The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) released the final standings for the Learfield Directors' Cup and Arizona State University made a 12-place improvement in 2017-18 from the previous season.
Among the top 40 teams this year, the Sun Devils had the third-best improvement (43rd to 31st) behind Duke (+21/32nd to 11th) and NC State (+14/29th to 15th) and tied with Virginia Tech (40th to 28th). ASU finished 20 spots ahead of the University of Arizona, who finished in 51st.
Here is a breakdown of each sport that earned points in 2017-18:
SOFTBALL (73 POINTS)
Trisha Ford in her second season led the Sun Devils back to Oklahoma City and the College World Series for their 12th time in their 38th season of competition. The Sun Devils finished 48-13, that included a 16-8 mark in Pac-12 play. The 48 wins on the year marked the team's 23rd-straight 30 win season, and 24th- straight winning season in program history. The 48 wins marked the most in a single season for ASU since winning 50 games in 2013. In Pac-12 play, the 2018 season marked the Sun Devils' best record since the 2013 season. The 16 conference wins paced ASU to a third place finish. The Sun Devils put the nation on notice with a 2-1 series win over the then No. 1 and undefeated Washington Huskies, to improve to 24-4 on the season. The series win --first vs. the Huskies since 2013 -- came by way of two, 2-0, shutout victories, both thrown by sophomore pitcher G Juarez. By way of earning the NCAA eight-seed, ASU earned the opportunity to host Regionals and Super Regionals in Tempe, the first postseason action hosted at Farrington Stadium since the 2014 season.
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (69 POINTS)
Maggie Ewen and the Women's Track & Field program earned 69 points towards the Directors' Cup thanks to their Top-10 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing ninth as a team with 22 points. Ewen put up 20 points by herself for the Sun Devils at the 2018 NCAA Championships, one shy of her total from a season ago. By claiming the discus title, Ewen is the first woman since 2000, and just the sixth in history, to win the discus and shot put crowns at the same NCAA Championship. Fellow thrower Samantha Noennig proved she belonged with the elites right away as her first throw put her in place to qualify for the final and her second throw of 17.12m/56-2 cemented her spot there and got her seventh-place overall. The first-team All-America honor was a first for Noennig who barely missed out on advancing to the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March and said she made it her mission to make it to Eugene. The seventh-place finish earned the additional two points for the Sun Devils, giving them their second consecutive Top-10 finish and a total of 22 points at the NCAA Championships.
After peaking as high as No. 8 in the nation in final team standings, the Sun Devils earned their first top-10 team finish at NCAA's since 2011, finishing 10th and capturing 67.5 points behind individual national champion Zahid Valencia and All-Americans Josh Shields and Jason Tsirtsis. Valencia capped his sophomore season with a perfect 32-0 mark and was a finalist for the prestigious Hodge Award. ASU also won their second straight Pac-12 Championship behind six Pac-12 champions and eight NCAA qualifiers. The Sun Devils won 10 straight duals, the third-longest streak in program history.
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (63 POINTS)
A thirteen-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships earned the Sun Devil Track & Field program 63 points towards the Directors' Cup. Maggie Ewen earned all 15 points for the Sun Devils at the meet, which put them in 13th place after all 17 events were scored. The national champion in Shot Put also earned All-American honors in the weight throw, thanks to a fourth place finish int the event. Ewen grabbed the lead in the Shot Put immediately, never looking back after her first throw sailed 17.97m/58-7.5 feet, beating all other competitors by four inches. In total, with Ewen's indoor eligibility up, the Sun Devil shot put and weight throw record-holder will leave Arizona State with 24 points scored at NCAA Indoor Championships. Ewen completed her career with 11 First Team All-American selections (7 outdoor, 4 indoor).
