LA MIRADA, Calif. --- For the first time in program history Biola University Athletics earned a spot inside of the top-10 in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup rankings. Biola's five Golden State Athletic Conference championships helped the Eagles to a seventh-place finish in the 2015-16 ranking of NAIA athletic departments.
 
"Placing seventh in the Directors' Cup is an exciting achievement for Biola University," said Director of Athletics Dr. Bethany Miller. "Our coaches and student-athletes have had great success this year while keeping focused on holistic growth in their faith, academics and relationships."
 
Each academic year the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup rankings reward athletic programs from coast to coast for the breadth and depth of their various programs. Points are awarded to each institution based off of the average national finish of its top-6 men's programs and top-6 women's programs. Then, all the teams in the affiliation are ranked to determine the overall strength of each athletic department.
 
Biola's 7^th-place finish is the Eagles' eighth top-20 finish and 16^th top-50 finish in the Directors' Cup. Biola was the top team to represent the Golden State Athletic Conference at a national level, with Westmont in 14^th and The Master's College in 24^th also representing in the top-25.
 
The Eagles' finished with 633.50 total points to finish just behind familiar foes Indiana Tech and right in front of Southern Oregon. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) won the Directors' Cup with 852.75 total points. It was the Blue Raiders' first-ever Directors' Cup win and was powered by 373.25 points in the spring.
 
Biola's point total was driven up by an extremely successful fall and winter. The Eagles were no. 1 in the standings through these two seasons with four GSAC Championships and 560 points in tow.
 
The Eagles added a fifth GSAC Championship (women's track & field) and finished sixth in the national rankings to accumulate 73.5 spring points.
 
"I know there are so many special experiences and memories from this year that will last a lifetime," said Miller. "Our student-athletes have shared with me how blessed they are to have such a wonderful coaching staff, athletic training staff and support staff and I could not agree more."
 
For more information on Learfield Sports and the Directors' Cup program visit http://thedirectorscup.com/