The University of Florida and its athletic program will finish second in the 2009-10 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup when the standings are made official after baseball season, according to a release from the school. The second-place overall ranking – which ties a program-high (1997-98) – is fueled by 2010 NCAA National Championships in Men’s Indoor Track & Field and Women’s Swimming & Diving.

The annual national all-sports competition, as awarded by athletic directors across the country, recognizes schools with the best overall sports performances in an academic year. The honor has been owned by the University of Stanford in recent years.

With 1,237.25 total points, the Florida Gators placed a distant second, 271.25 points behind the winning Stanford Cardinal (1508.50). The title is Stanford’s 16th consecutive Director’s Cup, an absolutely dominating stretch.

Florida, however, “is the only program in the nation to finish among the nation’s top 10 in each of the last 27 national all-sports standings,” according to UF. The Gators’ 2009-10 finish is the first time the program has finished in the top three in back-to-back seasons (third, 2008-09). Additionally…

Florida’s 14 top-10 national team finishes in 2009-10, including nine in the top five, is a school record. The previous high of 12 top-10 finishes was equaled five times in the program’s history, including each of the last two seasons. This is the ninth consecutive year that 10 or more Gator athletic teams finished among the nation’s top 10.

Points are awarded based on which sports a school’s athletics program participates in and how said team finishes at the end of that sport’s season.

No other Southeastern Conference school finished in the top 10; however, Florida State University will be ranked No. 7 with 1,009.50 total points.

Tags: Directors' Cup, diving, field, Florida State Seminoles, National Championship, NCAA, SEC, Stanford Cardinal, swimming, track, University of Florida

1 » Fifty-three student-athletes attending the University of Florida were named to the 2010 Southeastern Conference Winter Academic Honor Roll on Tuesday according to a release by commissioner Mike Slive. The women’s swimming and diving teams led the way with 18, the men’s team added 15, nine represented gymnastics (every eligible member), women’s basketball added six and men’s basketball followed with five. Florida’s total of 53 was second-best in the SEC, following only Alabama (56).

1 » Former UF network coordinator Steve Babik, a member of the athletic department for two decades who was arrested and charged in federal court with the receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography in January, pleaded guilty to the charges Tuesday in United States District Court. Babik, 50, faces five to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced on Aug. 2 after investigators found “a significant volume of [media featuring] children engaging in sexual acts” on his computer.

Tags: Academic Honor Roll, arrest, diving, gymnastics, Mike Slive, SEC, Steve Babik, swimming, University of Florida, women's basketball

The University of Florida’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held the first annual Florida Letterman Awards on Monday at the Phillips Center in Gainesville, FL. Check out the winners of each award…after the break:
Continue Reading » SAAC holds first annual Florida Letterman Awards

Tags: Ali Gardener, AShley Kerr, Brett Bentley, Calvin Smith, Christian Taylor, cross country, Dennis Martin, diving, Eric Strestha, Eugene Martin, field, Florida Letterman Awards, gymnastics, Jacy Kruzel, Jemma Lowe, Jeremy Hall, Joey Sorrentino, John Fairbanks, Kristina Hilberth, Maranda Smith, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Phillips Center, Rebekah Zaiser, Savannah Evans, Shaune Fraser, softball, Stacey Nelson, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, swimming, Terrell Wilks, Tim Tebow, track, University of Florida

1 » Five-star 2011 guard recruit Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, FL) looked to be heading anywhere but the University of Florida, after a report surfaced last week that the Florida Gators have decided to stop pursuing him and move on. Whether you believe that to be the case or you think Knight has already made up his mind to play for the Kentucky Wildcats is no matter – Knight has told The Miami Herald that he has not made a decision yet. “I still have an offer [from Florida],” Knight said. “They’re not not recruiting me. They’re just trying to make sure they get a point guard before the signing period is over. […] I don’t feel anything wrong with [that decision]. It’s smart. As a head coach, you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket and not end up with anything. They just don’t feel as strongly as they did before. Since they’re the hometown school, they thought I would have signed early or something of that nature. I’m not exactly sure.”

2 » Though Gators men’s swimming failed to match the women’s team with a 2010 National Championship, the team did finish in fifth at this year’s event and is the backbone of the 2010 Division I National Men’s Swimmer of the Year, junior Conor Dwyer. The Texas Longhorns ended up winning the event even as 11 Florida swimmers earned 38 All-America performances while simultaneously shattering two school records. Dwyer picked up seven honors of his own along with two national titles in the 500- and 200-yard freestyles. Read more about the event.

3 » No. 2/5 Florida baseball (18-5, 4-2 SEC) succeeded in ending its two-game road losing streak with a dominating 13-1 victory Sunday against the No. 17/19 Ole Miss Rebels (19-6, 4-2 SEC). After falling 3-2 in a tight first game and being trounced in the second game 15-3, the Gators rebounded with three RBI apiece from freshman catcher Austin Maddox (2-4, two runs) and sophomore outfielder Daniel Pigott (1-4) as well as 5.1 solid innings from freshman starter Brian Johnson (2-1). Johnson did not allow a single earned run in the outing.