MEN'S GOLF (62.25 POINTS)
Second-year head coach Matt Thurmond's led the Sun Devils to three tournament wins and a tie for 13 that the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., as ASU was the only team without a junior or senior in the 30-team field and was the only Pac-12 team to make the 15-team Sunday cut. Chun An Yu, who will be a junior next year, qualified for the U.S. Open, while freshman Mason Andersen posted the fourth-best freshman scoring average (71.95) in school history. ASU won the Thunderbird Invitational on April 14-15 when it stopped eventual NCAA champion Oklahoma State's seven-tournament win streak and also defeated defending NCAA champion Oklahoma. The Sun Devils were one of just three teams to win a tournament against the Cowboys. ASU earned its first win of the spring and second of the season with a convincing victory at the Bandon Dunes Championship March 11-13 as it led each round and finished an impressive 13-strokes ahead of second place Clemson. Chun An Yu took home medalist honors shooting a 13-under including a 65 in round one, tied for the best round of the tournament. ASU's first wins were in the second tournament of the year at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in Carefree as Alex del Rey had a 7-under 65 to earn medalist honors at Desert Forest as team shot 7-under 857 (289-291-277) and won by a stroke over eventual NCAA champion Georgia Tech.
GYMNASTICS (59.25 POINTS)
Boasting arguably one of the most substantial turnarounds in recent collegiate gymnastics history, Jay Santos' squad improved 18 spots from their 2017 national finish of 41, capping the season ranked at No. 23 nationally (highest finish since 2007). Ranking in the top-20 of the national standings for 12 consecutive weeks, Arizona State made its first team NCAA regional appearance since 2014 while sending individual all-around qualifier Cairo Leonard-Baker to nationals. Under the tutelage of Santos, the Maroon and Gold jumped nearly a point and half in their season finale RQS tally, improving from 195.145 in 2017 to 196.545. Notably the team eclipsed the 49.000+ mark in 33 event rotations, after only having done so four times in 2017. The Gym Devils knocked off four ranked opponents on the season — No. 14 Auburn, No. 20 Iowa, No. 14 West Virginia, and No. 20 Stanford — marking the first time since 2006 that the squad has accomplished the feat, while accumulating 13 team wins. Courtesy of his efforts at the helm of the program, Santos was named the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Freshman standout Leonard-Baker, hailing from Oakland, Calif., signed off on one of the best freshman efforts not only in Arizona State gymnastics history, but Sun Devil lore garnering a plethora of awards, including: Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year honors, All Pac-12 Second-Team (AA, UB) recognition, and NACGC/W Regular Season Second-Team All-America All-Around honors. As a contingent, the Gym Devils continued to excel not only as gymnasts, but as students as the team placed placed a program-best nine student-athletes on Pac-12 All-Academic teams, including a conference-best four first-team honorees.
WOMEN'S GOLF (57 POINTS)
With a 16-place finish at NCAA's, advancing to their nation-leading 34th NCAA Championships after their nation-leading 26th consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance, eight-time national champion Sun Devil women's golf earned 57 points towards this year's Cup. Senior Roberta Liti earned several academic awards including the NCAA's Elite 90 award for women's golf, Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's golf and was named a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American. Olivia Mehaffey was named a WGCA All-American as well as to the Palmer Cup and Curtis Cup teams and to the ANNIKA Award Watch List, also competing at the 2018 U.S. Open. Sophomore Olivia Mehaffey led ASU with eight top-10 finishes in 13 tournaments while the team had nine top-5 finishes.
