SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University climbed to 18th in the first 2017-18 Learfield Directors' Cup Spring standings report, released Thursday by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

From the final winter rankings to the first spring, the Lions reclaim the top spot for the Sunshine State Conference teams where the Green and Gold fall in at No. 18.
 
Saint Leo falls just ahead of Florida Southern in 19th place, where the Moccasins fell from 17th in the last rankings. The Lions gained 50 points from each the men's and women's tennis teams where the only other opportunity to gain points was from men's volleyball and men's water polo.

Saint Leo stands in 18th with a total of 366.50 points, 3.00 short of 17th place.

A total of seven Sunshine State Conference institutions were ranked among the top 100 in the first Spring Directors' Cup standings report, with the Lions, Moccasins, and Buccaneers among the top 50 institutions.

Grand Valley State used 75 points to jump to first overall with 630.75 points, surpassing Winter frontrunner California Baptist. SSC for Barry posted the most amount of points in the first spring rankings with 100 from the women's tennis national championship and 90 from the men's tennis national runners-up.

The Learfield Cup Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in NCAA Championships.

The next Learfield Directors' Cup standings update will be announced on Thursday, May 31, which will stand as the 2017-18 final Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo Department of Athletics, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.