Tufts University proved once again that it has one of the strongest athletic programs in Division III athletics when it placed 31st in the annual Sears Directors Cup earlier this summer.
Tufts' NESCAC rival Williams College won its eighth Directors' Cup in the last nine years and topped the 1,000-point mark for the second consecutive year. The Ephs recorded 1,081.75 points, 270.75 points ahead of runner-up Emory University.
"I have to admit I sincerely question the means by which Williams achieves those ends every year," men's cross country coach Connie Putnam said. "I wonder if they might possibly have cut some corners in terms of the quality of the students they bring on campus. I've stayed at Tufts for a long time because we do things the right way. As much as it hurts, I really like it when admissions says, 'this student is not good enough to go to Tufts, go find someone else.' And I'm happy that we've built good teams the right way. There are a lot of Div. III institutions out there, and to be as high as we are as a university is something to be very proud of."
The NESCAC proved to be the most competitive conference in Div. III, with its schools placing in three of the top six spots, and four of the top 20.
"The NESCAC is by far strongest Div. III conference in the country, and it's impossible to dispute that," Athletic Director Bill Gehling said. "There are a few strong conferences, but none has the depth, top to bottom, from sport after sport, that the NESCAC has. There are some sports where all NESCAC teams are in the top 20 in the country. What more could you ask for?"
Despite Tufts' impressive finish, Gehling noted that he doesn't put a lot of stock into the Sears Cup standings as a comprehensive assessment of a school's athletic program. This is because most of the points generated by the school are from individuals. Only teams that qualify for the NCAA tournament as a unit generate any sort of points, according to the Sears Cup scoring system.
"Five or six years ago, severe limitations were put on how team sports could qualify for NCAAs," Gehling added. "Unless you win the league in the team sports, or in the few cases, get an at large bid, team sports don't get accurately judged in the Sears Cup."
Despite his reservations, Gehling was still happy with where Tufts finished.
"It's a real tribute to the individuals we have competing in our sports. From that point of view, I think it's wonderful and hope we can maintain it this year. But because of the shortcomings of the system, I certainly don't look at the cup as how the department did as a whole."
On the men's side, the Jumbos were paced by a cross country team that earned 57 overall points, good for 11th overall in the Sears Cup standings. The squad captured the prestigious Triple Crown in the fall by winning the NESCAC, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), and All-New England titles in three consecutive weeks. Despite a rather disappointing finish at nationals, the Jumbos still finished the season ranked 11th in the country.
For the women, Tufts was led by the tennis team, which racked up a total of 53 points, good for 9th best in the standings. The squad was ranked as high as third in the country for much of the season, failed to qualify for nationals in the team competition, but still finished the season ranked 11th nationally.
Other strong performers from the University were the men's tennis team and the women's track team, both of which tied for 12th in the standings.
In a similar ranking, Tufts placed 14th in the National Collegiate Scouting Association's Annual Power Ranking. This survey takes into account both athletics and academics, combing a school's Sears Cup ranking and its ranking by the US News and World Report. The Jumbos found their way into the top 15 for the first time, improving seven spots from 22nd last year.