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING (54 POINTS)
The Sun Devil men finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation and made yet another trip to NCAA's, finishing 21 to earned 54 points toward the Director's Cup. The ASU men capped the year in the top-10 in the nation and with 15 Honorable Mention All-America honors as follows: 200 medley relay – Reid Elliott, Christian Lorenz, Andrew Porter, Patrick Park; 100 back – Zach Poti; 200 free – Cameron Craig, Grant House; 400 medley relay – Zach Poti, Christian Lorenz, Andrew Porter, Cameron Craig; 800 free relay – Cameron Craig, Grant House, Evan Carlson, Dylan Boyd. Youssef Selim won the Pac-12 1-meter diving championship and Cameron Craig defended his 200 free title. The ASU men captured the Territorial Cup point as well as earning a decisive victory over Arizona during the regular season. The Sun Devil men upset the reigning national champions No. 2 Texas and Christian Lorenz set the then-top time in the nation in the 200 breast. Lorenz capped his Sun Devil career with six of the top-10 times in school history in both the 100 and 200 breast, including the top times in each.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING (51 POINTS)
The Sun Devil women finished the season ranked No. 22 in the nation and put together a six-place improvement at NCAA's, finishing 23rd to earned 51 points toward the Director's Cup. ASU improved their number of All-Americans at NCAA's from three to four honors as Frida Kaellgren (1-meter dive), Silja Kansakoski (100 breast, 200 breast/HM) and Mara Aiacoboae (Platform dive/HM) were named AA's, including the second consecutive honors for Kansakoski and Aiacoboae. Chloe Isleta set and re-set a new school record two different times in the 200 IM, last at the Pac-12 championships, re-setting her own school record. The women's team, along with the men's team, earned Scholar All-America honors for spring 2018, marking the ninth consecutive semester (dating back to fall 2013) that both squads have found a place on the team. The women captured a Territorial Cup point at Pac-12 championships as Aiacoboae won her second consecutive title on platform and on Senior Day, the women earned their first win over the Wildcats since 1993. Earlier in the season, they also earned an upset over then-No. 23 Florida State. Freshman diver Ashley McCool impressed in her first campaign as a Sun Devil, setting a new school record in the 3-meter dive, and was named Pac-12 Women's Diver of the Week in January.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (50 POINTS)
Under the direction of Charli Turner Thorne the Sun Devil women's basketball team finished 22-13 (10-8 Pac-12) and tied the school record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (five) and consecutive 20-win seasons (five). ASU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, giving it at least one win in 11 of its last 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Sun Devils also made their eighth appearance in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament after defeating No. 10 Oregon State in the quarterfinals. During the season the Sun Devils posted wins over three teams that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16: Buffalo, Stanford and Oregon State. Junior Kianna Ibis earned All-Pac-12 honors while sophomore Robbi Ryan earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention recognition and Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention.
MEN'S TENNIS (25 POINTS)
ASU finished 14-11 and 3-4 (fifth) in the Pac-12 as Matt Hill put together one of the nation's best recruiting classes in his first year at the helm, setting a solid foundation for years to come. The class, ranked No. 5 in the country by Tennis Recruiting Network, was highlighted by several international players including Benjamin Hannestad, who had twice represented Denmark in the Davis Cup and Michaël Geerts, who held a 94-87 record on the professional circuit before joining the Sun Devils. ASU roared into conference play, netting a Blue Gray Tennis Classic title, becoming the first Pac-12 school to do so in one of the oldest collegiate tennis tournaments in the country. The Sun Devils defeated Alabama in the championship match, who made it all the way to the Sweet 16 as a team in the NCAA Men's Tennis tournament. ASU earned a ranking by ITA in the Feb. 20 round, debuting at No. 20 and was ranked every week from there on out including a season-high No. 13. Geerts upset No. 1 Martin Redlicki and No. 2 Mikael Torpegaard to become one of only three players in the country to notch wins over the top-two ranked athletes. ASU traveled to Texas A&M to take on Baylor in the NCAA and bowed out of the tournament, but finished ranked No. 38 in the ITA rankings.
WOMEN'S TENNIS (25 POINTS)
Coach Sheila McInerney's squad finished 16-8 (7-3 in the Pac-12) good for third in the conference for the second consecutive season, as it advanced to the NCAA Team Championship for the 31st-straight season (fifth-longest active streak in the nation). ASU defeated California in Tempe in an impressive 4-0 sweep for their first win over the Bears since 2011 and McInerney earned her 500th career win when the Devils defeated Santa Clara. Lauryn John-Baptiste and Ilze Hattingh advanced to the Elite Eight round in the NCAA Doubles Tournament where they earned first-team All-America honors and finished the season ranked 15th.
FOOTBALL (25 POINTS)
Arizona State went 6-3 to finish second in the Pac-12 South behind and reclaimed the Territorial Cup with a second-half comeback against Arizona en route to a 42-30 victory in Tempe. It advanced to the Hyundai Sun Bowl with a 7-5 regular season record overall, falling to No. 24 N.C. State. ASU .earned two wins over top-25 teams over the course of the season, including a stunning 13-7 upset over No. 5 Washington in Tempe - the team's first victory over a team ranked in the top-five since defeating top-ranked Nebraska in 1996. Chase Lucas earned Freshman All-America honors from both the FWAA and USA Today.
