Clemson Finishes 10th in ACC in Learfield Sports Directors' Cup

by Press Release - Sat Jul 11 09:15:11 GMT-04:00 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference was one of only three leagues across the country to register four schools in the Top 20 of the final 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup competition for Division I schools and nine of the league’s 12 institutions in the Top 50. The final results were announced on June 29 by the National Association of Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Following its 56th year of competition, there is no doubt that the ACC is one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. Since its inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 113 national championships, including 60 in women’s competition and 53 in men’s. In addition, NCAA individual titles have gone to ACC student-athletes 125 times in men’s competition and 84 times in women’s action.

For the eighth consecutive year, at least four ACC teams finished in the Top 30 of the Directors’ Cup. North Carolina finished second in the NCAA Division I Directors' Cup standings with 1184.25 points, while Virginia was eighth (1059), and rounding out the ACC’s top 30 representatives was Florida State (15th, 945), Duke (17th, 891.80), and Maryland (28th, 668.80).

“We are tremendously proud of our student-athletes’ accomplishments both academically and athletically,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “The list of accomplishments and successes this past year speaks for itself and we look forward to the upcoming year and building on the tradition of excellence that has been so solid throughout our history.”

In 2008-09, the ACC placed a total of 130 league teams in NCAA postseason competition, earning a 130-74-1 (.637) mark in NCAA championship competition, and collected five national crowns. The ACC had 88 teams ranked in the final Top 25 polls, including 33 teams ranked in the Top 10. Six teams finished No. 1 in at least one poll in their respective sport.

The ACC had 266 league student-athletes named to All-America teams in 2008-09, 133 men and 133 women, and 95 ACC athletes earned Academic All-America honors.

There are four Learfield Sports Directors' Cup awards, one to honor the institution with the best overall athletics program in each of the NCAA's Divisions I, II and III, and the NAIA. Developed as a joint effort between USA Today and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup program is the only all-sports competition that recognizes the institution in each of the four categories with the best overall athletics program.

ACC Schools in Final 2008-09 Directors’ Cup Standings

2. North Carolina 1184.25

8. Virginia 1059.00

15. Florida State 945.00

17. Duke 891.80

28. Maryland 668.80

37. Wake Forest 580.25

43. Miami 491.00

46. Virginia Tech 459.25

48. Georgia Tech 452.38

53. Clemson 397.00

74. NC State 265.30

75. Boston College 262.00

Below are just a few ACC highlights for the 2008-09 year:

• The ACC earned five national team championships (Maryland, Field Hockey; North Carolina, Women’s Soccer; Maryland, Men’s Soccer; North Carolina, Men’s Basketball; and Duke, Women’s Tennis)

• The ACC had four football bowl champions (Florida State, Champs Sports Bowl; Maryland, Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl; Virginia Tech, Fed Ex Orange Bowl; and Wake Forest, EagleBank Bowl) and sent an NCAA-record of 10 teams to postseason bowl contests.

• The league had nine National Player of the Year recognitions in Dustin Ackley, North Carolina, Baseball; Kyle Stanley, Clemson, Men’s Golf; Matt Hill, NC State, Men’s Golf; Marcus Tracy, Wake Forest, Men’s Soccer; Susie Rowe, Maryland, Field Hockey; Katie O‘Donnell, Maryland, Field Hockey; Casey Nogueira, North Carolina, Women’s Soccer; Mallory Cecil, Duke, Women’s Tennis; and Kim Williams, Florida State, Women’s Outdoor Track and Field.

• Three National Freshmen of the Year (Sean Gilmartin, Florida State, Baseball; Paige Selenski, Virginia, Field Hockey; and Karrie Ellen Johnson, Maryland, Women’s Lacrosse) and five National Coaches of the Year came from the ACC. The coaches recognized were: Brian O’Connor, Virginia, Baseball; Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech, Football; Jay Vidovich, Wake Forest, Men’s Soccer; Missy Meharg, Maryland, Field Hockey; and Cathy Reese, Maryland, Women’s Lacrosse.

• 266 ACC student-athletes earned first-, second-, or third-team All-America recognition in 2008-09. (Includes duplicates in indoor & outdoor track & field)

• The ACC had one CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, 10 NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, and a Rhodes Scholar.

• Over the 2008-09 season, 144 ACC teams competed in postseason play, including 130 in NCAA Championships. The league recorded a 139-84-1 (.623) mark in postseason play, including a 130-74-1 (.637) record in NCAA Championships.

• In final national rankings, the ACC had 33 Top 10 showings, including six at the No. 1 position. In addition, the ACC placed at least one team in the final Top 10 national polls in 17 of the 25 sports sponsored by the league.

• Maryland, North Carolina and Wake Forest advanced to the 2008 College Cup, marking the ACC the only league in NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament history to place three teams in the same College Cup.

• 20 national individual title winners

Matt Hill, NC State, Men’s Golf, Individual

Dominic Inglot, Virginia, Men’s Tennis, Doubles

Michael Shabaz, Virginia, Men’s Tennis, Doubles

Jacoby Ford, Clemson, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 60-M Dash

Michael Bingham, Wake Forest, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 400-M Dash

Charles Clark, Florida State, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, 200-M Dash & 4x400-M Relay

Jonathan Borlee, Florida State, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, 400-M Dash & 4x400-M Relay

Kevin Borlee, Florida State, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, 4x400-M Relay

Kevin Williams, Florida State, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, 4x400-M Relay

Darrion Caldwell, NC State, Wrestling, 149 lbs

Kelly Murphy, Clemson, Women’s Rowing, Varsity 4+