KANSAS CITY, Mo. -The latest NAIA Women’s Cross Country Top 25 remained largely unchanged at the top, with Dordt (Iowa) holding firmly to the No. 1 position with 16 of 19 first-place votes, followed closely by College of Idaho and Milligan (Tenn.) at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. The top six teams all maintained their previous rankings, highlighting the stability among the nation’s elite programs.
Several teams made notable moves this week. Taylor (Ind.) climbed five spots from No. 16 to No. 11, while Cumberlands (Ky.) surged nine places from No. 25 to a tie for No. 16. Eastern Oregon also continued its rise, moving up four spots to No. 15. Meanwhile, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) advanced one position to No. 7 and Indiana Wesleyan moved into the top 10 at No. 9.
The poll also welcomed four new ranked teams that were previously receiving votes: SCAD (Ga.) debuted at No. 14, Mount Mercy (Iowa) entered at No. 21, Saint Francis (Ind.) claimed No. 22, and Kansas Wesleyan rounded out the newcomers at No. 23.
With conference championships approaching, the movement in the middle and lower portions of the Top 25 suggests a highly competitive race for national positioning, while Dordt continues to set the standard atop the NAIA women’s cross country rankings.
| TREND | RANK | LAST TIME | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | 1 | 1 | Dordt (Iowa) [16] | 555 |
| ● | 2 | 2 | College of Idaho [3] | 541 |
| ● | 3 | 3 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 512 |
| ● | 4 | 4 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 510 |
| ● | 5 | 5 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 489 |
| ● | 6 | 6 | Grace (Ind.) | 455 |
| ▲ | 7 | 8 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 439 |
| ▼ | 8 | 7 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 425 |
| ▲ | 9 | 11 | Indiana Wesleyan | 409 |
| ▼ | 10 | 9 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 390 |
| ▲ | 11 | 16 | Taylor (Ind.) | 384 |
| ● | 12 | 12 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 356 |
| ▼ | 13 | 9 | Marian (Ind.) | 312 |
| ▲ | 14 | RV | SCAD (Ga.) | 290 |
| ▲ | 15 | 19 | Eastern Oregon | 277 |
| ▲ | T-16 | 25 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 275 |
| ▲ | T-16 | 18 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 275 |
| ▲ | 18 | 20 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 244 |
| ▼ | T-19 | 14 | Oklahoma City | 234 |
| ▼ | T-19 | 13 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 234 |
| ▲ | 21 | RV | Mount Mercy (Iowa) | 193 |
| ▲ | 22 | RV | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 184 |
| ▲ | 23 | RV | Kansas Wesleyan | 183 |
| ● | 24 | 24 | IU East (Ind.) | 129 |
| ▼ | 25 | 17 | Doane (Neb.) | 128 |
Dropped from the Top 25: John Brown (Ark.), Carroll (Ark.), Saint Mary (Neb.), Southern Oregon
Receiving Votes: John Brown (Ark.) 104, Carroll (Mont.) 98, Saint Mary (Neb.) 71, Indiana Tech 46, Governors State (Ill.) 24, Southeastern (Fla.) 11, Southern Oregon 9, William Carey (Miss.) 5, Montreat (N.C.) 4, Tennessee Southern 3
About the NAIAThe 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
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced today two changes to their leadership team. Vice President of Membership Value and Governance Chesney Sallee has been named Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance & Sport Administration Kevin Dee will serve as the Chief Financial Officer. Sallee began her career […]
Volume II | Issue I A new season of men’s basketball in the NAIA has arrived! After one week of games in the books from around the nation, teams continue to find continuity, and rhythm. As always there a ton of fantastic third-party media platforms that do amazing things day in and day out to […]
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 […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Katherine Dyer of The Master’s (Calif.) captured consecutive NAIA Women’s Swimming & Diving weekly awards after a strong performance at the Sagehen Swim & Dive Invite. Dyer claimed four top-finishes, including a pair of individual runner-up finishes. The senior began the meet clocking a 1:52.28 for a runner-up finish in the […]