Ithaca College’s athletic teams have once again proven to be among the best in the nation.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Bombers have finished in the top 20 of the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup standings. With 554 points, Ithaca finished 19th out of 450 NCAA Division III schools. IC, Amherst, Calvin, Emory, Middlebury and Williams are the only Division III schools to finish in the top 30 every year since the Directors’ Cup started in 1995-96.
Directors’ Cup points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA postseason competition in up to nine women’s and nine men’s sports. This year, Ithaca was the top school in New York, edging out SUNY Geneseo by 8.5 points; and led the Liberty League, beating its closest competitor by 177 points.
The Bombers finished the year strong, with spring sports teams racking up 217 points. Women’s crew led the way as its fifth-place finish earned 73 points, while softball tallied 64 points for reaching the Super Regionals. Women’s lacrosse added 50 points with a trip to the second round, while baseball chipped in 25. Men’s track and field contributed five points thanks to an All-American performance in the pole vault by Dom Mikula ’22.
In the winter season, Ithaca programs collected 214 points. Wrestling earned 80 points with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA championships, while women’s basketball contributed 73 points thanks to run to the Elite 8. Women’s swimming and diving added 53 points after All-American showings by graduate student Anna Belson and Jocelyn Pawcio ’21 in the three- and one-meter dives, while men’s track and field secured eight points as Daniel Harden-Marshall ’20 earned All-American honors in the long jump.
The Bombers posted 123 points during the fall season, as volleyball recorded 73 points and women’s soccer added 50.
The Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.