RELEASED: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Five Schools Ranked in Top 27 of Directors' Cup Standings

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) institutions are ranked in the top 27 of the United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings following the completion of the winter sports season. The standings recognize the best NCAA Division III overall athletics programs in the country.

UW-La Crosse leads the league contingent, placing third with 479 points, while UW-Whitewater is 12th with 364.25 points, UW-Stevens Point is 13th with 358 points, UW-Oshkosh is 16th with 328 points and UW-Eau Claire is 27th with 261.375 points.

Additional WIAC institutions represented in the standings include: UW-Platteville in 60th with 176 points and UW-Stout in 95th with 114 points.

The College of New Jersey leads the national standings with 626.25 points, followed by Williams College (Mass.) with 625.50 points, UW-La Crosse with 479 points, Washington University (Mo.) with 454.50 points and Tufts University (Mass.) with 432 points.

Conference highlights from the winter season included UW-La Crosse's national title in men's indoor track and field and second-place standing in wrestling, UW-Oshkosh's national crown in women's indoor track and field and third-place finish in men's indoor track and field and UW-Stevens Point's third-place finish in women's ice hockey.

These are the final winter standings and include the sports of women and men's basketball, ice hockey, swimming and track and field, men's wrestling and fencing and skiing.

The U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The United States Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Alabama, is the sponsoring program. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports - nine women's and nine men's.

For complete Directors' Cup standings click here.

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