Aug. 19, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Cedarville (Ohio) University Yellow Jackets boast the No. 1 spot in the 2008 NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced today (Aug. 19). Cedarville totaled 10 first-place votes and came away with 371 total points. The Yellow Jackets took Championship runner-up honors last season and return senior Nicole Santos, who took 12^th in the 2007 National Championship, the highest finish of any CU runner. CU is looking for its fourth straight American Mideast Conference title in 2008.

Azusa Pacific (Calif.), which claims perhaps two of the NAIA's best athletes, posted 359 points and stands at No. 2. Senior Jaime Canterbury and sophomore Jacky Kipwambok finished one-two in the individual standings at the National Championship last November. Just behind Azusa is No. 3 Malone (Ohio), which notched 352 total points. No. 4 Milligan (Tenn.) follows the top three schools while Biola (Calif.) and Wayland Baptist (Texas) are tied at No. 5.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The ratings included those ballots submitted by these selected raters. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Sept. 9.

For more information on NAIA women's cross country, please click here.

2008 NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll - (Aug. 19)

RANK	LAST YEAR*	SCHOOL	1st PLACE VOTES	FINAL POINTS
1	2	Cedarville University (Ohio)	10	371
2	3	Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)	4	359
3	5	Malone College (Ohio)		352
4	4	Milligan College (Tenn.)		330
T5	T8	Biola University (Calif.)		316
T5	12	Wayland Baptist University (Texas)		316
7	22	Black Hills State University (S.D.)		315
8	25	Concordia University (Calif.)		289
9	11	Concordia University (Neb.)		267
10	10	Indiana Wesleyan University		264
11	RV	College of Idaho (Idaho)		246
12	NR	Bethel College (Ind.)		200
13	16	Eastern Oregon University		195
T14	15	Northwestern College (Iowa)		194
T14	21	Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)		194
16	24	Saint Xavier University (Ill.)		189
17	19	Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)		184
T18	RV	Oklahoma Baptist University		180
T18	14	Westmont College (Calif.)		180
20	13	Spring Arbor University (Mich.)		170
21	NR	Southwestern College (Kan.)		131
22	NR	Shawnee State University (Ohio)		119
23	RV	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)		95
24	NR	Lindenwood University (Mo.)		89
25	NR	Dickinson State University (N.D.)		66

Others receiving votes:

Berry College (Ga.) 65; Walsh University (Ohio) 57; Corban College (Ore.) 57; Morningside College (Iowa) 38; Taylor University (Ind.) 36; Oklahoma Christian University 35; Xavier University (La.) 14; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 13; Houghton College (N.Y.) 12; King College (Tenn.) 12; Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) 9; Georgetown College (Ky.) 5; Roberts Wesleyan College (N.Y.) 1; Tabor College (Kan.) 1; Vanguard University (Calif.) 1; Mount Mercy College (Iowa) 1; Jamestown College (N.D.) 1; Central Methodist University (Mo.) 1; Northwood University (Texas) 1

* Rating from the 2007 final regular season poll.