Banner 2008-09 season lands Tufts in Directors' Cup top 10

    Buoyed by historic seasons from its field hockey and softball teams, Tufts finished in 10th place out of 310 ranked Div. III programs in the final 2008-09 Directors' Cup standings. The finish was Tufts' second best in the 14-year history of the Directors' Cup, which awards points to a school when its teams qualify for NCAA championship events. In all, 13 Jumbo squads compiled a school-record 759.25 points last season.
    In May, the softball team capped off a stellar 2009 campaign with a fourth-place showing at the College World Series, the culmination of a record-breaking 44-3 season that included NESCAC and Regional crowns. Coach Cheryl Milligan's squad picked up 80 points for Tufts, the second-highest total of any team on the Hill. Only field hockey earned more points, scoring 90 after making just the second NCAA title game appearance by any team in school history and finishing as the national runner-up last November.
    Track and field also provided a major boon to Tufts in the standings, totaling 217.25 points across four teams in the winter and spring seasons. The highlight came from the women's indoor squad, whose fifth place finish at the NCAA championships in March, featuring a title-winning effort by the distance medley relay team, earned the Jumbos 75 Directors' Cup points. Women's lacrosse was not far behind, tallying 70 points after reaching the national quarterfinals in its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
    Volleyball, men's and women's swimming, women's basketball, men's lacrosse and women's tennis also scored for Tufts, which was one of four NESCAC schools to finish inside the top 10. Williams, Middlebury and Amherst claimed the top three spots, with the Ephs capturing the Directors' Cup for the 11th consecutive year.
    With at least a few squads expected to be in the postseason mix this fall, Tufts could get out to a fast start in the 2009-10 Directors' Cup race. Boasting three returning All-Americans on its roster, the field hockey team is ranked second in the preseason national polls and could once again compete for an NCAA title. In addition, women's soccer could be in for a bounce-back season after injuries derailed a team that started off 6-1 last year, and volleyball will look to return to the NCAA tournament after a program-best campaign in 2008.