JMU Posts State’s Best All-Sports Record for Third Year Running, 81st in Learfield Director’s Cup

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Five CAA Championships, seven NCAA qualifying teams, two national title game appearances and a .669 overall win percentage propelled James Madison to a first-place finish in the Virginia All-Sport Survey for the third straight year while also earning its best finish in the Learfield Director's Cup in 18 years.

The Virginia All-Sport Survey is conducted annually by VaSID as a ranking of the 14 Division I institutions in the Commonwealth and includes a formal award presentation from the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. JMU won 66.9 percent of its contests (238-117-3) to easily outdistance Liberty, which finished second at 61.2 percent.

It was JMU's sixth first-place finish in the 40-year history of the award and third straight season finishing atop its in-state peers. The .669 percentage for 2017-18 was the best for JMU since a .686 mark in 1982. First-place finishes for the Dukes came in 1982 (.686), 1988 (.625), 1995 (.611), 2016 (.660), 2017 (.633) and 2018 (.669). Over the last three years combined, all JMU teams that compile a won-loss record have combined to go 695-365-12 (.654). The consecutive honors for James Madison represent the fifth time in 40 years that an institution captured three or more consecutive top honors.

In addition to the overall title, JMU's women's programs posted the state's best mark for the fifth straight year with an impressive winning clip of .751 (163-54) to far out-distance Liberty's runner-up mark of .649. The Dukes also captured the women's standings in 2014 at .685, 2015 at .721, 2016 at .762 and 2017 at .721. JMU's men's teams placed fifth with a .543 winning percentage, both the best rank and percentage on the men's side since 2011.

What a year to be a Duke!

Check out the numbers behind our historic year. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

📰 https://t.co/toQ8Y4frtC pic.twitter.com/2Na34vP9Z5
— James Madison Athletics (@JMUSports) July 10, 2018

The Learfield Director's Cup ranks the athletic programs of all NCAA Division I institutions. The scoring system was updated this year with all scores counted for men's and women's basketball, baseball and women's volleyball. Additionally, only up to 15 other of the highest scores are included in the final score. JMU finished 81st among the 292 schools that earned points in 2017-18 for its best finish since 64th in 1999-00 and fifth-best finish all-time. The Dukes earned 252.5 total points thanks to 100 points for their lacrosse NCAA Division I National Championship, 90 points for a football runner-up finish, 37.5 points for finishing third in the NCAA Softball Knoxville Regional and 25 points for qualifying for the NCAA Volleyball Championship.

The 81st-place finish for the Dukes in the Director's Cup continued a six-year run of improvement in the final standings (211 in 2012-13, 189 in 2013-14, 135 in 2014-15, 97 in 2015-16, 87 in 2016-17 and 81 in 2017-18). JMU finished in the top 100 for just the fourth time since its 85th-place finish in 2000-01. JMU also finished tops among CAA schools for the second straight year after not leading the league since 2008-09 and the sixth time overall in the 25-year history of the award. James Madison placed higher than any school in Conference USA, all but one American Athletic Conference school, higher than three ACC schools and above all Virginia institutions outside of the autonomous five conferences.

Among top records achieved, lacrosse captured the program's first NCAA Division I National Championship, boosting JMU's overall record with a 22-1 record. Football also appeared in the national championship game, posting a 14-1 final ledger. Other programs exceeding 65 percent include men's tennis (16-7), women's basketball (23-11), field hockey (12-6), softball (43-14), swimming & diving (7-2), women's tennis (21-4) and volleyball (23-6). Collectively, JMU's spring sports boosted the overall mark with a 128-52 combined record (.711).

JMU captured either CAA Tournament or CAA Regular-Season Titles in eight sports – cross country, football, volleyball, men's soccer (regular season), swimming & diving, women's basketball (regular season), softball (regular season) and lacrosse.

