June 16, 2003

TCNJ FINISHES THIRD IN RACE FOR 2002-03
NACDA DIRECTORS' CUP

FIFTH CONSECUTIVE THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR LIONS

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletic (NACDA) has released the final standings for the NACDA Director’s Cup race for Division III for the 2002-2003 academic year. Williams College (MA) won the NACDA Directors’ Cup for the seventh time in the last eight years, while The College of New Jersey finished in third place with 695.75 points. The third place finish by the Lions’ athletic teams marks the fIfth straight third place finish in the race for the Directors’ Cup by TCNJ and extends the program’s streak as one of just two Division III to have finished in the Top four in every year of the Directors’ Cup.

Now the seven-time defending Directors’ Cup winner, Williams College ran away with the cup after scoring 1158.25 points. Formerly, known as the Division III Sears Directors' Cup, the NACDA Directors’ Cup was developed by NACDA and was first awarded in 1995-1996.

Since that time, only TCNJ and Williams College have finished in the top four places in the standings in each of the program's eight previous years. Williams has now won seven titles overall, including the last five in a row. On the 2002-2003 season, Williams won NCAA Division III national titles in women’s cross country and men’s basketball, while nine teams added top ten finishes in NCAA Championship events.

TCNJ finished in third place behind Emory University (GA) in the final standings after the Lions’ recorded 695.75 points on the year. For the spring, TCNJ’s women’s lacrosse team took third place, while the women’s track team finished in 11^th place and the men’s track team took 17^th place overall. In the winter, TCNJ’s men’s indoor track team posted a fifth place finish, while the wrestling team took seventh, men’s swimming and diving took eighth, the women’s swimming and diving team took 13^th and the indoor women’s track squad posted a 36th showing.

Since the cup was first awarded, only TCNJ and Williams College have finished in the top four in all eight years (1995-1993).

The NACDA Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports -- nine women's and nine men's. Each national champion receives 100 points.  For the 2002-2003 year, there were 424 eligible colleges and universities in Division III and a total of 261 scored points in the race for the NACDA Directors’ Cup.

The NACDA Directors’ Cup is awarded by NACDA to the best overall athletic program and is in its fifth year on the Division III level. The Directors’ Cup program, which awards Waterford Crystal trophies valued at $35,000 each, is the only national awards and scholarship program to recognize all NCAA and NAIA championship sports for both women’s and men’s athletics.  

FINAL 2002-2003 DIVISION III STANDINGS