The golf scores are yet to be included, so the Cardinal likely will finish close to the 1,482 points it earned last year.

The women likely will earn some points for NCAA track and field too, though they may not count. Only the top 10 scoring women's teams and top 10 scoring men's teams are counted. Stanford already has scored in 11 women's sports and nine men's sports.

When the first spring standings were released last week, the Cardinal had 1,349.50 points, which included the women's water polo title, men's and women's tennis and women's lacrosse.

The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup competition continues through the College World Series and NCAA track and field championships. In reality, the race is over except for the shouting.

As usual, Stanford started strong in fall with men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's water polo. Field hockey and football also contributed.

Stanford, UCLA, USC and California are among the top 11 teams in the current Directors' Cup standings. The ACC has four teams among the top 13, while the Big 10 has three in the top 10. The SEC has two teams in the top 15.

Florida, currently in ninth with 784 points, has an outside chance to finish second. Virginia and USC could also move up among the teams in the top 10.

UCLA and Florida are most likely to make the biggest jumps the rest of the way. The Bruins will get significant points from golf, baseball, softball and track and field while the Gators gain in softball, golf, track and field and baseball.

North Carolina won the first trophy, edging Stanford by 20 points. UCLA, Florida and Penn State were all in the top five.

While women's golf did not score in last year's standings, men's volleyball, baseball and softball, usually reliable sources of points, were non-contributors this season. It points to Stanford's success in a multiplicity of sports.

Since the 1993-94 school year, Stanford has won 54 of its 107 NCAA titles, and 56 national titles overall. The current streak also includes Stanford's NCAA record of 39 consecutive academic years with at least one NCAA title.

Penn State and Texas each have six top five finishes, while The Buckeyes have five. Georgia has three, followed by Arizona, Duke, USC, Virginia and Florida State with two apiece.

While Stanford is the only school to have finished among the top five in all 22 years, the Bruins are next with 18 appearances, followed by Florida (14), Michigan (11) and North Carolina (10).

North Carolina is third with its four runner-up trophies, behind UCLA's six and Florida's five. Texas has placed second three times, with the Cardinal, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State each reaching the second spot once.

In all, eight schools have finished second in the overall competition and 19 schools have been among the top five.

If the standings were to hold this year, the Tar Heels would finish second for the fourth time and the Bruins would earn their 18th top-five finish.

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Stanford clinches a 21st straight Directors' Cup title