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A pair of national track and field titles helped UW Oshkosh finish 17th in the race for the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, a prestigious all-sports award that is presented annually to the best overall National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III athletics program in the country.

UW Oshkosh totaled 624 points, scoring in nine different national championships. The Titans earned 100 points for their first-place finish in men’s outdoor track and field and 95 for their first-place finish in men’s indoor track and field. The University also scored 90 points on its second-place finish in women’s outdoor track and field and 85 on its third-place finish in women’s indoor track and field.

The Titans added 73 points on their fifth-place finish in women’s volleyball, 63 on their ninth-place finish in men’s cross country, 54 on their 20th-place finish in men’s swimming and diving, 38 on their 18th-place finish in women’s cross country and 26 on their 45th-place finish in wrestling.

Scoring is based on each school’s NCAA Division III postseason finish in up to nine sports for men and nine for women. Each national champion received 100 points. The complete 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings can be found at nacda.cstv.com.

Williams College (Mass.) scored 1,066.5 points to win its 13th Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup in 14 years. The Ephs captured their 11th straight championship with the help of NCAA Division III titles in women’s rowing and women’s tennis.

In addition to UW Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference had UW-Stevens Point finish seventh with 779 points, UW-La Crosse 11th with 732, UW-Eau Claire 12th with 731.5, UW-Whitewater 15th with 687.75, UW-Platteville 55th with 273.63, UW-Stout 83rd with 213.5, UW-River Falls 180th with 94.5 and UW-Superior 227th with 60. A total of 310 schools earned points in this year’s competition.

UW Oshkosh has finished in the top 15 in nine of the 14 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup surveys. UW Oshkosh previously finished 21st in 2008, 12th in 2007, 33rd in 2006, 36th in 2005, 15th in 2004, eighth in 2003, eighth in 2002, seventh in 2001, 29th in 2000, 10th in 1999, 11th in 1998, fifth in 1997 and third in 1996.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of America (NACDA) and USA Today.