CLEVELAND-In news released Friday, the BYU Cougars placed 17th in the 2020-21 Learfield Directors’ Cup standings.

This was BYU’s highest placing in the final standings since finishing 8th in the 2000-01 athletic campaign.

It was also the third highest finish in the athletic department’s history.

The Directors’ Cup annually ranks collegiate athletic programs throughout the country by awarding points on each institution’s finish in NCAA championships.

The Cougars had 871.25 points overall.

Women’s cross country, bolstered by former Panguitch High School student-athlete Whittni Orton and former Millard High School student-athlete Anna Camp, finished the highest in the athletic department with 100 points as the Cougars won the Division I national title in this sport.

Texas finished first overall. The Longhorns netted 1,252 total points.

The rest of the top 10 were as follows:

2. Stanford

3. Michigan

4. North Carolina

5. Florida

6. USC

7. Alabama

8. Arkansas

9. Ohio State

10. Georgia