KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) of the Mid-South Conference earns its third-straight No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Blue Raiders, who hold a 9-1-2 mark on the season, accumulated 18 first-place votes and 589 total points en route to their NAIA-leading 47th all-time No. 1 ranking.
With this week’s top billing, Lindsey Wilson becomes the first program to earn three No. 1 rankings in 2013. Hastings (Neb.), Mobile (Ala.) and Belhaven (Miss.) have also been ranked No. 1 this season.
Belhaven compiled 572 total points and the three remaining first-place votes to hold the No. 2 ranking. The Blazers, who are 10-2-1 on the season, are trying to become just the second preseason No. 1 program to regain the No. 1 position after falling from the top spot in the poll. Lindsey Wilson previously did so in 2000, 01, 06 and 12.
Rio Grande (Ohio) accrued 555 points, earning the No. 3 position. The 9-1-2 Red Storm have been ranked among the top 10 in 56-straight polls, dating back to the 2009 preseason edition.
No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan and No. 5 Grand View (Iowa) round out the top five with 534 and 506 points, respectively. The 11-1-0 Eagles are ranked among the top five for the third-straight week. The 11-2-0 Vikings are ranked among the top five for the first time, dating back to 2000. Grand View has been ranked in every 2013 regular-season poll and has spent the past four weeks ranked among the top 10.
Within the poll, No. 11 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) made the largest jump for the second-consecutive week, moving up five spots, while Texas at Brownsville fell eighteen spots, landing at No. 24.
There were two newcomers to the Top 25: No. 12 Concordia (Calif.) and No. 20 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas). Concordia returns to the poll after a four week hiatus while Our Lady of the Lake makes its first Top 25 appearance in program history, dating back to 2000, after receiving votes in four of the previous six polls.
Bryan (Tenn.) and Midland (Neb.) fell out of the Top 25.
The Southern States Athletic Conference shares the leads among all conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings with four teams among the Top 25: Belhaven, No. 9 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 16 William Carey (Miss.) and No. 23 Martin Methodist (Tenn.). The Heart of America Athletic Conference also placed four teams among the Top 25: No. 6 Benedictine (Kan.), No. 8 Missouri Valley, No. 14 Baker (Kan.) and No. 17 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.).
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. For the entire 2013 Coaches' Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
NOTES: (All information dates back to 2000) This week, No. 5 Grand View (Iowa) makes its first-ever appearance among the top five… Last week, Mobile (Ala.) became the first former No. 1 to fall out of the Top 25 in the same season since former member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) in 2008… This year, four different teams have been ranked No. 1: Belhaven (Miss.), Mobile, Hastings (Neb.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)… In 2012, just three teams claimed the No. 1 ranking all season: Lindsey Wilson, Rio Grande (Ohio) and Belhaven … This is the fifth season—dating back to 2000, and the first since 2008—that at least four different teams have been ranked No. 1… Since 2000, an NAIA-record five teams have been ranked No. 1 during the same season on just two occasions, in 2000 and 2006… Cal State San Marcos, Campbellsville (Ky.), Corban (Ore.), Georgia Gwinnett, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) and Wayland Baptist (Texas) earned their first Top 25 rankings this season… Lindsey Wilson is the longest consecutively ranked active school at 77-straight polls, dating back to the 2007 Preseason Top 25 Poll… Rio Grande is next in line with 70-consecutive rankings, followed by Belhaven at 43 and Missouri Valley at 37... Lindsey Wilson boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 47, followed by Rio Grande with 39, Bethel (Tenn.) with 11 and Hastings with 10... Overall, 18 different teams have claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll… Thirteen of the 21 conferences/independents/unaffiliated groups are represented in the sixth regular-season Top 25 poll... Since 2000, just two teams have spent the entire season ranked No. 1—Bethel in 2009 and Rio Grande in 2004.
2013 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (Oct. 15)
|
RANK |
LAST TIME^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2013 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (18) |
9-1-2 |
589 |
|
2 |
2 |
Belhaven (Miss.) (3) |
10-2-1 |
572 |
|
3 |
3 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
9-1-2 |
555 |
|
4 |
4 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
11-1-0 |
534 |
|
5 |
8 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
11-2-0 |
506 |
|
6 |
7 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
9-2-1 |
498 |
|
7 |
5 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
9-3-1 |
480 |
|
8 |
12 |
Missouri Valley |
9-2-2 |
447 |
|
9 |
11 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
8-4-0 |
435 |
|
10 |
13 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
10-2-0 |
416 |
|
11 |
16 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
8-1-0 |
375 |
|
12 |
RV |
Concordia (Calif.) |
7-3-0 |
364 |
|
13 |
10 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
9-2-1 |
341 |
|
14 |
14 |
Baker (Kan.) |
8-4-2 |
333 |
|
15 |
18 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
9-2-3 |
316 |
|
16 |
17 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
8-3-1 |
302 |
|
17 |
19 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
11-3-1 |
298 |
|
18 |
8 |
Biola (Calif.) |
8-2-1 |
279 |
|
19 |
20 |
Texas Wesleyan |
9-2-1 |
223 |
|
20 |
NR |
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
10-2-0 |
210 |
|
21 |
14 |
Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
9-3-1 |
204 |
|
22 |
22 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
11-1-1 |
174 |
|
23 |
22 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
6-2-1 |
154 |
|
24 |
6 |
Texas at Brownsville |
10-2-1 |
150 |
|
25 |
24 |
Corban (Ore.) |
9-0-1 |
149 |
Others Receiving Votes: Indiana Wesleyan 87; Bryan (Tenn.) 84; Davenport (Mich.) 56; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 54; Thomas (Ga.) 47; Midland (Neb.) 44; Marymount (Calif.) 40; Mobile (Ala.) 31; Concordia (Ore.) 23; Cal State San Marcos 17; Vanguard (Calif.) 12; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 10; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 7; Georgia Gwinnett 4.
^ 2013 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll (Oct. 8)