The Lindenwood athletics department was named one of the top-10 athletics department in NCAA Division II on Thursday, according to the final standings of the Learfield Directors' Cup. The Lions were the top MIAA team in the standings, and were sixth overall.
 
The Learfield Directors' Cup honors athletics departments that have a broad-based program that achieves success in many sports. Schools are awarded points for advancing to NCAA Division II National Championship events.
 
While Lindenwood was a member of the NAIA, it was a regular in the top-10 in the Directors' Cup, finishing in that position in its final 13 seasons at that level. It took the Lions and Lady Lions just four seasons in the NCAA to become a top-10 athletics department again.
 
Lindenwood, under the director of first-year Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler, finished with 578 points this year. It jumped 20 spots throughout the spring season, as it recorded 309 points, one of seven schools nationally with over 300 points for the spring.
 
Lindenwood finished first among MIAA schools in the standings, which marks just the second time since the 2004-05 school year that Central Missouri was not the top MIAA team in the Directors' Cup. This year, Central Missouri finished 20th overall and second in the conference with 504.75 points. Eleven of the MIAA's 14 schools finished in the top-100, the most among all NCAA Division II conferences.
 
In total, Lindenwood received 342.5 points from six men's programs. Five women's teams helped Lindenwood by scoring 235.5 points.
 
In the fall, the Lions received points from two sports programs. The men's cross country team finished fifth at the NCAA Central Regionals, and earned 33 points. The men's soccer program was a NCAA Regional Finalist which accumulated 64 points.
 
Lindenwood's swimming and diving program led the way in the winter. The women's team had a program-best fifth-place national finish, which earned 75 Directors' Cup points, while the men's squad had a seventh-place showing, which earned Lindenwood 69 points. The women's track and field team collected 28 points after the team tied for 44th at the national indoor meet.
 
In the spring, six different program scored, led by the women's lacrosse team. The Lady Lions reached the semifinals for the fourth straight year, which helped the athletics department receive 83 points. The baseball team's run to the national championships and eventual fifth-place finish was good for 78 points. Both golf teams advanced to the postseason, with men's golf receiving 57 points for reaching the NCAA National Championships for the first time, and the women's team earning 28 points for their regional showing. Both outdoor track and field also scored, with the men's team collecting 41.5 points and the women's team receiving 21.5.