CLEVELAND, OH -- At the conclusion of the 2024-25 spring sport season, seven schools are representing the Ohio Athletic Conference in the final LEARFIELD Director's Cup Division III Standings.
John Carroll led the conference this year, finshing the 2024-25 season with 449.00 total points (39th place) and earning the most points this spring season with 195.00. Mount Union landed in 53rd in the Division, earning 346.00 total points with a majority of those points (221.00) coming from the spring season. Baldwin Wallace finished third in the conference and 54th overall with 343.60 points, just behind the Purple Raiders. Ohio Northern finished 60th in the Learfield standings, with 330.50 points overall, followed by Wilmington with 194.25 points, Otterbein with 80.00 points and Marietta with 50.00 points. This spring, 20 programs across the Ohio Athletic Conference earned points for its respective schools.
Emory University claimed the 2024-25 Division III Directors’ Cup, winning with 1,198.75 total points. Johns Hopkins, the reigning champion for the past two years, placed second with 1,147.00 points, while Tufts University earned 1,069.00 points to round out the top three.
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.
| LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Spring/Final Standings |
| Final Place |
School |
Spring Points |
Total Points |
Noteables |
| 39 |
John Carroll |
195.00 |
449.00 |
Men's Golf The Blue Streaks returned to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2022 by winning the OAC Title, led by Michael Keefe earing medalist honors in a two-hole playoff. With a 15th place finish, JCU notched its best effort at the NCAA Championship since 1997.
Women's Lacrosse JCU returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, doing so as an at-large team. Head Coach Kelsey Shewbridge led the Blue Streaks to their best start in program history and an OAC Regular Season Co-Championship.
Women's Track & Field Freshman Dakota Houston led the Streaks by earning two All-American efforts at the DIII Track & Field Championships. The 4x100 relay team of Mia Scott, Sandra King, Paoge Muchchick and Houston added another All-American trophy.
Men's Track & Field Basheer Alramahi earned bronze in the 400m for All-American status. Alramahi combined with Tyler Gast, Tony Tirado and Dustin Horner brought home another All-American trophy in the 4x400 relay.
|
| 53 |
Mount Union |
221.00 |
346.00 |
Baseball The OAC Regular season champions earned at at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and went on to win its first NCAA playoff game in program history. Head Coach Paul Hesse earned his first Regional Coach of the Year honor and was named the OAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.
Women's Golf The Purple Raiders won the OAC Women's Golf Championship for the first time since 2019. Graduate student Jocelyn Troyer led the team at NCAA's, finishing in 26th place after the final round of NCAA Championship. Troyer became the first Purple Raider since 2012 to make the cut at the NCAA Championship and just the third in school history.
Women's Lacrosse Mount Union made its eight trip to the NCAA tournament, where they fell to a strong Messiah team in the first round. Graduate student Katie Clark was named the offensive player of the year and senior Abby Lindkvist was named Goalie of the Year. This is the first time in conference history that both the offensive and goalie of the year has earned it in three-straight seasons.
Softball The Raiders finished the season with a 28-14 overall record, going 13-5 in Ohio Athletic Conference play and claiming their second OAC Tournament Title in three seasons. This also marked the third consecutive season that Mount Union qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Women's Track & Field The women's 4x400 earned an All-American finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The dynamic quartet was graduate student Kenadee Wayt, senior Maddy Miles, senior Mary Mason and freshman Carlie Besecker, who finished third with a time of 3:42.85 – only .35 seconds off from tying a school record.
|
| 54 |
Baldwin Wallace |
134.00 |
343.60 |
Baseball The Yellow Jackets (32-15) wrapped up another record season highlighted by the program's fourth OAC Tournament Championship and their second straight conference crown to lock up a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the twelfth time in school history.
Softball For the second straight season and for the third time in school history, the No. 19 nationally ranked and Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion Baldwin Wallace University softball team was selected to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. BW ended the season in the regional tournament, finishing 32-6.
Women's Track & Field Senior All-American distance runner Hope Murphy earned her fifth career All-American honor to conclude her legendary collegiate career at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placing 8th in the 800 meter run.
Men's Track & Field Senior Christian Pfeiffer led the Yellow Jackets and earned his fourth career All-American honor to conclude his groundbreaking collegiate career at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing second in the long jump.
|
| 60 |
Ohio Northern |
174.50 |
330.50 |
Baseball Ohio Northern earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, marking its first appearance since 1995 and its tenth overall. The Polar Bears were eliminated 13-9 in an extra-inning thriller by host Adrian (Mich.) in Game 3.
Men's Lacrosse The Polar Bears won its first OAC tournament championship in program history and advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship. Head coach Nat St. Laurent won OAC co-Coach of the Year Honors and guided the Polar Bears to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
Men's Tennis OAC Coach of the Year Sean Swisher led Ohio Northern to its fourth consecutive OAC Regular Season title, fourth conecutive OAC tournament title, and made its eighth NCAA Division III Tournament appearance this season.
Women's Tennis The Polar Bears won their second consecutive OAC Tournament title and their eighth overall in program history this season to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The team advanced to the second round of the Tournament.
Women's Track & Field The Polar Bear throwers led the team at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio. Senior Hannah Friend earned All-America honors in the discus, while senior Izzy Burman earned All-America honors with another school record breaking effort in the shot put.
|
| 102 |
Wilmington |
61.50 |
194.25 |
Men's Track & Field Senior Nathen Borgan won the Men's Hammer Throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Borgan entered the Hammer Throw competition Saturday afternoon as the favorite after finishing as the runner up last season and posting the longest mark of this season heading into the event.
|
| 197 |
Otterbein |
12.00 |
80.00 |
Men's Track & Field Returning to the national spotlight for the second straight year, sophomore Richmond Honkpo earned All-American honors with a strong sixth-place finish in the men's long jump.
|
| 239 |
Marietta |
0 |
50.00 |
No winter/spring points. Received points from volleyball in the fall standings. (OAC Fall Learfield Standings Recap)
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