WPU Finishes 93rd in Directors’ Cup Standings
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–A 60-plus point spring season helped the Statesmen athletics department stay in the top 100 as the final Learfield IMG Sports NAIA Directors’ Cup Standings were released Thursday.
William Penn ended the 2018-2019 campaign in 93rd place with 165 points; nearly 250 institutions are in the NAIA. It marks the seventh-straight season in which WPU has been in the top 100 and the 10th time in the last 11 campaigns.
After scoring 103.5 points in the winter, WPU added another 61.5 points in the spring. The women’s golf team placed 14th at nationals to collect 48 points, while the men’s track and field 4×100-meter relay team of Chris Leiba (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Business Management), Tristen Elmore (Jr., Ovied, Fla., Physical Education), Joel Brown (Fr., Columbus, Ga.), Michael Hubbard (Sr., Gary, Ind., Exercise Science), and Sage Ehresman (Jr., Sully, Iowa, Exercise Science) (Ehresman was on the preliminary round squad) finished sixth at nationals. The Statesmen finished 57th as a team for 13.5 points.
Oklahoma City won its third-consecutive Cup crown with ease, posting 921.25 points. William Carey (Miss.) was a distant second with 806 points, while Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (782.5), Keiser (Fla.) (747.5), and Indiana Wesleyan (679) rounded out the top five.
For the complete standings, go to https://s3.amazonaws.com/nacda.com/documents/2019/6/5/June6NAIAoverall.pdf
William Penn finished eighth within the Heart of America Athletic Conference, while Grand View led the league in 15th (569.5 points).
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 13 sports, four of which must be men’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball. The next nine sports for each institution, regardless of gender, will be used in the standings.
For the complete scoring structure, go to https://nacda.com/sports/2018/7/17/directorscup-nacda-directorscup-scoring-html.aspx
William Penn in Past Directors’ Cups
2018-2019–93rd (165 points)
2017-2018–57th (272.5 points)
2016-2017–69th (256.5 points)
2015-2016–77th (179.5 points)
2014-2015–88th (176.5 points)
2013-2014–62nd (230 points)
2012-2013–61st (245.5 points)
2011-2012–123rd (107 points)
2010-2011–91st (150 points)
2009-2010–63rd (206 points)
2008-2009–91st (128.5 points)
2007-2008–112th (142.5 points)
2006-2007–90th (179 points)
2005-2006–Did not place (0 points)
2004-2005–65th (242.5 points)
2003-2004–54th (261 points)
2002-2003–86th (194.5 points)
2001-2002–87th (152.5 points)