The Dordt University men's cross country team climbed back into the top 20 in the latest edition of the NAIA Coaches' poll announced today (Oct.16) by the national office.

• NAIA Press Release | PDF
• 2025 Dordt Results and Stats | 

Notes:

• the rating is compiled by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings
• the Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams; a team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
• Dordt moved up five spots to 20th in this week's edition of the poll
• this is the second highest ranking of the season for the Defenders (18th - preseason)
• Dordt earned 206 points and trail #19 Goshen (Ind.) by 13pts
• Dordt has been ranked in the top 25 in all four polls
• the top two teams, The Master's (Calif.) and Indiana Wesleyan, held their spot from the last rating (Oct.2)
  • The Master's earned 13 of the 19 possible first place votes and 549 points
  • Indiana Wesleyan received five first-place votes
  • College of Idaho earned the final first place vote but dropped one spot to fourth in the ranking
• Cumberlands (Ky.) - 3rd and Taylor (Ind.) - 5th round out the top five
• the Defenders extended their streak to 48 straight weeks of being ranked in the top 25, dating back to the 2018 season
  • this is currently the fifth longest streak in the NAIA
  • during this streak, Dordt has held a spot within the top 10 in 24 polls
  • Dordt's highest ranking (No.1) happened at the end of the 2022 season when they won the national title
  • the next longest streak of being ranked in the top 25 is Indiana Wesleyan (54) while The Master's owns the longest streak (132)
• Dordt, along with Doane (#15), represent the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in the top 25
• Dordt has finished among the top four in all four of its meets this season
• the Defenders began the 2025 slate with a win at their home meet, the Sunflower Open
• Dordt earned a podium finish (top 3) at the Griak Invite for just the second time in program history
• the Defenders followed with a third place finish at BCU and then a fourth place showing last weekend at its second home meet, the Holiday Inn Express Classic
• Luke Swanson was the top NAIA runner last weekend and was named the GPAC Runner of the Week
• Swanson is the second Dordt runner to earn the weekly honor (Truman Johnson - Sept.17)
• Head Coach Nate Wolf's squad will run in its final meet of the regular season next week, the Mount Marty Invite, on Thursday, Oct.23