DII Learfield Directors' Cup Standings (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS - Current and future member institutions of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference were represented well in the Division II Learfield Directors' Cup Standings released on Thursday.
Eleven of the 14 institutions scheduled to be part of the league for the 2018-19 academic year appeared in the second and final set of the winter standings.
Men's and women's basketball were the only sports added to the updated Division II standings.
Incoming 2016-17 member Findlay led the current/future Great Midwest list with a ranking of No. 13 and 326.50 points. The Oilers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship in the Midwest Regional Final and jumped over 100 spots from the fall.
UF's strong winter performances also included top-25 NCAA Championship team finishes in women's swimming and diving, women's indoor track and field, men's indoor track and field and wrestling.
Findlay made the largest leap after finishing the fall standings at 133rd.
Just announced yesterday, future 2018-19 member Tiffin came in at No. 28. The Dragons celebrated back-to-back national men's indoor track and field titles and cemented their status at the top once again with 100 points towards the standings. A ninth-place national wrestling finish also contributed to an updated 265.50 point total.
Cedarville's four conference championships in the sports of men's and women's cross country, volleyball and women's indoor track & field helped the Yellow Jackets remain in the top 50 at 47th.
2017-18 incoming member Hillsdale was just outside the top 50 with a current placement at 53rd.
Other current/future Great Midwest schools appearing in the final winter standings included Walsh (No. 127), Ursuline (No. 166), Malone (No. 185), Lake Erie (No. 185), Ohio Valley (No. 192), Kentucky Wesleyan (No. 198) and Davis & Elkins (No. 198).
The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports in Division II - seven men's and seven women's; and 18 sports in Division III-- nine women's and nine men's.
Every year since 1995, the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup has been given awarded to the year's best athletic institution and with 300 schools vying for position, a top finish requires success across all competing teams.
The next Division II standings are scheduled to be released on Thursday, May 18.