CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Rock finished 26th in the final Division II U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

That finish was the highest ever recorded by SRU, bettering a 27th-place finish in 1999-2000, and represented an improvement of 28 places from The Rock's 54th-place finish a year ago.

This year's final finish also represented a four-spot improvement over SRU's 30th-place standing at the end of the 2007-08 winter sports season.

SRU, which last month won its first-ever Dixon Trophy as the top all-around program in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, had 425 points in this year's Directors' Cup competition, the third highest total compiled by a PSAC institution.

California U. of Pa. finished eighth with 607.5 points, while West Chester is in 12th place with 555.5 points.

The next five PSAC schools ranked lower than SRU were Bloomsburg (28th place, 414 points), Edinboro (47th place, 319.5 points), Indiana U. of Pa. (Tie-64th place, 272 points), Lock Haven (66th place, 270 points) and Shippensburg (82nd place, 217.5 points).

Two other PSAC schools are included in the top 100: Kutztown in 89th place with 203.5 points and Clarion in 94th place with 195 points.

Millersville was in 107th place with 169.5 points, East Stroudsburg 121st place with 148.5 points, Mansfield tied for 160th place with 92 points and Cheyney tied for 215th place with 25 points.

Mercyhurst and Gannon, which will join the PSAC at the start of the 2008-09 academic year, finished 132nd (136.5 points) and 157th (97 points), respectively.

Points are awarded based on each institution's national finish in up to 14 sports, seven women's and seven men's.

The top five teams in the Division II ranking were Grand Valley State (Mich.) with 1028.75 points, Abilene Christian (Texas) with 808 points, Minnesota State Mankato with 788.75  points, UC San Diego with 752 points and Tampa with 650 points.

Previous Rock finishes in the Directors' Cup competition included:
1995-96: 32nd place
1996-97: 43rd place
1997-98: 67th place
1998-99: 45th place
1999-2000: 27th place
2000-01: 77th place
2001-02: 92nd place
2002-03: 71st place
2003-04: 86th place
2004-05: Not ranked (only top 100 listed)
2005-06: Not ranked (only top 100 listed)
2006-07: 54th place
2007-08: 26th place
For more information on the U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup Standings, go to http://www.nacda.com