MEN'S BASKETBALL (5 POINTS)
Coach Bobby Hurley's squad earned a NCAA Tournament spot for the first time since 2014 in a season with all kinds of milestones set. ASU started 12-0, reached as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press rankings and was the last undefeated team left behind the play of seniors Tra Holder, Shannon Evans II and Kodi Justice. ASU finished 20-12 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in past 23 seasons. The Sun Devils averaged 10,603 fans, topping the previous school record of 9,514 set in 1995-96 and was the last undefeated team in nation as it reached 12-0 before falling to Arizona 84-78 on Dec. 30. ASU beat No. 1 seeds Xavier and Kansas along with Kansas State in its non-conference action and went 5-2 against NCAA Tournament teams, also topping UCLA and San Diego State.
ARIZONA STATE IN THE FINAL LEARFIELD DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS
2017-18 - 31st
2016-17 - 43rd
2015-16 - 37th
2014-15 - 30th
2013-14 – 27th
2012-13 – 18th
2011-12 - 30th
2010-11 - 27th
2009-10 - 22nd
2008-09 - 12th
2007-08 - 4th
2006-07 - 10th
2005-06 - 13th
2004-05 - 11th
2003-04 - 17th
2002-03 - 10th
2001-02 - 15th
2000-01 - 9th
1999-00 - 11th
1998-99 - 12th
1997-98 - 12th
1996-97 - 13th
1995-96 - 21st
1994-95 - 12th
1993-94 – 10th
Among the top 40 teams this year, the Sun Devils had the third-best improvement (43rd to 31st) behind Duke (+21/32nd to 11th) and NC State (+14/29th to 15th) and tied with Virginia Tech (40th to 28th). ASU finished 20 spots ahead of the University of Arizona, who finished in 51st.
Here is a breakdown of each sport that earned points in 2017-18:
SOFTBALL (73 POINTS)
Trisha Ford in her second season led the Sun Devils back to Oklahoma City and the College World Series for their 12th time in their 38th season of competition. The Sun Devils finished 48-13, that included a 16-8 mark in Pac-12 play. The 48 wins on the year marked the team's 23rd-straight 30 win season, and 24th- straight winning season in program history. The 48 wins marked the most in a single season for ASU since winning 50 games in 2013. In Pac-12 play, the 2018 season marked the Sun Devils' best record since the 2013 season. The 16 conference wins paced ASU to a third place finish. The Sun Devils put the nation on notice with a 2-1 series win over the then No. 1 and undefeated Washington Huskies, to improve to 24-4 on the season. The series win --first vs. the Huskies since 2013 -- came by way of two, 2-0, shutout victories, both thrown by sophomore pitcher G Juarez. By way of earning the NCAA eight-seed, ASU earned the opportunity to host Regionals and Super Regionals in Tempe, the first postseason action hosted at Farrington Stadium since the 2014 season.
Congratulations to the Sun Devil coaches who earned @NFCAorg Regional Coaching Staff of the Year Honors! Check out the full details here ??https://t.co/PuyTqSsrhv
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) June 13, 2018
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (69 POINTS)
Maggie Ewen and the Women's Track & Field program earned 69 points towards the Directors' Cup thanks to their Top-10 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing ninth as a team with 22 points. Ewen put up 20 points by herself for the Sun Devils at the 2018 NCAA Championships, one shy of her total from a season ago. By claiming the discus title, Ewen is the first woman since 2000, and just the sixth in history, to win the discus and shot put crowns at the same NCAA Championship. Fellow thrower Samantha Noennig proved she belonged with the elites right away as her first throw put her in place to qualify for the final and her second throw of 17.12m/56-2 cemented her spot there and got her seventh-place overall. The first-team All-America honor was a first for Noennig who barely missed out on advancing to the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March and said she made it her mission to make it to Eugene. The seventh-place finish earned the additional two points for the Sun Devils, giving them their second consecutive Top-10 finish and a total of 22 points at the NCAA Championships.
WRESTLING (67.5 POINTS).@MagdalynMaeEwen is @TheSunDevils' female recipient for the 2017-18 Tom Hansen Conference medal.
