Cleveland – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Learfield Sports have announced the final totals for the 2012-13 Division III Directors’ Cup. Gustavus Adolphus College placed 36th out of 444 competing NCAA Division III schools after earning 418.25 points over the year.
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. In Division III, standings are based on national tournament finishes in 18 sports with points awarded based on the number of teams participating in each specific national championship.
Williams (Mass.) reclaimed the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup title, finishing with 1273.75 points. The Ephs scored in 18 sports and captured the women’s rowing and men’s and women’s tennis national championships. Williams has now captured 16 of 18 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup titles. Emory (Ga.) finished runner-up with 986.50 points, while Middlebury (Vt.) rounded out the top three in third with 941.75 points.
Over the course of the 2012-13 school year, the Gusties recorded national finishes in eight sports including women’s cross country (21st, 53 pts.), men’s soccer (33rd, 25 pts.), women’s hockey (4th, 55 pts.), women’s swimming and diving (10th, 66.75 pts.), men’s indoor track and field (21st, 49.5 pts.), men’s golf (7th, 72 pts.), men’s tennis (9th, 64 pts.), and men’s outdoor track and field (38th, 33 pts.).
The Gusties earned 78 points in the fall, 171.25 points in the winter, and 169 points in the spring to crack the top 40 for the 17th straight year. Gustavus has not finished inside the top 25 just three times in the history of the NACDA Director’s Cup.
The Gustavus men’s soccer team celebrates after earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Gustavus is one of three total MIAC schools to break the top 50 this year. St. Thomas led the league with a ninth place finish with 742 points, while Concordia finished behind Gustavus in 45th with 418.25 points. The MIAC placed 85 percent of its membership – 11 of 13 schools – in the final standings, and was just one of three conferences represented by at least 11 institutions.
Only the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) – which is actually a combination of two leagues – placed more schools in the standings than the MIAC with 14, and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) matched the MIAC with 11 schools represented. The NESCAC was led by Director’s Cup winner Williams at No. 1 and had four top-10 and seven top-100, with an average placement of 80. The MIAC had an average placement of 133, while the MAC’s average was 171. The NESCAC put all 11 of its schools in the standings, while the MIAC had 85 percent and the MAC had 78 percent representation.
Way to go Gusties !!