Men?s Tennis Top 25 Poll ? Final
May 07, 2012
By Jake Knabel, NAIA Communications & Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fresno Pacific (Calif.) maintained its hold on the top spot for the 23rd-straight NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll and will enter NAIA National Championships play at No. 1 for the third-consecutive season, the national office announced Monday. The Sunbirds collected all 12 first-place votes for 312 points. Fresno Pacific finished the regular season with a record of 22-1 and an unbeaten 14-0 Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) mark. Sunbird standout Nathan Martinet took the final NAIA Player of the Week award by winning a singles title at the Ojai Tournament April 26 – 29.
Qualifiers for the 61st annual NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championships will be announced today (May 7) by 5 p.m. CDT on NAIA.org. The pairings and bracket will be released Tuesday by 5 p.m. CDT.
In a poll that saw very little change, 23 of 25 teams retained the exact same positions they held in the May 1 release, and the top-five squads have not differed the entire 2012 season (eight polls). No. 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), idle since capturing The Sun Conference Tournament title on April 21, gathered 302 points. Third-ranked Oklahoma Christian, who won its unaffiliated group tournament by shutting out then-No. 24 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), 9-0, in the championship match on April 27, notched 290 points in the poll.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) again take the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in the rankings with 284 and 272 points, respectively. The Cougars, who stand at 19-2 overall, finish their regular-season slate today with a GSAC match versus No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). Meanwhile, the Warhawks await their National Championship placement after concluding the season with a narrow 5-4 victory over then-No. 11 William Carey (Miss.) in the title match of the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament on April 21. With the win, Auburn Montgomery clinched its 13th-consecutive National Championship appearance.
The only fluctuation occurring in the poll was the flip-flop of No. 21 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and No. 22 Shorter (Ga.). The Tigers breezed through the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship with 5-0 victories over Purdue Calumet (Ind.) and Judson (Ill.) on the way to the tournament title.
Not a single program dropped from the rankings this week.
Nine of the 13 conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings are represented in the poll with the Golden State Athletic Conference leading the pack with six ranked members: Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific, No. 6 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 8 Westmont (Calif.), No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene and No. 11 Concordia (Calif.). The Southern States Athletic Conference is next in line with five Top 25 teams.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings. The postseason poll will be released on May 22.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Fresno Pacific (Calif.) increased its all-time No. 1 appearances to 23, which trails only Auburn Montgomery’s (Ala.) NAIA-leading 27 No. 1s and ties Azusa Pacific (Calif.) for second with 23 top mentions … Oklahoma City’s 13 No. 1 rankings are fourth most, followed by SCAD Savannah (Ga.) with two … The Sunbirds’ active streak of 23-straight No. 1 rankings breaks Auburn Montgomery’s NAIA men’s tennis record of 21-consecutive top ratings, which spanned the 2007 – 2009 seasons … Fresno Pacific has now been the preseason No. 1 for three-straight years and became the sixth preseason top selection to go on to win the national title in 2011 … Auburn Montgomery was the last to accomplish the feat prior to Fresno Pacific, as the Warhawks did so in 2008 … Thirty-one different schools have appeared in at least one poll this season.
Others receiving votes: Spring Arbor (Mich.) 56; Pikeville (Ky.) 55; McPherson (Kan.) 50; Biola (Calif.) 30; Bethel (Tenn.) 8; Northwood (Fla.) 7; Asbury (Ky.) 6; Hastings (Neb.) 5; Davenport (Mich.) 3; Graceland (Iowa) 1; Georgetown (Ky.) 1; Oklahoma Baptist 1; Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) 1; SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 1.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fresno Pacific (Calif.) maintained its hold on the top spot for the 23rd-straight NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll and will enter NAIA National Championships play at No. 1 for the third-consecutive season, the national office announced Monday. The Sunbirds collected all 12 first-place votes for 312 points. Fresno Pacific finished the regular season with a record of 22-1 and an unbeaten 14-0 Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) mark. Sunbird standout Nathan Martinet took the final NAIA Player of the Week award by winning a singles title at the Ojai Tournament April 26 – 29.
Qualifiers for the 61st annual NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championships will be announced today (May 7) by 5 p.m. CDT on NAIA.org. The pairings and bracket will be released Tuesday by 5 p.m. CDT.
