KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The UT Southern Men's Cross Country team continues to build momentum on the national stage, once again earning votes in the latest NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 poll, released Thursday afternoon.
The Firehawks are among a competitive group of programs receiving recognition just outside the Top 25, showing that their early-season performances have caught the attention of coaches nationwide. UT Southern joins Tennessee Southern, St. Francis (Ill.), Madonna (Mich.), and several others in the "receiving votes" category.
The top of the poll remained steady, with The Master's (Calif.) holding firm at No. 1 with 14 first-place votes, followed closely by Indiana Wesleyan at No. 2 with two first-place votes. Milligan (Tenn.) climbed to No. 3 after winning its home meet, while Cumberlands (Ky.) slid to No. 4 and Taylor (Ind.) rounded out the top five.
New to this week's poll is Northwest (Wash.), who enters at No. 24. The next NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 is scheduled for release on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
2025 NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 (Oct. 2, 2025)
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
Last Week |
First-Place Votes |
| 1 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
464 |
1 |
14 |
| 2 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
449 |
2 |
2 |
| 3 |
Milligan (Tenn.) |
427 |
4 |
– |
| 4 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
424 |
3 |
– |
| 5 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
402 |
5 |
– |
| 6 |
Marian (Ind.) |
376 |
6 |
– |
| 7 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
372 |
8 |
– |
| 8 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
351 |
7 |
– |
| T-9 |
Corban (Ore.) |
326 |
9 |
– |
| T-9 |
Saint Mary (Kan.) |
326 |
10 |
– |
| 11 |
Trinity Western (B.C.) |
318 |
11 |
– |
| 12 |
IU East (Ind.) |
287 |
13 |
– |
| 13 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
280 |
14 |
– |
| 14 |
College of Idaho |
278 |
12 |
– |
| 15 |
Doane (Neb.) |
267 |
15 |
– |
| 16 |
Montreat (N.C.) |
232 |
16 |
– |
| 17 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
228 |
17 |
– |
| 18 |
Southern Oregon |
196 |
19 |
– |
| 19 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
190 |
18 |
– |
| 20 |
Goshen (Ind.) |
171 |
21 |
– |
| 21 |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
167 |
20 |
– |
| 22 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
120 |
23 |
– |
| 23 |
Shawnee State (Ohio) |
95 |
24 |
– |
| 24 |
Northwest (Wash.) |
92 |
NR |
– |
| 25 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
83 |
22 |
– |
Receiving Votes
Park (Mo.) 80, St. Francis (Ill.) 63, Madonna (Mich.) 61, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 45, Tennessee Southern 24, Benedictine (Kan.) 15, Evangel (Mo.) 15, Oklahoma City 14, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 10, Indiana Tech 8, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 6, John Brown (Ark.) 6, Kansas Wesleyan 3.
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