Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 22, 2009

COLLEGE SPORTS: WWU 10th in final Directors' Cup D-II standings

Paced by a fifth straight national title in women's rowing, Western Washington University placed 10th nationally among NCAA Division II schools in the final 2008-09 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings released today.

It is the Vikings' highest placing in school history and the school's first top 10 finish. Western's previous best placing was 20th last year.

Western finished with 549 total points, 246 of those in the spring, 184 in the fall and 119 in the winter.

Besides taking top honors in women's rowing, the Vikings placed ninth in the women's division at the indoor track and field nationals, and the men's and women's cross country teams both placed 10th at nationals.

Western's women were 17th at the outdoor track and field nationals.

The Vikings reached the championship game of the Far West Regional in women's soccer, and both the men's and women's basketball teams got to regionals. The women's golf squad placed fifth at the Super West Regional and the men's golf team finished 10th at the Central/West Super Regional.

Western's national finish was the highest ever by a Great Northwest Athletic Conference school. The previous best was 14th by Seattle Pacific in 2005-06.

Grand Valley State (Mich.) captured its fourth straight Division II championship with 1014.50 points. Stanford (Calif.) claimed its 15th straight Division I title and Williams (Mass.) took its 11th consecutive Division III championship.

Western, which was the GNAC combined sports team champion for 2008-09, won league titles in men's and women's soccer, men's basketball and men's golf. The Vikings also took the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference championship.

Seventeen Western athletes received All-America recognition. Seven were recognized as first or second team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine College Division District 8 Academic All-Stars, with one receiving academic All-America honors.

In all, 62 Western athletes were GNAC all-conference picks and 48 were league academic all-stars.