In a poll that saw very little change, 23 of 25 teams retained the exact same positions they held in the May 1 release, and the top-five squads have not differed the entire 2012 season (eight polls). No. 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), idle since capturing The Sun Conference Tournament title on April 21, gathered 302 points. Third-ranked Oklahoma Christian, who won its unaffiliated group tournament by shutting out then-No. 24 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), 9-0, in the championship match on April 27, notched 290 points in the poll.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) again take the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in the rankings with 284 and 272 points, respectively. The Cougars, who stand at 19-2 overall, finish their regular-season slate today with a GSAC match versus No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). Meanwhile, the Warhawks await their National Championship placement after concluding the season with a narrow 5-4 victory over then-No. 11 William Carey (Miss.) in the title match of the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament on April 21. With the win, Auburn Montgomery clinched its 13th-consecutive National Championship appearance.
The only fluctuation occurring in the poll was the flip-flop of No. 21 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and No. 22 Shorter (Ga.). The Tigers breezed through the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship with 5-0 victories over Purdue Calumet (Ind.) and Judson (Ill.) on the way to the tournament title.
Not a single program dropped from the rankings this week.
Nine of the 13 conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings are represented in the poll with the Golden State Athletic Conference leading the pack with six ranked members: Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific, No. 6 Vanguard (Calif.), No. 8 Westmont (Calif.), No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene and No. 11 Concordia (Calif.). The Southern States Athletic Conference is next in line with five Top 25 teams.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings. The postseason poll will be released on May 22.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Fresno Pacific (Calif.) increased its all-time No. 1 appearances to 23, which trails only Auburn Montgomery’s (Ala.) NAIA-leading 27 No. 1s and ties Azusa Pacific (Calif.) for second with 23 top mentions … Oklahoma City’s 13 No. 1 rankings are fourth most, followed by SCAD Savannah (Ga.) with two … The Sunbirds’ active streak of 23-straight No. 1 rankings breaks Auburn Montgomery’s NAIA men’s tennis record of 21-consecutive top ratings, which spanned the 2007 – 2009 seasons … Fresno Pacific has now been the preseason No. 1 for three-straight years and became the sixth preseason top selection to go on to win the national title in 2011 … Auburn Montgomery was the last to accomplish the feat prior to Fresno Pacific, as the Warhawks did so in 2008 … Thirty-one different schools have appeared in at least one poll this season.
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Fresno Pacific (Calif.) (12) | 22-1 | 312 |
| 2 | 2 | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | 18-3 | 302 |
| 3 | 3 | Oklahoma Christian | 16-3 | 290 |
| 4 | 4 | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 19-2 | 284 |
| 5 | 5 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 16-7 | 272 |
| 6 | 6 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 14-10 | 262 |
| 7 | 7 | Xavier (La.) | 17-7 | 252 |
| 8 | 8 | Westmont (Calif.) | 11-9 | 241 |
| 9 | 9 | Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) | 12-10 | 227 |
| 10 | 10 | William Carey (Miss.) | 16-4 | 225 |
| 11 | 11 | Concordia (Calif.) | 8-12 | 209 |
| 12 | 12 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 18-5 | 207 |
| 13 | 13 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 25-2 | 190 |
| 14 | 14 | Bethany (Kan.) | 21-3 | 184 |
| 15 | 15 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 15-3 | 172 |
| 16 | 16 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 17-2 | 162 |
| 17 | 17 | Warner (Fla.) | 13-4 | 149 |
| 18 | 18 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 14-6 | 143 |
| 19 | 19 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 11-9 | 129 |
| 20 | 20 | Northwestern Ohio | 19-7 | 121 |
| 21 | 22 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 15-4 | 110 |
| 22 | 21 | Shorter (Ga.) | 12-15 | 105 |
| 23 | 23 | Webber International (Fla.) | 15-7 | 88 |
| 24 | 24 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 7-7 | 67 |
| 25 | 25 | Lee (Tenn.) | 9-8 | 63 |
Others receiving votes: Spring Arbor (Mich.) 56; Pikeville (Ky.) 55; McPherson (Kan.) 50; Biola (Calif.) 30; Bethel (Tenn.) 8; Northwood (Fla.) 7; Asbury (Ky.) 6; Hastings (Neb.) 5; Davenport (Mich.) 3; Graceland (Iowa) 1; Georgetown (Ky.) 1; Oklahoma Baptist 1; Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) 1; SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 1.
