CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Currently in 16th place, Trinity University leads three SCAC institutions ranked in the prestigious 2017-2018 Division III Learfield Sports Directors' Cup fall standings. Complete Standings
Trinity has amassed 216.5 points in the standings on the strength of its four NCAA appearances this fall. The Tigers placed 16th in women's cross country, 17th in both men's and women's soccer and 33rd in women's volleyball. Trinity also received points for its men's cross country team because of the squad's top-five finish at the NCAA Cross Country South/Southeast Regional.
Colorado College has 97 points and is in 55th place among the schools ranked. The Tigers placed ninth in women's volleyball and received points for its women's cross country team top-five performance at the NCAA Cross Country West Regional.
Southwestern University is in 91st with 50 points from its 17th-place finish in women's volleyball.
Johns Hopkins leads all of Division III at the completion of the fall championships season with 383 points, and has a 63.50-point lead over second-place MIT (319.50). Middlebury is behind the Engineers with 301 points, followed by St. Thomas (270) and Wisconsin-La Crosse (270) in a tie for fourth.
The Learfield Sports 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 NCAA Championships.
To date, all seven fall NCAA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: women’s cross country – Johns Hopkins; men’s cross country – North Central (Ill.); field hockey – Middlebury; women's volleyball – Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; women’s soccer – Williams; men’s soccer – Messiah; football – Mount Union.