Westlake, Ohio — Catawba College Athletics placed a record 10th place among all Division II member institutions in the final 2025-26 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Division II standings, the department's fourth consecutive year setting an all-time highest ranking.
"I am incredibly proud of this historic accomplishment," Catawba College Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan said. "These achievements are the result of countless hours of hard work, sacrifice, teamwork and a shared belief in what we can accomplish as a department. Thank you to our student-athletes for representing Catawba with pride, to our coaches for their leadership and dedication and our staff for the tireless work that often happens behind the scenes. This incredible year belongs to all of you."
The LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings rank each of the NCAA Division II member institutions based on points received from athletic teams' finishes in their respective national championships. The standings are the most comprehensive list in measuring an institution's overall success in athletics on a national scale.
The Catawba Indians ranked second among South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region schools for the second straight year.
Catawba's ranking was in large part to a historic spring season in which the Catawba Indians sent three teams to the national semifinals – baseball, men's tennis and women's tennis. Catawba Women's Tennis finished as the national runner-up, matching the highest finish by a Catawba program in department history. Catawba also received points in the spring from Catawba Men's Golf and Catawba Men's Outdoor Track and Field.
The Catawba Indians entered the spring season in 12th after the winter season thanks to top-10 finishes from Men's and Women's Swimming, along with a top-20 finish for Men's Indoor Track and Field and an NCAA Tournament appearance from Men's Basketball.
In the fall, Catawba received points from Men's and Women's Cross Country and Women's Soccer after their trip to the Round of 32.
Following the 2021-22 season, Catawba finished 151st, followed by a 55th-place finish in 2022-23, a 32nd-place finish in 2023-24 and a 23rd-place finish in 2024-25.
