The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletics Communications:
AMES, Iowa – An outstanding winter athletics season highlighted by national champions and NCAA Championship team success has propelled the Iowa State Athletics Department up to No. 17 in the Division I Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. Gymnastics, in which Iowa State reached the NCAA Championships, has not yet been added to the totals.
Iowa State has its highest ranking at this point in the year ever, surpassing the previous high of 20th in the 1996-97 winter standings. It is only the sixth time that the Cyclones have ever been in the Top 25 at the end of the winter (1996, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2022, 2024).
Iowa State currently ranks second among Big 12 schools, trailing only Texas, which is No. 2 in the team standings.ADVERTISING
Iowa State had a banner winter season led by wrestling scoring 80 points for the Learfield Directors’ Cup behind a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, its best finish since 2010. David Carr won his second national title, rolling to wins over the No. 1, 2 and 5 seeds to earn the 165-pound crown.
On the hardwood, the men’s basketball team reached the Sweet 16 and earned ISU 64 points. In women’s hoops, ISU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and tallied 50 points toward the cause.
The men’s basketball and wrestling teams won their respective Big 12 Championships, while the women’s basketball program also advanced to the championship game.
Men’s and women’s indoor track and field provided a boost with a pair of Top-25 finishes. It was the first time both had finished inside the Top 25 since 1992.
The women’s team finished 20th in the team standings, adding 53 points to ISU’s total. The finish was aided by Sydney Willits becoming Iowa State’s first national champion in the long jump.
On the men’s side, ISU finished 23rd and tacked on 51 points for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were led by individual First-Team All-Americans Finley Mclear (800m) and Darius Kipyego (800m). The distance medley relay team of Ezekiel Rop, Gus Langford, Jason Gomez and Silas Winders also earned First-Team All-America accolades.
In the fall, Iowa State accumulated points from men’s and women’s cross country, football and volleyball.
To view the complete standings, click here.
