PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State Athletics ended the 2017 fall sports season ranked No. 24 in the Learfield Director's Cup fall standings, the organization announced Thursday.
 
The Cougars accumulated189 points following strong efforts from all fall sports. Women's soccer led the way with 64 points as it reached the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championship, its best finish in school history. Women's volleyball accounted for 50 points as it reached the second round of the NCAA championship for the second straight year, while men's cross country finished 24th at the NCAA Championships, good for 50 points.
 
Cougar football received 25 points for reaching the Holiday Bowl for the second straight season, finishing 9-4 and advancing to a bowl game for the third consecutive year. Though women's cross country did not reach the NCAA's as a team, junior Vallery Korir earned All-America honors as she finished 33rd as an individual at the championships.
 
The 2017 fall point total for the Cougars is nearing last year's final point total, when the Cougars ended the 2016-17 year with 202.5 points and in 101st place among 293 schools that earned points. This also marks the highest fall finish for WSU since the fall of 2002, when the Cougars were 22nd, highlighted by an appearance in the Rose Bowl and an Elite Eight finish in volleyball.
 
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 finish in NCAA Championships.