It's a college sports empire without parallel. Last year Stanford captured its fifth consecutive Sears Cup, honoring the best overall athletics program in the country. Can the Cardinal repeat that success? The 1999-2000 preseason report for the 33 varsity teams:
Baseball
Last Season: 50-15; Pac-10 champs; tied for 3rd nationally. This Year: Looking for another College World Series appearance.
Men's Basketball
Last Season: 26-7; Pac-10 champs; lost in second round of NCAA tournament. This Year: Just one starter -- senior All-American Mark Madsen -- returns. Still, look for the team to be Pac-10 contenders. Top recruit: Casey Jacobsen.
Women's Basketball
Last Season: 18-12; 3rd in Pac-10; lost in first round of NCAA tournament. This Year: Two top scorers return to a team that finished strong. One to watch: guard Milena Flores, a senior.
Men's CrewLast Season: 2-6; 4th in Pac-10; ranked 10th nationally. This Year: With seven of eight starters returning, there's smooth water ahead. Key contributors: iron oar Dave Enemark, last year's only freshman on varsity.
Women's Crew
Last Season: 3-7; 8th in Pac-10. This Year: Recruits will fill nine vacancies on a team that has struggled. Rowers to watch: sophomore Sami Skupa and freshman Megan Burritt.
Men's Cross Country
Last Season: Pac-10 champs; 2nd nationally. This Year: A core of veterans makes this one of the top teams in the country. Speedsters: juniors Gabe Jennings and Jonathon Riley.
Women's Cross Country
Last Season: Pac-10 champs; 3rd nationally. This Year: No. 1 preseason ranking likely. Fleet feet: senior Sally Glynn and junior Julia Stamps.
Men's Fencing
Last Season: West regional champs; 3rd nationally. This Year: Expect team to take a stab at the NCAA title. National foil champ, Felix Reichling, returns.
Women's Fencing
Last Season: West Regional champs; 3rd nationally. This Year: Last year's épée winner Felicia Zimmermann, now a senior, and foil winner Monique DeBruin, another senior, could lead the squad to an NCAA title.
Field HockeyLast Season: 13-5; NorPac champs. This Year: Favored to win conference title again this fall. Star: senior Sarah Medeiros.
Football
Last Season: 3-8; tied for 8th in the Pac-10. This Year: Returns 19 starters, including quarterback Todd Husak, a senior. Watch for fifth-year senior Troy Walters, who could become the No. 1 receiver in Pac-10 history.
Men's Golf
Last Season: 7th in Pac-10; ranked 28th nationally. This Year: Could chip into top 15, despite graduation of star Joel Kriebel. Top recruits: transfer Philip Rowe and freshmen Ron Won and Jimmy Seki.
Women's Golf
Last Season: Pac-10 champs; 8th nationally. This Year: Will tee off with NCAA championship hopes after placing 8th the past two seasons. Top recruit: Kim Rowton.
Men's Gymnastics
Last Season: Tied for 3rd in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation; 6th nationally. This Year: Returns all 13 gymnasts from the 1999 squad. Senior Jason Katsampes should shine on the parallel bars.
Women's Gymnastics
Last Season: Tied for 4th in Pac-10; tied for 10th nationally. This Year: Nine veteran gymnasts return. Key contributors: Larrissa Fontayne and Sarah Harding.
Women's LacrosseLast Season: 17-4; Western Women's Lacrosse League champs. This Year: Looking to repeat as league champions. Lost only three seniors. Ones to watch: Rachel Gallegher and Kristina Gilyton.
Coed Sailing
Last Season: 4th place (regular racing), 3rd place (team racing) in Pacific Coast Championships; ranked 16th nationally. This Year: With just three sailors departing, the course is set for a trip to nationals. Top talent: seniors Tyler Doyle and Caroline Sumpf.
Women's Sailing
Last Season: 2nd in Pacific Coast Conference; 4th nationally. This Year: Skippers Anika Leersen and Heather Porter should steer team toward return trip to nationals.
Men's Soccer
Last Season: 18-5-2; tied for 4th in conference; finished 2nd nationally. This Year: The goal: another national title game. Key contributor: senior goalkeeper Adam Zapala.
Women's Soccer
Last Season: 11-7-2; tied for 33rd nationally. This Year: One of the nation's best freshman classes. Top front line: senior forwards Kelly Adams and Catherine Bernard.
SoftballLast Season: 40-25; tied for 6th in Pac-10; ranked 15th in nation. This Year: Winding up for a top-10 national ranking. Key contributor: first-ever first-team All-American Jessica Mendoza.
Men's Swimming
Last Season: 11-0; Pac-10 champs; 2nd in nation. This Year: Paddling hard for 19th straight Pac-10 title, and a ninth NCAA team title is within reach. Stroker Steve Brown, a junior, is in three events.
Women's Swimming
Last Season: 9-2; Pac-10 champs; 2nd nationally. This Year: Aiming for ninth NCAA title with 12 returning All-Americans. Backstroker Catherine Fox, now a senior, set the 100-meter American record last season.
Synchronized Swimming
Last Season: West regional champs; national champs. This Year: Four of five All-Americans return in the quest to win a third straight national title. Key contributor: Lindsey Wiggington.
Men's Tennis
Last Season: 20-3; tied for 1st in Pac-10; tied for 9th nationally. This Year: With five of six starters returning, look for a 17th national title. Back from last year's NCAA doubles title team: All-American K.J. Hippensteel.
Women's Tennis
Last Season: 28-2; Pac-10 champs; NCAA champs. This Year: Back on the court with eight players from NCAA title team. Star: All-American Marissa Irvin.
Men's Indoor/Outdoor Track
Last Season: Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champs; 3rd in Pac-10; 2nd indoor, 2nd outdoor nationally. This Year: Running toward Pac-10 and NCAA titles with the help of Hauser twins Brad and Brett, both fifth-year seniors.
Women's Indoor/Outdoor TrackLast Season: 2nd in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation; 4th in Pac-10; tied for 47th indoor/13th outdoor nationally. This Year: On pace for a national title. Key contributors: junior Julie Stamps and seniors Sally Glynn, Jayna Smith and Wilsa Charles.
Men's Volleyball
Last Season: 10-12; 5th in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division; 15th nationally. This Year: Fortunes may spike after last year's disappointments. Junior Josh Palacios is one of the top passers and defenders in the nation.
Women's Volleyball
Last Season: 27-4; Pac-10 champs; tied for 9th nationally. This Year: Senior Kerri Walsh and the five other starters return from a winning 1998-1999 team. A national title is not out of reach.
Men's Water Polo
Last Season: 21-7; Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tourney champs; 2nd in conference. This Year: With three starters returning, a top 3 preseason ranking is likely.
Women's Water Polo
Last Season: 25-6; tied for 1st in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season, finished 4th in tourney; 2nd in nation. This Year: Finished 5th, 4th, 3rd, and then 2nd nationally in its first four years as a varsity program. Looking for that elusive first place led by juniors Kelly Shouey, Kris Koblik and Anne-Marie Keenan.
Wrestling
Last Season: 4-7; 7th in Pac-10; tied for 30th in nation. This Year: Returns two of its three Pac-10 finalists and eight of 10 starters. Senior Zach Zimmerer will go to the mat as a strong candidate for All-America honors.