Summary of 2017-18 James Madison Athletics Highlights:

.669 overall winning percentage (238-117-3), best among Division I institutions in Virginia, winning the all-sport title for third straight year and sixth time in 40-year history of award
.751 winning percentage (163-54) among women's sports, best in Virginia for fifth straight year
.543 winning percentage (75-63-3) among men's sports to rank fifth, best for JMU since 2011
81^stin Learfield Director's Cup, best since 64 in 1999-2000 and fifth-best in program history
Director's Cup finish best in CAA (2^ndstraight year) and best among Virginia schools outside of the autonomous five
5 CAA Championships (cross country, football, volleyball, swimming & diving, lacrosse)
5 CAA Regular Season titles (football, men's soccer, women's basketball, softball, lacrosse)
7 programs represented in NCAA Championships (cross country, football, volleyball, swimming & diving, softball, lacrosse, track & field)
2 teams appearing in NCAA Division I National Championship contests (lacrosse – champions; football), making JMU one of eight schools nationwide with at least two teams advancing to a title game, falling fourth behind UCLA, Stanford and Alabama
Jeff Bourne one of five finalists (only non-FBS) for Sports Business Journal AD of the Year
Hosted ESPN's College GameDay on 10/14/17, becoming just the ninth show all-time originating from a non-FBS site and one of only two schools outside FBS to host twice (NDSU). TV viewership of 1.884M ranked fourth for all shows in the 2017 season. Topped 2015 TV viewership of 1.713M. Crowd of 14,000 also topped 12,000 in 2015.
Kristen Gaudian top-five finalist for Tewaaraton Award, given to best lacrosse student-athlete in the nation
Andrew Ankrah named FCS ADA Defensive Player of the Year as well as third place in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award as nation's best defensive player
12 All-Americans: Andrew Ankrah (football), Aaron Stinnie (football), Jordan Brown (football), Rashad Robinson (football), Raven Greene (football), Krye Hawkins (football), Kristen Gaudian (lacrosse), Haley Warden (lacrosse), Elena Romesburg (lacrosse), Rebecca Tooker (lacrosse), Kate Gordon (softball), Odicci Alexander (softball)
7 CAA Players of the Year: Nora Raher (cross country), Andrew Ankrah (football – defensive), John Miller (football – special teams), Hope Byrum (diving), Kristen Gaudian (lacrosse), Haley Warden (lacrosse – defensive), Odicci Alexander (softball)
7 CAA Coaches of the Year: Christy Morgan (field hockey), Dave Rinker (cross country), Tom Foley (men's soccer), Dane Pedersen (swimming & diving), John Wolsh (diving), Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe (lacrosse), Loren LaPorte (softball)
5 CAA Rookies of the Year: Emily Gross (diving), Ignacio Montero (men's golf), Alvaro Arce (men's tennis), Liz Norman (women's tennis), Payton Buresch (softball)
6 National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) All-Americans: Sarah Rice, Megan Messex, Courtney Davis, Steph Ruby, Deanna Craft, Julia Garrison
On April 23, JMU celebrated its JMA Awards, with top honors going to Male Athlete of the Year Andrew Ankrah of football and Female Athlete of the Year Megan Good of softball. Casey Carter Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors went to football's Bryan Schor and lacrosse's Elena Romesburg.
Colton Harlow selected in 30^thround of MLB Draft by Colorado Rockies
3 lacrosse student-athletes with professional opportunities: Kristen Gaudian, Elena Romesburg, Haley Warden
Raven Greene (Packers) and Aaron Stinnie (Titans) signed NFL undrafted free agent contracts. Jordan Brown, Bryan Schor, Ish Hyman, Andrew Ankrah, Simeyon Robinson all had rookie camp invitations
Alicia Cooperman (field hockey) selected as CAA's national NCAA SAAC representative
Elena Romesburg (lacrosse) and Yannick Franz (men's soccer) chosen as CAA Institutional Scholar-Athletes of the Year while Romesburg earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award for possessing the highest GPA among the four teams qualifying for the NCAA lacrosse semifinals. She is the first Elite 90 winner in CAA history.
Volleyball and women's tennis received Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA for ranking in the top 10 percent of their sports nationwide, first time for JMU with multiple teams since 2008-09. Also, for the first time since launching the Engaged in Excellence strategic plan, all 17 sport programs achieved the departmental goal of 960 or higher in the APR while 13 of 17 equaled or improved their APR score from the previous year.
45 student-athletes named to President's List and 120 on Dean's List across fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters
5 Programs earning team academic recognition from organizations in their sport: field hockey, lacrosse, track & field, cross country, swimming & diving
71 student-athletes selected to ECAC academic honor roll
With official fiscal year numbers nearly complete, Duke Club annual fund will eclipse the 2017 record total of $2.3 million, having already surpassed $2.6 million while total giving to JMU Athletics surpassed $4.4 million for the first time
JMU Athletics had its third successful participation in JMU's Giving Day, with one-day recordings of 1,145 gifts totaling $252,694
Held major press conference Oct. 13 to announce university's largest-ever corporate naming agreement with the Union Bank & Trust Center. Groundbreaking occurred April 27 and opening fall 2020. Working with Moseley Architects in consultation with Populous and construction general contractor S.B. Ballard.
