Big Jumps in NAIA Women's XC Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) will spend a third-straight week at No. 1 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Women's Cross Country poll, the NAIA announced Wednesday. The defending national champions earned 715 points and were awarded all 25 possible first-place votes. California State University-San Marcos is ranked second, followed by Biola University (Calif.), Simon Fraser University (B.C.) and College of Idaho to round out the top five.
After receiving votes in the first four polls of 2009, a pair of teams are making their first appearance in the Top 25. British Columbia has finally broken in at No. 11 and Shorter (Ga.) is listed at No. 19. These newly ranked squads replace Concordia (Ore.) and Black Hills State (S.D.), who were previously ranked 13th and 25th, respectively.
Still ranked in the Top 25, Cornerstone (Mich.) tumbled nine spots this week from No. 15 to 24. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) and Eastern Oregon each improved six spots in this week's poll. Embry-Riddle was previously ranked 19th and is now 13th, while Eastern Oregon was at No. 23 and is now No. 17.
The Golden State Athletic Conference boasts five nationally-ranked teams in Azusa Pacific, Biola, No. 7 Concordia (Calif.), No. 15 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and No. 23 Vanguard (Calif.). The Association of Independent Institutions has three ranked teams in California State-San Marcos, Simon Fraser and British Columbia.
For the third consecutive week, California State-San Marcos is ranked second, but sits 28 points back from Azusa Pacific with 687 points. Biola and Simon Fraser swap spots from the previous week at No. 3 and 4. Separated by a mere three points, Biola recorded 661 points to Simon Fraser's 558. Cracking into the top five with 602 points is College of Idaho, bumping up to No. 5 from 6.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next poll will be released on Oct. 14.