Latest Directors' Cup places Lions at No. 5
Working on its 14th-straight Top 25 finish, Penn State is currently ranked No. 5 in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup after the final winter standings. The Nittany Lions have amassed 704.33 points on the strength of two winter national championships, the 10th in school history for fencing and the 12th for men's gymnastics.
Penn State only sits behind standings-leader Stanford (997.5 points), California (761.5), Wisconsin (753.5), and Michigan (731.25).
In the 13-year history of the Director's Cup, the Nittany Lions have finished in the top 10 seven times and the top five a total of four times.
The U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The United States Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Ala., is the program's sponsor.
Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports -- 10 men's and 10 women's.
Leading Penn State's point brigade, head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov's fencing teams claimed their record 10th combined national championship, winning the crown on March 25 at Drew.
Freshman Doris Willette won the individual national championship in the women's foil as well.
Penn State had a total of 11 All-Americans (six women and five men).
The Lions were also led by 2007 NACGC National Coach of the Year Randy Jepson, the Penn State men's gymnastics captured its NCAA-record 12th national championship on its home floor in historic Rec Hall in mid-April.
PSU's Battle named to NY All-Star team
Talor Battle one of two incoming freshmen who will join the Penn State men's basketball program next season, has been named to the first team Class AA New York State Sportswriters Association Boys Basketball All-Star Team.
Class AA is the largest in the state of New York.
Battle, a point-guard, averaged 26.7 points, 5.7 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game in his senior campaign as he led Bishop Maginn High School to the Class AA state title game.
Battle, who ended his career as the fifth leading scorer all-time in Section II history with 2,161 career points, was also named the Large School Player of the Year by the Albany Times Union. Battle led Maginn to the Section II Class AA championship in 2007, the school's first boy's basketball title, and a 23-4 record, the most wins in school history.
Battle was named the Section II tournament Most Valuable Player after rallying his team and leading Maginn back from a 26-16 halftime deficit to defeat three-time defending champion Christian Brothers Academy in the final.
