KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Cumberlands (Ky.) remains unanimous at No. 1 in the Oct. 29 edition of the 2026 NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Rating, collecting all 20 first-place votes and the rating-maximum of 560 points. Nine teams climbed in the latest rating, with the Great Lakes Challenge on Oct. 24 playing a significant role in the movement.
Madonna (Mich.) continued its ascent, moving from No. 15 two weeks ago to No. 5 last week and now No. 2. The Crusaders claimed the Great Lakes Challenge title, finishing 85 points ahead of runner-up Marian (Ind.), which climbed five positions to No. 5.
Park (Mo.) made the week’s largest jump among previously ranked teams, rising nine spots to No. 11 following a fourth-place finish at the Great Lakes Challenge. IU East (Ind.) also climbed seven positions to No. 18 after finishing eighth at the event. Mid-America Christian (Okla.) entered the Top 25 at No. 13 following two performances during the rating period, including a runner-up finish at the Blazing Tiger. Eastern Oregon rose six positions to No. 16, while Oklahoma City returned to the rating at No. 24.
Thursday’s rating is the last of the regular season and the second-to-last of the 2026 campaign, with the season’s final rating slated for Nov. 10, ahead of qualification and selection for the 2026 NAIA Men’s Cross Country Championship field.
| TREND | RANK | LAST | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | 1 | 1 | Cumberlands (Ky.) [20] | 560 |
| ▲ | 2 | 5 | Madonna (Mich.) | 541 |
| ▼ | 3 | 2 | Southern Oregon | 506 |
| ● | 4 | 4 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 492 |
| ▲ | 5 | 10 | Marian (Ind.) | 489 |
| ▲ | 6 | 8 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 479 |
| ▼ | 7 | T-6 | Tennessee Southern | 442 |
| ▼ | 8 | 3 | College of Idaho | 438 |
| ▼ | 9 | T-6 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 426 |
| ▼ | 10 | 9 | Trinity Western (B.C.) | 386 |
| ▲ | 11 | 20 | Park (Mo.) | 385 |
| ● | 12 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 361 |
| ▲ | 13 | RV | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | 349 |
| ▼ | 14 | 11 | Goshen (Ind.) | 333 |
| ● | 15 | 15 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 294 |
| ▲ | 16 | 22 | Eastern Oregon | 279 |
| ▲ | 17 | 19 | Dordt (Iowa) | 266 |
| ▲ | 18 | 25 | IU East (Ind.) | 245 |
| ▼ | 19 | 16 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 226 |
| ▼ | 20 | 17 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 220 |
| ▼ | 21 | 13 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 194 |
| ▼ | 22 | 18 | Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) | 178 |
| ▼ | 23 | 14 | Northwest (Wash.) | 176 |
| ▲ | 24 | RV | Oklahoma City | 135 |
| ▼ | 25 | 24 | Taylor (Ind.) | 129 |
Dropped out of the Top 25: Corban (Ore.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
Receiving Votes: Montreat (N.C.) 120, Columbia (Mo.) 89, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 86, Corban (Ore.) 65, Aquinas (Mich.) 53, Benedictine (Kan.) 13, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 13, Doane (Neb.) 5
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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