Thursday, September 7, 2000

ACU women’s programs ranked among best
Magazine rates program third among U.S. colleges
By Al Pickett
Reporter-News Staff Writer

The Abilene Christian University women’s athletic program has been ranked third in the nation in NCAA Division II in a survey compiled by the national publication Sports Illustrated for Women.

The issue that details the SI for Women’s survey will hit newsstands across the nation on Thursday.

Factors used in determining rankings included championships won; varsity, club and intramural athletic opportunities; graduation rates, financial aid and fan support. Also considered were facilities, sports-related curriculum, traditions and attitude.

“To get that kind of publicity can only help,” said ACU women’s volleyball coach Brek Horn. “The story didn’t mention volleyball, but that doesn’t matter. The success that our track, tennis, basketball and softball teams have had helps my recruiting.”

ACU’s women’s track and field program has contributed 23 of the school’s 48 national championships, all since 1985. The Lady Wildcats also won 17 of the school’s 99 Lone Star Conference championships.

The other five women’s programs have accounted for 31 more LSC championships, including 15 in women’s tennis. The ACU women’s basketball team has won eight LSC championships and reached post-season play in six of the last seven seasons.

California-Davis is the top-ranked school in the poll. Cal-Davis has won three of the last five Division II Sears Directors’ Cup championships for overall athletic excellence. ACU has finished runner-up in the Sears Cup race in three of the five years it has been in existence.

Bloomsburg (Pa.) finished No. 2 in the magazine’s survey, just edging out ACU, which was second last year.

Stanford is again ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division I poll, followed by Florida, Texas, North Carolina, UCLA, Georgia, Arizona, Penn State, Princeton and Maryland.

The top three in Division III are Williams (Mass.) College, College of New Jersey and Trinity University in San Antonio.

Contact sports editor Al Pickett at 676-6772 or picketta@abinews.com. We are on the Web at sports.texnews.com.