Empire State Elite

By Patrick Bohn, June 27, 2022

Bombers finish as the top Division III athletic program in New York state and Liberty League.

This season marked the fifth straight season the Bombers finished in the top 20 of the national rankings.

(Image courtesy of IC Athletic Communications)

The final Division III LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings were released in June, and Ithaca College’s dominance on the courts, fields, and water was shown.

Ithaca finished 11th overall in the division, with a total of 770.5 points. That number was not only the best total in the Liberty League — where the Bombers finished 39 spots ahead of the closest competition — but tops in New York State.

IC is just one of six Division III schools to finish within the top 30 every year since the Directors' Cup started in 1995-96. The other institutions are Amherst College, Calvin University, Emory University, Middlebury College, and Williams College. This year also marked the fifth straight year the Bombers finished in the top 20.

During the spring season, IC athletic teams scored 292 points. The women’s crew team earned 80 points for its fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship, while baseball and women's lacrosse each earned 64 points with ninth place showings. Women's outdoor track and field tallied 46 points and men's outdoor track and field contributed 38 points.

In the winter, the Bombers sent six programs to NCAA competitions and earned 364.25 points, the second-most in Division III during the winter season.

"Being the top-ranked team in both New York State and the Liberty League is a testament to the hard work being put in every day by our student-athletes and coaching staff both on and off the field.”

Susan Bassett ’79, associate vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports

Women's indoor track and field led the way with 85 points after a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, while the men's team contributed 71.25 points with a sixth-place showing. Men's and women's swimming and diving each earned 56 points with 18th place finishes at the NCAA Championships. Women's basketball picked up 50 points and wrestling earned 46 points.

In the fall season, IC accumulated 114.5 points. The women's soccer and women's volleyball teams each earned 25 points, while women's cross country earned 32 points and men's cross country earned 32.5.

"Being the top-ranked team in both New York State and the Liberty League is a testament to the hard work being put in every day by our student-athletes and coaching staff both on and off the field,” said Susan Bassett ’79, associate vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports. “I'm also incredibly proud of finishing in the Top 30 once again, as it illustrates that Ithaca College continues to be one of the elite athletic and academic institutions in the country.

“In addition to the excellence by our Bombers on the field and court, this success would not be possible without the support of donors who ensure that our teams can compete at an elite level," Bassett added.

The LEARFIELD Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org.