Statesmen Take Second in Inaugural UEN Heart Cup

Oskaloosa--With numerous programs producing at the national level, the William Penn athletics department finished high in the inaugural UEN Heart Cup standings which were announced last Saturday.

The Statesmen claimed second place with 444 points, while Grand View topped the league standings with 590 points.  MidAmerica Nazarene rounded out the podium spots with 362.5 points.

The UEN Heart Cup was created to celebrate each schools' success at the national level.  Similar to the NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup, the scoring model awards points based on placement at NAIA national championships with institutions counting their top six men's sports and top six women's sports.

WPU's point total was highlighted by a second-place finish by women's wrestling, while men's lacrosse reached the national semifinals and men's soccer got to the quarterfinal round.  Football, men's volleyball, women's bowling, men's basketball, and men's outdoor track and field also factored into the 444 points the navy and gold secured.

"The UEN Heart Cup was created to recognize institutions that demonstrate excellence at the national championship level, of which our membership are constantly competing for," Heart of America Athletic Conference Commissioner Nik Rule said.  "What makes this award special is that it rewards both national championship success and consistent qualification across multiple sports. Our membership not only competed at a high level nationally but won six national championships, which means that almost one-quarter of the time our membership are winning a national championship in a sport we compete in."

2025-2026 UEN Heart Cup Standings
1. Grand View--590 points
2. William Penn--444
3. MidAmerica Nazarene--362.5
4. Central Methodist--358
5. Missouri Valley--354
6. Benedictine--332
7. Mount Mercy--330.5
8. Park--237
9. Missouri Baptist--167
10. Baker--164
11. William Woods--140
12. Graceland--20