KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Madonna (Mich.) and Haskell (Kan.) shook up the Oct. 15 edition of the 2026 NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25, as Madonna vaulted 10 spots by winning the Ray Bullock Invitational at Taylor on Oct. 9, and Oct. 10, Haskell knocked off Saint Mary (Kan.) in western Kansas.
Cumberlands (Ky.) remained No. 1, with 19 of a possible 20 first-place votes. Southern Oregon picked up the only other first-place vote cast, checking in at No. 2.
The result in Kansas moved Haskell into the rating at No. 18, while Madonna – who beat both Marian (Ind.) and Indiana Wesleyan – entered the top five at No. 5. Haskell’s result also bumped seven teams down one spot and one team out of the top 25.
Milligan (Tenn.) made the other big jump, from No. 12 to No. 8. Led by national runner of the week Caleb Greene, the Buffs won the Royals Cross Country Challenge in North Carolina, where he posted a personal-best 8k on the way to the team title.
Thursday’s rating was the third of the 2026 season, leaving one more regular-season rating (Oct. 29) before the final rating and championship qualification Nov. 10.
| TREND | RANK | LAST | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | 1 | 1 | Cumberlands (Ky.) [19] | 560 |
| ● | 2 | 2 | Southern Oregon [1] | 542 |
| ▲ | 3 | 4 | College of Idaho | 519 |
| ▲ | 4 | 5 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 495 |
| ▲ | 5 | 15 | Madonna (Mich.) | 476 |
| ● | T-6 | 6 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 458 |
| ▲ | T-6 | 7 | Tennessee Southern | 458 |
| ▲ | 8 | 12 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 414 |
| ▼ | 9 | 8 | Trinity Western (B.C.) | 410 |
| ▲ | 10 | 11 | Marian (Ind.) | 408 |
| ▼ | 11 | 9 | Goshen (Ind.) | 397 |
| ▼ | 12 | 3 | Indiana Wesleyan | 370 |
| ▼ | 13 | 10 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 367 |
| ● | 14 | 14 | Northwest (Wash.) | 317 |
| ▲ | 15 | 16 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 296 |
| ▲ | 16 | 17 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 271 |
| ▼ | 17 | 13 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 267 |
| ▲ | 18 | RV | Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) | 266 |
| ▼ | 19 | 18 | Dordt (Iowa) | 233 |
| ▼ | 20 | 19 | Park (Mo.) | 221 |
| ▼ | 21 | 20 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 209 |
| ▼ | 22 | 21 | Eastern Oregon | 195 |
| ▼ | 23 | 22 | Corban (Ore.) | 167 |
| ▼ | 24 | 23 | Taylor (Ind.) | 143 |
| ▼ | 25 | 24 | IU East (Ind.) | 127 |
Receiving Votes: Oklahoma City 109, Columbia (Mo.) 82, Aquinas (Mich.) 51, Montreat (N.C.) 46, Oregon Tech 25, Doane (Neb.) 21, John Brown (Ark.) 20, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 7, Benedictine (Kan.) 5, Carroll (Mont.) 3, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
Dropped out of the Top 25: Oklahoma City
About the NAIA
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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