Friday, June 7, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington University earned a GNAC-best 12th place finish in the 2012-13 NCAA Division II Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup final standings.

The Vikings were one of three GNAC teams to earn Top 50 finishes among 312 NCAA Division II schools.

Also earning Top 50 finishes were Alaska Anchorage (21st) and Simon Fraser (36th).

Four of WWU’s teams – men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s rowing – all earned third-place national finishes as the Vikings netted 526 ½ points in the competition which is sponsored by NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics).

The Vikings also got a Top 10 finish from its women’s soccer team, which reached the regional championship game to earn a ninth-place finish.

Alaska Anchorage netted 485 ½ points as three of its teams – men’s cross country (3rd), women’s cross country (6th) and women’s outdoor track and  field (7th) – had Top 10 finishes.

Simon Fraser had two Top 10 finishes in tallying 389 points. Its men’s soccer team reached the national semifinals (3rd) and its women’s basketball team reached the regional championship game (9th).

Seattle Pacific, which finished 57th with 301 points, had one Top 10 finish, a ninth by its men’s basketball team which lost to Western Washington in the regional championship game.

Points are awarded based on team’s performances in regional and national competition.

Western Washington finished in the Top 15 for the fifth year in a row.  They also placed sixth in 2009-10, seventh in 2010-11, 10th in 2008-09 and 13th in 2011-12.

FINAL FOURS:  In conference sponsored sports, GNAC teams had five national top four finishes during the 2012-13 season, including three by Western Washington.  The total of five equals the most in the 12-year history of the conference set during the 2007-08 season.  WWU’s three (men’s basketball, women’s basketball and men’s golf) is the most in conference history, breaking the previous record of two set by Seattle Pacific in 2005-06 and equaled by Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage during the 2007-08 season.

TOP 10s: GNAC teams have now had 71 Top 10 national finishes (in GNAC sponsored sports) since the conference was founded in July, 2001.  Seattle Pacific is the leader with 24.  Western Washington has had 18 and Alaska Anchorage has had 13.

2012-13 Learfield Sports Directors Cup Final Standings:   1. Grand Canyon 954 ¾; 12. Western Washington 526 ½; 21. Alaska Anchorage 485 ½; 36. Simon Fraser 389; 57. Seattle Pacific 301; 110. Alaska Fairbanks 183; 199. Western Oregon 65 ½; 211.  Saint Martin’s 50; 232. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene 25.