KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) were recognized in the latest edition of the NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll, the national office announced Thursday.
The University of Saint Mary is in a tie for the No. 9 spot in the newest poll, moving up one spot from their previous ranking. Evangel University and Kansas Wesleyan University both remained in the "Receiving Votes" category, which they occupied in the previous edition of the poll.
The next NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll will be released Thursday, October 16.
Ratings Methodology
- The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
- The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
- The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team’s rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”.
Key: RV - Receiving Votes, NR - Not Ranked
TOP 10 CAPSULES
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1. The Master's (Calif.)
The Mustangs have not competed since last week's rating, retaining No. 1 going into Saturday's Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, in Claremont, Calif.
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2. Indiana Wesleyan
Led by NAIA Runner of the Week Josh Bainbridge, IWU remained No. 2, and last week at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., the Wildcats were the top team in the 8K Open race, more than 100 points better than the next-nearest NAIA program. In all, IWU collected wins over five other NAIA programs in the field of 20 teams. The Wildcats have now won back-to-back races to start the 2025 season, also finishing in front of a field of 20 at the IWU Twilight, Sept. 5. Indiana Wesleyan is back on the cross country course Friday, Oct. 10, in the Ray Bullock Invitational, hosted by Taylor (Ind.), in Upland, Ind.
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3. Milligan (Tenn.)
The Buffs hosted and won last week's Eli Cramer Invitational, and Milligan is back in action Friday evening at the Firetower Project, hosted by Appalachian State. The Buffs are up a spot, this week, to No. 3.
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4. Cumberlands (Ky.)
UC slid a spot, this week, and the Patriots he Mustangs have not competed since last week's rating. They're back in action Saturday, at the Greater Louisville Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville.
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5. Taylor (Ind.)
Taylor stepped out of primarily NAIA competition last week and finished eighth at the Seminole Invite, hosted by Florida State. Luke Harber led Taylor with a 25th-place finish and time of 25:26.7. The Trojans were 16 points back of the Univrsity of Tampa, and within two spots of Miami (Fla.). The Trojans finished seven positions better than Ave Maria (Fla.), and 11 in front of SCAD Savannah (Ga.).
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6. Marian (Ind.)
Marian finished 11th at last week's Lucian Rosa Invite, in Parkside, Wis., led by Tristan Trevino's top-50 time of 25:42. Marian takes part in the Ray Bullock Invite, next, Oct. 10 at Taylor.
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7. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
Embry-Riddle has not competed since last week's rating, competing next in the Oct. 4 ACU Firestorm Invitational, in Glendale, Ariz.
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8. Spring Arbor (Mich.)
Spring Arbor was fourth at last week's Siena Heights (Mich.) Invitational, led by a 16th-place showing from Cooper Singleton, in 26:38. The Cougars' next meet is Friday afternoon, at the Joe Paine Invitational, hosted by the University of Notre Dame.
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T-9. Corban (Ore.)
Corban and Saint Mary (Kan.) enter the week tied for ninth in the Oct. 2 rating, and Corban has not competed since last week's rating. Corban is back on the course Friday, at Willamette, in Salem, Ore.
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T-9. Saint Mary (Kan.)
The Spires moved up a spot, into a ninth-place tie with Corban, and USM has not competed since last week's rating. Saint Mary is back on the course Oct. 4, at the University of Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival.
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FULL TOP 25 RANKINGS
| Rank |
Last Rating |
Insitution [1st Place Votes] |
Points |
| 1 |
1 |
The Master's (Calif.) [14] |
464 |
| 2 |
2 |
Indiana Wesleyan [2] |
449 |
| 3 |
4 |
Milligan (Tenn.) |
427 |
| 4 |
3 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
424 |
| 5 |
5 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
402 |
| 6 |
6 |
Marian (Ind.) |
376 |
| 7 |
8 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
372 |
| 8 |
7 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
351 |
| T-9 |
9 |
Corban (Ore.) |
326 |
| T-9 |
10 |
Saint Mary (Kan.) |
326 |
| 11 |
11 |
Trinity Western (B.C.) |
318 |
| 12 |
13 |
IU East (Ind.) |
287 |
| 13 |
14 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
280 |
| 14 |
12 |
College of Idaho |
278 |
| 15 |
15 |
Doane (Neb.) |
267 |
| 16 |
16 |
Montreat (N.C.) |
232 |
| 17 |
17 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
228 |
| 18 |
19 |
Southern Oregon |
196 |
| 19 |
18 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
190 |
| 20 |
21 |
Goshen (Ind.) |
171 |
| 21 |
20 |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
167 |
| 22 |
23 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
120 |
| 23 |
24 |
Shawnee State (Ohio) |
95 |
| 24 |
NR |
Northwest (Wash.) |
92 |
| 25 |
22 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
83 |
Receiving Votes: Park (Mo.) 80, St. Francis (Ill.) 63, Madonna (Mich.) 61, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 45, Tennessee Southern 24, Benedictine (Kan.) 15, Evangel (Mo.) 15, Oklahoma City 14, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 10, Indiana Tech, 8, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 6, John Brown (Ark.) 6, Kansas Wesleyan 3.
Dropped out of Top 25: Lewis-Clark State (Idaho).
—KCAC—