2025 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 1
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NEW ORLEANS — Here is the newest edition of the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Thursday by the NAIA National Office.
Top-ranked The Master’s (Calif.) was one of only three top-ten teams to hold their spots since the previous index.
NAIA — Men's Cross Country
This Week's National Top Five
1
The Master's (Calif.)
The Master's (Calif.)
2
Indiana Wesleyan
Indiana Wesleyan
3
Cumberlands (Ky.)
Cumberlands (Ky.)
4
Milligan (Tenn.)
Milligan (Tenn.)
5
Taylor (Ind.)
Taylor (Ind.)
Cross Country Polls & Rankings
No. 1 The Master’s (Calif.)
Powered by two of the season’s three NAIA Men’s Cross Country Runners of the Week, Brogan Collins and Jack Anderson, the top-ranked Mustangs stayed No. 1, beginning 2025 strong with a second-place finish at the Mark Covert Classic, behind host Cal State Fullerton, a third-place finish at Biola, and a win at home, last week, as Anderson edged Collins by three seconds to finish 1-2. The Master’s is back in action Oct. 4, at Pomona-Pitzer, in Claremont, Calif.
No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan
The Wildcats made a big jump, from No. 8 to No. 2, after a hot start in the IWU Twilight Invitational, winning the event handily over top 10 opponents Taylor (Ind.) and Marian (Ind.). Indiana Wesleyan’s next meet is Friday (Sept. 26), in Columbia, Mo., at the Gans Creek Classic hosted by the University of Missouri. IWU will run on the same course where the Wildcats finished fifth in the 2024 NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship.
No. 3 Cumberlands (Ky.)
The Patriots opened 2025 in second place at the Berea/Centre Jamboree before a 21st-place finish in a largely Division I field at the Southern Showcase, hosted by Jacksonville State University. Cumberlands is back in action Oct. 4, at the Greater Louisville Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville.
No. 4 Milligan (Tenn.)
Milligan is back two spots to No. 4 after starting the season at No. 2, finishing fourth at the Queen City Invite, in Charlotte, N.C., where the Buffs were the top finisher among NAIA teams, including three spots in front of Montreat (N.C.). Milligan followed with a sixth-place finish at the Brevard Cross Country Classic, in Brevard, N.C., and the Buffs return to action Friday night (Sept. 26), hosting the Eli Cramer Invitational.
No. 5 Taylor (Ind.)
The Trojans also dropped two spots, from No. 3 to No. 5, after opening the season right behind Indiana Wesleyan at the IWU Twilight Invitational, finishing second. The Trojans resume the season Friday morning (Sept. 26), at the Florida State Cross Country Open, in Tallahassee, Fla. At Indiana Wesleyan, seniors Ryan Hanak and Luke Harber led the way, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.
Here are the rest of the top-ten teams in Week 1: No. 6 Marian (Ind.), No. 7 Spring Arbor (Mich.), No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 9 Corban (Ore.), and No. 10 Saint Mary (Kan.).
The 2025 NAIA Cross Country Championships are scheduled to be held Friday, November 21, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. This will be the second time in the past four years that the meet will be held in the Sunshine State.
