June 19, 2002
DALLAS, Texas - Sparked by a national championship from its women's rowing team earlier this month, UC Davis used a strong spring season to vault from sixth place to first and capture the program's fifth ="" target="_blank">Sears Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II, it was announced Tuesday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The Aggies have won the award three consecutive years.
The award is presented each year to the most successful athletic programs at each of the NCAA Division I, II and III levels, as well as the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Points are awarded to schools whose teams advance to NCAA or NAIA Championship play.
UC Davis was presented with its 2002 award by NACDA at a luncheon on Tuesday afternoon at the organization's national convention in Dallas, Texas.
UC Davis capitalized on four top-10 finishes during NCAA Championship competition during the 2001-02 athletic year, scoring a program-best 743 points. Grand Valley State (Mich.) finished second with 687 points, fellow California Collegiate Athletic Association member UC San Diego was third with 571.5, and Truman State (Mo.) was fourth with 541.5.
UC Davis, which scored in 13 of a possible 14 sports, has never finished lower than second for the prestigious award. A total of 15 teams advanced to NCAA Championship play.
The Aggies were seventh with 453.5 points during unofficial mid-Spring season standings released on May 23 after finishing sixth in the final winter standings, but added 329.5 points during the final weeks to jump to first place. UC Davis finished first at the inaugural NCAA Division II Championship for women's rowing to score 100 points, then added an 8th-place showing in golf, top-20 performances by softball and women's track and field, and a tie for 26th by men's track and field. UC Davis also scored 30 points by its men's tennis team and 20 from its women's to round out the spring season scoring.
"We had another tremendous year as evidenced by the success of our teams across the board," said Director of Athletics Greg Warzecka. "More than anything, the Sears' Directors Cup is a tribute to the outstanding efforts by our student-athletes and coaches."
UC Davis sponsors 25 intercollegiate varsity sports - 13 for women and 12 for men - with nearly 850 student-athletes participating in those programs.
"I can't think of a better testament to the special nature of UC Davis Athletics than our repeated Sears Directors' Cup recognition," said UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "It again confirms that our program emphasizes the right things - coaches who teach far beyond the fundamentals of their sport; athletes who are, above all, students; and a breadth of opportunities for both women and men.
"No matter what the future holds for athletics at UC Davis, these will always be our constants and the base from which everything else will flow."
The Sears Directors' Cup program, which awards Waterford Crystal trophies to each winner, is presented by NACDA and Sears, Roebuck and Co. Points are awarded in 14 sports at the Division II level, depending on the size of the national championship. The top seven sports for both men and women count toward the final standings. A total of 218 institutions scored points in this year's competition.
Western State won both the men's and women's cross country championships to take the lead for the fall season, scoring 260 total points. UC Davis - bolstered by a tie for third nationally by its football team and top-five showings by its men's and women's cross country squads - was third with 224.5.
Western State had 500 points and led North Dakota (476.5) and Truman State (470.5) after the winter season, with UC Davis in sixth place with 403.5 points. Among the Aggies' scorers in the winter season were men's swimming and diving (T10th) and women's swimming and diving (T15th).
Wrestling and women's rowing were among the many highlights for UC Davis this year as both scored points toward the Sears Directors' Cup for the first time. Wrestling finished 41st at the NCAA Division I Championships, tallying 42 points. Until this year, the NCAA sponsored only one rowing championship for all divisions, and while the Aggies' first varsity eight boat participated three times during those regattas, UC Davis did not qualify as a team and, therefore, was not able to score points for the Sears Directors' Cup.
"I remember feeling it was disappointing that we weren't able to contribute even though we were making NCAA Championships," said Emily Plesser, women's rowing coach. "I remember thinking it would be great if we could help out, especially with the historical success of our program.
"It has been very satisfying to pull in points to help win the award for the school."
UC Davis golf coach Cy Williams offered similar sentiments.
"The Sears Directors' Cup is a source of pride for us," he said. "We take all of our recruits by to see the trophies. We're very proud of the award; you're talking about being the best in the nation."
As part of the program, Sears and NACDA will award a $5,000 postgraduate academic scholarship to a UC Davis student who works within the athletic department in a support role, including student managers, trainers, band members, cheerleaders and other assistants.
UC Davis also won Sears Directors' Cups in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001. This years' trophy will join the other four currently on display in the Hall of Fame trophy room at Recreation Hall. A formal presentation of this year's award will occur during the fall on the UC Davis campus.
2001-02 SEARS DIRECTORS' CUP
FINAL NCAA DIVISION II TOP 10 STANDINGS
1. UC DAVIS, 743.0
2. Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 687.0
3. UC San Diego, 571.5
4. Truman St. (Mo.), 541.5
5. Western St. (Colo.), 535.5
6. Cal St. Bakersfield, 530.5
7. North Dakota, 527.0
8. Northern Colorado, 507.5
9. South Dakota St., 465.5
10. Indiana (Pa.), 457.0
UC DAVIS' NCAA FINISHES FOR 2001-02
MEN'S SPORTS
Football, T3rd, (75)
Cross Country, T5th, (69.5)
Outdoor Track and Field, T26th, (57.5)
Indoor Track and Field, 28th, (40)
Swimming and Diving, 10th, (56)
Golf, 8th, (76)
Wrestling (Div. I), 41st, (42)
Tennis, T17th, (30)
WOMEN'S SPORTS
Rowing, 1st, (100)
Cross Country, 3rd, (80)
Swimming and Diving, 15th, (41)
Softball, T17th, (30)
Outdoor Track and Field, 18th, (66)
Tennis, T33rd, (20)
(Sears Directors' Cup points in parentheses... Note: not all points counted towards final total)
SYNOPSIS OF DIVISION II SCORING STRUCTURE
? A total of 14 sports are counted in the standings - the top seven for both men and women.
? Men's sports that may count include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor/outdoor), volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
? Women's sports that may count include: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor/outdoor) and volleyball.
? Only the higher point total of either indoor and outdoor track for each of the men and women will be counted.
? Coed sports that may count include: fencing, rifle and skiing.
