June 29, 2009

SLIDE SHOW

For the third time in the last four years, California finished seventh in the final Directors' Cup standings, tying for the school's highest placing in the history of the rankings. The Golden Bears were also seventh in 2006 and 2008.

During the 2008-09 seasons, Cal captured a national championship in women's swimming, finished as the NCAA runner-up in women's tennis and women's rowing, and registered top-five finishes in men's swimming (4th), men's gymnastics (4th) and volleyball (5th). Both rugby and men's rowing also earned second-place national finishes in 2009, but because they are not sponsored by the NCAA, the Bears did not receive points for either of their results.

Other teams to secure spots in the Top 10 were women's basketball (9th), which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time, softball (9th) and men's soccer (9th).

Overall, Cal has now placed among the Top 10 in the Directors' Cup each of the last four years and six times in the last seven years. The Bears were ninth n 2003, 2004 and 2007.

For 2008-09, Cal was the only Pac-10 school to have its football team play in a bowl game (Emerald Bowl) and its men's and women's basketball teams earn invitations to the NCAA Tournament. On the national level, just five teams achieved the trifecta and a Top 10 Directors' Cup finish - Cal, North Carolina, LSU, Ohio State and Texas.

The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today and is presented to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country in NCAA Division I, II and III and the NAIA. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in a maximum of 10 NCAA-sponsored sports for both men and women.

Over the course of the 2008-09 campaign, Cal won 12 individual national titles - all of which came after March 20. En route to leading the women's swimming team to the NCAA crown, Dana Vollmer captured both the 100 and 200 freestyle, Amanda Sims prevailed in the 100 butterfly, and the Bears won the 400 and 800 free relays. At the men's NCAA meet, Nathan Adrian (50 and 100 free) and Damir Dugonjic (100 breaststroke) both brought home championships.

In April, men's gymnast Evan Roth took the NCAA rings title, while Mari Andersson and Jana Juricova teamed to claim the Bears fifth NCAA women's tennis doubles championship since 1998. Finally, the men's varsity four took first place at the IRA regatta, and track & field's Martin Maric won the national discus crown on his final throw.

Eight of the 10 Pac-10 schools ranked among the Top 25 in the Directors' Cup. In addition to Cal, the others were Stanford (1st), USC (4th), Washington (11th), Arizona State (12th), UCLA (16th), Oregon (22nd) and Arizona (24th).

For a complete look at the 2008-09 Directors' Cup standings, visit nacda.com.

Below is a year-by-year look at Cal's finishes in the Directors' Cup:

2008-09       7th
2007-08       7th
2006-07       9th
2005-06       7th
2004-05       15th
2003-04       9th
2002-03       9th
2001-02       20th
2000-01       12th
1999-00       15th
1998-99       23rd
1997-98       19th
1996-97       26th
1995-96       30th
1994-95       13th
1993-94       17th

Cal scored Directors' Cup points in the following sports in 2008-09:

Men's Basketball - 33rd (25)
Women's Basketball - 9th (64)
Men's Cross Country - 22nd (30)
Football - 25th (49)
Men's Golf - 49th (22)
Women's Golf - 25th (47.5)
Men's Gymnastics - 4th (80)
Women's Rowing - 2nd (90)
Men's Soccer - 9th (64)
Women's Soccer - 33rd (25)
Softball - 9th (64)
Men's Swimming & Diving - 4th (80)
Women's Swimming & Diving - 1st (100)
Men's Tennis - 33rd (25)
Women's Tennis - 2nd (90)
Men's Indoor Track & Field - 12th (64.5)
Women's Indoor Track & Field - 41st (32)
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - 25th (47)
Volleyball - 5th (73)

Final Director's Cup Standings

1. Stanford           1455.00
2. North Carolina     1184.25
3. Florida            1172.75
4. USC                1137.75
5. Michigan           1131.80
6. Texas              1105.50
7. California         1072.00
8. Virginia           1059.00
9. LSU                1029.00
10. Ohio State        1015.80