With this week’s top billing, Lindsey Wilson becomes the second program to earn consecutive No. 1 rankings in 2013, after Hastings (Neb.) did so in Polls 2 and 3.
Belhaven (Miss.) compiled 566 total points and three first-place votes to earn the No. 2 ranking. The Blazers, who hold a 10-2-1 mark on the season, have improved in every poll since falling to No. 10 in the first regular-season edition. Belhaven is 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 548 points, earning the No. 3 position. This is the first setback for the 8-1-2 Red Storm, who had improved in every previous coaches’ poll of the 2013 season.
No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan and No. 5 Ashford (Iowa) round out the top five with 544 and 520 points, respectively. The 10-1-0 Eagles are ranked among the top five for the second-straight week. The 8-2-1 Saints are ranked among the top five for the third-straight week and among the top 10 for the fifth-straight week—both program records.
Within the poll, No. 6 Texas at Brownsville and No. 16 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) made the largest jumps, each moving up five spots, while Hastings (Neb.) fell seven spots, landing at No. 13.
There were three newcomers to the Top 25: No. 23 Campbellsville (Ky.), No. 24 Corban (Ore.) and No. 25 Midland (Neb.). This is the first Top 25 rating for both Campbellsville and Corban, dating back to 2000. Midland is ranked for just the second time in program history; the Warriors were previously ranked No. 25 on Sept. 19, 2007.
Mobile (Ala.), Indiana Wesleyan and Concordia (Ore.) fell out of the Top 25. Mobile had been ranked in 40-straight polls dating back to Sept. 21, 2010.
The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings with four teams among the Top 25: Belhaven, No. 11 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 17 William Carey (Miss.) and No. 22 Martin Methodist (Tenn.). This is the first poll in which the Southern States Athletic Conference did not place five teams among the Top 25.
The Heart of America Athletic Conference—which has been second among all conferences/ independents/unaffiliated groupings in every prior 2013 poll—is tied for the lead, also placing four teams among the Top 25: No. 7 Benedictine (Kan.), No. 12 Missouri Valley, No. 14 Baker (Kan.) and No. 19 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, 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, and Wayland Baptist (Texas) earned their first Top 25 rankings this season… Lindsey Wilson is the longest consecutively ranked active school at 76-straight polls, dating back to the 2007 Preseason Top 25 Poll… Rio Grande is next in line with 69-consecutive rankings, followed by Belhaven at 42 and Missouri Valley at 36... Lindsey Wilson boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 46, 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… Fourteen of the 21 conferences/independents/unaffiliated groups are represented in the fifth 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. 8)
|
RANK |
LAST TIME^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2013 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (18) |
8-1-2 |
589 |
|
2 |
3 |
Belhaven (Miss.) (3) |
10-2-1 |
566 |
|
3 |
2 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
8-1-2 |
548 |
|
4 |
4 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
10-1-0 |
544 |
|
5 |
5 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
8-2-1 |
520 |
|
6 |
11 |
Texas at Brownsville |
10-1-0 |
472 |
|
7 |
7 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
8-2-0 |
461 |
|
T8 |
9 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
9-2-0 |
439 |
|
T8 |
8 |
Biola (Calif.) |
7-1-1 |
439 |
|
10 |
14 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
8-1-1 |
415 |
|
11 |
13 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
8-4-0 |
409 |
|
12 |
10 |
Missouri Valley |
8-2-1 |
399 |
|
13 |
6 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
9-2-0 |
390 |
|
T14 |
18 |
Baker (Kan.) |
8-3-1 |
324 |
|
T14 |
17 |
Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
8-2-1 |
324 |
|
16 |
21 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
6-1-0 |
278 |
|
17 |
15 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
8-3-1 |
272 |
|
18 |
20 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
8-2-2 |
253 |
|
19 |
21 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
9-3-1 |
225 |
|
20 |
16 |
Texas Wesleyan |
8-2-1 |
200 |
|
21 |
24 |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
8-1-0 |
185 |
|
22 |
25 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
6-2-1 |
158 |
|
23 |
RV |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
10-1-1 |
131 |
|
24 |
NR |
Corban (Ore.) |
8-0-1 |
126 |
|
25 |
RV |
Midland (Neb.) |
10-1-1 |
100 |
Others Receiving Votes: Mobile (Ala.) 91; Indiana Wesleyan 90; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 83; Concordia (Calif.) 77; Thomas (Ga.) 74; Concordia (Ore.) 63; Georgia Gwinnett 46; Davenport (Mich.) 44; Marymount (Calif.) 22; Cal State San Marcos 15; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 9; Aquinas (Mich.) 3.
^ 2013 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll (Oct. 1)