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M & W Golf-Dual Poll Ranking-8/22/25

Dalton State Golf Delivers a One-Two Punch in National Preseason Polls

8/26/2025 2:00:00 PM


WOMEN
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Keiser (Fla.) will begin the 2025-26 season as the No. 1-ranked team in the 2025-26 NAIA Women's Golf Coaches' Top 25, edging defending national champion British Columbia by a single point in the preseason edition of the rating.

The rating begins the march toward Eagle Crest Golf Club, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, site of the 2026 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship, in May.
 
Dalton State comes in at #6 in the preseason poll off the back of another strong 24-25 season. Young talent mixed with experienced fire power have the Lady Roadrunners poised for a run at the programs first national championship in 2026.
 
By The Numbers
This is the 75th NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll to be released since the women's golf program has been eligible for national rankings. Of the 75, Dalton State has been ranked in all 75 polls. They have been ranked inside the top-15 in all 75 polls, in the top-10 70 times, and in the top-5 58 times. The highest ranking the Lady Roadrunners have achieved in program history is #1 on two occasions, with the most recent occurring on the May 13, 2021 poll.
 
Rating Methodology:
  • The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team's rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes".
1. Keiser (Fla.), 405 points
2024-25 Finish: Runner up at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Seahawk Shootout, Sept. 15-16, hosted by Keiser
  2. British Columbia, 404 points
2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Champion
2025-26 Season Opener: Wine Valley National, Sept. 8-9, hosted by Walla Walla
  3. SCAD Savannah (Ga.), 385 points
2024-25 Finish: Tied for Sixth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Seahawk Shootout, Sept. 15-16, hosted by Keiser
  4. Marian (Ind.), 362 points
2024-25 Finish: Third at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Bob Rohrman Invitational, Sept. 8-9, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan
  5. Texas Wesleyan, 360 points
2024-25 Finish: Fourth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Texas Wesleyan Invitational, Sept. 8-9
  6. Dalton State (Ga.), 352 points
2024-25 Finish: Eighth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Seahawk Shootout, Sept. 15-16, hosted by Keiser
  7. SCAD Atlanta (Ga.), 346 points
2024-25 Finish: Fifth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Eagles Open, Aug. 25-26, hosted by Reinhardt
  8. William Carey (Miss.), 320 points
2024-25 Finish: Tied for Sixth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Seahawk Shootout, Sept. 15-16, hosted by Keiser
  9. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 306 points
2024-25 Finish: Ninth at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Carey Collegiate, Sept. 21-23, hosted by William Carey
10. Oklahoma City, 302 points
2024-25 Finish: 11th at the 2025 NAIA Women's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Payne Stewart Memorial, Sept. 8-9, hosted by Missouri State
 
RANK INSTITUTION  POINTS
11 Cumberlands (Ky.) 247
12 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 241
13 Indiana Wesleyan  222
14 Southeastern (Fla.) 217
15 Coastal Georgia 202
16 Truett McConnell (Ga.) 189
17 Pikeville (Ky.) 175
18 Taylor (Ind.) 167
19 Loyola (La.) 165
20 Milligan (Tenn.) 159
21 Oregon Tech 149
22 Cumberland (Tenn.) 141
23 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 110
24 Bethel (Ind.) 104
25 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 58

Receiving Votes: Bellevue (Neb.) 52, Arizona Christian 39, Doane (Neb.) 35, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 19, OUAZ (Ariz.) 18, Grace (Ind.) 17, Midway (Ky.) 17, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 8, Park (Mo.) 6, Bethel (Tenn.) 3, Columbia (Mo.) 2.

MEN
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Defending national champion Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is the No. 1 team in the preseason edition of the 2025-26 NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Top 25, beginning a nine-month season that will culminate in mid-May, at TPC Deere Run, in the 2026 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship. 

The Blue Raiders edged Oklahoma City by two strokes in last year's championship, as the Stars check in at No. 2. The top four finishers from last season's championship were separated by five strokes, as preseason No. 3 Keiser finished five back of Lindsey, while preseason No. 6 Wayland Baptist finished four behind the national champions. The first regular-season rating of the 2025-26 campaign is slated for Oct. 17.

The Roadrunners once again open the season in the top-5 nationally. Dalton State is young but talented and will rely on senior leadership from Tyler Latimer as the only upperclassman on the roster.

By The Numbers
This is the 75th NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll to be released since the men's golf program has been eligible for national rankings. Of the 75, Dalton State has been ranked in the poll 74 times. They have been ranked inside the top-15 68 times, in the top-10 53 times, and in the top-5 39 times. The Roadrunners have been ranked #1 on eight occasions with the most recent occurring on October 31, 2024.

Rating Methodology
  • The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team's rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes".
1. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 473 points
2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Champion
2025-26 Season Opener: Sept. 28-30, UPike Invitational, hosted by Pikeville 
  2. Oklahoma City, 459 points
2024-25 Finish: Runner up at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: UC Ferguson Classic, Aug. 24-26, hosted by OCU
  3. Keiser (Fla.), 445 points
2024-25 Finish: Fourth at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Seahawk Shootout, Sept. 15-16, hosted by Keiser
  4. Dalton State (Ga.), 423 points
2024-25 Finish: Tied for fifth at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Coastal Georgia Fall Invitational, Sept. 8-9
  5. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), 412 points
2024-25 Finish: Tied for fifth at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: UC Ferguson Classic, Aug. 24-26, hosted by OCU
  6. Wayland Baptist (Texas), 407 points
2024-25 Finish: Third at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Mid-South Invitational, Sept. 2-3, hosted by Grand View
  7. OUAZ (Ariz.), 374 points
2024-25 Finish: Eighth at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: Northwest Iowa National Invitational, Sept. 14-16
  8. Texas Wesleyan, 365 points
2024-25 Finish: 10th at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: UC Ferguson Classic, Aug. 24-26, hosted by OCU
  9. Indiana Wesleyan, 308 points
2024-25 Finish: 13th at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: UC Ferguson Classic, Aug. 24-26, hosted by OCU
10. Friends (Kan.), 307 points
2024-25 Finish: Qualified but missed the cut at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship
2025-26 Season Opener: UC Ferguson Classic, Aug. 24-26, hosted by OCU
RANK INSTITUTION  POINTS
11  British Columbia 306
12  William Woods (Mo.) 277
13  The Master's (Calif.) 253
14  Marian (Ind.) 250
15  William Carey (Miss.) 244
16  Coastal Georgia 229
17  Northwestern (Iowa) 205
18  Southeastern (Fla.) 167
19  Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 165
20  Reinhardt (Ga.) 157
21  Point (Ga.) 154
22  Campbellsville (Ky.) 114
23  Science and Arts (Okla.) 107
24  Victoria (B.C.) 106
25  Northwestern Ohio 82
 
Receiving Votes: Hastings (Neb.) 69, Midway (Ky.) 55, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 54, Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 52, Tennessee Wesleyan 39, Arizona Christian 29, Cumberland (Tenn.) 23, Faulkner (Ala.) 21, Cumberlands (Ky.) 19, Truett McConnell (Ga.) 11, Columbia (Mo.) 10


*Information in this article attributed to NAIA Office of Athletics Communications
 
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