Morningside finished 10th in the final 2015-16 NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

Morningside finished in 10th place in the final 2015-16 NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

Morningside accumulated a total of 569.5 points. Points are awarded based on a team’s finish at the NAIA National Championship events.  

Morningside was in ninth place with 407 points after the completion of the 2015 fall and 2015-16 winter sports seasons. The Mustangs’ spring sports scoring included 68.5 points for a ninth place finish in softball, 50 points for a 20th place finish in baseball, 25 points for a 17th place finish in women’s tennis, and 19 points for a 54th place finish in men’s track & field.

The Mustangs’ fall scoring included 83 points for a third place finish in football, 49 points for a 25th place finish in women’s cross country, 45 points for a 29th place finish in men’s cross country, and 25 points for a 17th place finish in women’s soccer.

Morningside’s winter scoring included 70 points for a fifth place finish in women’s basketball, 52 points for a 22nd place finish in wrestling, 45 points for a 15th place finish in men’s swimming, and 38 points for an 18th place finish in women’s swimming.

Morningside was one of three schools from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to finish in the Top 25. Concordia University finished in 16th place with 494.75 points and Doane College finished in 21st place with 435.25 points. 

Lindsey Wilson College won the 2015-16 Learfield Sports Director’s Cup with 852.75 points. The rest of the top 10 includes Oklahoma City University in second place with 777 points, followed by Wayland Baptist University in third with 750 points, Olivet Nazarene University in fourth with 735.5 points, Indiana Wesleyan University in fifth with 646 points, Indiana Tech University in sixth with 639.5 points, Biola University in seventh with 633.5 points, Southern Oregon University in eighth with 591.25 points, Marian University in ninth with 590 points, and Morningside in 10th with 569.5 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.