UVa. third in Directors’ Cup

Edited by Chris Graham
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Virginia finished third in the final 2009-10 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup competition for Division I schools. The final results were announced Thursday by the National Association of Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

The finish is the best for the Cavaliers in the 17-year history of the Directors’ Cup program. Virginia’s previous best finish was eighth in both 1999 and 2009.

Other ACC schools in the rankings included Florida State at #5, North Carolina at #7, Duke at #10, and Virginia Tech at #40.

UVa.’s rank marked the 17th consecutive year that the Cavaliers recorded a top-30 finish in the Directors’ Cup.

“Congratulations to our student-athletes, coaches and department staff for their hard work in helping our program achieve a ranking of third in the Directors’ Cup standings,” UVa. Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said. “I also appreciate the continued support and dedication of our alumni, friends, faculty and University staff, and donors. Among our goals are to win conference and national championships and our standing in this year’s Directors’ Cup is a direct reflection of our ongoing effort to reach our 10-year goals for the department.”

Teams or individuals in 21 of Virginia’s 25 intercollegiate athletics programs advanced to postseason competition in 2009-10. UVa won three team national championships and three individual national titles. Virginia won NCAA titles in women’s rowing and men’s soccer along with a third consecutive ITA National Team Indoor Championship in men’s tennis.

UVa’s men’s tennis doubles team of Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz won the NCAA title in that event as did Robby Andrews in the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and the women’s rowing team’s Varsity Four crew (coxswain Sarah Pichardo, Ruth Retzinger, Hunter Terry, Chelsea Simpson and Inge Janssen).

The Cavaliers also won a school-record seven Atlantic Coast Conference championships in 2009-10, the most of any league member. UVa won ACC titles in men’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and wrestling. Virginia has won 42 ACC championships in the last eight years, the most of any school in the conference during that period. The women’s rowing title was UVa’s 100th ACC championship.

Five different Virginia teams (baseball, men’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, men’s soccer and men’s tennis) were ranked No. 1 nationally during the 2009-10 athletics year.