Salisbury ranked 31st in NACDA Directors' Cup fall standings

CLEVELAND - A strong fall athletic season by Salisbury University helped the Sea Gulls land at 31st place in the Division III Fall U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Salisbury accumulated 128 points as the Sea Gulls earned points in three of the seven fall NCAA championships. The SU field hockey team placed ninth overall and earned 53 points. The Sea Gull volleyball team placed 17th (50 points) and the men's soccer team collected 33 points.

SU is currently the second highest ranked school from the state of Maryland behind Johns Hopkins University, who is ranked No. 9 (204 points). Salisbury is also the top-ranked Capital Athletic Conference program. Wesley College was the closest CAC school to SU in the rankings as the Wolverines sit 57 spots behind Salisbury in 85th place.

Last season, Salisbury was 11th overall after the fall rankings and finished 23rd overall with 487 points. The highest Salisbury has placed in the final Directors' Cup standings since 1995-96 is 11th in 2004-05.

SUNY Cortland is currently ranked No. 1 with 353 points as the Red Dragons completed four Top 10 finishes in the fall, highlighted by a men's cross country national championship. Williams College (325 points), Messiah College (294), Emory University (278) and Calvin (Mich.) College (265) round out the top five. Williams has won 10 consecutive Directors' Cups.

The first Division III Winter U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings will be released on March 19 and will feature men's and women's indoor track, women's swimming and wrestling.

The U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today to recognize the top athletic programs in Division I, II, III and NAIA. The United States Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Ala., is the program sponsor. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports -- nine women's and nine men's. For more information please visit www.nacda.com.

Also see:

• 2008-09 Division III Directors' Cup Fall Standings (PDF)