William Penn at #8 to Open Year
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen men’s lacrosse team is in the mix from the start as the NAIA released its preseason top-10 poll Wednesday.
WPU (13-6 overall, 5-0 Heart) enters the season at #8 with 52 points. William Penn is first among the four Heart of America Athletic Conference programs in the ranking. St. Ambrose is next at #10, while Benedictine (unofficially 13th) and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) (unofficially 17th) are in the receiving votes section as well.
Defending national champion Keiser (Fla.) is first in the NAIA with 98 points and all eight first-place votes. 2023 runner-up Indiana Tech is second, while Webber International (Fla.), Cumberlands (Ky.), and Concordia (Mich.) round out the top five.
The Statesmen start the season next Wednesday by facing Saint Mary (Kan.) in West Des Moines at 2:45 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Rating — January 24, 2024
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Keiser (Fla.) (8)
2. Indiana Tech
3. Webber International (Fla.)
4. Cumberlands (Ky.)
5. Concordia (Mich.)
6. Reinhardt (Ga.)
7. Madonna (Mich.)
8. William Penn
9. Siena Heights (Mich.)
10. St. Ambrose
Receiving Votes: Aquinas (Mich.) 38, Ottawa (Kan.) 35, Benedictine (Kan.) 21, Columbia (Mo.) 18, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 13, Tennessee Wesleyan 11, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 6.
