KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Montana Tech’s men’s cross country team has officially arrived on the national scene.
The Orediggers made their debut in the NAIA Top 25 poll today with the No. 20 ranking. The arrival in the poll comes after Tech’s first three races in program history. Tech received votes in the last poll.
Oredigger freshman Henry Kakaleick was the top Frontier Conference runner at the Montana Western Open last week, leading Montana Tech to a second-place finish at the meet ahead of Carroll College.
Taylor (Indiana) holds down the top spot. Saint Mary (Kansas) is No. 2, and Huntington (Indiana) is No. 3.
Tech is one of three Frontier Conference teams to receive a ranking. Rocky Mountain College moved up six spots to No. 13, while Carroll College held steady at No. 17.
Montana Tech closes out the fall season next Friday at the Frontier Conference Championship in Havre.
NAIA Men’s Cross Country Top 25 Poll
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Taylor (Ind.) [19] | 590 |
| 2 | 4 | Saint Mary (Kan.) [2] | 559 |
| 3 | 6 | Huntington (Ind.) | 557 |
| 4 | 5 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 536 |
| 5 | 20 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 507 |
| 6 | 12 | Dordt (Iowa) | 481 |
| 7 | 9 | Indiana Wesleyan | 478 |
| 8 | 15 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 444 |
| 9 | 13 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 435 |
| 10 | NR | Doane (Neb.) | 403 |
| 11 | 8 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 402 |
| 12 | 23 | Montreat (N.C.) | 364 |
| 13 | 19 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 350 |
| 14 | 18 | Goshen (Ind.) | 342 |
| 15 | 25 | William Carey (Miss.) | 322 |
| 16 | NR | Baker (Kan.) | 315 |
| 17 | 17 | Carroll (Mont.) | 287 |
| 18 | NR | St. Francis (Ill.) | 242 |
| 19 | 22 | Columbia (Mo.) | 211 |
| 20 | NR | Montana Tech | 206 |
| 20 | NR | Northwestern (Iowa) | 206 |
| 22 | NR | Dakota State (S.D.) | 187 |
| 23 | NR | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 150 |
| 24 | NR | Westmont (Calif.) | 133 |
| 25 | 14 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 118 |
Receiving Votes: Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 99, Evangel (Mo.) 92, Southeastern (Fla.) 80, Campbellsville (Ky.) 73, Friends (Kan.) 44, Oklahoma City 34, Philander Smith (Ark.) 21, Concordia (Neb.) 16, Grace (Ind.) 12, Indiana Tech 10, Xavier (La.) 7, Vanguard (Calif.) 5, Benedictine (Kan.) 3, Reinhardt (Ga.) 3
Dropped from the Top 25: Oklahoma City, Antelope Valley (Calif.), Eastern Oregon, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Oregon Tech, Southern Oregon, College of Idaho, Wayland Baptist (Texas)
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