2025 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Down the stretch they come.

Here is the newest edition of the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, as released on Thursday by the NAIA National Office.

NAIA — Men's Cross Country

This Week's National Top Five

1
The Master's (Calif.)

2
Indiana Wesleyan

3
Cumberlands (Ky.)

4
Taylor (Ind.)

5
Saint Mary (Kan.)

Cross Country Polls & Rankings

NATIONAL POLL

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1. The Master’s (Calif.)

Brogan Collins led the Mustangs to a fourth-place finish at the UCR Highlander Invitational, finishing fifth, and The Master’s checks in at No. 1 again, in the second-to-last rating of the season. The GSAC Championship is next for the Mustangs, Nov. 7 in Glendale, Ariz.

2. Indiana Wesleyan

IWU gathered four first-place votes to close October, winning last week’s NAIA Great Lakes Challenge in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Wildcats scored 79 points, placing all five scorers inside the top 30. Their team time of 2:03.31 set a new program record by more than 30 seconds. IWU will host the Crossroads League Championships on Nov. 7.

3. Cumberlands (Ky.)

Pack running highlighted the Appalachian Challenge for the Patriots, placing all seven runners in the top 20 to win the event, led by Ryan Ehrler, who finished second in 24:22. Cumberlands competes in the Mid-South Conference Championships on Nov. 7 in Bowling Green, Ky.

4. Taylor (Ind.)

The Trojans were second behind IWU at the Great Lakes Challenge, breaking a school record with a team time of 2:04:12 in Grand Rapids. Nathan Burns ran the course in 24:32, finishing eighth, individually. Up next, Taylor travels to the Crossroads League Championships in Marion, Ind., on Nov. 7.

5. Saint Mary (Kan.)

The Spires moved up six spots and into the top five, led by a fourth-place finish from Kenneth Howell at the Blazing Tiger. While Howell was the top KCAC finisher in the meet, the Spires won the event as a team. The KCAC Championships await, and the Spires will host on Nov. 8 in Leavenworth.

Here are the rest of the top-ten teams: No. 6 Rocky Mountain (Mont.), No. 7 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 8 Milligan (Tenn.), No. 9 Southern Oregon, and No. 10 Eastern Oregon.

Mark your calendars for Friday, November 21, because that’s when the 2025 NAIA Cross Country Championships will be held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.