KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-ranked Cumberlands (Ky.) continued to strengthen its hold on the No. 1 position in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Top 25, earning 560 points to remain comfortably ahead of second-ranked Madonna (Mich.), which collected 542 points.
The biggest storyline near the top of the poll came from The Master’s (Calif.) and Trinity Western (B.C.), as both programs surged into the top four. The Master’s climbed one spot to No. 3, while Trinity Western jumped six positions from No. 10 to No. 4. Marian (Ind.) held steady at No. 5, while Southern Oregon and Milligan (Tenn.) each slipped one position to round out the top seven. College of Idaho, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), and Tennessee Southern completed the top 10.
Further down the rankings, Oklahoma City delivered one of the largest jumps of the week, leaping eight spots from No. 24 to No. 16 following a strong recent showing. Corban (Ore.) also broke into the Top 25 at No. 18 after previously sitting among teams receiving votes, while IU East (Ind.) climbed seven places to No. 21.
As the postseason draws closer, the latest rankings reflect a deep and competitive field with numerous teams positioning themselves for a run at the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship.
| TREND | RANK | LAST TIME | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | 1 | 1 | Cumberlands (Ky.) [19] | 560 |
| ● | 2 | 2 | Madonna (Mich.) [1] | 542 |
| ▲ | 3 | 4 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 506 |
| ▲ | 4 | 10 | Trinity Western (B.C.) | 500 |
| ● | 5 | 5 | Marian (Ind.) | 484 |
| ▼ | 6 | 3 | Southern Oregon | 474 |
| ▼ | 7 | 6 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 464 |
| ● | 8 | 8 | College of Idaho | 419 |
| ● | 9 | 9 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 398 |
| ▼ | 10 | 7 | Tennessee Southern | 391 |
| ● | 11 | 11 | Park (Mo.) | 387 |
| ● | 12 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 362 |
| ● | 13 | 13 | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | 343 |
| ● | 14 | 14 | Goshen (Ind.) | 321 |
| ● | 15 | 15 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 292 |
| ▲ | 16 | 24 | Oklahoma City | 290 |
| ● | 17 | 17 | Dordt (Iowa) | 256 |
| ▲ | 18 | RV | Corban (Ore.) | 255 |
| ● | 19 | 19 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 233 |
| ● | 20 | 20 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 214 |
| ▲ | 21 | 28 | IU East (Ind.) | 208 |
| ▼ | 22 | 21 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 194 |
| ▼ | 23 | 16 | Eastern Oregon | 185 |
| ▼ | 24 | 22 | Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) | 126 |
| ● | 25 | 25 | Taylor (Ind.) | 117 |
Receiving Votes: Montreat (N.C.) 97, Northwest (Wash.) 89, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 79, Columbia (Mo.) 72, Benedictine (Kan.) 38, Doane (Neb.) 28, Aquinas (Mich.) 18, Kansas Wesleyan 7, Mobile (Ala.) 6
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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