Click here for full Division II Learfield Director's Cup Standings

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Saginaw Valley State University Athletics is ranked 17th in the final set of winter Learfield Director's Cup standings after a very strong winter in which the Cardinals had four programs compete and score in the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history. The no. 17 spot is a seven place improvement over the latest edition that was released on March 31st. This set of standings include women's basketball. 

The Cards began with NCAA tournament appearances for the men's soccer and volleyball teams in the fall. The basketball teams followed with both teams qualifying for the NCAA tournament, with the women claiming their second-ever victory since becoming NCAA Division II and the men advancing all the way to the Elite Eight in their first-ever NCAA postseason appearance.

The swimming & diving programs had four student-athletes post honorable mention all-american honors, as Max Buxton, Wilhelmina Francisco, Shaun Yap and Amanda Thielen helped the teams score points for the first time. The women's program is in its second year and the men their first.

Five track & field student-athletes posted all-american honors at the NCAA Division II indoor championships as well, as Robert Atwater, Robert Tarpley, Anna Fochesato, Taylor Stepanski and Emerald Joiner all were named all-americans at the meet in their respective events.

The Cardinals sit in the no. 17 spot with 304.50 points after a winter in which SV notched 229.50 of those points. Saginaw Valley hasn't finished above the 62nd position in the final standings after spring as far as the archived standings go back through the 2008-09 season.

The Learfield Director's Cup awards institutions in a pre-determined number of sports for men and women, with seven being chosen for each every year. Final standings will be released at the conclusion of the NCAA championships in the spring.

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