Morningside finished 11th in the final NAIA Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings for the 2016-17 school year.

Morningside finished in 11th place in the final 2016-17 NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings following the completion of the fall, winter and spring sports seasons.

Morningside scored a total of 532 points. Points are awarded based on a team’s finish at the NAIA National Championship events.  

Morningside was in third place with 489.5 points after the fall and winter sports seasons.

The Mustangs’ spring sports scoring included 37.5 points for a 21st place finish in softball and five points for a 65th place finish in men’s outdoor track & field.

The Mustangs’ fall scoring included 60 points for a fifth place finish in football, 56 points for an 18th place finish in women’s cross country and 50 points for a 17th place finish in women’s volleyball. The Mustangs’ winter sports scoring included 64 points for a sixth place finish in competitive dance, 53 points for a ninth place finish in women’s basketball, 52 points for a 22nd place finish in wrestling, 42 points for a 16th place finish in women’s swimming, 41.5 points for a 31st place finish in men’s indoor track & field, 36 points for a 19th place finish in men’s swimming and 35 points for a 37th place finish in women’s indoor track & field.

Morningside was one of seven schools from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to finish in the NAIA Top 50. Aside from Morningside, Hastings College was seventh with 632 points, Concordia University was 17th with 516 points, Northwestern College was 29th with 454.75 points, Midland University was 31st with 451.5 points, Doane University was 40th with 387 points and Dordt College was 44th with 369 points. 

Oklahoma City University finished as a runaway winner in the 2016-17 NAIA Learfield Sports Director’s Cup National Championship race with 982 points followed by Lindsey Wilson College in a distant second place with 805 points. The rest of the top 10 includes Keiser University in third place with 705.25 points, Wayland Baptist University in fourth with 690 points, William Carey University in fifth with 656 points, Indiana Tech University in sixth with 632.5 points, Hastings in seventh with 632 points, Westmont College in eighth with 631.25 points, Olivet Nazarene University in ninth with 614.5 points and St. Francis University in 10th place with 560.25 points.

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 up to 12 sports – six women’s and six men’s.

Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on the NACDA’s website at www.directorscup.org.