Learfield Directors’ Cup: Conn finishes in top 20% of DIII athletics programs
Connecticut College finished the 2024-2025 athletic campaign ranked 63rd out of 327 eligible institutions in the Learfield Directors’ Cup Division III standings. It marked the highest point total (318.75) in school history and put the Camels among the top 20% of NCAA Division III programs.
The Directors’ Cup is awarded annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to the colleges and universities with the most success in the NCAA Championships.
A total of six teams secured points for Connecticut College. The Men’s Soccer team, which won the NCAA title in 2021, made another spectacular post-season run. Returning to the Final Four for the second time in three years, the Camels beat Washington and Lee 1-0 in the semifinals and held Amherst to a 1-1 tie in the finals before finally conceding the match 4-3 in extra PKs.
Strong performances by the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field programs pushed Conn to the finish line in the spring. The squads combined for 60 points thanks to a 17th-place finish by the women—following a second-place finish in the 5000m and third-place finish in the 1500m by Grace McDonough ’26 and a ninth-place finish in the 100m by Blessing Kieh ’28—and a 67th-place finish by the men, following a seventh-place finish by Matt Scardigno ’25 in the 5000m. The women’s team was ranked eighth among Division III institutions by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in their Program of the Year final standings.
The Camels also finished 15th in Women’s Indoor Track and Field after McDonough finished third in mile and the distance medlay relay team finished third, and 16th in Men’s Swimming and Diving following two NCAA victories for Justin Finkel ’25, who defended his 2024 titles in both the 500 free and the 200 fly and was honored as Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive year. In the fall, the Women’s Cross Country team placed 23rd after a 53rd place finish by McDonough.
The Camels’ previous highest point total was 279.5 (65th place) from 2021-2022.
