Saints Finish 21st in Final Learfield Director's Cup Standings

by: 

Wally Johnson

St. Lawrence University's athletic program capped another outstanding year both in competition and in the classroom with a 21^st place finish in the final Learfield Sports Director's Cup standings, while the top-two grade point averages in the Class of 2010 belonged to student-athletes.

The Saint program finished in the top five percent of all Division III teams nationally and was again the best among Liberty League teams in the final rankings. The Learfield Cup Director's Cup, run by the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors, bases its rankings on team placings in NCAA tournament or championship competitions. A total of 18 total teams can be scored for the final standings, nine men's and nine women's.

St. Lawrence earned points in women's golf, women's rowing, men's tennis, women's track and field and men's track and field in the final set of rankings, finishing the year with a total of 564.75 points. The Saints were as high as 15^th in the standings following the winter season in which men's basketball, skiing, men's track and field and women's track and field all earned points. Men's and women's cross country earned points for the Saints in the fall season.

A total of 311 Division III institutions qualified for the Learfield Cup rankings out of 455 members of Division III.  St. Lawrence was second among New York State schools, trailing only Cortland State which was 17^th with 586.6 points. Other Liberty League teams in the rankings included Skidmore in 55^th, Rochester in 75^th, Rensselaer in 124^th, Hamilton at 140, Vassar at 150, Hobart and William Smith in a tie for 177^th, Clarkson in a tie for 234^th and Union at 307.

St. Lawrence teams and individuals also participated in post-season competition in riding and men's and women's squash which do not count in the Director's Cup standings.

The highly successful 2009-10 academic year for St. Lawrence produced five national championship performances among three individuals as junior Wendy Pavlus was NCAA Division III cross country champion and the indoor champion in the 5000 meters, senior Alyssa Pirinelli won the NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor shot put titles and senior Eric Jones was the indoor weight throw champion in track and field.

The Saints had 12 national All Americas and won 14 major conference awards for athletes. A total of 117 athletes earned All Conference honors and three Saint athletes earned major national awards as senior basketball player Josh Sharlow was named to the NABC Division III All Star Game, Pavlus was USTFCCCA Women's Athlete of the Year for Division III cross country and a Honda Division III Athlete of the Year finalist and senior women's hockey player Britni Smith was a finalist for the Patti Kazmaier Award as one of the best players in women's Division I ice hockey.

In addition to their athletic success, Saint athletes excelled in the classroom. Ben von Reyn '10, captain of the men's golf team, was the senior with the highest cumulative grade-point average over four full years of study at St. Lawrence with a 3.968.  von Reyn was followed closely by senior standout Hillary St. John of the women's cross country and track and field teams, and both were members of Phi Beta Kappa. 

Five senior athletes graduated Summa Cum Laude, 12 were Magna Cum Laude graduates and 40 were Cum Laude graduates. A total of 13 athletes are members of Phi Beta Kappa, the national academic honorary and 166 athletes earned conference All Academic honors in 2009-10.