Two Heart Program Recognized in Latest Coaches' Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two Heart of America women's cross country programs were recognized in the latest edition of the NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll.
Benedictine and Baker both jumped into the rankings after sitting outside of the Top 25 in the preseason poll. Benedictine landed at No. 13 after tallying 323 points, followed by the Wildcats who claimed the No. 24 spot with 145 points.
Poll Methodology
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.
• Each conference is represented by one rater.
• 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 highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team's ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appear on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."
2020 NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll - Oct. 29
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Taylor (Ind.) | 560 |
| 2 | 4 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 526 |
| 3 | 7 | Huntington (Ind.) | 522 |
| 4 | 6 | Dordt (Iowa) | 504 |
| 5 | 8 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 498 |
| 6 | 13 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 458 |
| 7 | 10 | Indiana Wesleyan | 449 |
| 8 | 15 | The Master's (Calif.) | 425 |
| 9 | 11 | Carroll (Mont.) | 418 |
| 10 | 19 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 388 |
| 11 | 20 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 367 |
| 12 | 22 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 345 |
| 13 | NR | Benedictine (Kan.) | 323 |
| 14 | 23 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 310 |
| 15 | 17 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 306 |
| 16 | 18 | Morningside (Iowa) | 255 |
| 17 | NR | Montreat (N.C.) | 247 |
| 18 | 21 | Montana Western | 236 |
| 19 | 24 | Friends (Kan.) | 220 |
| 20 | NR | Vanguard (Calif.) | 215 |
| 20 | 25 | Columbia (Mo.) | 215 |
| 22 | NR | Concordia (Neb.) | 203 |
| 23 | NR | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 172 |
| 24 | NR | Baker (Kan.) | 145 |
| 25 | NR | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | 144 |
Receiving Votes: Dalton State (Ga.) 109, Northwestern (Iowa) 108, Siena Heights (Mich.) 41, Hastings (Neb.) 34, Kansas Wesleyan 34, Grace (Ind.) 33, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 29, Oklahoma City 22, Campbellsville (Ky.) 16, Xavier (La.) 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 9, Missouri Baptist 6.
Dropped from the Top 25: Oklahoma City, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), College of Idaho, Oregon Tech, Madonna (Mich.), Wayland Baptist (Texas), Aquinas (Mich.)