INTO FIFTH GEAR
3/24/2011 10:52:00 PM | General
The Lancers collected 243 points in the winter campaign, 190 of them from swimming and 53 from women's basketball, who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament for the first time ever. CBU has 411 total points, 33.5 behind fourth-place Simon Fraser (B.C.).
Azusa Pacific, which won the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship and scored in five separate winter sports, has opened a nearly 200-point lead over second place Lindenwood (Mo.), 691.5-499.5. APU has won six straight cups.
Biola move from sixth to third and now has 459.5 points heading into the spring. Fresno Pacific is currently in seventh, giving the Golden State Athletic Conference four members in the top 10. Only five institutions have more than 400 points.
The Learfield Sports 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 up to 12 sports-six men's and six women's.
Currently, the Lancers have four of their spring sports ranked inside the NAIA's Top 25. Softball and women's golf are both ranked No. 1, baseball is No. 3 and men's golf is No. 25.
The first spring standings will be released June 3, 2011.
CBU has three straight top seven finishes, including an all-time best fifth place finish in 2009. Last year, the Lancers were seventh.
