CLEVELAND, Ohio – The final standings for the 2022-23 Learfield Directors’ Cup in NCAA Division III were released Tuesday and Gustavus finished in 30th place out of 323 qualified institutions. Gustavus had eight teams compete in the NCAA postseason, accumulating 520.5 points in the Directors’ Cup. Johns Hopkins won with 1282 points.
Women’s hockey led the way for Gustavus by winning the national championship, garnering 100 points. Men’s tennis and men’s soccer earned 73 points with fifth place finishes, women’s outdoor track & field earned 67.5 points for taking 10th place, women’s indoor track & field earned 55 points for taking 18th place, women’s swimming & diving earned 52 points for taking 22nd place, while women’s basketball and volleyball earned 50 points for finishing 17th.
With 520.5 total points, Gustavus ranks No. 1 in the MIAC and No. 8 in the region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska). The 30th place finish is the best for Gustavus since 2010-11 when the Gusties finished 21st with 573.75 points. Gustavus last finished in the top-10 in 2008-09 with an eighth place finish. The highest finish in school history is sixth place in 2002-03.
Overall, 18 sports are counted in the final DIII standings, four of which must be men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s basketball. The next highest (14 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings. The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. The Division III Director’s Cup began during the 1995-96 academic year.