KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) were ranked in the Top 25 in the 2025 NAIA Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll, the national office announced Thursday.
The University of Saint Mary was ranked No. 10, while Kansas Wesleyan University joined the Spires in the Top 25, coming in at No. 23.
The next edition of the NAIA Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll will be released Monday, September 22.
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”.
|
1. The Master's (Calif.), 496 points
Finished fourth at last season's national championship, in Columbia, Mo., the Mustangs are the top-ranked team in the 2025 preseason out of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference. Led by Jack Anderson, who enters his senior season after a fourth-place finish in last year's championship meet.
|
|
2. Milligan (Tenn.), 486 points
The second-place team at the 2024 championship, Milligan enters 2025 as the top-ranked team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Will be led by returning All-Americans Winston Telford and Bryson Lewis.
|
|
3. Taylor (Ind.), 471 points
Returns the entire squad after an eighth-place finish in last season's national championship meet, led by 2024 NAIA all-American Luke Harber. Taylor begins 2025 as the top-ranked team in the Crossroads League.
|
|
4. Cumberlands (Ky.), 465 points
The top-ranked team in the Mid-South Conference, lost three All-Americans off of last season's team, returning Ryan Ehrler, Noah Loser, and Jon Eades, who were all NAIA championship qualifiers last season. Coming off of back-to-back MSC titles, and finished third in last year's national championship in Columbia.
|
|
5. Marian (Ind.), 421 points
Up five spots from last season's finish in the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship, lost just one runner from last season's top seven, led by returning NAIA All-Americans Tristan Trevino and Charlie Leedke.
|
|
6. Spring Arbor (Mich.), 409 points
Led by four all-conference honorees in a rugged Crossroads League, Spring Arbor is the second-ranked team out of the Crossroads league in the 2025 preseason conference rating. Team finished 17th at last season's national championship meet.
|
|
7. College of Idaho, 382 points
The Yotes are the defending NAIA Men's Cross Country national champion, picked second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference in 2025. Lost three All-Americans from last season's national championship team.
|
|
8. Indiana Wesleyan, 365 points
Led by returning All-American Braden Sweet, counting on depth in a tough Crossroads League, where the Wildcats are picked fourth in the 2025 preseason. Ended 2024 with a fifth-place finish in the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship.
|
|
9. Corban (Ore.), 363 points
The top-ranked team in the Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason rating, the Warriors are led by returning NAIA All-American Jack Gladfelter, who finished eighth in the 2024 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship.
|
|
10. Saint Mary (Kan.), 338 points
The Spires finished sixth in the 2024 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship, and USM enters 2025 as the top-ranked team in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
|
| RANK |
INSTITUTION |
POINTS |
| 11 |
Eastern Oregon |
333 |
| 12 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
331 |
| 13 |
Indiana-East |
324 |
| 14 |
Doane (Neb.) |
307 |
| 15 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
254 |
| 16 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
238 |
| 17 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
230 |
| 18 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
219 |
| T-19 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
177 |
| T-19 |
Montreat (N.C.) |
177 |
| 21 |
Goshen (Ind.) |
113 |
| 22 |
Southern Oregon |
112 |
| 23 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
110 |
| 24 |
Shawnee State (Ohio) |
107 |
| 25 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
100 |
Receiving Votes: St. Francis (Ill.) 93, Trinity Western (B.C.) 84, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 68, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 31, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 30, Cornerstone (Mich.) 16, Tennessee Southern 15, Columbia (Mo.) 8, SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 8, Indiana Tech 6, Montana Tech 6, SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 5, Bellevue (Neb.) 2.
—KCAC—