1. Cal Baptist
Although Cal Baptist finished sixth in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup (for the 2010-11 season) for all NAIA schools, behind Azusa Pacific (first) and Fresno Pacific (third), this award is about a collective work of achievements over the 2011 year, not the 2010-11 school calendar.
With that said, we couldn’t dismiss Cal Baptist’s accomplishments, especially when the Lancers continued to win this fall despite moving from NAIA to NCAA Division II. In all, Cal Baptist won two NAIA national titles (women’s swimming in the winter and women’s golf in the spring), had one NAIA national runner-up finish (women’s softball in the spring), and won four National Christian College Athletic Association national titles (men’s golf, men’s division I soccer, women’s division I soccer, and women’s volleyball), and finished runner-up in NCCAA women’s cross country this fall.
Besides their national championships, what also set Cal Baptist apart from other schools was their dominance in two conferences. In the winter and spring of 2011, the Lancers won three Golden State Athletic Conference titles when they were in NAIA (women’s basketball, baseball, and softball). After stepping up to the NCAA Division II Pac West Conference this past fall, Cal Baptist kept winning, taking four of the conference’s five fall sports titles (men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s soccer) for the most dominant showing by any school in the league. The only title the Lancers didn’t win was volleyball, but after placing third of 10 teams in the conference standings they won the NCCAA title to cap the most dominant sports year of any Christian college or university in 2011.
2. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Won the Learfield Sports Directors Cup for all NAIA schools, won the NAIA women’s Division I national basketball title and won four Golden State Athletic Conference titles: women’s cross country; women’s soccer (tournament); women’s basketball (regular-season); women’s track.
3. Fresno Pacific (Calif.)
Finished fourth in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NAIA schools, won the NAIA men’s national tennis championship and won four Golden State Athletic Conference titles: men’s soccer (regular-season); men’s tennis (regular-season); men’s track; women’s tennis.
4. Calvin College (Mich.)
Finished fifth in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NCAA Division III schools and won seven Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles: women’s basketball; men’s cross country; men’s soccer (regular season); women’s swimming; men’s track; women’s track; softball.
5. Augustana (S.D.)
Finished third in Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NCAA Division II schools, won the NCAA Division II women’s national cross country championship and won seven Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles: women’s cross country; men’s cross country; women’s outdoor track; wrestling; women’s golf; softball; women’s tennis.
6. Abilene Christian (Texas)
Finished fourth in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NCAA Division II schools, won the NCAA Division II men’s outdoor track national championship and won four Lone Star Conference titles: women’s soccer (regular season); men’s tennis; women’s tennis; men’s track.
7. Shorter (Ga.)
Finished third in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NAIA schools, won two national championships (men’s indoor track and men’s outdoor track), and won three Southern States Athletic Conference titles: men’s cross country; women’s cross country; women’s golf.
8. Liberty (Va.)
The Flames won the Big South Conference’s fourth consecutive Sasser Cup, which recognizes the conference’s top athletic program. In 2011, Liberty won six Big South Conference titles: men’s cross country, golf, men’s indoor track, men’s outdoor track, softball, and women’s indoor track. The program also produced an individual NCAA Division I national champion after Sam Chelanga won the men’s outdoor track 5K. He also won four All-American honors in indoor and outdoor track, and was named the Big South’s athlete of the year for all sports.
9. Indiana Wesleyan
Finished 25th in the Learfield Sports Directors Cup standings for all NAIA schools, won a national championship (NCCAA men’s indoor track), and seven Mid-Central College Conference titles: women’s cross country; men’s basketball, regular-season; women’s basketball regular-season and tournament; men’s track; women’s tennis, regular-season and tournament.
10. Dallas Baptist (Texas)
There’s more to Dallas Baptist than just the baseball team, which stunned Oklahoma and several others to win an NCAA Division I regional and advance to an NCAA Division I Super Regional. The school, which plays NCAA Division II in all of its other sports, won four Heartland Conference titles (men’s cross country; women’s cross country; women’s tennis; women’s soccer) and also won National Christian College Athletic Association titles in Division I men’s basketball, women’s tennis, and women’s golf.
