7 CCC Schools in Latest Directors' Cup Listing
CLEVELAND – After sending six different teams to the NAIA DII Basketball Championships, the CCC now has seven representatives in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup Standings, according to the latest release on March 24.
With 35 points generated from a national championship appearance in women’s basketball, Concordia became the top representative among CCC institutions in the March 24 edition. The Cavalier women’s basketball team captured its second CCC title in three years to finish tied for 17th in NAIA DII. The Cavs dropped two spots in the overall rankings to No. 16 with a combined 305 points for all completed spots, but jumped ahead of Southern Oregon, who fell to 21st in the standings, as the highest ranking among league members.
The Cavalier women's track & field team placed ninth overall for the school's third program to record a top-1o finish at nationals and earn an additional 69 points in the standings while the men's track & field squad finished the indoor season in 31st place for 43 points. Concordia received an eighth-place result from the women's cross country team and a ninth-place finish by the women's soccer team in the fall.
Behind the strength of a national title in men's cross country and added 69 points with the wrestling team culminating the season in ninth place, Southern Oregon has totaled 289 points to maintain a top 25 position. Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho gave the CCC four top-50 representatives with EOU gaining 63 points from men’s basketball to move up two spots to No. 24 with 257.75 points and C of I adding 25 points from women’s basketball for 44th place with 194 points. Three CCC teams made their first appearances in the Directors’ Cup Standings with all teams earning bids into the NAIA National Championships in basketball. Warner Pacific and Oregon Tech tied for ninth place in the men’s field for 53 points each to share a place at No. 122 while Northwest tallied 25 points for a 17th place result in men’s hoops to tie for 155th place among all CCC schools.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) has maintained its first place ranking in the final winter NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings. The Cougars most recently captured the women’s Division I basketball crown and finished ninth in men’s Division I basketball to increase their point total to 691.50. Lindenwood (Mo.) finishes out the winter championships with a winter point total of 423.50, the most of any NAIA institution. The Lions finished ninth in men’s Division I basketball and will head into the spring championships with a total of 499.50 points.
Jumping from sixth place to third as a result of their performance in the most recent championships is Biola (Calif.) with 459.50 points. The Eagles finished fifth in men’s Division I basketball and 17th in women’s Division I basketball. Simon Fraser (B.C.) now sits in fourth place after being held scoreless in the final set of winter championships. The Clan has 444.50 points.
Rounding out the top five is California Baptist with 411 points. The Lancers added to their previous point total by finishing ninth in women’s Division I basketball. The Golden State Athletic Conference continues to pace all conferences by having four of its member institutions in the top 10 (Azusa Pacific (Calif.) - first; Biola (Calif.) - third; California Baptist – fifth; Fresno Pacific (Calif.) – seventh).
All nine winter NAIA championships have been completed to date with the following institutions capturing titles: women’s Division I basketball – Azusa Pacific (Calif.); men’s Division I basketball – Pikeville (Ky.); women’s Division II basketball – Northwestern (Iowa); men’s Division II basketball – Cornerstone (Mich.); women’s swimming & diving - California Baptist; men’s swimming & diving - Fresno Pacific (Calif.); women’s indoor track & field - Oklahoma Baptist; men’s indoor track & field - Shorter (Ga.); men’s wrestling - Notre Dame (Ohio).
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 first spring NAIA standings will be released Thursday, June 3, 2011.