Thursday, June 16, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – After a season that saw the program win seven GNAC championships and advance 10 to the NCAA postseason, Western Washington leads all GNAC teams in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings released on Thursday.

Western Washington finished 27th with 451.5 total points, marking the Vikings’ best finish in the standings since 2017. Simon Fraser was close behind, finishing 31st with 423.75 points.

In total, eight GNAC programs finished with points in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, which is designed to be a measure of an athletic program’s success in the NCAA postseason. Fifteen sports are counted in the Division II standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball and basketball and men’s basketball and baseball. The next highest sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

Western Washington had the second-highest finish of any West Region institution (Azusa Pacific finished fifth). The Vikings procured 90 of its spring points in women’s rowing, where they were the national runners-up. Western Washington also received 21.5 points in men’s golf, 19 points in men’s track and field, 18 points in women’s golf and 13 points in women’s track and field.

Simon Fraser picked up most of its spring points in track and field, picking up 46.5 points for the women and 43 points for the men. The school added another five points in men’s golf.

Seattle Pacific finished 89th in the Directors’ Cup standings with 230 points, registering 64 points for its sixth-place finish in women’s rowing and 42.5 points in women’s track and field.

Rounding out the final standings for the GNAC was Alaska in 94th place (218), Alaska Anchorage in 137th place (144), Central Washington in 148th place (125), Northwest Nazarene in 163rd place (112.5 points) and Western Oregon in 236th place (25 points).

The GNAC led West Region conferences with four teams in the top 100 of the Directors’ Cup standings. The PacWest Conference joined the GNAC with two teams in the top 50.

Grand Valley State won the Division II Directors’ Cup for the 14th time with a total of 1,013 points. West Texas A&M placed second with 862.25 points and Indianapolis placed third with 844.5 points.

Spring sports included as part of the Directors’ Cup standings include baseball, men’s & women’s golf, men’s & women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, softball, men’s & women’s tennis, men’s & women’s outdoor track and field, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo.