LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 9, 2026) – Colorado State University Pueblo recorded its second straight Top 20 finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings, as the ThunderWolves finished the 2025-26 school year ranked 19th nationally among NCAA Division II athletic departments, as announced Tuesday afternoon by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
CSU Pueblo scored 529.75 points this season to earn its second consecutive Top 20 finish and third straight finish inside the Top 25. The Pack posted a program-best 12th-place finish in 2024-25 and also finished 16th in 2022-23 with 550.25 points.
"Another Top 25 finish for Pack Athletics in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings is a testament to the resilience of our programs," said CSU Pueblo Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships Dr. Paul Plinske. "Historically, we have scored more in the fall sport season, but it was a stellar effort by our spring sports to pull us into the Top 20 and remain among the elite in the RMAC and NCAA Division II competition. Congratulations to our teams that competed so well in NCAA postseason play. It was a great year for both individuals and teams."
CSU Pueblo totaled 290.25 points during the spring season after scoring 117.50 points in the fall and 172.0 points in the winter. The Pack sat tied for 31st following the winter standings after being 44th at the conclusion of the fall season.
In the spring, the Pack tallied points in five sports as the women's outdoor track and field team scored the most points with 62.3 after its 13th place finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships. The Pack scored 60 points in men's outdoor track and field after its 15th place finish, while the women's golf team scored 59 points after advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championships and finishing in 16th place overall. The men's golf team qualified for regionals and sent an individual, Archie Wyatt, to the national championships and scored 34.5 points and the softball team earned a spot in the NCAA South Central Regionals and scored 25 points.
In this year's Learfield Directors' Cup standings, 251 NCAA Division II schools scored points based on their qualifications and performances in NCAA postseason competition. During the 2025-26 school year, the Pack recorded a program-best fourth place finish in women's indoor track and field, a 10th place finish in women's cross country, a 13th place finish in women's outdoor track and field, a 15th place finish in both men's indoor and outdoor track and field, a 16th place finish in women's golf and NCAA postseason appearances for football, volleyball and men's golf, along with Jacob Myers winning a match at the NCAA Wresting National Championships.
Along with the Top 4 national team finish in both women's indoor track and field, CSU Pueblo captured three individual national titles during the 2025-26 school year as sophomore Caleb McLeod (Fife, Scotland/Kinross) was the national champion in the men's outdoor 1,500 meters, while senior Febe Wessels (Pretoria, South Africa) won the national title in the women's indoor shot put and women's Distance Medley Relay also took home its second straight national championship during the winter. The members of the national championship DMR team were senior Jadyn Herron (Queen Creek, Ariz./Casteel), senior Gabrielle Dunich (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo Central), senior Charlotte Young (Kent, United Kingdom/Loughborough University) and senior Helen Braybrook (Frieston, United Kingdom/Oakham School). Additionally, Braybrook was the national runner-up in both the women's outdoor 1,500 meters and the women's indoor mile.
CSU was one of four schools from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to finish in the Top 25 of the final 2025-26 Division II Learfield Directors' Cup standings as Colorado School of Mines was the highest finishing team in the RMAC as they finished seventh overall with a total of 698.50 points, while Colorado Mesa was 11th overall with a total of 632.50 points and Adams State was six spots behind CSU Pueblo at No. 25 as the Grizzlies scored a total of 512.50 points. West Texas A&M was fourth with 737.75 points and Minnesota State was fifth with 705.0 points in the final Division II standings. Overall, 14 of the league's 15 schools scored in this year's final Learfield Directors' Cup standings with seven schools overall placing in the Top 90 of the final standings.
The Learfield 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 national finish in up to 14 sports in NCAA Division II championships.
