KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Eastern Oregon men's cross country team received a No. 8 ranking in the first regular-season NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll, released on Wednesday. The Mountaineers earned 426 total points, maintaining their position among the top programs in the nation.
Milligan University continues to lead the poll with 19 first-place votes, followed by The Master's, which jumped to No. 2 after receiving two first-place votes. College of Idaho, a Cascade Collegiate Conference rival, moved up to No. 4, reflecting the depth of competition in the region.
Eastern Oregon opened its season with a strong performance at the Cascade Conference Preview, finishing third overall. The Mountaineers scored 62 points in the 8,000-meter race, trailing only College of Idaho and NCAA Division I Portland.
The Mountaineers will look to build on their early success at the 49th Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, set for October 5.
| RANK |
LAST |
INSTITUTION |
FINAL POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Milligan (Tenn.) [19] |
569 |
| 2 |
6 |
The Master's (Calif.) [2] |
532 |
| 3 |
2 |
Saint Mary (Kan.) |
530 |
| 4 |
5 |
College of Idaho |
512 |
| 5 |
3 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
507 |
| 6 |
8 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
486 |
| 7 |
4 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
450 |
| 8 |
7 |
Eastern Oregon |
426 |
| 9 |
9 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
414 |
| 10 |
11 |
Oklahoma City |
373 |
| 11 |
25 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
372 |
| 12 |
10 |
Montreat (N.C.) |
366 |
| 13 |
13 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
349 |
| 14 |
12 |
Doane (Neb.) |
336 |
| 15 |
14 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
303 |
| 16 |
16 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
256 |
| 17 |
18 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
242 |
| 18 |
17 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
231 |
| 19 |
19 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
216 |
| 20 |
15 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
207 |
| 21 |
RV |
Grace (Ind.) |
196 |
| 22 |
RV |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
169 |
| 23 |
22 |
Corban (Ore.) |
154 |
| 24 |
20 |
Shawnee State (Ohio) |
140 |
| 25 |
RV |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
99 |
Dropped from Top 25: Goshen (Ind.), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), Marian (Ind.)
Receiving Votes: Goshen (Ind.) 76, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 71, Cornerstone (Mich.) 59, Concordia (Neb.) 49, UC Merced (Calif.) 43, Marian (Ind.) 28, IU East (Ind.) 22, Northwest (Wash.) 9, Southern Oregon 6, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 2, Cumberland (Tenn.) 2
