Dec. 11, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Following the most successful fall sports season in school history, Western Washington University currently ranks No.8 in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup NCAA Division II standings.

The Vikings placed 10th at nationals in both men's and women's cross country. They reached the Far West Regional final in women's soccer with both the men's and women's soccer squads winning Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships. The football team captured the Dixie Rotary Bowl title and the volleyball team finished 21-3 and ranked as high as No.3 nationally during the regular season.

Seven Western student-athletes received All-American recognition.

With 184 points, Western is the top GNAC school in the standings. The Vikings trail only one NCAA II West Region school, that being Chico State of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which is sixth with 204 points. Seattle Pacific, another GNAC member, is 10th with 180 points.

Grand Valley State MI tops the standings with 312 points.

Last year Western placed 20th in the final standings, the highest finish in school history.

The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports - seven women's and seven men's.

2008-09 Standings - 12/11

Institution  Points1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 312.002. Massachusetts Lowell 241.003. Tampa (Fla.) 231.004. Metropolitan State (Colo.) 217.005. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 210.006. Chico State 204.007. Adams State (Colo.) 200.008. Western Washington 184.009. Northern Kentucky 183.0010. Seattle Pacific (Wash.)180.0011. West Florida 179.0012. Western State (Colo.) 175.0013. Truman State (Mo.) 156.0014. Cal State Los Angeles 154.0014. Dowling (N.Y.) 154.0016. Cal State Dominguez Hills 150.0017. Minnesota Duluth 130.0018. Shippensburg (Pa.) 127.0019. Augustana (S.D.) 125.0019. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 125.0021. Alaska Anchorage 120.0022. Minnesota State Mankato 116.0023. Midwestern State (Tex.) 115.0024. Bridgeport (Conn.) 114.0024. Carson Newman (Tenn.) 114.0024. Catawba (N.C.) 114.0027. Wayne State (Mich.) 108.0028. Harding (Ark.) 106.0029. Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 103.0030. Pittsburg State (Kans.)102.0031. Central Missouri 100.0031. Concordia (Minn.) 100.0033. Columbus State (Ga.) 99.0034. California (Pa.) 98.0034. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 98.0036. Cal State San Bernardino 90.0037. Regis (Colo.) 89.0038. Colorado School of Mines 88.0039. Lock Haven (Pa.) 85.0040. St. Rose (N.Y.) 83.0041. Lees McRae (N.C.) 81.0042. Abilene Christian (Tex.) 80.0042. Bentley (Mass.) 80.0044. Lewis (Ill.) 78.0045. Lynn (Fla.) 78.0046. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 75.0046. Georgian Court (N.J.) 75.0046. St. Leo (Fla.) 75.0046. UC San Diego 75.0046. Washburn (Kans.) 75.0046. West Texas A&M 75.00