Football went 14-1, 8-0 in CAA and was ranked No. 1 in the country in both major FCS polls all season until a close loss to North Dakota State in the FCS title game. Before the title loss, Dukes won 26 straight games, the longest active streak among all NCAA football programs (D. I, II or III) & a JMU/CAA record. The 14 wins matched the program record set last year. JMU clinched outright CAA title for second straight season and unprecedented third straight title overall. Playoff run included first home FCS semifinal victory in program history.
Head Coach Mike Houston signed a 10-year contract agreement, keeping him under contract through the 2027 season.
JMU led the nation in FCS regular-season football attendance (24,841) while finishing second overall once postseason was included. JMU's regular-season student attendance of 6,822 per game would have ranked ahead of the total attendance of 63 of the 122 other FCS programs nationally.
Cross country won the CAA Championship, first since 2011 and snapping five straight for William & Mary. Nora Raher was individual champion, also first for JMU since 2011. Five runners finished in top 12 to earn All-CAA and easily top second-place W&M (26-73). Dukes went on to also capture the ECAC championship.
Men's soccer finished 9-7-3 (5-1-2 in CAA) and first in the CAA for the first time since 2011. Tom Foley named CAA Coach of the Year and most All-CAA awards in program history.
Volleyball went 23-6 after opening 12-0 for the best start in program history, 11-5 in CAA play. Team finished third in regular season but won three straight in CAA Championship, including knocking off heavy favorite, regular season champion College of Charleston 3-0. Dukes lost in NCAA first round against Colorado at Baylor. Third straight 20-win season under Lauren Steinbrecher.
Field hockey finished 12-6 and ranked No. 18 in the country. Was one of the top RPI teams just off NCAA selection bubble. Christy Morgan CAA Co-Coach of the Year.
Women's soccer finished 9-10 overall. Dave Lombardo retired in November as only coach in 28-year history of program. Joshua Walters, Sr. hired in early February as new head coach.
Women's basketball started 4-7 out of conference, then won 10 straight CAA games and finished 16-2 in the league, 23-11 overall. The Dukes shared the CAA regular-season title with Drexel and reached at least 23 victories for the 13^thstraight season.
Men's basketball went 10-22 overall, 6-12 overall to tie for seventh in the CAA. Young team included two CAA All-Rookie picks, most for JMU since 2008-09.
Swimming and diving went 7-2 before going on to capture the 2018 CAA Championship. The Dukes started in last place after a tough first day but crawled all the way back to win the title, the first for the program since 2012 and eighth all-time. Dane Pedersen was named Swimming Coach of the Year and John Wolsh Diving Coach of the Year.
Women's tennis went 21-4 to set a program record for victories and the second-best winning percentage (.840) in program history. The Dukes reached the CAA title match for the second time ever (2016, 2018). Liz Norman was named ITA Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year. Shelley Jaudon named new head coach for 2018-19.
Men's tennis went 16-7 in 2018, the third-most victories in program history and most since posting 23 in 1983.
Lacrosse captured the program's first national championship with a 22-1 final record, setting top marks for wins and winning percentage and finishing first in the final national rankings. The Dukes first won both the regular season and tournament championships in the CAA. JMU earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Championship, best in program history, and defeated Virginia 15-12 and No. 6 Florida 11-8 to advance to the semifinals at Stony Brook. The Dukes then topped No. 2 North Carolina 15-12 before dispatching No. 4 Boston College 16-15 in the title game. Haley Warden was named Most Outstanding Player for her performance and was joined by Molly Dougherty, Kristen Gaudian, Hanna Haven and Haley Warden on the All-Tournament Team. Kristen Gaudian was the third student-athlete in program history to be a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award as national player of the year.
Softball finished 43-14 and earned the regular-season championship, finishing first in the CAA. JMU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship as part of the Knoxville Regional for its sixth straight NCAA appearance. The Dukes were No. 23 in the national polls entering the tournament and were 25^thin the RPI.
Baseball got off to a hot start and ultimately swept its final series to finish 26-26 overall, the program's best mark since 2011, and seventh place in the CAA, just one game back of qualifying for the tournament.
Track and field finished sixth at the CAA Championships, a performance highlighted by Alexys Taylor taking gold in the 100-meter dash. The Dukes also placed 11^that the ECAC Championships and were represented by Nicolette Serratore (javelin) at the NCAA Preliminary in Tampa.
Men's golf had a good showing in the CAA Championship, leading the field for the first 48 holes before ending with a fourth-place finish. Tommy Baker was named new head coach for women's golf.
For the first time in department history, JMU put together its own TV broadcast package, including five home games and two away games, which tied for most televised regular season football games in program history
JMU's student-athlete leadership program, Dukes LEAD, launched on a full scale in fall 2017 under the direction of Assistant AD Meredith Crawford

