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Middlebury captured its first Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup—a feat trumpeted by USA Today with the headline “Middlebury Ends Williams’ Reign in Directors’ Cup”— by edging out second place Washington University in St. Louis, 1,040.75 to 980.25.
Schools accrue points when their teams advance to NCAA post-season play; the further you advance, the more points you get. The Panthers held on to second place in the standings through the fall and winter seasons, before pulling ahead with a stellar spring.
It should be noted that Williams had won 13 consecutive Directors’ Cup titles, a span in which the Panthers consistently placed among the top five, though never atop the list. Until this year.