MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College finished 10th in the 2014 NCAA Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup race, which measures school’s overall athletic competitiveness via their NCAA success. The Panthers had earned 10-straight top-five finishes, including winning its first cup in 2011-2012.
Williams won its second-straight and 17th overall title with 1,225 points, followed by Wisconsin Whitewater (1,134), Johns Hopkins (977) and Washington-St. Louis (924). Middlebury finished with 752 points, fourth among NESCAC schools, as Amherst was fifth (914) and Tufts placed seventh (799).
The Middlebury women’s soccer team highlighted the fall season by advancing to the NCAA final four for the first time in program history. The Panthers captured the NESCAC Championship and earned a school-record 17 wins.
The Middlebury women’s cross country team turned in a seventh-place finish at the NCAA championship, while the men also placed seventh, a program-best mark. The field hockey team also advanced into the NCAA tournament before falling in a regional final.
The winter saw the Panther ski team turn in a 12th-place finish at the NCAAs, while athletes from men’s and women’s swimming and women’s indoor track teams earned points for the Panthers.
The men’s tennis team advanced to the final four in the spring while finishing with an overall record of 21-5. The women’s squad took part in an NCAA regional final, while the women’s lacrosse team also competed in regional play. The men’s golf team returned to the NCAAs as well, placing 19th.