Wellesley Ties Program Best Finish in Final 2015-16 Directors’ Cup Standings

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College Athletics totaled 304 points in 2015-16 to finish in 63rd place for the second consecutive year in the Learfield Division III Directors' Cup standings. Wellesley finishes as the highest-ranking women's institution in the nation, tying a program-best 63rd place finish from the 2014-15 season.

The Blue amassed 125 points in the fall, earning 70 points as field hockey advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. Wellesley then added 55 points in cross country thanks to the team's 19th place finish at the NCAA Championships. Cross country improved three spots from their 22nd place finish in 2015, while making the program's fourth appearance at the national meet. 

A pair of All-American performances helped the Blue earn 74 points during the winter season. Sophomore Maura Sticco-Ivins (Framingham, Mass.) finished as the national runner-up in 3-meter diving, making her second appearance in as many seasons at the NCAA Championships. Wellesley sent two representatives to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, where sophomore Abena Asare (Berlin, N.J.) became the first field athlete in school history to earn All-American honors with a fourth place finish in the long jump. Senior Sharon Ng (Sunnyvale, Calif.) added a second top-ten finish for the Blue at the indoor championships, taking ninth in the Mile.

Wellesley closed out the year with 105 points in the spring. Blue Crew earned 100 points, winning the program's first national championship and the first NCAA team national championship in Wellesley history. The crew program qualified for the NCAA Championships after winning the program's sixth-consecutive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship. Track & Field junior Mary Keenan (Boerne, Texas) capped the spring with an All-American performance in the 5000m, finishing in 8th place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The Learfield 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 18 sports in Division III – nine women's and nine men's. Wellesley earned points based on national results in six sports.