CLEVELAND – The Friends University Falcons have finished 22nd in the NAIA Learfield Directors' Cup standings, their best finish ever on record. This department wide accomplishment is on the heels of the Falcons winning the KCAC Commissioner's Cup for the sixth time.
The Falcons accumulated 543.70 points overall and were heavily boosted by a runner-up finish by Men's Golf at the NAIA National Championship that accumulated 90 points. Women's Outdoor Track & Field (57. 2 points) and Men's Outdoor Track & Field (38 points) also scored in the spring for the Falcons.
The winter season was the strongest across the board for the Falcons, powered by Men's Wrestling (66 points), Men's Basketball (50 points), Men's Indoor Track & Field (45.5 points), Women's Wrestling (45 points), Women's Indoor Track & Field (37 points) and Women's Basketball (25 points).
Football (65 points) and Women's Soccer (25 points) were high scorers during the fall season for Friends.
"Finishing in the Top 25 of the NAIA Learfield Directors' Cup for the first time in school history is a tribute to every student-athlete and coach who competes daily with excellence as the standard," said Dr. Rob Ramseyer, Friends University VP of Athletics & Strategic Expansion. "This is a program-wide achievement. Every sport contributed to this moment. We are proud of what this represents, and we are building toward more."
SCORING REMINDER
Overall, 13 sports are counted in the final NAIA standings, four of which must be men's basketball, men's soccer, women's basketball and women's volleyball. The next highest (9 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.
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The Learfield Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NAIA Championships.
Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the winter season. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA's website at www.directorscup.org. In addition, please visit www.thedirectorscup.com and follow us on Twitter @ldirectorscup.
About Learfield: Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
