Thanks to its top 10 national finishes in men's and women's cross country, Lewis-Clark State College is ranked third in the first set of Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings, as announced by the organization Thursday.
The Learfield Cup is awarded to the institution that generates the most points based on the national finish of up to 12 athletic programs, six men's and six women's. It was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.
The Warriors finished fourth in women's cross country to earn 80 points and ninth in men's cross country (63 points) for a total of 143 points.
British Columbia won the women's race and finished eighth on the men's side for a total of 166 points to lead the standings. Second-place Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) parlayed a fifth-place women's finish and a sixth-place men's finish into 147 points.
Oklahoma City (142 points) and St. Francis (134 points) round out the top five.
The next set of NAIA fall standings will be released on Dec. 19, following the completion of the national championships for volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer.
