Thursday, June 14, 2018
CLEVELAND – After bolstering its point total with national tournament runs in golf and outdoor track and field, Simon Fraser leads all GNAC teams in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup Standings for NCAA Division II, which were released on Thursday.
The Clan, the only Canadian member of the NCAA, finished 30th out of 268 ranked Division II teams with a final score of 421.50 points. Points in the Directors’ Cup standings are based upon a school’s finish in a number of NCAA championship sports.
Alaska Anchorage finished the year in 42nd place with a score of 382.75 points while Western Oregon finished 48th with 353.25 points, the highest finish for the Wolves since moving to NCAA Division II.
Two other GNAC institutions finished in the top-100. Western Washington finished in 64th place with 308 points while Central Washington finished 98th with a score of 204 points.
Simon Fraser bolstered its total with points in outdoor track and field and men’s golf. The Clan picked up 38 points for a 35th place nationals finish in women’s track and field, 25.5 points for a 44th place finish in men’s track and field and 18.5 points for the GNAC-champion men’s golf team’s advancement into the NCAA Division II West/South Central Super Regional.
All of Alaska Anchorage’s spring Directors’ Cup points came from the women’s track and field squad, which finished eighth in the team competition to pick up 69.75 points. Western Oregon’s spring points also came on the oval with a 13th-place men’s team finish yielding 62.25 points and a 14th place finish on the women’s side garnering 60.75 points.
The most points picked up by any one GNAC team came via a non-GNAC championship sport. Western Washington picked up 90 points thanks to its women’s rowing team, which placed second at the NCAA Division II Championships.
In its final year before full transition to NCAA Division I membership, Cal Baptist won its first Directors’ Cup with a total score of 905 points. Grand Valley State, last year’s Division II Directors’ Cup champion, finished second with 834.75 points.