Catch up on No. 6/13 softball, No. 4 women’s tennis and No. 6 men’s tennis!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Knight, NCAAs, baseball, softball, tennis

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alexandre Lacroix, All-America, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Austin Maddox, baseball, Brandon Knight, Brian Johnson, Conor Dwyer, Corrie Brooks, Daniel Pigott, diving, Ensley Gammel, Kentucky Wildcats, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, Marrit Boonstra, National Championship, NCAA, NCAA Championships, Ole Miss Rebels, Ring Tennis Complex, SEC, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Swimmer of the Year, swimming, tennis, Texas Longhorns

1 » No. 4 Florida Gators gymnastics (15-2, 5-1 SEC) took home the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championship Saturday at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL. The program’s seventh conference title and first since 2007, it came on a slight 197.05-196.875 victory over the No. 1-ranked and defending SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide. “There was never a moment in mind I doubted us,” head coach Rhonda Faehn said. “It is a huge sense of accomplishment. Look at what makes up our routines. The majority of our routines were done by freshman who have never taken part in an SEC Championship. They don’t even know what it’s like. For them to come up here and compete the way they did, with the guidance of our upper classmen, gives them a huge sense of accomplishment. Look what we can do and what our future holds. It’s really exciting for them.” Next up? The 2010 NCAA Championship.

2 » While gymnastics was busy winning a title, No. 2/5 Gators baseball (17-5, 3-2 SEC) dropped two straight games to the No. 17/19 Ole Miss Rebels (19-5, 4-1 SEC). Ole Miss squeaked by Florida in the first game, taking a 3-2 win after freshman catcher Austin Maddox struck out looking with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Rebels’ starter Drew Pomeranz (4-0) only gave up a run over 7.1 innings with nine strikeouts, out-dueling Gators’ sophomore pitcher Alex Panteliodis (5-1), who also pitched 7.1 innings but gave up three earned runs combined in the first two innings. In the second game, Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but gave up nine unanswered runs to fall behind by seven through three innings. They would eventually fall 15-3 with freshman starter Hudson Randal (2-1) giving up five earned runs on six hits in an inning’s work. The Gators hope to salvage the weekend road series with a win in the finale Saturday before facing Florida State in Jacksonville on Tuesday.

3 » Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s “The Promise” speech, and Gators football itself, has inspired 7th grade students at a Harlem public school to dub their classroom “Gator Nation” and work to achieve their dreams. (h/t “mudlizard”)

4 » Trying to match their female counterparts with an NCAA Championship, the men’s swimming and diving team is currently in fourth entering the final day of the 2010 NCAA Championship meet. Junior Conor Dwyer, who became the first NCAA men’s swimmer since 2001 to win both the 200 and 500 freestyle races in the same meet, is leading the team in its efforts. OGGOA will update you on the team’s finish after action concludes.

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Alex Panteliodis, Austin Maddox, baseball, Conor Dwyer, diving, Drew Pomeranz, gymnastics, Hudson Randal, NCAA, NCAA Championship, Ole Miss Rebels, Rhonda Faehn, SEC, SEC Championship, swimming, The Promise, Tim Tebow, Veterans Memorial Arena

Pulling out a 2.5-point victory over second-place Stanford, the Florida Gators women’s swimming and diving team captured the 2010 NCAA Championship at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, IN, on Saturday. The team’s first national title since winning the inaugural NCAA Championships in 1982, Florida also brought home individual event national titles in the 200-yard free relay and 100-yard backstroke.

2010 National Titles
(1) 200-yard free relay (Stafford, Spofforth, Napier, Bateman): 1:27.79
(2) 100-yard backstroke: Gemma Spofforth, 50.92

Head coach Greg Troy, who was named the 2010 NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year, was ecstatic about the hard-fought, come-from-behind victory. “This was really a team effort and there was no room for error,” he said.

In all, 12 Gators were named All-Americans and five school records were set in the competition. Additionally, Florida’s title is the second National Championship the school has won in as many weeks, with the men’s track and field team bringing home the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championship last weekend.

The University of Florida has now won 24 National Championships.

ESPN2 will air a truncated version of the 2010 Women’s NCAA Championships at 1:30 p.m. on Tues., April 6. Expect to see plenty of the Gators during the 90-minute show.

For more information on the Gators’ title win, visit GatorZone.

Photo Credit: Walt Middleton

Tags: All-American, Boilermaker Aquatic Center, Coach of the Year, diving, Gemma Spofforth, Greg Troy, National Championship, NCAA, NCAA Championship, swimming, University of Florida

1 » Competing in the first night of the finals of the 2010 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship meet, the Florida Gators women’s team has already taken home a national title. UF’s 200-yard free relay team – seniors Gemma Spofforth and Stephanie Napies and sophomores Shara Stafford and Sarah Bateman – won the title behind a school-record 1:27.79 time. The Gators are in fourth place with 107 points after the first day of competition, even with their 101st national title being captured.

2 » Though they failed to reach the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the Florida women’s basketball team (15-16) got off to a quick start in the WNIT with a 61-54 win over the South Florida Bulls (15-16) at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Senior guard Steffi Sorensen scored a team-high 16 points as sophomore center Azania Stewart contributed 11 of her 15 points in the second half. The Gators move on to face the Miami Hurricanes (19-13) on Sunday at the BankUnited Center.

3 » Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy of the Florida volleyball team has been announced as one of 24 players selected to the roster of the 2010 U.S. Women’s National A2 team. The 2008 AVCA National Freshman of the Year, Murphy ranked third in the SEC in hitting percentage (.344) and seventh in assists per set (7.04) in 2009. She is the 35th Gators volleyball player to receive this honor since 2001.

4 » One of OGGOA’s favorite all-time Florida football players is Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that one of our all-time favorite Gators’ mom’s is his very own – Pauline. Aside from helping raise Channing and supporting him throught his life, Pauline has started a Football 101 for Women & Friends class that has become quite popular in South Florida. You can read more about it here.

Tags: A2, Azania Stewart, Channing Crowder, diving, Gemma Spofforth, Kelly Murphy, Miami Dolphins, NCAA Championship, NIT, O'Connell Center, Sarah Bateman, SEC, Shara Stafford, South Florida Bulls, Steffi Sorensen, Stephanie Napies, swimming, volleyball, women's basketball