After a weekend of successful NCAA Championship competition by its swimming and diving and fencing squads, the MIT varsity athletics program jumped four places to rank fifth in the current Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings for the 2012-13 academic released by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Led by a pair of individual wins by senior Wyatt Ubellacker (Georgetown, Ky.) the MIT men’s swimming and diving team won three different events, the first-ever event wins for the men’s team at the national meet, to finish third overall to set another program record. Senior Anna Kokensparger (Omaha, Neb.) took second in the 200 IM and helped the women’s squad repeat its program best finish of eight in the nation. The fencing team, led by a ninth-place finish by junior Joseph Rafidi (Los Angeles, Calif.) in epée, placed 17th in the final teams standings, the highest finish by a non-Division I program.
A measure of overall success of collegiate athletics programs, the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports — nine women’s and nine men’s (download a complete list of the rankings).
MIT's varsity athletics program ranked among the best in the nation for NCAA Division III programs.
Publication Date: