Gator Athletics Program Finishes Fourth in Nation
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 | Lacrosse
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Thirteen top-10 finishes in national championship action – including a pair of NCAA titles - led the University of Florida athletics program to its seventh-consecutive top four-finish in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.
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2014-15 Learfield Sports |
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Directors' Cup Standings |
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Rank |
School |
Points |
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1. |
Stanford |
1482.00 |
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2. |
UCLA |
1236.00 |
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3. |
Southern California |
1209.00 |
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4. |
FLORIDA |
1188.50 |
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5. |
North Carolina |
1152.00 |
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6. |
Virginia |
1054.50^ |
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7. |
Ohio State |
1058.50 |
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8. |
Penn State |
1050.75 |
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9. |
Texas |
1056.75 |
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10. |
Florida State |
1000.50 |
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^Baseball points to be added – either 90 or 100 |
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Florida is the only program to finish among the nation's top 10 in each of the last 32 national all-sports standings.
Florida's 13 top-10 national team finishes equals the second-highest in school history. At least 10 Gator teams have turned in top-10 finishes in each of the last 14 seasons. The program's record of 14 top-10 finishes came in 2009-10.
Florida's Top-10 Finishers:
Gymnastics and softball repeated as NCAA champions in 2015. The gymnastics title was the third consecutive for the Gators, as its 0.05 winning margin equaled the slenderest in the meet's 34-year history. Softball took its second straight Women's College World Series title. The Gators are the first in the 11-year history of the WCWS Championship Series format to claim the title by winning Games 1 and 3.
The complete list of Florida's 2014-15 top-10 teams includes:
· Gymnastics (No. 1)
· Softball (No. 1)
· Men's Indoor Track & Field (No. 2)
· Men's Outdoor Track & Field (No. 2)
· Baseball (No. T-3)
· Women's Indoor Track & Field (No. 4)
· Men's Swimming & Diving (No. 5)
· Soccer (No. T-5)
· Women's Tennis (No. T-5)
· Volleyball (No. T-5)
· Women's Outdoor Track & Field (No. 8)
· Women's Swimming & Diving (No. 9)
· Lacrosse (No. T-9)
About The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup
The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, presented annually by the nation's athletics directors, recognizes the schools with the best overall sports performances in an academic year. Points are awarded based on finishes and participation in 20 NCAA Division I sports. Stanford received its 21st consecutive Directors' Cup at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention earlier this month.
UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley says:
"There were so many great performances by the Gators this season. Gymnastics and softball repeated as national champions and many other Florida teams were challenging for the top spot. Competing at this level is the result of hard work and effort by the Gators and their coaches. We certainly appreciate the passion and teamwork displayed by the Gators throughout this season."
2015 Individual NCAA Champions for the Gators:
Individually, 10 Gators claimed a total of 12 NCAA individual titles in 2015. Senior Marquis Dendy swept the NCAA long and triple jump titles in both indoor and outdoor competition. During his Florida career, Dendy claimed a total of seven NCAA individual titles – a school record.
At the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, Kytra Hunter finished her Gator career by winning both the NCAA all-around and floor exercise titles. She is the first Gator to claim the NCAA all-around twice (also won in 2012) and won Florida's first floor title since 1984.
Five NCAA event titles claimed in 2015 were the program's first. Freshman swimmer Caeleb Dressel used a school-record time of 18.67 to win Florida's first NCAA 50-yard freestyle title.
Senior Stipe Zunic used a school-record mark of 69-3.25 feet to become the first Gator to take the NCAA Indoor shot put title. At the NCAA Indoors, both junior Kyra Jefferson and senior Ciarra Brewer claimed titles. Brewer set Florida's triple jump record with her winning leap of 45-11.75 feet. Jefferson shaved almost two-tenths off her collegiate best to take the 200-meters title at 22.63.
Jefferson also anchored Florida's first championship 4x100-meter relay team at the NCAA Outdoors. She was joined on the relay by Robin Reynolds, Shayla Sanders and Destinee Gause.
The 2015 4x400m relay claimed Florida's first NCAA Outdoors title since 1992. The relay consisted of Reynolds, Jefferson, Gause and Claudia Francis.
Other Gator successes:
National athlete of the year was claimed by three Gators for their sports: Dendy (indoor & outdoor USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year), Lauren Haeger (USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year & Honda Award for softball) and Hunter (Honda Award for gymnastics). Two others – Brooke Austin (tennis) and JJ Schwarz (baseball) – were named national freshmen of the year.
Florida led the league with six 2014-15 Southeastern Conference titles (softball, men's swimming & diving, women's tennis, men's indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball). Florida took the 2014-15 GateHouse Media SEC All-Sports title for the program's 25th overall SEC All-Sports Trophy.
In addition, the lacrosse team won the BIG EAST Conference title in its first season in the league.
Seven Gators picked up eight conference athletes of the year honors in 2014-15:
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SEC Gymnast: |
Kytra Hunter |
SEC Women's Tennis: |
Brooke Austin |
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BIG EAST Midfielder: |
SEC Men's Indoor Track (field): |
Marquis Dendy |
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SEC Softball (pitcher): |
Lauren Haeger |
SEC Men's Outdoor Track (field): |
Marquis Dendy |
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SEC Softball (player): |
Kelsey Stewart |
SEC Volleyball (player): |
Alex Holston |
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Gators by the Numbers |
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2 NCAA team titles (gymnastics and softball) marks the sixth consecutive season of multiple team titles for the Gator program. |
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13 top-10 national finishes by 2014-15 teams. |
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7 conference titles by the Gators in 2014-15, including a league-leading 6 Southeastern Conference wins. |
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7 Gators picked up conference player of the year/athlete of the year awards |
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83 percent Graduation Success Rate for UF, as reported last fall in the 2014 NCAA Federal Graduation Rate Data. All Gator teams are in good academic standing in latest Academic Progress Report released earlier by the NCAA earlier this spring. |
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$56.3 million contributed since 2006 by the UAA to UF to fund academic endeavors. |
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449 student-athletes participated in 4,365 hours of community service in 2014-15, partnering with 23 local schools, 10 civic organizations and 22 non-profit organizations. |
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