MCLEAN, Va., June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The women's athletics

program at the University of Florida has achieved one of the highest

honors in college sports, earning the 2013-2014 Capital One Cup. The

Gator women finished first in the final Capital One Cup standings,

claiming their first Capital One Cup title and $200,000 toward

student-athlete scholarships. The Capital One Cup trophy, which is

awarded to the best men's and women's Division I athletics programs in

the country, will be formally presented to Florida during the ESPY

Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on July 16.

Boosted by a national co-championship in Gymnastics this winter, along

with strong finishes in Indoor Track & Field and Lacrosse, the

Gators stayed near the top of an incredibly tight group of schools

heading into the final weeks of the season. After two-time Capital One

Cup champion Stanford University moved into first with a spring Water

Polo championship, it looked as if the Cardinal would power their way to

a third trophy in four years. An inspiring run to win the NCAA(R)

Women's College World Series(R) changed that though, as Florida

leapfrogged perennial powerhouses UCLA and Stanford to take pole

position in the standings. A fourth place finish in the NCAA(R) Outdoor

Track & Field Championships this month ensured victory, and the

Gator women delivered the third overall Capital One Cup trophy to

Gainesville. The win for the Florida women comes on the heels of the

Florida men winning back-to-back Capital One Cup trophies in 2011 and

2012, showcasing across-the-board balance within a championship-caliber

Athletics Department.

"This is a wonderful accomplishment by our women's athletics program,

and we'd like to congratulate the female student-athletes, coaches and

support staff that helped make this possible," said University of

Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley. "As our Gator women join our

former men's athletics Capital One Cup champions, it is a credit to the

unbelievable hard work and dedication of the University of Florida

athletics community and the support of our fans. Additionally, we would

like to thank Capital One for its support of college athletics."

All season long, the top of the women's standings remained tight.

National championships in Soccer and Tennis ensured that UCLA finished

second, forty-two points off the pace of Florida, while Stanford's Water

Polo title and top-10 finishes in basketball and volleyball boosted

them to a third-place finish in the standings. Rounding out the top-10

were Maryland (4), Texas A&M (5), Connecticut (T-6), Oregon (T-6),

Texas (T-6), Penn State (9) and last year's Cup winners North Carolina

(10).

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140619-905344.html

We were denied playing in regionals for the AIAW W BB tournament because we were late getting to a game during the state championship in 80. They didn't want to spend the money. We have come so far and I could not be more proud of what this athletic department has done to support women's athletics.