Lewis Finishes 20th in Final Learfield Directors Cup Standings
Published: June 11, 2024.
he National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the final 2024 DII Learfield Directors' Cup Standings where Lewis University finished in 20th place in the standings. The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup trophy, which is commonly known as the all-sports trophy, is presented to the top athletic department in the country each year.
Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships. Overall, seven sports are counted in the fall: women's and men's cross country, women's and men's soccer, women's field hockey, women's volleyball and football. Eight were counted in the winter with women's basketball, men's basketball, fencing, women's indoor hockey, rifle, skiing, women's swimming and diving, men's swimming and diving. The next highest (11 max) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
The LEARFIELD Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The Flyers finished with 512.50 points throughout the three sports seasons.
The men's lacrosse team recorded 60 points for the department after the team recorded its best finish in program history by making their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight Appearance after hosting and winning their first NCAA Tournament Game at Lewis Stadium.
The softball program placed 17th in the NCAA Tournament after making their second straight appearance which helped land 50 points for the Flyers. The two programs helped Lewis record 110 total points for the spring season.
The women's basketball team recorded with 25 points after making the NCAA DII Tournament for the second straight season. The women's swimming team collected 47 points after finishing in 27th place at the NCAA DII Championships while the men's team recorded its highest finish (ninth) in program history which gave Lewis 69 points.
The indoor men's track and field team garnered a 30th place finish at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships which gave Lewis 40.5 points. These four programs gave Lewis 181.50 points in the winter season to bring its total to 402.50 points.
The women's cross country team started the fall collecting 60 points for Lewis while the men's team picked up 53 points as both teams made it to the NCAA DII National Championships after the men's team finished second at the NCAA Midwest Regional while the women's team finished third.
The women's volleyball program finished in 33rd place after making an appearance in the NCAA Midwest Regional which provided 25 more points for Lewis' total. The men's soccer team made history as the 2023 team became the third team in Lewis history and first since 2009 to make the Final Four which gave the Flyers 83 points.
In total, the four programs picked up 221 points which started things off and gave Lewis a ninth place standings after the fall.
Grand Valley State finished in first place while fellow GLVC school Indianapolis recorded the highest conference finish after placing second.
Lewis University is an innovative Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,500 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis University is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, and globally-connected graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.
