William Penn 15th in Postseason Poll

William Penn University Athletics

Oskaloosa–The Statesmen football team received a small, early Christmas present by jumping one spot nationally as the NAIA’s postseason poll was released today.

William Penn (9-2, 5-2 MWL) is ranked #15 with 152 points. The squad was #16 at the end of the year, leaving it as the first team out of the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Marian (Ind.) entered the postseason as the NAIA’s top team, but was upset in the semifinals by Saint Xavier (Ill.), who eventually dropped Carroll (Mont.) 24-20 in last Saturday’s championship game for its first-ever football crown.

Saint Xavier is #1 in the postseason rating with 340 points and all 15 first-place votes. Carroll is second with Marian, Georgetown (Ky.), and Azusa Pacific (Calif.) concluding the top five.

#8 St. Francis (Ill.) and #18 Grand View represented the Midwest League in this year’s playoffs and join the navy and gold and #22 St. Ambrose in the poll. Grand View lost to Marian in the first round, while St. Francis was clipped by the Knights in the quarterfinals.

The Statesmen are the second-highest team from the state of Iowa behind #9 Morningside.

NAIA Football Final Rating – December 19, 2011
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Saint Xavier (Ill.) (15)
2. Carroll (Mont.)
3. Marian (Ind.)
4. Georgetown (Ky.)
5. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
6. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
7. St. Francis (Ind.)
8. St. Francis (Ill.)
9. Morningside
10. Missouri Valley
11. Ottawa (Kan.)
12. Southern Nazarene (Okla.)
13. Benedictine (Kan.)
14. Bethel (Tenn.)
15. William Penn
16. Valley City State (N.D.)
17. Northwestern
18. Grand View
19. Doane (Neb.)
19. Eastern Oregon
21. Baker (Kan.)
22. St. Ambrose
23. Langston (Okla.)
24. Cumberlands (Ky.)
25. Cumberland (Tenn.)

Others receiving votes: Bethany (Kan.) 5, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 3.