WPU Opens 2024 at #16 in NAIA
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen men’s soccer team enters the 2024 campaign as one of the nation’s top contenders as the NAIA released its preseason top-25 poll Wednesday.
William Penn, which was 12-5-4 overall (6-2-3 Heart) a year ago, starts 2024 at #16 with 269 points. It marks the 11th poll in a row in which the navy and gold are ranked in the top 25.
The Statesmen are one of three representatives in the poll from the Heart of America Athletic Conference, all of whom are in the top 25. Defending national champion MidAmerica Nazarene is first in the nation, while Missouri Valley is #12.
MidAmerica Nazarene leads the NAIA with 480 points and all 18 first-place votes. Milligan (Tenn.), St. Thomas (Fla.), Oklahoma Wesleyan, and Dalton State (Ga.) round out the top five.
WPU begins its campaign next Wednesday by hosting non-conference foe Morningside in Oskaloosa at 5 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Preseason Rating — August 14, 2024
Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (18)
2. Milligan (Tenn.)
3. St. Thomas (Fla.)
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan
5. Dalton State (Ga.)
6. Bethel (Ind.)
7. Grace (Ind.)
8. Bellevue (Neb.)
9. Indiana Tech
10. Mobile (Ala.)
11. Keiser (Fla.)
12. Missouri Valley
13. Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
14. Columbia (Mo.)
15. Westcliff (Calif.)
16. William Penn
17. Indiana Wesleyan
18. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
19. Rio Grande (Ohio)
20. William Carey (Miss.)
21. Florida National
22. Bethel (Tenn.)
23. Union Commonwealth (Ky.)
24. Cumberlands (Ky.)
25. Southern Oregon
Receiving votes: Tennessee Wesleyan 66; Cumberland (Tenn.) 54; LSU Shreveport 44 (La.); UC Merced (Calif.) 42; Louisiana Christian 39; Concordia (Neb.) 38; Briar Cliff 30; Ottawa (Kan.) 12; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 9; Aquinas (Mich.) 6; WVU Tech (W.Va.) 6; Williams Baptist (Ark.) 6; Hope International (Calif.) 4; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 2.
