Lee Today

Sharks match highest finish since 2015-16

On the heels of a memorable 2021-22 year in which 10 athletics programs reached NCAA postseason play, including a third-place finish by women's swimming at the National Championships, a pair of trips to the Final Four for both men's soccer and women's tennis, as well as an Elite Eight berth for the men's basketball team, Nova Southeastern has earned a 12th-place finish in the final standings of the 2021-22 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup.

At No. 12, the Sharks top all 11 Sunshine State Conference programs in the standings while also matching the department's highest finish since 2015-16.  

"The Directors' Cup is the epitome of measuring athletic success for all NCAA institutions across the country," said NSU Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President for Advancement, Michael Mominey. "This year was certainly one of our best in the history of the program and is an affirmation of our 'how and why' we do what we do. That said, we pride ourselves on much more than this within our Shark culture, which includes our accomplishments in the classroom and our impact within the community. I give kudos to every single member of our Shark family for their contributions to this great honor."

Overall, 15 sports are counted in the final DII standings, four of which must be women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, as well as baseball. The next highest (11 max.) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings. A total of 251 athletics programs were included in the final standings.

NSU collected a combined 604.50 points – producing 133.00 in the fall, 212.00 in the winter and 259.50 in the spring.

In the fall, the Sharks leaned on men's soccer (83 points), along with volleyball (50 points), who made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009, before making a considerable leap from 31st to 15th in the standings at the conclusion of the winter. That significant jump was attributed to notable seasons for both men's (54 points) and women's swimming (85 points), in addition to men's basketball's (73 points) second NCAA South Region title in the past four years. Regional berths for five teams in the spring provided one final push for NSU. Men's (42 points) and women's golf (47 points) finished among the nation's best, while baseball (50 points) came within one out of a regional title. Softball (38 points) captured its first-ever share of the SSC Championship, with head coach Doug Neagle guiding the women's tennis (83 points) program to the Final Four for the very first time.

Not to be undone, off the field, NSU's student-athletes posted a collective GPA of 3.41 for the 2021-22 academic year, giving the Sharks 24 consecutive semesters with a departmental GPA of 3.00 and above.

For the 14th time in LEARFIELD Directors' Cup history, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) took home the hardware after compiling 1,013.00 total points in 13 total sports. The Lakers beat out West Texas A&M, who finished second with 862.25 points.

Original source can be found here.