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) June 26, 2018
The @SunDevilTFXC star is a four-time @NCAATrackField champion and holds the collegiate records in both the hammer throw and shot put.
Read: https://t.co/kukp0qT34X pic.twitter.com/hvwqsrIbPA
After peaking as high as No. 8 in the nation in final team standings, the Sun Devils earned their first top-10 team finish at NCAA's since 2011, finishing 10th and capturing 67.5 points behind individual national champion Zahid Valencia and All-Americans Josh Shields and Jason Tsirtsis. Valencia capped his sophomore season with a perfect 32-0 mark and was a finalist for the prestigious Hodge Award. ASU also won their second straight Pac-12 Championship behind six Pac-12 champions and eight NCAA qualifiers. The Sun Devils won 10 straight duals, the third-longest streak in program history.
Thank you to all our incredible supporters throughout the entire year and those who celebrated with us in person tonight! #SunDevilIntensity #ThankYouSeniors https://t.co/tg2UaU13Wo
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) April 21, 2018
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (63 POINTS)
A thirteen-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships earned the Sun Devil Track & Field program 63 points towards the Directors' Cup. Maggie Ewen earned all 15 points for the Sun Devils at the meet, which put them in 13th place after all 17 events were scored. The national champion in Shot Put also earned All-American honors in the weight throw, thanks to a fourth place finish int the event. Ewen grabbed the lead in the Shot Put immediately, never looking back after her first throw sailed 17.97m/58-7.5 feet, beating all other competitors by four inches. In total, with Ewen's indoor eligibility up, the Sun Devil shot put and weight throw record-holder will leave Arizona State with 24 points scored at NCAA Indoor Championships. Ewen completed her career with 11 First Team All-American selections (7 outdoor, 4 indoor).
MEN'S GOLF (62.25 POINTS)
Second-year head coach Matt Thurmond's led the Sun Devils to three tournament wins and a tie for 13 that the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Okla., as ASU was the only team without a junior or senior in the 30-team field and was the only Pac-12 team to make the 15-team Sunday cut. Chun An Yu, who will be a junior next year, qualified for the U.S. Open, while freshman Mason Andersen posted the fourth-best freshman scoring average (71.95) in school history. ASU won the Thunderbird Invitational on April 14-15 when it stopped eventual NCAA champion Oklahoma State's seven-tournament win streak and also defeated defending NCAA champion Oklahoma. The Sun Devils were one of just three teams to win a tournament against the Cowboys. ASU earned its first win of the spring and second of the season with a convincing victory at the Bandon Dunes Championship March 11-13 as it led each round and finished an impressive 13-strokes ahead of second place Clemson. Chun An Yu took home medalist honors shooting a 13-under including a 65 in round one, tied for the best round of the tournament. ASU's first wins were in the second tournament of the year at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in Carefree as Alex del Rey had a 7-under 65 to earn medalist honors at Desert Forest as team shot 7-under 857 (289-291-277) and won by a stroke over eventual NCAA champion Georgia Tech.
Proud to help the @TheSunDevils make a 12-spot jump in @LDirectorsCup standings this year. Our season review in notes and numbers here. So excited for our future! https://t.co/EF2mCyF9QF
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) July 5, 2018
GYMNASTICS (59.25 POINTS)
Boasting arguably one of the most substantial turnarounds in recent collegiate gymnastics history, Jay Santos' squad improved 18 spots from their 2017 national finish of 41, capping the season ranked at No. 23 nationally (highest finish since 2007). Ranking in the top-20 of the national standings for 12 consecutive weeks, Arizona State made its first team NCAA regional appearance since 2014 while sending individual all-around qualifier Cairo Leonard-Baker to nationals. Under the tutelage of Santos, the Maroon and Gold jumped nearly a point and half in their season finale RQS tally, improving from 195.145 in 2017 to 196.545. Notably the team eclipsed the 49.000+ mark in 33 event rotations, after only having done so four times in 2017. The Gym Devils knocked off four ranked opponents on the season — No. 14 Auburn, No. 20 Iowa, No. 14 West Virginia, and No. 20 Stanford — marking the first time since 2006 that the squad has accomplished the feat, while accumulating 13 team wins. Courtesy of his efforts at the helm of the program, Santos was named the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Freshman standout Leonard-Baker, hailing from Oakland, Calif., signed off on one of the best freshman efforts not only in Arizona State gymnastics history, but Sun Devil lore garnering a plethora of awards, including: Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year honors, All Pac-12 Second-Team (AA, UB) recognition, and NACGC/W Regular Season Second-Team All-America All-Around honors. As a contingent, the Gym Devils continued to excel not only as gymnasts, but as students as the team placed placed a program-best nine student-athletes on Pac-12 All-Academic teams, including a conference-best four first-team honorees.
