KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on Thursday the results of the first regular season version of the NAIA Men's Cross Country Top-25 Rating. The Milligan University men's squad fell seven spots down to No. 11 from their preseason perch at No. 4.
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 are removed. The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
The men are coming off of three total events in which they have participated, including two races (Covered Bridge Open and Southern Showcase) in which all but a few programs were from the NCAA Division I level. In those races, the Buffaloes were in the back half of finishing teams. Overall, the Men of Milligan were awarded 364 points and were picked 11th as a team in the rating.
The full ratings are listed below:
NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Rating (Sept. 24)
| RANK |
LAST |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) [17] |
528 |
| T-2 |
3 |
Southern Oregon [2] |
504 |
| T-2 |
2 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
504 |
| 4 |
5 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
449 |
| 5 |
7 |
College of Idaho |
457 |
| 6 |
15 |
Saint Mary (Kan.) |
416 |
| 7 |
9 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
412 |
| 8 |
6 |
Corban (Ore.) |
403 |
| 9 |
8 |
Marian (Ind.) |
401 |
| 10 |
RV |
Tennessee Southern |
398 |
| 11 |
4 |
Milligan (Tenn.) |
364 |
| 12 |
10 |
Trinity Western (B.C.) |
319 |
| 13 |
24 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
304 |
| 14 |
12 |
Madonna (Mich.) |
290 |
| 15 |
18 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
284 |
| 16 |
14 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
267 |
| 17 |
11 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
260 |
| 18 |
16 |
Goshen (Ind.) |
243 |
| 19 |
RV |
Northwest (Wash.) |
251 |
| 20 |
17 |
Park (Mo.) |
211 |
| 21 |
RV |
IU East (Ind.) |
208 |
| 22 |
RV |
Dordt (Iowa) |
197 |
| 23 |
22 |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
155 |
| 24 |
T-19 |
Doane (Neb.) |
140 |
| 25 |
14 |
Eastern Oregon |
123 |
Dropped Out of Top 25: Mid-America Christian (Okla.), Montreat (N.C.), Spring Arbor (Mich.)
Receiving Votes: Carroll (Mont.) 76, Montreat (N.C.) 65, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 54, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 43, John Brown (Ark.) 33, Aquinas (Mich.) 30, Columbia (Mo.) 29, Northwestern (Iowa) 20, Saint Francis (Ind.) 17, Evangel (Mo.) 14, Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) 6, Oregon Tech 5, Concordia (Neb.) 4
