Biola once again finished as one of the top athletic programs in the NAIA, placing 12th out of over 300 NAIA schools in the 2011-12 NAIA Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings as announced on Wednesday. It is the fourth-straight season the Eagles have finished in the top 20 of the program, which ranks the most successful athletic departments in the country.

Biola recorded 581.00 total points--just 1.5 points behind its total while placing 11th in last year's standings. 

The Eagles closed out the spring season with 72 points thanks to national appearances by baseball and men's and women's track and field. Women's track and field scored 35 points, baseball added 25 points with the men's track and field team tallying 12. 

Biola was ranked as high as third in the standings this season, thanks to a big scoring total in the winter standings. Both basketball teams reached the NAIA Quarterfinals while the men's and women's swimming teams and women's track and field eached finished in the NAIA Top 10 at their respective national tournaments. The successful winter netted 335 points to go along with the 174 points from the fall season.

Biola was one of six GSAC schools in the top 25. Azusa Pacific won its eighth-straight Directors' Cup in its final season in the NAIA, tallying 918 points and finishing 62 points ahead of Shorter College (Ga.). Fresno Pacific took sixth place with 681.50 points followed closely by Concordia, which scored 666.50 points. Westmont took 19th place overall with 471.50 points and Point Loma Nazarene took 23rd with 431 points.

The Learfield Sports 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 up to 12 sports -- six women’s and six men’s. Complete standings and the scoring structure can be found on NACDA’s website.

Visit the Biola athletics website for the 2012-2013 season schedules.