Orlando, Fla. --- Minnesota State had 14 teams score points in NCAA postseason competition and completed the 2009-10 season ranking fourth in the final Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

MSU totalled 660.50 points in the 2009-10 Director’s Cup standings in finishing fourth, which puts the Mavericks in the top one percent of the 290 schools that compete in NCAA Division II.

This year’s results marks the fourth straight year that the Mavericks have finished in the top four in the country in the national standings.   Including six consecutive top ten finishes, MSU has finished in the top 25 nine times in the 15 years since the Directors’ Cup program was inaugurated - 2nd in 2008-09, 3rd in 2007-08, 4th in 2006-07 and 2009-10, 8th in 2005-06, 10th in 2004-05, 16th in 1995-96, 20th in 2003-04, 22nd in 2002-03 and 23rd in 2001-02.

“I am very happy with our finish in the Director’s Cup again this year,” said Kevin Buisman, MSU’s Director of Athletics. “A top-five showing seems to be the new standard for our program and this level of consistent performance places us in some elite company amongst our Division II peers.  Our success is a tribute to a great group of student-athletes, who are not only getting it done competitively, but in the classroom and community, as well.  They are mentored by some outstanding coaches, who in turn are strongly supported by our administration, donors, fans, and boosters.”  

MSU was the top Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference performer in the standings.  Other NSIC schools and their finishes included St. Cloud State (fifth), Augustana (11th), Minnesota Duluth (26th), Winona State (75th), Concordia (78th), Bemidji State (90th), Northern State (106th), Upper Iowa (121st), Wayne State (140th), University of Mary (148th), Southwest Minnesota State (151st) and Minnesota State-Moorhead (157th).

Posting top-25 team finishes for MSU in 2009-10 NCAA postseason events were wrestling (sixth), women’s outdoor track & field (seventh), baseball (seventh), men’s indoor track & field (eighth), women’s golf (11th), football (17th), men’s basketball (17th), softball (17th), women’s indoor track & field (18th). Other teams and their finish included  men’s swimming (26th), women’s swimming (26th), women’s soccer (33rd), women’s volleyball (33rd) and men’s golf (74th).

The fourth-place ranking caps off a banner season for MSU Athletics which also included a second consecutive Northern Sun All-Sports trophy.

Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup General Information
A program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program, the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup honors those programs achieving success in many sports, both men’s and women’s. Began in 1993-94 for Division I by NACDA and USA Today, it was expanded in 1995-96 to include Division II, III and the NAIA. Each institution is awarded points in a predetermined number of sports for men and women. The overall champion is the institution that records the highest number of points in their division’s Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

A pdf of this release is located here.    Complete 2009-10 standings are available here.

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