track
48. Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw, N.C.), 565State Titles: Boys golf, boys soccer, boys swimming, girls swimming, girls tennis
State Runner-up: Boys track
49. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), 558State Titles: Boys golf, boys swimming, boys tennis, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Boys basketball, boys cross country, football, girls golf, girls tennis, baseball
50. Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg, Vt.), 552State Titles: Boys lacrosse, boys cross country, girls tennis, girls cross country, girls basketball, girls volleyball
State Runner-up: Girls track, boys basketball
Update: Bentonville's point total was increased to reflect tie for second place in Class 7A girls track.