NACDA Directors' Cup Standings
TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University athletic department ranks first among Northwest Conference institutions and fourth amongst West Coast colleges and universities in the final winter Learfield Directors' Cup standings released on Thursday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The Lutes have accumulated 119.5 points between the fall and winter NCAA Championship seasons, leading the NWC, ranking fourth on the West Coast, and 90th overall amongst the over 450 NCAA Division III institutions across the United States.
PLU added 44.5 points during the winter season, thanks to the women's track & field team placing 27th at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. That finish came from Bailey Forsyth earning All-American honors in both the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. The Lutes scored 75 points during the fall season thanks to the men's soccer program advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championships and the women's soccer program making its fourth appearance to the national tournament.
Pacific Lutheran headlines the six NWC institutions to be ranked and is joined by 93rd-ranked Whitworth University, 94th-ranked Linfield University, 109th-ranked Whitman College, 154th-ranked George Fox University, and 211th-ranked Lewis & Clark College. Pacific University, University of Puget Sound, and Willamette University do not appear in the rankings as the institutions haven't had a team reach the NCAA postseason this academic year.
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. A total of 18 teams can be scored for each institution of which four must be men's and women's basketball and men's and women's soccer. The first set of spring standings will be released on June 16.
Johns Hopkins University remains in first place with 855.5 points followed by Tufts University (632 points) and Middlebury College (621.5 points).
