Final StandingsCleveland, OH – Messiah College finished No. 27 in the annual Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, their 14th-straight season finishing in the top-35 among NCAA Division III. The Falcons scored 473.25 points across 11 sport categories, with National Championships from both men's soccer and wrestler Kaleb Loht contributing big points.
The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and
USA Today, with points being awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 18 sports—nine women's and nine men's. Learfield Sports, a Dallas-based sports marketing organizations, is in its fifth year as the program's sponsor.
The Falcons' 189 points in the Fall were collected by men's soccer (100), women's soccer (64), and field hockey (25). In the winter the Falcons' foursome of wrestling All-Americans (85), twosome of track & field All-Americans (24), and women's basketball (50) collected another 159 points.
A strong spring season settled Messiah in 27th place, the same finish from just two years ago. This spring the golf team contributed 32 points after appearing in the program's second NCAA Tournament, with men's tennis adding 25 points for the same accomplishment. Softball (25) also contributed while Trevor Stutzman and Tim Moses each collected another track & field All-American finish to combine for 37 more points. Liz Martin contributed 6.25 points of her own as a track & field All-American on the women's side.
Once again Messiah finished ahead of all other institutions located within the state of Pennsylvania. The Falcons also finished way ahead of their nearest Middle Atlantic Conference opponent, Misericorida (No. 80).
Williams College (Williams, Mass.) finished with 1,225.25 points to land in first place among the 323 ranked teams. They have now won back-to-back titles and 17 of the 19 awards since 1995-96.
Complete standings and scoring structure can be found
here on NACDA's website.
Messiah All-Time Final Directors' Cup Rankings 2013-2014 — 27th (473.25 points)
2012-2013 — 34th (428 points)
2011-2012 — 27th (466 points)
2010-2011 — 23rd (541.5)
2009-2010 — 19th (580.75)
2008-2009 — 14th (696.75)
2007-2008 — 11th (615.25)
2006-2007 — 23rd (466.50)
2005-2006 — 15th (474.25)
2004-2005 — 20th (380)
2003-2004 — 34th (313)
2002-2003 — 16th (478.5)
2001-2002 — 26th (348)
2000-2001 — 26th (352.5)
1999-2000 — 54th (223.5)
1998-1999 — 59th (110)
1997-1998 — 45th (140)
1996-1997 — 134th (78)
1995-1996 — 40th (172.5)
Points are calculated on a sport-specific basis by considering byes, wins, and overall finishes in NCAA postseason competition.
