The Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) athletic program placed seventh out of nearly 300 schools in the 2008-09 National Athletic Interscholastic Association (NAIA) for the 44th annual National Association Collegiate Directors Athletics (NACDA) Convention held in Orlando, Fla. last month. “All the credit goes to our coaches and student-athletes,” said PLNU athletic director Ethan Hamilton. “This was an exciting season for us and probably our best spring sports performance ever with all our teams reaching the playoffs.” The Sea Lions improved 10 spots from last season but continue to play in arguably the toughest conference in the NAIA, with five GSAC schools in the top seven rankings. Hamilton admits that is both frustrating and a source of pride to be in the NAIA’s top league. “It is frustrating that we finish well within our conference but where we place in the GSAC sets the tone for how we finish nationally,” Hamilton said. “Our conference is where our allegiance and loyalty is more than just nationally,” he said. Azusa Pacific University won an unprecedented fifth cup with a point total of 915. Concordia (Calif.) was the next highest with 774, followed by Lindenwood (Mo.) with 767.50 points, Fresno Pacific (751), Cal Baptist (692), Oklahoma City (663.20) and finally Point Loma with 625.50. Despite the improvement in overall points, the story is the same for the Sea Lions. Why is the GSAC so much better than the rest of the NAIA? Hamilton believes it is because of coaching. “We have the premiere coaches in our conference and they are able to get the topflight student-athletes,” Hamilton said. “Our conference also looks to give our student-athletes not only a good athletic experience. “Our graduation rates are through the roof at 86 percent,” he said. “We want to give them a solid experience athletically, academically and spiritually to make them well-rounded.” The point system is based on the postseason performance of 12 sports; six men’s and six women’s. A first-place finish or national title is worth 100 points, a runner-up finish is 90 points and anything below second place earns a specific number of points based on the total number of teams in the field. PLNU baseball earned the most points for the university with its second-place national finish — good for for 90 points. Softball was the second best with 76.50, volleyball finished third (73), women’s tennis and women’s basketball each had 70 points. Men’s tennis (53), women’s track and field (66), golf (52.50) and men’s track and field (51.50) followed women’s cross country earned 26 points. Baseball, softball, volleyball, men’s tennis, men’s track and field and women’s cross country each won their respective conference championship, and Sam Cyr won his second straight NAIA individual title in golf. Point Loma has now placed in the top 20 of the NACDA rankings for 11 straight years, which include its best finish ever, a fourth-place finish in 2004-05.