A total of 12 top-10 finishes in national championship action – including a program-high three NCAA titles - led the University of Florida athletics program to second overall in the 2011-12 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. The finish matches Florida’s highest ever in the annual all-sports rankings and marks Florida’s fourth consecutive top four finish in the rankings. A trio of NCAA titles highlighted Florida’s finishes, as seven teams placed among the nation’s top five.

Florida is the only program to finish among the nation’s top 10 in each of the last 29 national all-sports standings. The Gator program also was second in 2009-10 and tied for second in 1997-98.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, presented annually by the nation’s athletics directors, recognizes the schools with the best overall sports performances in an academic year. Points are awarded based on finishes and participation in 20 NCAA Division I sports. Stanford received its 18th consecutive Directors’ Cup at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention earlier this month. UCLA will be third followed by Ohio State.

Florida’s 12 top-10 national team finishes in 2011-12 matches the third-highest in school history, as at least 10 Gator teams have turned in top-10 finishes in each of the last 11 seasons. The program’s record of 14 top-10 finishes came in 2009-10.

Three Florida teams earned NCAA titles in 2012 – women’s tennis and men’s track & field taking both the indoor and outdoor crowns. The outdoor win was the first for the Gator program, while Florida claimed its third consecutive indoor track & field title. Florida’s women’s tennis team claimed their second consecutive NCAA title and now leads all Gator teams with six overall NCAA Championships.

The complete list of Florida's 2011-12 top-10 teams includes:

·         Women’s Tennis (No. 1)

·         Men’s Indoor Track & Field (No. 1)

·         Men’s Outdoor Track & Field (No. 1)

·         Gymnastics (No. 2)

·         Lacrosse (No. T-3)

·         Men’s Basketball (No. T-5)

·         Volleyball (No. T-5)

·         Baseball (No. T-7)

·         Men’s Swimming & Diving (No. 8)

·         Women’s Indoor Track & Field (No. 9)

·         Men’s Tennis (No. T-9)

·         Women’s Swimming & Diving (No. 10)

“This was quite a season for the Gator program. Certainly Florida fans can celebrate the NCAA titles by women’s tennis and both the men’s indoor and outdoor track & field programs,” Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley said. “Placing second in the Director’s Cup shows that many Gator teams performed well in this season’s national championship competition. Our student-athletes and coaches strive for success and we take great pride in watching them compete at the highest level.”

In Southeastern Conference action, Florida picked up three league crowns in 2011-12 action (gymnastics, women’s indoor track and field, women’s tennis). UF has now has a total of 205 SEC titles since the league began in 1932 and 106 of those SEC titles have come under Foley’s watch. In addition, the lacrosse team won its second consecutive American Lacrosse Conference title in just the program’s third year. Florida swept the Halifx Media Group Southeastern Conference All-Sports Titles for the 12th time in 2011-12.

Individually, eight Gators claimed a total of nine NCAA individual titles in 2012. Junior Tony McQuay won both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter titles and joined Dedric Dukes, Hugh Graham, Jr. and Leonardo Seymore on the winning 4x400-meter relay which clinched the outdoor team title for UF. Both NCAA triple jump titles went to junior Omar Craddock. Senior Jeff Demps claimed his third consecutive 60-meter dash title at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Sophomore Elizabeth Beisel took the 200 backstroke win at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. At the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, freshman Kytra Hunter became the first Gator to claim the NCAA all-around crown. She also won the NCAA vault title.

Florida was also successful away from the athletic arena in 2011-12. A total of five UF student-athletes earned Capital One Academic All-America honors. Of the top 10 programs in the 2011-12 Learfield Sports Director’s Cup Standings, Florida is one of five to post a NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 83 percent or higher in 2011.