April 18, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame stands 15th in the second set of winter sports standings released in the 1999-2000 Sears Directors’ Cup all-sports competition.

Winter sports points have come from Notre Dame’s NCAA runnerup finish in fencing (85 points), a final 16 appearance in women’s basketball (50), an 18th-place finish in women’s swimming (50) and a 47th in men’s indoor track and field (34) — giving the Irish 414 overall points.

Thanks to the Irish women’s soccer team’s NCAA runnerup finish, the men’s cross country team finishing eighth and the women’s cross country team finishing 29th at the NCAA championships – plus the volleyball team advancing to the NCAA tournament, Notre Dame earned 195 points during the fall sports season.

Stanford (917 points) leads the competition thanks to its NCAA runnerup finishes in water polo and men’s indoor track and field, its third-place standings from women’s cross country and women’s swimming, plus its fourths in men’s cross country and fencing. Second is Michigan, followed by Penn State, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, water polo, volleyball and I-AA football — plus winter competition in men’s and women’s basketball, fencing, men’s gymnastics, hockey, rifle, skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and wrestling.

In previous years in which the Sears Directors’ Cup competition has been held, Notre Dame has finished 11th in 1993-94, 30th in 1994-95, 11th in 1995-96, 14th in 1996-97, tied for 31st in 1997-98 and 25th in 1998-99.

Here are the current standings:

1. Stanford 917, 2. Michigan 704.5, 3. Penn State 689.5, 4. Nebraska 679, 5. North Carolina 635.5, 6. Wisconsin 625, 7. UCLA 616, 8. Florida 501.5, 9. BYU 500, 10. Arkansas 456, 11. Texas 449, 12. Arizona 443, 13. Arizona State 422.5, 14. Minnesota 418.5, 15. Notre Dame 414.