The South Atlantic Conference Placed Two Schools in the Top 20 and Nine Total Schools on the 2016-17 Fall Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Through the fall, The South Atlantic Conference has nine member institutions represented in the 2016-17 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings, including two in the Top 20. 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 14 sports -- seven women’s and seven men’s.
Wingate leads the South Atlantic Conference at No. 14 in the standings with 169 points, followed by Queens at No. 15 with 167 points.
Lenoir-Rhyne is currently ranked No. 62 as it collected 75 points, followed by Carson-Newman at No. 100 with 50 points. Mars Hill picked up 45 points to rank No. 124 and at No. 130 is Anderson with 32 points. Lincoln Memorial, Tusculum and Newberry are tied at No. 133 with 25 points.
Wingate won the 2016 Division II Men’s Soccer Championship and picked up 100 points, while the Bulldogs also collected 44 points as it finished at No. 30 in the nation in women’s cross country. Wingate also collected 25 points as it advanced to the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Queens placed ninth in the country in women’s volleyball to earn 64 points. The Royals’ women’s cross country team picked up 60 points for its 15th place finish at nationals, while the men finished 31st to earn 43 points.
The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA D-II Men’s Soccer Championship to place 17th in the nation and earn 50 points. The women’s soccer squad advanced to the NCAA D-II Women’s Soccer Championship to earn 25 points.
Carson-Newman women’s soccer team finished at No. 17 in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship to earn 50 points. Mars Hill’s men’s cross country team placed 29th at nationals to earn 45 points, while Anderson’s women’s cross country team placed 33rd to earn 32 points.
Lincoln Memorial advanced to the 2016 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship to collect 25 points and Tusculum’s men’s soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship and notched 25 points. Newberry’s berth to the 2016 NCAA Division II Football Championship earned the Wolves 25 points.