FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Complete Rankings
Dec. 30, 2009 -- North Central College is ranked 22nd among all NCAA Division III programs in the final fall Learfield Sports Directors' Cup all-sports standings, released by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
The Cardinals tallied 150 points during the fall sports seasons, netting 100 points in men's cross country after winning their 13th national championship while picking up an additional 50 points from the women's volleyball squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. North Central's victory at cross country nationals was the largest margin of victory in the events history, outdistancing runner-up Williams College (Mass.) 50 to 181 with all seven runners earning All-American accolades. The women's volleyball team made its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2009, defeating Heidelberg University (Ohio) 3-1 in the opening round before falling 3-1 to regional finalist Ohio Northern University in the second round.
North Central is the top ranked College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin institution, Illinois Wesleyan University is 39th with 103 points while Wheaton College is 53rd (89 points). The Cardinals are also one of just six institutions to capture a championship in the fall, joining UW-Eau Claire (women's cross country); Washington University in Saint Louis (volleyball); Salisbury University (Md.) (women's field hockey); Messiah College (Pa.) (men's and women's soccer); and UW-Whitewater (football).
Williams College sits atop the standings with 367 points, Calvin College (Mich.) is second with 349 while Wash U rounds out the top three with 319 points.
The Learfield Sports 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.
The first installment of the winter standings will be released Thursday, March 18, 2010.
