University finishes third in Director’s Cup
The University finished third in the 2004-05 U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup Division III final standings, as announced by National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), United States Sports Academy and USA Today. The finish is the highest in school history, eclipsing a fifth-place finish in 2002-03.
Washington University totaled 675.75 points and had seven top-10 finishes: volleyball (second), women’s cross country (third), women’s soccer (fifth), women’s swimming and diving (seventh), men’s swimming and diving (eighth), softball (ninth) and women’s indoor track and field (ninth).
The Bears also placed 16th in women’s tennis, 17th in women’s basketball, 17th in men’s tennis and 33rd in baseball. Last season, Washington U. finished ninth in the overall standings.
Williams College won its ninth Sports Academy Directors’ Cup in the past 10 years and topped the 1,000-point mark for the third straight year. The Ephs recorded 1,068.25 points, 168.25 points ahead of runner-up Middlebury University.
Trinity University followed Washington University with 672 points, and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point took fifth with 646.75 points.
The Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today.
The Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Ala., is in its first year sponsoring the program.
Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 18 sports — nine women’s and nine men’s.
Soph Badowski is 3rd-team All-American
Women’s track and field sophomore Natalie Badowski garnered ESPN The Magazine track and field third-team Academic All-America College Division honors, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Badowski is the fifth WUSTL women’s track and field student-athlete to earn the accolade and the sixth Bear to do so in 2004-05.
Badowski, a first-team Acaemic All-District VII honoree, ran the second leg for the Bears’ 4×400-meter relay squad, which won the University Athletic Association indoor and outdoor championships and helped the women to both team titles.
Additionally, she helped the 4×400 relay team to second-place finishes at the 2005 Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championships, finishing less than one second behind the national champion.
The quartet also broke the school record in the event at the NCAA Indoors (3:52.86), as well as the NCAA Outdoors (3:46.13).
A biology and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology major in Arts & Sciences, Badowski posted second-place finishes in the 400 at the UAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Moreover, she earned Academic All-UAA honors during the 2005 indoor and outdoor seasons.