Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Places 21st In Sears Cup Standings
June 26, 2002 | General
June 26, 2002
PRINCETON, N.J. - There has only been one non-scholarship athletic department to crack the top 25 in the final Sears Cup standings, and it just achieved that distinction for the fourth time. Princeton University surpassed its best finish ever of 23rd in 1996 by ending the 2001-02 athletic schedule in 21st place with 736 points. The Sears Cup rates the premier athletic departments in the country based on their performances in 35 sports.
"I am extremely proud of this wonderful accomplishment," says Gary Walters, Princeton University Director of Athletics. "I believe that we have one of the finest athletic departments in the country, ranging from our talented student-athletes to a superb staff. We have been atop the 'unofficial' Ivy League standings for each of the past 16 years, and we are consistently proving to be a force on the national scene against the best programs out there - scholarship or otherwise."
Stanford earned its eighth consecutive Sears Cup championship with 1499 points, over 380 points better than second-place Texas (1110.5). Rounding out the top five is Florida (1078), North Carolina (1065.5) and UCLA (1026).
Princeton set a precedent by becoming the first non-scholarship school to place in the top 25 in consecutive years, as it placed 24th after the 2000-01 campaign. Princeton also placed 25th in 1998. This year's performance dominated all other non-scholarship programs. In eight of nine years the Cup has been awarded, Princeton has been the highest-ranking non-scholarship program.
Princeton began its surge up the Sears Cup standings during the fall campaign, when three squads combined to earn 135 points, leaving the Tigers in a tie for 24th place. Leading the way was the field hockey team, which garnered 75 points as it reached the national semifinal before falling to eventual NCAA champion Michigan 4-2. Both the men's and women's soccer teams reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, earning 30 points apiece.
The winter season witnessed Princeton gain 237.5 more points, keeping the Tigers in the national top 25. The highest-scoring teams of the season were the men's indoor track and field team, which placed 15th in the national championships for 66.5 points, and the women's fencing squad, which placed eighth in the nation for 62 points. The wrestling team finished 29th, thanks to the run of junior Greg Parker (Clifton Park, N.Y.) to the 174-pound national final, and gained 54.5 points. Both swimming teams earned points, as the men's team placed 35th at nationals (31.5 points) and the women's team finished 45th (23 points).
Princeton made its final surge in the spring, earning 363.5 points to jump four spots to 21st place. The women's lacrosse team gave Princeton its biggest spring forward, earning 100 points for its 12-7 victory over Georgetown in the 2002 national championship game. The men's lacrosse team added 90 points after knocking off No. 1 Johns Hopkins in the national semifinals to reach its third consecutive NCAA final.
Both track & field teams continued their national success with top-30 finishes in the NCAA championships. The men's team, bolstered by the second individual national championship of the year by senior high jumper Tora Harris (College Park, Ga.), placed 24th and gained 58.5 points. The women's team, led by the All-America performance of senior middle-distance runner Lauren Simmons (Nashville, Tenn.), placed 29th and gained 52.5 points. The women's open crew placed seventh for 42.5 points, and the Ivy League champion softball squad earned 20 points by reaching the NCAA regionals.
SEARS CUP FINAL DIVISION I STANDINGS (TOP 25)
1) Stanford 1499
2) Texas 1110.5
3) Florida 1078
4) North Carolina 1065.5
5) UCLA 1026
6) Michigan 917
7) Minnesota 886.5
8) Georgia 865
9) Arizona 852
10) Louisiana State 842.5
11) South Carolina 828.5
12) Tennessee 821
13) Notre Dame 806.5
14) Ohio State 778.5
t15) Arizona State 767.5
t15) Southern California 767.5
17) Oklahoma 760.5
18) Colorado 751.5
19) Auburn 738.5
20) California 738
21) Princeton 736
22) Nebraska 721.5
23) Brigham Young 685
24) Penn State 676.5
25) Washington 639.5
IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS IN FINAL SEARS CUP STANDINGS
21) Princeton 736
49) Harvard 366
56) Pennsylvania 315
68) Brown 253
69) Yale 252.5
72) Cornell 243
79) Dartmouth 236
148) Columbia 101