May 3, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame is tied for 21st (with Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia) in the final winter standings featuring championships in the 1998-99 Sears Directors’ Cup all-sports competition.

During the winter season the Irish produced a fourth consecutive runnerup finish in men’s and women’s fencing (80 points), a 28th-place finish in women’s swimming (20 points), a 33rd-place finish in men’s indoor track and field (20 points), a 33rd-place finish in women’s basketball (20 points based on advancing to a second-round game) and a 47th-place finish in women’s indoor track and field (10 points) — giving Notre Dame 220 points.

During the fall season the Irish women’s soccer team reached the NCAA regional title game (40 points), the volleyball team reached the NCAA second round (20 points) and the football team finished 22nd in the final USA Today/ESPN poll (10 points).

Stanford (720 points) leads the competition, while Penn State (510 points) is second – followed by Michigan (460), Florida (430) and Georgia (360).

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

In the five 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 and 31st (tied) in 1997-98.