Barton ties for second in NATYCAA Ron Case Cup standings, third in LERFIELD Directors' Cup #GoBarton
A pair of national championships helped the Cougars continue their national success, securing an eighth Top-3 finish in the last nine NATYCAA Cup standings
Fueled by a pair of national championships and six other Top-5 national finishes, the Barton Community College athletics programs continued their tradition of excellence on the national stage during the 2025-26 season, tying for second place in the annual NATYCAA Ron Case Cup presented by Daktronics standings.
The competition, which is organized by the National Alliance Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA), utilizes a College's top five finishes per gender at their highest level of national competition to earn points for the Ron Case Cup presented by Daktronics.
Compiling 167.5 points from its 10 highest national team placings, five from the men and five from the women, Barton tied the College of DuPage for second place in the Daktronics Scholarship Division standings. The runner-up finish marked the Cougars' ninth straight year among the top four in the NATYCAA Cup standings and eighth Top-3 finish during that stretch.
Iowa Western Community College captured the Scholarship Division title with 179 points followed by Barton and the College of DuPage tied at 167.5 points. New Mexico Junior College rounded out the top four with 159 points.
Additionally, the accomplishments earned Barton a tie for third place in the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings alongside the College of DuPage. Established in 2011-12, the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup utilizes the same point system as the Ron Case Cup while combining all divisions (Scholarship/Non-Scholarship/State Association) for a final compiled standing.
Mt. San Antonio College claimed the overall Directors' Cup title with 186 points followed by Iowa Western's 179-point total, while Barton and the College of DuPage shared third place with 167.5 points.
The Cougars were joined by four fellow Region 6 members among the Top-30 Scholarship Division standings, with Cowley College placing sixth at 145 points and Hutchinson Community College seventh with 138.5 points. Butler Community College finished 12th with 100.5 points while Johnson County Community College placed 21st with 78 points.
Leading Barton's point total were national championship performances from the women's bowling team and men's indoor track and field program, each collecting 20 points. The Lady Cougars captured the program's first national championship and the College's 61st NJCAA team title just two hours before the Cougar men secured the program's 11th indoor national crown and Barton's 62 team championship.
Women's outdoor track and field contributed 18 points following a third-place national finish, while the women's indoor squad added 17 points with a fourth-place effort. The men's swimming team, men's outdoor track and field program, and men's bowling team each chipped in 16 points behind fifth-place national finishes.
The women's tennis program added 15 points following its fifth-place national finish, the program's highest placement since 2003, while the men's tennis team contributed 13 points with an eighth-place showing in the final season of competition for both programs. Barton's scoring contributors were rounded out by the women's swimming team, which collected 11 points behind a seventh-place national finish.
Competing at their respective season-ending national championships but falling outside Barton's top 10 point contributors and/or qualifying as individuals were the men's basketball, men's soccer, wrestling, volleyball, and women's golf programs.
This is the eighth year that Daktronics has sponsored this award in conjunction with NATYCAA. The award was renamed during the 2024-25 season to the Ron Case Cup in honor of former NATYCAA president Ron Case (1999-2000), who served as Director of Athletics at Rowan College at Gloucester County for 25 years and stewarded the Cup program from its inception in 2004 through June 2024.
About NATYCAA
Now in its 39th year, NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletics administrators and membership open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. NATYCAA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 60th year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
About LEARFIELD
LEARFIELD is a leading media and technology services company in sports and entertainment, building brands and captivating fans. For the last five decades, LEARFIELD has built unparalleled solutions for colleges, universities, and beyond, by pushing boundaries at every turn creating opportunities for partners with cutting-edge ideas, technology, and innovation. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions. For more information on LEARFILED, please visit www.learfield.com.
Daktronics Ron Case Cup Standings – Top 10 (Complete Standings)
NJCAA Scholarship Division Top-10
1. Iowa Western CC, 179 points
T2. Barton CC, 167.5
T2. College of DuPage, 167.5
4. New Mexico JC, 159
5. Odessa College, 147.5
6. Cowley College, 145
7. Hutchinson CC, 138.5
8. Iowa Central CC, 125
9. Mesa CC, 106.5
10. Daytona State College, 102
LEARFIELD Directors' Cup Standings – Top 10 (Complete Standings)
1. Mt. San Antonio College, 186 points
2. Iowa Western CC, 179
T3. Barton CC, 167.5
T3. College of DuPage, 167.5
5. Gloucester CC, 160
6. Spokane CC, 159.5
7. New Mexico JC, 159
8. Sierra College, 156.5
9. Orange Coast CC, 151
10. Joliet JC, 150.5