Final Learfield Directors Cup Standings (OVERALL)

Final Learfield Directors Cup Standings (CONFERENCE)


INDIANAPOLIS - Led by the University of Findlay, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference had 10 different institutions appear in the final 2017-18 Division II Learfield Directors' Cup standings as California Baptist won its first title.

Findlay placed 17th out of 268 ranked Division II schools to lead the Great Midwest as the Oilers accumulated 513 points, including 60.75 as women's golf player of the year Makenzie Torres placed 30th at the NCAA Championships.

The Oilers had racked up nearly 332 points during the winter sports alone and compiled 103 during the fall. Finishing second among Great Midwest schools was Hillsdale as the Chargers enjoyed a strong national championship presence with bids in baseball, softball, women's tennis and plenty of outdoor track and field qualifiers.

The Chargers placed at No. 58 in the final Learfield Directors' Cup standings after also winning the 2017-18 Great Midwest Presidents' Cup in just their first year with the league.

Making the biggest leap in the spring was Walsh as the Cavaliers crowned a pair of national outdoor track and field champions, Sarah Berger and Marcus Myers. Walsh improved up to 72nd in the final standings with 288.50 points.

A trip to the NCAA Midwest Region final helped Ohio Dominican pick up 64 points in the spring totals for a final placement of 145th overall. A third national title from Ursuline's Janelle Perry, helped the Arrows gather 43 points. Davis & Elkins, Lake Erie, Alderson Broaddus and Malone, all earned points in either the fall, winter or spring sports.

With the updated scoring system, all scores are counted for men's and women's basketball, baseball and women's volleyball. Additionally, only up to 11 other of the highest scores are included in the final score. The CBU Lancers tallied 905.00 total points, having one score omitted (women's soccer) and scoring in 14 total sports, including a pair of runner-up finishes in men's swimming and women's golf.

Grand Valley State University finished second in the final standings, recording 834.75 total points and scoring in 12 total sports, including eight top 10 finishes. This is the 17^th straight year that Grand Valley has finished either first or second in the standings.

West Texas A&M finished in third after scoring in 12 total sports, recording 772.50 total points, including a national championship in women's indoor track and field, along with five additional top 10 finishes. This is the fourth time in five years that the Buffalo have finished in the top-five of the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

Saint Leo ends the year in fourth place with 695.25 total points, scoring in 12 total sports with its highest finish coming in men's lacrosse (2nd) and a third-place finish in softball. For the second time in three years, the Lions have finished in the top-five.

Rounding out the top five is Florida Southern with 673.25 total points, including a pair of runner-up finishes in women's volleyball and women's lacrosse. This is the Mocs highest finish since 1998-99 when they finished fourth in the standings.

The Learfield 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 NCAA Championships.

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ldirectorscup or follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.

About Learfield: An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for nearly 130 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors' Cup for 10 years. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; branding, licensing and trademark consulting; digital and social platform expertise; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies.