NEW ORLEANS, La. – Four MIAA men's cross country/track and field programs appear on the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) final standings for the 2021-22 Damon Martin Men's Program of the Year. 

The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution’s finish at the NCAA Championships.

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the team’s finish at each NCAA Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.

Pittsburg State's men's cross country/track and field program led the MIAA with a total 19 points for third-place. The Gorillas finished 15th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship, placed third at the Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championship and won the program’s first Division II Outdoor National Title. This is the first top-three finish for Pittsburg State in the USTFCCCA's Program of the Year standings since finishing second in 2010.

Missouri Southern finished eighth in the USTFCCCA's 2021-22 final standings witht a points total of 46. Tthe Lions placed 13th at the men's cross country national championship, 26th at the indoor track and field national championship and sixth at the outdoor championship. 

Just one spot behind MSSU was Central Missouri in ninth with 47.5 points on the year. After placing 32nd at the men's cross country national championship, the Mules placed in the top-10 at both the indoor and outdoor track and field national championships with a fifth place finish at indoor and 10th place finish at outdoor. 

Nebraska Kearney finished 12th with 68 total points. The Lopers placed 25th at the cross country national championship, 19th at the indoor track and field national championship and 23rd at the outdoor championship. 

The MIAA led all Division II conferences with four programs listed on the USTFCCCA's final standings. Below is the complete men's standings for the USTFCCCA's 2021-22 Program of the Year.