Wheaton Ranks Seventh in New England in Sears Directors' Cup Standings

CLEVELAND, OH- Wheaton College, which earned its highest ranking in the NCAA Division III Sears Directors' Cup two years ago, is currently ranked in a tie for 53rd overall and seventh best in New England through the first standings of the fall competition. The program is presented by the nation's athletics directors.

Wheaton has posted 73 points along with four other institutions. Williams, which has won six of the seven championships, is the current leader with 376 points, as the Ephs have scored in five of the six fall sports. Messiah College (PA) is second with 280 points, followed by the College of New Jersey with 267 points, Trinity University (TX) with 249 points and Nebraska Wesleyan University with 222 points.

The Sears Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. It is administered by NACDA and sponsored by Sears, Roebuck and Co. These fall standings are based on the completion of men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball.

The Lyons collected points from their women's soccer team. Head coach Luis Reis' program made history at Wheaton by hosting the school's first national quarterfinal game in Norton, finishing the year with an outstanding mark of 22-2 overall and falling two games short of the national championship contest. Earning their third straight appearance to the NCAA Division III Tournament, the Lyons captured their first New England Championship in the second consecutive season that Wheaton hosted the regional tournament.

Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports ˙ã nine for the men and nine for the women. Each national champion receives 100 points. Fall standings that are published mid-year are unofficial standings. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's web site at www.nacda.com.