The Dordt Defender men’s cross country team and Northwestern Red Raider men’s cross country team are both ranked in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released on Thursday, February 18.
The Defenders, ranked 7th took 473 points in the balloting done by conference coaches representing each of the NAIA conferences. Dordt is 24 points in front of St. Francis (Illinois) and seven points behind Lewis-Clark State (Idaho).
Ranked 15th in the final poll of the fall, Northwestern dropped three spots to No.18 in the Feb. 18 edition. The Raiders totaled 273 points and are one of three teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in this week’s top 25, joining Dordt (7) and Doane (22).
The top five teams held their rank from the last poll as Huntington (Ind.) is first and accumulated 15 of the 21 possible first place votes. Saint Mary (Kan.) is second, followed by Taylor (Ind.), Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) and Cornerstone (Mich.).
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Huntington (Ind.) [15] | 586 |
| 2 | 2 | Saint Mary (Kan.) [3] | 567 |
| 3 | 3 | Taylor (Ind.) | 549 |
| 4 | 4 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 522 |
| 5 | 5 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 496 |
| 6 | NR | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 480 |
| 7 | 6 | Dordt (Iowa) | 473 |
| 8 | 7 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 449 |
| 9 | 8 | Indiana Wesleyan | 421 |
| 10 | 9 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 412 |
| 11 | 10 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 398 |
| 12 | NR | Oklahoma City [3] | 389 |
| 13 | 11 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 369 |
| 14 | 12 | Montreat (N.C.) | 337 |
| 15 | 13 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 318 |
| 16 | 16 | College of Idaho | 315 |
| 17 | 14 | William Carey (Miss.) | 298 |
| 18 | 15 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 273 |
| 19 | 17 | Baker (Kan.) | 244 |
| 20 | 22 | Oregon Tech | 217 |
| 21 | 18 | Carroll (Mont.) | 213 |
| 22 | 19 | Doane (Neb.) | 193 |
| 23 | 20 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) | 178 |
| 24 | 21 | Columbia (Mo.) | 160 |
| 25 | 23 | Westmont (Calif.) | 120 |
Dropped from the Poll: Grace (Ind.), Montana State Northern
Receiving Votes: Northwest (Wash.) 113, Grace (Ind.) 99, Montana State Northern 72) Wayland Baptist (Texas) 67, Goshen (Ind.) 41, Dakota State (S.D.) 38, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 18, Loyola (La.) 11, Friends (Kan.) 7, College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 3
