WUSTL finished third in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Division III standings, as announced Monday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
The third-place finish is the second-highest in school history and the Bears’ ninth-straight top 10 appearance: 2010-11 (third); 2009-10 (third); 2008-09 (fourth); 2007-08 (second); 2006-07 (fifth); 2005-06 (seventh); 2004-05 (third); 2003-04 (ninth); and 2002-03 (fifth). WUSTL, which was first after the fall and third in the winter standings, accumulated a school-record 964 points. The Bears’ previous high was 899 points in 2007-08.
Williams College won its 15th-straight Directors’ Cup with 1,147 points. Middlebury College (1,063.17 points) and WUSTL (964 points) rounded out the top three. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in up to 18 sports — nine women’s and nine men’s.
Washington University is one of seven University Athletic Association (UAA) members within the top 100: Emory University (seventh, 692 points), University of Chicago (27th, 445.50 points), New York University (43rd, 340.67 points), University of Rochester (52nd, 302.50 points), Carnegie Mellon University (91st, 203 points) and Brandeis University (99th, 189 points).
WUSTL had 16 of 19 teams compete in NCAA tournament action, including seven top 10 finishes. WUSTL also won four UAA titles and posted a combined sports record of 204-78-8 (.717).
The Bears had five teams make Final Four appearances in 2010-11, led by runner-up finishes by women’s cross country and women’s basketball. In addition, men’s tennis and volleyball took home third-place honors while men’s outdoor track and field capped the year with a fourth-place finish.
Baseball junior Rogalski earns all-America honors
WUSTL junior Brandon Rogalski earned first-team All-America honors from a second organization as the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) bestowed him with the honor. Rogalski has now earned first-team All-America honors from the ABCA and D3Baseball.com, while also receiving first-team All-University Athletic Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Central Region and Region Player of the Year honors.
Phillips, Surtees earn honors for women’s track
Junior Liz Phillips and senior Taryn Surtees of the women’s cross country and track & field teams earned Capital One Academic All-District VII honors.
Phillips earns first-team Academic All-District accolades for the second year in a row, while Surtees is named second-team Academic All-District for the second straight season. As a first-team honoree, Phillips is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. The 2011 Capital One Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-Americans will be revealed on Thursday, June 23.
Football announces recruiting class
Head football coach Larry Kindbom will welcome 38 new faces to the football program this fall for the opening of camp Friday, August 12.
“We are blessed to have an outstanding group of freshmen football players coming to Washington University in the fall,” says Kindbom, who enters his 22nd season with a 137-83 (.623) record. “We have each of the positions covered, with several talented student-athletes and competitors in the mix.”
The Class of 2015 features representatives from 16 different states, including six players from Illinois, four from Missouri and Texas, three each from New Jersey and Ohio, and two from California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland and Oklahoma.
The crop of 38 freshmen won 66 percent of their games as seniors, while eight earned all-State accolades. In addition to their individual accolades, 19 were on the teams that appeared in the state playoffs, with eight playing in a state championship game in their high school career. In the classroom, the group of freshmen have an average ACT of 32.4 with nine being valedictorians of their senior class.
Washington University opens the 2011 season at Knox College Saturday, Sept. 3, and begins conference play on the road at Carnegie Mellon University Saturday, Oct. 29. The Bears have won a conference-best eight University Athletic Association titles.
Tennis’ Isaac Stein named Academic All-American for third consecutive year
Senior men’s tennis player Isaac Stein capped a tremendous four-year career by earning 2011 Capital One First-Team Academic All-America honors, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Stein is the second three-time Academic All-America selection in men’s tennis history (Michael Doyle, 1998, 1999, 2000), after earning third-team honors in 2009 and first-team accolades in 2010. He is just the ninth WUSTL student-athlete in school history to earn three Academic All-America citations.
Stein was 17-12 this season in singles and 21-11 in doubles for a combined overall record of 38-23. He qualified for the NCAA tournament in both singles and doubles for the second consecutive year, and earned All-America honors in doubles after advancing to the semifinals with classmate Max Woods.
“This is a great honor for Isaac, who was a true scholar-athlete in every sense of the word with his 3.9+ graduating grade point average,” said 10th-year head coach Roger Follmer.
Stein earned three All-America accolades in his career, becoming the sixth player in school history to achieve the feat. He picked up All-America honors a year ago in singles after falling in the round of 16, while teaming with Woods to earn All-America honors in doubles last year after dropping their round of 16 match.
Stein ends his four-year career on the Danforth Campus as one of the winningest players in school history. He is sixth all-time in victories with a 156-67 record, while also ranking sixth in singles (67) and doubles (89) wins.