Indianapolis, Ind. —- Catawba College finished 23rd in the Division II LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings, a department record for the end-of-the-year ranking of the top achieving athletic departments in the country.

The metric allocates points to Division II college athletic departments based on each of their programs' finishes in their respective NCAA championships.

Catawba's 23rd ranking is the first time the department has cracked the top 25 in the final standings, topping their previous record of 32nd after the 2023-24 academic year. The ranking also marks the first time Catawba has finished second among South Atlantic Conference institutions in the Cup standings.

Catawba Baseball led the way in the spring with a ninth-place finish with their second straight trip to the Southeast Super Regional. Additionally, both Catawba Tennis teams advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament and Catawba Track and Field earned points based on Winfred Porter's fourth-place finish in the men's outdoor 100m dash.

Catawba ranked 20th after the Winter championships, led by a pair of top-20 finishes from both Catawba Swimming programs, as well as Men's Basketball's third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a pair of All-America finishes in the men's indoor 60m dash.

Back in the fall, Catawba Women's Cross Country earned a top-25 finish in its National Championship, while Catawba Women's Soccer reached the Second Round of its NCAA Tournament.