May 29, 2009

BERKELEY - On the strength of a runner-up finish in women's tennis, California has moved up to fifth place in the latest Directors' Cup standings. The Golden Bears currently have 849 points with several sports still competing. The final results will be announced June 26.

Last year, Cal tied for its highest finish ever, coming in seventh place, and the Bears have been in the Top 10 five of the last six years.

In addition to the 90 points Cal picked up for women's tennis, the Bears have also scored in women's golf (25 points) and men's tennis (25) so far this spring. Points from men's golf, women's rowing, softball, and men's and women's track & field have yet to be tabulated. Rugby and men's rowing are not NCAA-sponsored sports and do not figure into the standings.

The 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 20 sports -- 10 women's and 10 men's.

Stanford leads the overall race with 1,258.75 points, followed by North Carolina (1062.75), USC (897.00), Michigan (884.80) and Cal.

For a complete look at the standings, visit the NACA website at nacda.com.