Record-High #6 Statesmen Lead Group of Six Heart Teams in Top 25
Oskaloosa– The William Penn men’s soccer team continues to break records as the NAIA released its third top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU (9-0-1, 3-0 Heart) moved up two positions to a new program record-high ranking of #6 with 393 points. It marks the 14th poll in a row in which the navy and gold are ranked in the top 25.
The Statesmen lead a group of a half-dozen squads from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the top 25. Missouri Valley is next at #10, while Benedictine (#19), MidAmerica Nazarene (#20), Central Methodist (#22), and Baker (#25) also join WPU in the ranking.
St. Thomas (Fla.) is again #1 in the nation with 473 points and 11 first-place votes. Dalton State (Ga.), with seven first-place ballots, is second overall, while Bethel (Ind.) is third. Oklahoma Wesleyan and Indiana Wesleyan round out the top five.
WPU travels to Cedar Rapids Saturday to face Mount Mercy in Heart play at 3:30 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Rating #3 — September 25, 2024
Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. St. Thomas (Fla.) (11)
2. Dalton State (Ga.) (7)
3. Bethel (Ind.)
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan
5. Indiana Wesleyan
6. William Penn
7. Mobile (Ala.)
8. Bellevue (Neb.)
9. Cumberlands (Ky.)
10. Missouri Valley
11. Milligan (Tenn.)
12. Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
13. William Carey (Miss.)
14. Cumberland (Tenn.)
15. Columbia (Mo.)
16. Indiana Tech
17. Keiser (Fla.)
18. Bethel (Tenn.)
19. Benedictine (Kan.)
20. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
21. Westcliff (Calif.)
22. Central Methodist (Mo.)
23. Madonna (Mich.)
24. Southern Oregon
25. Baker (Kan.)
Receiving votes: UC Merced (Calif.) 55, Georgia Gwinnett 51, Williams Baptist (Ark.) 46, Grace (Ind.) 34, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 34, William Woods (Mo.) 33, LSU Shreveport (La.) 30, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 27, Louisiana Christian 26, Life (Ga.) 21, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 20, Warner Pacific (Ore.) 17, College of Idaho 10, Oklahoma City 8, Marian (Ind.) 8, John Brown (Ark.) 7, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 5, Tennessee Southern 5, Thomas (Ga.) 4, Concordia (Neb.) 3, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 2.
