William Penn Up to #18 in Spring Ranking

William Penn Football Spring Practice

Oskaloosa–The Statesmen football team will go into summer workouts with a bit of a boost as the NAIA’s spring poll was released Monday.

William Penn, which was 7-4 (3-2 MWL) last fall, earned 78 points to move up one spot from the postseason ranking to 18th.

Defending national champion Southern Oregon is #1 with 236 points and ten first-place votes, while runner-up Marian (Ind.) is second with 227 points and the final first-place vote. Morningside, Saint Xavier (Ill.), and Carroll (Mont.) round out the top five.

Looking ahead to next fall and WPU’s new league, the Heart of America Athletic Conference has strong representation in the top 25 with Missouri Valley (#8), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (#9), Baker (Kan.) (#16), and Benedictine (Kan.) (#25) all ranked this spring. Grand View, which is also moving with William Penn to the HAAC, is also #6 in the NAIA.

NAIA Football Spring Rating – April 13, 2015
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Southern Oregon (10)
2. Marian (Ind.) (1)
3. Morningside
4. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
5. Carroll (Mont.)
6. Grand View
7. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
8. Missouri Valley
9. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
10. Faulkner (Ala.)
11. Georgetown (Ky.)
12. Northwestern
13. Eastern Oregon
14. Ottawa (Kan.)
15. Campbellsville (Ky.)
16. Baker (Kan.)
17. Valley City State (N.D.)
18. William Penn
19. Langston (Okla.)
20. Robert Morris (Ill.)
21. Friends (Kan.)
22. Doane (Neb.)
23. Webber International (Fla.)
24. Tabor (Kan.)
25. Benedictine (Kan.)

Others receiving votes: Montana Western, 7; Southeastern (Fla.), 3.