Three CCC Schools Remain in Top 25 in Latest NAIA Directors' Cup Standings
CLEVELAND – Scoring top-20 finishes in both men’s and women’s indoor track and field, Concordia remained the leading member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference in the First Winter NAIA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Standings released on Thursday.
Concordia has garnered 311 total points with the addition of 123 points from the indoor track season. The Cavalier women tallied 66 points by finishing 11th at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships while the men’s team received 57 points from a 17th-place result.
Close behind the Cavs, The College of Idaho came in at No. 15 with 266 points after boost from top-20 finishes in both men’s and women’s swimming. Southern Oregon remained positioned at No. 23 with 217.66 points with the aid of a runner-up result at the NAIA Wrestling Championships.
Other CCC representatives included Eastern Oregon (No. 42, 149.75 points) and Warner Pacific (No. 129, 25 points).
Simon Fraser (B.C.) remained the top seed with 583.50 points after recording three top-10 finishes, placing third in women's track & field, fifth in women's swimming and sixth in men's swimming. Simon Fraser also placed 22nd in men's wrestling and 33rd in men's track & field.
Lindenwood (Mo.) enters into the top five after earning a winter total high of 349 points, giving them a second place total of 514. The Lions finished third in men’s swimming, sixth in women’s track & field, seventh in men’s wrestling, 10th in women’s swimming and 16th in men’s track & field.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) moves into third with a total of 483 points. The Cougars recorded three top-10 finishes, including the championship title in men’s track & field, fourth in women’s track & field and sixth in women’s swimming.
Five winter NAIA championships have been completed to date with the following institutions capturing titles: Savannah Art & Design (Ga.) (women’s swimming); Fresno Pacific (Calif.) (men’s swimming); Oklahoma Baptist (women’s track & field); Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (men’s track & field); and Notre Dame (Ohio) (men’s wrestling).
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 12 sports – six women’s and six men’s.
The final winter NAIA standings will be released Thursday, March 25, 2010.
Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s Web site at www.nacda.com.