AAC News
Sat, Nov 26, 2011 - [Men's Cross Country]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Bryan (Tenn.) is the 10th-ranked team in the NAIA according to the 2011 NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll, the NAIA released recently.

The Lions posted an 11th place finish at the 56th Annual NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships held Nov. 19 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash., with Bryson Harper earning All-American honors.

Bryan received 354 total points, putting them 16 points behind No. 9 The Master's (Calif.) and 16 ahead of No. 11 Aquinas (Mich.). In the final regular-season poll, the Lions were ranked No. 17.

After winning its first-ever national championship, Oklahoma Christian was the unanimous top pick in the NAIA Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll. The Eagles, who end the season on a streak of six-straight No. 1 rankings, earned all 18 first-place votes to tally 498 total points. At the national championships, Oklahoma Christian placed four runners among the top 30 to tally 93 team points. Four-time All-American and senior Silas Kisorio finished in the runner-up spot for the second time clocking 23:59 on the 8K course.

The rest of the top-five teams were ranked according to their national championship finish from the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Sliding up seven positions to No. 2 was Cal State San Marcos with 482 points. Ranked third was Southern Oregon with 466 points, followed by No. 4 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and No. 5 Wayland Baptist (Texas) with 450 and 434 points, respectively.

Making a splash as newcomers were No. 20 Park (Mo.), No. 22 Huntington (Ind.) and No. 24 Baker (Kan.). Taking home a 25th-place finish at the championships, Baker is ranked for the first time dating back to 1999. Huntington finds itself in the Top 25 for the first time since Sept. 16, 2009 (No. 14). Park snaps a longer absence with its last mention on Aug. 22, 2007 (No. 25).

One squad that fell out of the Top 25 was Concordia (Neb.). The Bulldogs had held the second-longest active streak with 104-straight rankings, which dated back to Sept. 14, 2001.

Another Appalachian Athletic Conference squad, Milligan (Tenn.), received 48 total points to come in 30th.

To view the entire poll, click here.

 
 
 
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