CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Currently in 19th place, Trinity University leads five SCAC institutions ranked in the prestigious 2023-2024 Division III Learfield Sports Directors' Cup winter standings. Complete 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. 

Trinity has amassed 398 points in the standings, jumping seven spots from their standing after the fall sports season, behind the strength of its five NCAA appearances in the winter following four such appearances during the fall.

The Tiger men's and women's swimming and diving programs combined for 106.5 points after the women finished 12th (64.5 points) and the men finished tied for 32nd (42 points) at the National Championship meet. The women's 12th-place finish, powered behind three individual All-American swims from Neely Burns, including a national title in the 400-yard IM, was the highest SCAC women's finish since DePauw took home ninth in 2009. The Tiger women's basketball team won an NCAA Tournament game for the third straight season to earn 50 points, while the men's basketball squad secured 25 points after winning the SCAC regular season and earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The men's indoor track & field team turned in a 55th place finish at nationals and rounded out the 197.00 total winter points for Trinity with 15.5 points.

Colorado College is the league's second entrant into the Learfield rankings and currently sits in 64th with 173.00 total points following an outstanding run at the fall championships from the men's soccer program and the men's and women's cross-country programs. The SCAC is one of just 17 conferences with two or more programs in the top 65.  

Austin College jumped into the Learfield standings and currently sits in 180th place with 54 total points. The 'Roos finished 20th at the Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships behind the strength of three All-American swims from Sammi Thiele.

University of St. Thomas is currently in a tie for 185th with 50 total points after the Celts' men's basketball program made its second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. St. Thomas is the eighth different program in SCAC history to make consecutive appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament dating back to 1992.

Centenary College is tied for 225th on the heels of its magical run to the SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament title. The Gents have 25.00 points after making its second Division III NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament appearance in program history.

New York University leads all of Division III at the completion of the winter championships season with 776.00 points and holds a slim 14.5-point lead over second-place Johns Hopkins (761.50). Williams is in third with 696.08, followed by Emory (598.00) and Washington-St. Louis (589.00) to round out the top five.

To date, all nine winter NCAA championships have been completed with the following institutions capturing titles: women's basketball – NYU; men's basketball – Trine; Women's Ice Hockey – UW-River Falls; Men's Ice Hockey – Hobart; Women's Swimming & Diving - Kenyon; Men's Swimming & Diving - Emory; Men's Indoor Track & Field - Wisconsin La-Crosse; Women's Indoor Track & Field - Loras; Men's Wrestling - Augsburg.