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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Directors' Cup, administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), ranks institutions based on NCAA post season performance. Rankings are given throughout the school year with a final ranking after the completion of spring sport championships. Southern was 32nd overall in Division II with strong performances from the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs, as well as another regional appearance from in golf. The Lions were one of six, seven if you count in coming member Nebraska-Omaha (7th), MIAA schools to place in the top 50 programs nationwide. Emporia State was 11th followed by Central Missouri at 18th, Truman at 24th, Southern at 32nd, Washburn at 37th, Northwest Missouri at 44th, Southwest Baptist at 67th, Fort Hays State at 104th, Pittsburg State at 106th and Missouri Western at 199th. The MIAA led all Division II conferences, 23 in total, with six members in the top 50. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Gulf South Conference tied for second with five, followed by the North Central and Northeast-10 with four each. "This is confirmation of what we have known on the campus of Missouri Southern is that we have a great athletics product that is improving by leaps and bounds," said Southern Director of Athletics, Sallie Beard. "The credit for that success rests squarely on the shoulders of our student-athletes, the coaches that recruited each of them and the campus community as a whole that supports and nurtures each student-athlete once they arrive on campus. "The ranking is only a harbinger of things to come for our program. It also further illustrates just how competitive and respected the MIAA is. To achieve a national ranking of 32 against our conference peers speaks volumes of our success this year as a program. The MIAA, without a question, is a national powerhouse and it's not just bragging, we have the numbers to back it up." |