Nov. 8, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Golden State Athletic Conference champion Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) is the No. 1 team in the final edition of the NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll for 2009, the NAIA announced Sunday. The Cougars were awarded 23-of-24 possible first-place votes for 684 points. The rest of the top-five teams remained the same as the Nov. 4 poll, with No. 2 California State University-San Marcos, No. 3 Simon Fraser University, No. 4 Biola University (Calif.) and No. 5 Malone University (Ohio).

For the first time in five polls, Azusa Pacific was not voted the unanimous No. 1, as California State-San Marcos was awarded one first-place vote after capturing the Association of Independent Institutions title on Saturday with 36 points.

Twelve previously ranked Top 25 teams adjusted rank and a pair of teams moved into the poll following a weekend of postseason national qualifying meets. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) benefited from a third-place showing at the GSAC meet, behind Azusa Pacific and Biola, by moving up eight spots in the poll from No. 17 to 9. With second and third-place finishes, respectively, at the Cascade Collegiate Conference meet, Concordia (Ore.) and Southern Oregon appear on the final poll. The Cavaliers are ranked 22nd and the Raiders are No. 25.

Kansas Wesleyan captured the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title and was rewarded by bumping up five positions in the poll to No. 20. Despite winning the Frontier Conference, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) fell from No. 11 to 16. Also falling five spots are Mid-Central College Conference runner-up Indiana Wesleyan to No. 19 and Concordia (Calif.), who placed fourth in the GSAC, to No. 13.

The Golden State Athletic Conference continues to boast five nationally-ranked teams in Azusa Pacific, Biola, Point Loma Nazarene, Concordia and No. 23 Vanguard (Calif.). The Association of Independent Institutions and CCC each have three ranked teams Representing the AII is California State-San Marcos, Simon Fraser and No. 11 British Columbia. Sixth-ranked College of Idaho, Concordia and Southern Oregon represent the CCC.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. To view all of the weekend's results from postseason national qualifying meets, please click here. National Championship teams and individual qualifiers will be announced on Monday by 5 p.m. CST. The 30th Annual NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships will take place at Fort Vancouver Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 21.

Others receiving votes: Shorter College (Ga.) 154; Friends University (Kan.) 134; Eastern Oregon University 108; Jamestown College (N.D.) 69; Northwestern College (Iowa) 68; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 36; Oklahoma Baptist University 17; Westmont College (Calif.) 17; Bethel College (Ind.) 17; Doane College (Neb.) 8; Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 3; Shawnee State University (Ohio) 3; Lee University (Tenn.) 1; Northwood University (Texas) 1; Siena Heights University (Mich.) 1.