Statesmen 75th in Directors’ Cup Standings After Winter Seasons
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–Two trips to nationals and a track and field All-American has pushed the William Penn athletics department into the top 100 as the final winter Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup NAIA Standings were released recently.
WPU was not on the board after the fall, but had a great winter and currently is at #75 with 137 points; nearly 250 institutions are in the NAIA.
The men’s basketball team reached the national semifinals for 83 points, while a nationals appearance by the women’s crew earned WPU another 25 points. Tristen Elmore (So., Ovied, Fla., Physical Education) stepped up as an individual and his fourth-place effort in the indoor high jump helped the Statesmen track and field team to 42nd and 29 additional points.
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is currently #1 with 643.5 points, while Oklahoma City is second with 624.25 points. Wayland Baptist (Texas) (593), Morningside (567), and Northwestern (539.5) round out the top five.
The complete standings can be found at http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/March22overallNAIA.pdf
William Penn ranks seventh in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, while Missouri Valley is first (15th overall) with 403.5 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 12 sports–six men’s and women’s.
