Varsity Sports: WVU 24th in Directors' Cup

By Katie Kane for WVUsports.com
March 24, 2011 11:56 AM

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University currently stands in 24th place in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup winter standings.

As the highest-ranked team in the BIG EAST, WVU has compiled 307.0 points to date, with 90 points coming from the rifle team as it earned a second-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Rifle Championships. In addition to rifle, the Mountaineers earned winter points from women’s indoor track and field and wrestling, helping West Virginia improve from its fall ranking of 29th place to its current 24th-place ranking.

Seven BIG EAST schools rank in the top 50 with Villanova, just behind West Virginia, at the No. 28 position with 289.5 points. Louisville (31st), Connecticut (36th), Notre Dame (38th), Georgetown (42nd) and Syracuse (48th) were also in the top 50.

Stanford leads all schools with 674 points, followed by Penn State (528.25), Florida State (505.50), Ohio State (503.0) and Wisconsin (496.25).

WVU has finished in the top 50 in the Directors’ Cup standings for three-straight years, including last season’s 37th-place finish. WVU finished a school-best 30th in 2009 and 50th in 2008.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 14 sports – seven women’s and seven men’s.

The next Division I winter standings will be released on Thursday, April 7, 2011.

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