BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Led by strong performances from the cross country and women's soccer program, Western Washington University athletics stands in 15th place following the fall season in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

 

WWU not only placed in the top 15 out of 151 NCAA Division II programs that recorded points during the fall season, but also was tops among Great Northwest Athletic Conference schools and ranked No. 2 in the West Region behind No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona. The Vikings recorded 179.0 points during the fall season by women's cross country (66.0), men's cross country (63.0) and women's soccer (50.0).

 

The Vikings banner fall performance was led by the cross country program earning a pair of top 15 finishes at the national championships. WWU men's and women's cross country swept the team titles for the third consecutive season at the GNAC Championships and both placed 2nd at the NCAA II West Regional Championships.

 

Led by an All-American 33rd-place finish by junior Ashley Reeck, the Viking women placed 11th out of 34 teams at the national championship in Sacramento to earn 66.0 points. 

 

The men's cross country program earned a 13th-place finish at nationals led by a 48th-place performance by senior Jeret Gillingham, the 2024 GNAC champion. The top 15 finish earned 63.0 points in the Learfield Cup standings.

 

The women's soccer team won its 10th GNAC regular-season title completing the conference slate with an undefeated 11-0-3 record. WWU earned a runner-up finish in the GNAC Championships and made its 13th appearance in the NCAA Championships advancing to the West Regional semifinals to earn 50.0 points in the standings. The Vikings finished with a 14-4-5 overall record.

 

WWU's athletic success continues to be matched by academic success earning the prestigious NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence for the seventh time in the last eight years with a 90% Academic Success Rate. During the fall quarter WWU's student-athletes combined for a 3.46 GPA with all 15 varsity programs earning at least a 3.20 combined GPA.

 

Here is a look at the top 25 teams in the fall standings for the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup standings. WWU is in 15th place with 179.0 points, leading all GNAC programs and ranking 2nd in the West Region behind Cal Poly Pomona. Grand Valley State holds the top spot with 331.0 points, aiming for its 17th Directors' Cup title. GNAC programs also earning points during the fall include Alaska Fairbanks (99th, 63.0 points), Central Washington (109th, 50 points), Simon Fraser (109th, 50 points) and Western Oregon (109th, 50 points).

 

 

WWU has placed in the top 50 in the Directors' Cup standings in 20 of the 24 seasons at the NCAA Division II level dating back to the first year in 1998-99, which includes 10 years in the national top 30. WWU's highest finish was 6th place in 2009-10 and 7th in 2010-11. The Vikings placed 38th in the standings in 2023-24 and are 15th in the standings following the fall 2024-25 season:

 

 

Western Washington University is a four-year public institution located in Bellingham, Washington, featuring over 300 student-athletes that compete for 15 intercollegiate athletic teams at the NCAA Division II level and in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. WWU Athletics has finished in the top 50 in the NCAA II Learfield Directors' Cup standings in 18 of the last 19 years. WWU's programs have won 13 team national championships, most recently the 2024 women's rowing team and the 2022 women's soccer team. Outside of competition. WWU's student-athletes have compiled an academic success at 90% or better in seven of the last eight years, earning the NCAA's President's Award for Academic Excellence a seventh time in 2024. The 2023-24 season was another banner year for the Vikings, earning the GNAC All-Sports Trophy for the third consecutive year and 15th time overall while capturing 10 conference titles. The women's rowing program won its ninth national title, the softball team reached the College World Series while earning national runner-up honors and the track & field and cross country program swept all six possible GNAC titles. Additional highlights included the women's cross country team winning the West Regional title, the women's basketball team advancing to the NCAA Championships for a fourth consecutive season and softball winning the West Regional title at home on Viking Field. The 2024-25 season is off to a fantastic start with the cross country program sweeping the GNAC Championships for the third consecutive season and the women's soccer team winning its 10th GNAC regular-season title.

 

For more information on WWU's 15 varsity sports programs, visit WWUVikings.com. Fans and alumni can also track all the teams via social media accounts on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook at @WWUAthletics.