Week Eleven: Dec. 21, 1999 Pacific Lutheran Tops Final 1999 AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll Pacific Lutheran, the 1999 NCAA Division III national champion, tops the final 1999AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll released December 21. The Lutes received 45 of a possible 45 first place votes following their 42-13 victory over Rowan in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday in Salem, Virginia. Pacific Lutheran finished the 1999 season with a 13-1 record. Division III runner-up Rowan finished second in this week’s poll with 1,074 points. The Profs are followed by Mount Union, Trinity and Ohio Northern in the top five. Rowan advanced to the Stagg Bowl for the fifth time in the last seven years this season and ended Mount Union’s NCAA-record 54-game winning streak with a 24-17 overtime victory in the semifinals. Hardin-Simmons, St. John’s (Minn.), Montclair State, Western Maryland and Wittenberg round out the top 10. Hardin-Simmons finished 12-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Trinity (Texas), 40-33. Central (Iowa), Wartburg, Augustana (Ill.), Western Connecticut State and Lycoming hold down spots 11-15. Central’s playoff appearance this season was the 14th in school history, the most among NCAA Division III schools. Washington & Jefferson, Hanover, Catholic, Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Rensselaer come in at spots 16-20. Washington & Jefferson made its 12th playoff appearance in the last 15 seasons this year. Ursinus, St. Norbert, Bridgewater State (Mass.), Willamette and Wisconsin-La Crosse round out the final AFCA Division III Top 25 of 1999. Willamette handed Pacific Lutheran its only loss of the season, 29-20, on Oct. 9. Alma (22 in final regular season poll) dropped out of this week’s poll. Conference Breakdown: The Northwest Conference (Pacific Lutheran, Willamette), Ohio Athletic Conference (Mount Union, Ohio Northern), New Jersey Athletic Conference (Rowan, Montclair State), Iowa Conference (Central, Wartburg), Wisconsin (Wis.-Stevens Point, Wis.-La Crosse) and Centennial (Western Maryland, Ursinus) each placed two teams in this week’s poll. The following conferences each placed one team in this week’s poll: Southern Collegiate (Trinity), Minnesota (St. John’s), Middle Atlantic (Lycoming), North Coast Athletic Conference (Wittenberg) Heartland (Hanover), Old Dominion (Catholic), Freedom (Western Connecticut), New England Football (Bridgewater State) American Southwest (Hardin-Simmons), College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (Augustana), President’s (Washington & Jefferson) Upstate Athletic Association (Rensselaer) and Midwest (St. Norbert). Poll Points: Pacific Lutheran won its first NCAA Division III championship this season, but the it is not the Lutes’ first national championship ... PLU also captured three national titles in the NAIA (1980, 1987, 1993) ... The Lutes also finished second four times in the NAIA ... Head Coach Frosty Westering now has a career record of 277-84-7 in 36 years as a head coach. For the first time in their playoff history, Mount Union was not eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual national champion ... Prior to 1999, each team that defeated the Purple Raiders in the playoffs went on to win the national championship that season. K.C. Keeler is now Rowan’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 70-17-1 (.801) ... The Profs finished the 1990s with a record of 98-23-1 for the decade. St. John’s (Minn.) Head Coach John Gagliardi is now 44 victories away from Eddie Robinson’s all-time NCAA record of 408 coaching victories ... Gagliardi has won 364 games in 51 seasons as a head coach. Ohio Northern’s 11-2 record was the best in school history ... The Polars’ playoff appearance was the first in school history ... Runningback Jamal Robertson set school records for rushing yards (1,544) and touchdowns (19) this season. St. Norbert set a school record for wins in a season this year with nine ... The Knights’ five road wins are also a school record.
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