The rivalry between UC Davis and UCSD athletics has grown significantly since the Tritons’ jump to Division II in 2000, and the finish of the 2002 Sears Directors’ Cup race will add to the strong competitiveness that the two programs have.
The Aggies claimed their fifth National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Sears Directors’ Cup, while UCSD finished third behind Grand Valley State.
The Sears Cup is annually awarded to the best athletic program in each NCAA division. Universities are awarded points based on their finish in seven men’s sports and seven women’s sports.
In its seven years of experience in Division II, UC Davis finished either first or second. The Aggies won the Sears Cup in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001.
Accumulating 571.5 points over the year, the third-place Tritons finished 171.5 points behind UC Davis. Women’s soccer, softball, women’s and men’s tennis, women’s and men’s track and field, women’s and men’s volleyball, women’s and men’s swimming, and fencing were strong contributors to UCSD’s point total.
“”This is a very impressive achievement for UCSD,”” said UCSD Athletic Director Earl Edwards. “”And what makes this more impressive is that our program is the only one in the country that doesn’t offer any scholarships.””
The Tritons experienced success in every season this past year, and there are still many UCSD programs that will build upon their past success and help the Tritons compete against UC Davis to win the competition for the Sears Cup.
Women’s soccer will hope to defend its title in the fall, and the men’s team will look to get off to a better start than it did in 2001 and make the playoffs. The men’s and women’s basketball teams also hope to develop their respective squads and contribute points to UCSD’s Sears Cup total. The Triton baseball team, full of young talent, hopes to turn away critics again next spring and earn a trip to the playoffs.
“”It’s our goal to improve next year,”” Edwards said. “”Hopefully, with our fans continuing to support us, we will be able to finish ahead of Davis.””
