Nov. 30, 2006

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Cleveland, Ohio - Two-time defending champion Azusa Pacific University has opened the 2006-07 year in the lead in the first NAIA Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings.

The Cougars have scored 328 points after a pair of runner-up finishes in men and women's soccer, third place in men's cross country and ninth overall in women's cross country.

Concordia University (Calif.) is currently second with 228 points, finishing as high as runner-up in men's cross country. The Eagles finished third in both women's soccer and cross country and ninth in men's soccer.

Tallying 174 points and in third overall is Park University. Park's highest finishes came in men and women's soccer where it finished ninth overall. In cross country the Pirates finished 17th overall on the women's side and 23rd in the men's championship.

Oklahoma Christian University finds itself in the same position that it ended the 2005-06 Directors' Cup standings, fourth place. The Eagles have 168 points, finishing fifth in men's soccer, ninth in women's soccer and 15th in men's cross country.

Rounding out the top-five is Lindsey Wilson College with 153 points. Lindsey Wilson took home the women's soccer championship title. The Blue Raiders finished ninth in men's soccer to round out their scoring.

These standings are based upon the completion of men and women's cross country and men and women's soccer. In addition to Lindsey Wilson capturing a national title, Virginia Intermont College took first in men's cross country, Simon Fraser University won the women's cross country title and Graceland University won the men's soccer championship.

The Sports Academy Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The United States Sports Academy, based in Daphne, Alabama, is the program sponsor. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 12 sports - six women's and six men's.

The next NAIA standings will be released Thursday, December 14.

Please note, standings published midseason are unofficial. Official standings will be published upon the completion of the spring season.