The Southeastern University women’s cross country team made a historic climb in the latest installment of the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Fire rose five spots to No. 15, the highest national ranking in program history.
The previous program high mark in the NAIA Top 25 was No. 17, which SEU achieved twice during the 2017 season.
SEU has earned first-place finishes in two of its first three races this season.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.
The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
The Fire women’s and men’s cross country programs will compete next in the Royals’ Challenge at McAlpine State Park in Charlotte, N.C. on Friday October 11. The women’s race is set for 4:30 p.m. with the men’s race to follow at 5:00 p.m.
Be sure to follow @SEUFireXC on Twitter for all of the latest updates on Fire cross country!
2019 Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Madonna (Mich.) [20] | 591 |
| 2 | 2 | SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) [1] | 570 |
| 3 | 4 | College of Idaho | 542 |
| 4 | 3 | Taylor (Ind.) | 541 |
| 5 | 5 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 499 |
| 6 | 9 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 492 |
| 7 | 7 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 479 |
| 8 | 8 | Indiana Wesleyan | 468 |
| 9 | 14 | Oregon Tech | 447 |
| 10 | 10 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 418 |
| 11 | 6 | Southern Oregon | 395 |
| 12 | 15 | Carroll (Mont.) | 377 |
| 13 | 16 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 369 |
| 14 | 17 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 338 |
| 15 | 20 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 309 |
| 16 | 12 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 293 |
| 17 | 19 | Huntington (Ind.) | 264 |
| 17 | NR | Concordia (Neb.) | 264 |
| 19 | 18 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 227 |
| 20 | 11 | Dordt (Iowa) | 206 |
| 21 | 21 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 199 |
| 22 | 25 | Columbia (Mo.) | 186 |
| 23 | 22 | Tennessee Wesleyan | 176 |
| 24 | 13 | Oklahoma City | 171 |
| 25 | NR | Judson (Ill.) | 105 |
Receiving Votes: Friends (Kan.) 101, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 97, Eastern Oregon 81, The Master’s (Calif.) 55, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 44, SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 30, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 26, Saint Francis (Ind.) 22, Blue Mountain (Miss.) 9, Montana Western 8, Cumberlands (Ky.) 7, Westmont (Calif.) 6, Indiana Tech 6, Montreat (N.C.) 6, Saint Mary (Kan.) 5, Northwestern (Iowa) 3