Wednesday, December 31, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Led by Western Washington at No. 8, three GNAC teams are ranked in the Top 20 in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup Division II All-Sports standings at the end of the fall season.

The Vikings earned 202 ½ points in four different sports, placing 12th in women’s cross country, 13th in men’s cross country, 17th in women’s soccer and 33rd in volleyball.

Alaska Anchorage completed the fall season with 169 points and is ranked 17th.  The Seawolves had two Top 10 finishes – sixth in men’s cross country and eighth in women’s cross country and also tied for 33rd in volleyball.

Simon Fraser ranks 19th with 151 points after placing seventh in women’s cross country,20th in men’s cross country and 33rd in men’s soccer.

Also earning points in the fall were Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.  The Wildcats placed 18th in women’s cross country and tied for 33rd in volleyball  to place 63rd overall.

Northwest Nazarene also tied for 33rd in volleyball and 17th in men’s soccer and rank 65th overall going into the winter seasons.

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 a school’s final finish in regional and national competition.

Grand Valley State (Mich.) is the current NCAA Division II national leader with 373 points. 

Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage and Simon Fraser are the lone West Region teams currently ranked in the Top 20.

Last year, Alaska Anchorage (16th) and Western Washington (20th) were the lone GNAC teams ranked in the final Top 20 standings.

Team Standings – 1. Grand Valley State 373; 2. LIU Post 319; 3. Colorado Mines 280 1/2, 4. Colorado Mesa 255, 5. Saint Leo 242, 8. Western Washington 202 ½, 17. Alaska Anchorage 169, 19. Simon Fraser 151, 56. Seattle Pacific 89, 63. Central Washington 81, 65. Northwest Nazarene 75.