The final standings for the 2008-09 Directors' Cup standings were released today and Lindenwood finished third among NAIA programs. The showing is the ninth time in the last ten years that the athletics department has finished in the Top Five in the standings which ranks athletics departments for their overall success at national championship events.
Lindenwood scored 767.50 points this year, finishing less than seven points behind runner-up Concordia. Azusa Pacific won the title with 915 points.
The Lions and Lady Lions continued their string of being the top HAAC program in the standings. Baker was the next highest conference school by finishing 49th with 247.5 points. Other HAAC programs in the Top 100 were Missouri Valley (68th), Graceland (76th), MidAmerica Nazarene (82nd), and William Jewell (92nd).
Lindenwood reached the NAIA postseason in 14 of a possible 21 sports. Only 12 of those points could count towards the final point total, led by the national championship wrestling team which received the maximum 100 points.
Other points for the men's sports came from football (83), swimming and diving (69), indoor track and field (66), outdoor track and field (66), and baseball (50). Other men's sports to reach the postseason were golf and cross country.
Points from women's programs came from outdoor track and field (85), indoor track and field (73.5), swimming and diving (66), volleyball (51), cross country (30), and golf (28).
Counting both NAIA and other nationally affiliated programs, the Lindenwood athletics department won seven varsity National Championships and 17 conference titles during the 2008-09 school year.