All-Sport Rankings

Overall
James Madison – 238-117-3 (.669)
Liberty – 209-132-4 (.612)
VCU – 166-109-3 (.603)
Radford – 180-124-4 (.584)
Virginia – 251-198-9 (.553)
Virginia Tech – 198-161-6 (.551)
Richmond – 124-123-2 (.502)
Old Dominion – 136-139-6 (.489)
George Mason – 173-189-4 (.478)
William and Mary – 165-186-8 (.471)
Hampton – 103-120-1 (.462)
Norfolk State – 141-175 (.457)
Longwood – 123-160-5 (.427)
VMI – 92-158-2 (.389)

Male
Virginia - 132-80-5 (.615)
VCU – 80-55 (.593)
Virginia Tech – 98-71-1 (.579)
Liberty – 82-64-1 (.561)
James Madison –75-63-3 (.543)
Richmond – 75-66 (.532)
Old Dominion – 87-76-2 (.530)
Radford – 68-61-4 (.511)
George Mason – 87-94-2 (.481)
William and Mary – 82-90-6 (.478)
Hampton – 34-45 (.430)
Norfolk State – 46-62 (.426)
Longwood – 38-88-2 (.297)
VMI – 45-118-2 (.279)

Female
James Madison – 163-54 (.751)
Liberty – 127-68-3 (.649)
Radford – 112-63 (.640)
VCU – 86-54-3 (.612)
Longwood – 85-72-3 (.531)
Virginia Tech – 100-90-5 (.526)
Virginia – 119-118-4 (.498)
Hampton – 69-75-1 (.479)
George Mason – 86-95-2 (.475)
Norfolk State – 101-113 (.472)
William and Mary – 83-96-2 (.464)
Richmond – 49-57-2 (.463)
Old Dominion – 49-63-4 (.432)
VMI – 31-46-1 (.404)

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