June 11, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The University of Notre Dame stands 18th in the second set of spring sports standings released Wednesday in the 2007-08 United States Sports Academy Division I Directors' Cup all-sports competition sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (formerly known as Sears Directors' Cup).

Spring NCAA competition so far has produced 212 points -- based on Notre Dame's quarterfinal appearance in men's lacrosse (60 points), a second-round appearance in women's tennis (50), a regional appearance in women's golf (27 points, based on a tie for 46th place), plus first-round qualifications in men's tennis (25) and women's lacrosse (25), and an NCAA regional appearance in softball (25).

Additional points for the Irish could come from the men's and women's NCAA outdoor track and field championships this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. Notre Dame has five athletes competing - Jaclyn Espinoza in the discus, Alyissa Hasan in the heptathlon, Kurt Benninger in the 1,500 meters, Adam Currie in the 800 meters and Patrick Smyth in the 5,000 meters.

Winter competition in NCAA events earned Notre Dame 355.5 points - 90 for its NCAA runner-up finish in the men's ice hockey Frozen Four, 90 more for its runner-up finish in men's and women's fencing (a combined championship), 64 for a regional semifinal appearance in women's basketball, 50 for a second-round appearance in men's basketball, 37.5 for a tie for 36th place in the men's indoor track and field championships, and 24 for a 41st-place finish in men's swimming and diving (the first points ever won for the Irish in men's swimming).

Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 188 points -- 32 based on their 21st-place finish in men's cross country, 83 for Notre Dame's national semifinal appearance in women's soccer, and 73 for its national quarterfinal appearance in men's soccer.

Stanford (1,419 points) currently leads the competition, after winning the NCAA men's water polo title and finishing as the runner-up in women's basketball and men's gymnastics. Second is Michigan (1,061), followed by UCLA (1,048), California (1,044) and Ohio State (1,017.25).

The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in women's field hockey, men's and women's cross country, men's water polo, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, the football championship subdivision (former I-AA) and the football bowl subdivision (formerly I-A). They also include winter results from men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor track and field, fencing, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's gymnastics, women's bowling, rifle, skiing, and wrestling. Also included are spring sports results in women's softball, women's rowing, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's golf, women's water polo and men's volleyball.

Final standings will be published June 26.

In previous years in which the Directors' Cup competition has been held, Notre Dame has finished 11th in 1993-94, 30th in 1994-95, 11th in 1995-96, 14th in 1996-97, tied for 31st in 1997-98, 25th in 1998-99, 21st in 1999-2000, 11th in 2000-01, 13th in 2001-02, tied for 13th in 2002-03, 19th in 2003-04, 16th in 2004-05, a best-ever sixth in 2005-06 and 22nd in 2006-07.

Here are the current standings:
1.Stanford 1419, 2.Michigan 1061, 3.UCLA 1048, 4.California 1044, 5.Ohio State 1017.25, 6.Texas 974.5, 7.Florida 972.75, 8.Penn State 961, 9.Arizona State 918.5, 10.Georgia 890, 11.USC 872.5, 12.North Carolina 862, 13.Tennessee 829.25, 14.LSU 824.5, 15.Duke 816, 16.Texas A&M 807, 17.Virginia 791, 18.NOTRE DAME 755.5, 19.Wisconsin 740.5, 20.Florida State 734.