Webster Leads SLIAC Members In Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Standings
Webster University Athletics had its highest finish ever in the annual Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, winding up 110th out of the 322 NCAA III schools scoring points in 2014-15. The Gorloks once again had the top finish in Cup standings for the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, at 173 total points. The Cup is awarded annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
The Directors' Cup ranking is based on the cumulative number of points earned by schools' teams that have qualified for its division's championships, and how well they perform in the championships. The Gorloks sent four teams to the NCAA III national championships in 2014-15. Volleyball, women's soccer, women's tennis, and baseball all advanced to the NCAA III championships after winning their sports' SLIAC tournament.
The Webster baseball team earned 73 points for its seventh place finish in the NCAA III 'World Series' and women's tennis earned 50 points for its first round win and 17th place finish in the NCAA III championship. Volleyball and women's soccer were each awarded 25 points for qualifying for the NCAA championships for their respective sports.
There are 448 schools in the NCAA III eligible for the Cup, and 322 schools had at least one team qualify for an NCAA III Championship in 2014-15.
Webster's previous high finish in the 20-year history of the Directors' Cup was 111th in 2011-12, when Webster also sent four teams to NCAA III Championships, bolstered by baseball's fifth, and golf's 25th, place finishes that year.
Six SLIAC members scored points for Cup standings in 2014-15. Greenville College was the next highest finisher in the conference at 126th, Spalding University finished at 149, Fontbonne University and Westminster College at 279, and Principia College wound up at 317, rounding out the SLIAC schools in the rankings.
Williams College (MA) won the cup for the 18th time in the 20 years the Cup has been awarded at the NCAA III level.
A Directors' Cup is awarded by NACDA to all three NCAA divisions, and at the NAIA and NJCAA levels.
STORY COURTESY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