WOMEN'S GOLF (57 POINTS)
With a 16-place finish at NCAA's, advancing to their nation-leading 34th NCAA Championships after their nation-leading 26th consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance, eight-time national champion Sun Devil women's golf earned 57 points towards this year's Cup. Senior Roberta Liti earned several academic awards including the NCAA's Elite 90 award for women's golf, Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's golf and was named a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American. Olivia Mehaffey was named a WGCA All-American as well as to the Palmer Cup and Curtis Cup teams and to the ANNIKA Award Watch List, also competing at the 2018 U.S. Open. Sophomore Olivia Mehaffey led ASU with eight top-10 finishes in 13 tournaments while the team had nine top-5 finishes.
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING (54 POINTS)
The Sun Devil men finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation and made yet another trip to NCAA's, finishing 21 to earned 54 points toward the Director's Cup. The ASU men capped the year in the top-10 in the nation and with 15 Honorable Mention All-America honors as follows: 200 medley relay – Reid Elliott, Christian Lorenz, Andrew Porter, Patrick Park; 100 back – Zach Poti; 200 free – Cameron Craig, Grant House; 400 medley relay – Zach Poti, Christian Lorenz, Andrew Porter, Cameron Craig; 800 free relay – Cameron Craig, Grant House, Evan Carlson, Dylan Boyd. Youssef Selim won the Pac-12 1-meter diving championship and Cameron Craig defended his 200 free title. The ASU men captured the Territorial Cup point as well as earning a decisive victory over Arizona during the regular season. The Sun Devil men upset the reigning national champions No. 2 Texas and Christian Lorenz set the then-top time in the nation in the 200 breast. Lorenz capped his Sun Devil career with six of the top-10 times in school history in both the 100 and 200 breast, including the top times in each.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING (51 POINTS)
The Sun Devil women finished the season ranked No. 22 in the nation and put together a six-place improvement at NCAA's, finishing 23rd to earned 51 points toward the Director's Cup. ASU improved their number of All-Americans at NCAA's from three to four honors as Frida Kaellgren (1-meter dive), Silja Kansakoski (100 breast, 200 breast/HM) and Mara Aiacoboae (Platform dive/HM) were named AA's, including the second consecutive honors for Kansakoski and Aiacoboae. Chloe Isleta set and re-set a new school record two different times in the 200 IM, last at the Pac-12 championships, re-setting her own school record. The women's team, along with the men's team, earned Scholar All-America honors for spring 2018, marking the ninth consecutive semester (dating back to fall 2013) that both squads have found a place on the team. The women captured a Territorial Cup point at Pac-12 championships as Aiacoboae won her second consecutive title on platform and on Senior Day, the women earned their first win over the Wildcats since 1993. Earlier in the season, they also earned an upset over then-No. 23 Florida State. Freshman diver Ashley McCool impressed in her first campaign as a Sun Devil, setting a new school record in the 3-meter dive, and was named Pac-12 Women's Diver of the Week in January.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (50 POINTS)
Under the direction of Charli Turner Thorne the Sun Devil women's basketball team finished 22-13 (10-8 Pac-12) and tied the school record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (five) and consecutive 20-win seasons (five). ASU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, giving it at least one win in 11 of its last 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Sun Devils also made their eighth appearance in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament after defeating No. 10 Oregon State in the quarterfinals. During the season the Sun Devils posted wins over three teams that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16: Buffalo, Stanford and Oregon State. Junior Kianna Ibis earned All-Pac-12 honors while sophomore Robbi Ryan earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention recognition and Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention.
MEN'S TENNIS (25 POINTS)
ASU finished 14-11 and 3-4 (fifth) in the Pac-12 as Matt Hill put together one of the nation's best recruiting classes in his first year at the helm, setting a solid foundation for years to come. The class, ranked No. 5 in the country by Tennis Recruiting Network, was highlighted by several international players including Benjamin Hannestad, who had twice represented Denmark in the Davis Cup and Michaël Geerts, who held a 94-87 record on the professional circuit before joining the Sun Devils. ASU roared into conference play, netting a Blue Gray Tennis Classic title, becoming the first Pac-12 school to do so in one of the oldest collegiate tennis tournaments in the country. The Sun Devils defeated Alabama in the championship match, who made it all the way to the Sweet 16 as a team in the NCAA Men's Tennis tournament. ASU earned a ranking by ITA in the Feb. 20 round, debuting at No. 20 and was ranked every week from there on out including a season-high No. 13. Geerts upset No. 1 Martin Redlicki and No. 2 Mikael Torpegaard to become one of only three players in the country to notch wins over the top-two ranked athletes. ASU traveled to Texas A&M to take on Baylor in the NCAA and bowed out of the tournament, but finished ranked No. 38 in the ITA rankings.
For the first time in a decade we notched ?@LDirectorsCup? points (but he we had an excuse!) Proud to have helped with 12-spot standings increase and look forward to future! https://t.co/scwqeyR5vo
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) July 5, 2018
WOMEN'S TENNIS (25 POINTS)
Coach Sheila McInerney's squad finished 16-8 (7-3 in the Pac-12) good for third in the conference for the second consecutive season, as it advanced to the NCAA Team Championship for the 31st-straight season (fifth-longest active streak in the nation). ASU defeated California in Tempe in an impressive 4-0 sweep for their first win over the Bears since 2011 and McInerney earned her 500th career win when the Devils defeated Santa Clara. Lauryn John-Baptiste and Ilze Hattingh advanced to the Elite Eight round in the NCAA Doubles Tournament where they earned first-team All-America honors and finished the season ranked 15th.
FOOTBALL (25 POINTS)
Arizona State went 6-3 to finish second in the Pac-12 South behind and reclaimed the Territorial Cup with a second-half comeback against Arizona en route to a 42-30 victory in Tempe. It advanced to the Hyundai Sun Bowl with a 7-5 regular season record overall, falling to No. 24 N.C. State. ASU .earned two wins over top-25 teams over the course of the season, including a stunning 13-7 upset over No. 5 Washington in Tempe - the team's first victory over a team ranked in the top-five since defeating top-ranked Nebraska in 1996. Chase Lucas earned Freshman All-America honors from both the FWAA and USA Today.
MEN'S BASKETBALL (5 POINTS)
Coach Bobby Hurley's squad earned a NCAA Tournament spot for the first time since 2014 in a season with all kinds of milestones set. ASU started 12-0, reached as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press rankings and was the last undefeated team left behind the play of seniors Tra Holder, Shannon Evans II and Kodi Justice. ASU finished 20-12 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in past 23 seasons. The Sun Devils averaged 10,603 fans, topping the previous school record of 9,514 set in 1995-96 and was the last undefeated team in nation as it reached 12-0 before falling to Arizona 84-78 on Dec. 30. ASU beat No. 1 seeds Xavier and Kansas along with Kansas State in its non-conference action and went 5-2 against NCAA Tournament teams, also topping UCLA and San Diego State.
ARIZONA STATE IN THE FINAL LEARFIELD DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS
2017-18 - 31st
2016-17 - 43rd
2015-16 - 37th
2014-15 - 30th
2013-14 – 27th
2012-13 – 18th
2011-12 - 30th
2010-11 - 27th
2009-10 - 22nd
2008-09 - 12th
2007-08 - 4th
2006-07 - 10th
2005-06 - 13th
2004-05 - 11th
2003-04 - 17th
2002-03 - 10th
2001-02 - 15th
2000-01 - 9th
1999-00 - 11th
1998-99 - 12th
1997-98 - 12th
1996-97 - 13th
1995-96 - 21st
1994-95 - 12th
1993-94 – 10th