Thursday, June 8, 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Another banner year for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on the national stage received another measure of recognition Thursday (June 8) with three conference schools finishing in the top-20 of the final 2016-17 Learfield Division II Directors’ Cup Standings.

The three programs in the top-20 are the most of any NCAA Division II conference. Western Washington finished 11th in the standings with a total of 540.5 points. Simon Fraser placed 15th with a score of 515 points while Alaska Anchorage finished 18th out of 268-ranked schools with 512 points.

The standings are based upon each school’s finish nationally in 20 NCAA recognized championships, 10 for men and 10 for women. Schools may score in a maximum of seven men’s sports and seven women’s sports.

“The final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings are indicative of the excellence that runs through the entire GNAC, and we take pride in the fact that ours is the only conference out of 24 to have three institutions finish among the top-20,” said commissioner Dave Haglund. “It has been another special year of on-field accomplishments in the GNAC and we applaud all of our student-athletes for their year-long contributions to the GNAC and Division II.”

All three schools scored the majority of their Directors’ Cup points during the fall and winter seasons, but bolstered their spots in the standings in the spring. Western Washington moved from No. 14 after the winter to No. 11 in the final standings thanks in part to 100 points for a national championship in women’s rowing, a non-GNAC sport. The Vikings also gained 58.5 points off a 16th place finish in men’s golf and 45.5 points for a 27th place national finish in women’s outdoor track and field.

“Our student-athletes, coaches and support staff work tirelessly to elevate our programs to an elite level and this season proved to be one of the best in WWU history,” said Western Washington director of athletics Steve Card. “All of our programs obtained high levels of success both in the classroom and on the field of competition, and represented our university in a very positive manner.”

Simon Fraser added points in three spring championships. The Clan picked up 37 points from a 33rd place finish in women’s golf, 16.5 points with a 56th place finish in women’s outdoor track and field and 10 points for their 62nd place in men’s outdoor track and field.

Alaska Anchorage earned additional points in the only two spring sports the school competes in. The Seawolves received 61.5 points with their 13th place finish in men’s outdoor track and field, the most points received by a GNAC school in a conference-sponsored sport in the spring, and 10 points for a 62nd place finish in women’s outdoor track and field.

Western Washington’s 11th place finish marks the eighth time the Vikings have finished in the top-20, topped by a sixth place finish in 2009-10. Simon Fraser, meanwhile, put together its best finish as a NCAA Division II member after having finished ninth in 2010-11, its final year in the NAIA rankings. The 18th place finish for Alaska Anchorage is the fourth best in school history after having placed eighth in 2016 and 16th in both 2012 and 2014.

Saint Martin’s put together its best-ever finish in the Directors’ Cup standings, placing 132nd with 149.5 points. Western Oregon compiled its second best finish in school history, placing 105th with 208.75 points.

Grand Valley State won its 12th Division II Directors’ Cup with 1,020 points, which included a national championship in women’s cross country and four runner-up finishes. California Baptist was second with 750.25 points followed by West Florida (641), UC San Diego (637) and Queens of North Carolina (618). Of the top-20 schools, six came from the West Region.

The GNAC saw four teams place in the top-eight in NCAA championships competition. Western Washington led the way, winning the NCAA Division II women’s soccer national championship. Alaska Anchorage saw its volleyball program finish as the national runner-up and its men’s cross country team place fifth at the national meet. Western Oregon’s men’s track and field team placed sixth at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, the best ever finish in the meet for a GNAC school.