July 30, 2004
The final standings are out for the best Division III athletics programs in the country and Endicott ranks among the top 16% in the nation. Out of 430 eligible colleges and universities in the NCAA Division III, Endicott is ranked 71st by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Each year NACDA presents its prestigious United States Sports Academy Director's Cup to the best athletics program in NCAA Division I, II, and III. Williams College (MA) defended its title again this year as the best athletics program in Division III; winning its eighth Academy Director's Cup.
Of the nearly 80 Division III institutions in New England, Endicott is ranked 10th. The 9 schools ranked above Endicott are Williams, Amherst, Wheaton, Bowdoin, Springfield, Tufts, MIT, Trinity, and Bates. EC ranked higher than any other school in the CCC, GNAC, MASCAC, Little East, and North Atlantic Conference.
Endicott athletics had a record year. Five of the 17 eligible NCAA sports teams won their respective conference title. Women's soccer went undefeated in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), hosted and won their first round NCAA game, and finished with a record of 18-3-2 overall. Men's basketball captured it's second consecutive regular season CCC title and took their success a step further this year winning the conference tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA's. The Gulls finished their season 23-5.
In the spring baseball, men's lacrosse and softball all won their CCC Title and advanced to the NCAA's. Baseball won its first round NCAA game and finished the season ranked 7th in the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Coaches Association Poll. Men's lacrosse went undefeated in the CCC coasting to a championship title and received their second bid to the NCAA's in the past four years. Softball repeated as CCC Champions and went on to a first round NCAA win over Bridgewater State and two close losses to Wheaton and Williams. The Gulls final record stood at 29-10-1.
NACDA, which is now in its 39th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics directors, associates, assistants and conference commissioners at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.