KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dalton State men's golf delivered one of the biggest moves in this week's NAIA Men's Golf Coaches Top 25, surging nine spots to No. 3 in the fourth regular-season poll of the 2025-26 campaign.
 
The Roadrunners' climb comes on the heels of back-to-back victories in the BMCU Spring Classic and the Roadrunner Classic, results that vaulted Dalton State from No. 12 to No. 3 and positioned DS firmly among the national title contenders as the regular season continues to build toward postseason play.
 
Dalton State earned 454 points in this week's voting, sitting just behind No. 1 Keiser (Fla.) (498 points, all 18 first-place votes) and No. 2 Oklahoma City (482). The Roadrunners also moved ahead of several highly ranked programs, including Webber International (Fla.), Coastal Georgia, and Friends (Kan.), underscoring the impact of Dalton State's strong form entering mid-April.
 
NATIONAL SNAPSHOT: Movement Across the Top 25
April's poll delivered plenty of reshuffling throughout the rankings, though the very top remained unchanged. Keiser held steady at No. 1 with a clean sweep of all 18 first-place votes, while Oklahoma City climbed to No. 2. Beyond Dalton State's jump into the top three, OUAZ (Ariz.) returned to the top five at No. 5, and Texas Wesleyan made another notable leap, rising six spots to No. 7. Hastings (Neb.) also rejoined the rankings, checking in at No. 19.
 
WHAT IT MEANS FOR DALTON STATE
Dalton State's rise to No. 3 reflects a combination of results and consistency that the coaches' panel rewarded this week. With a marquee win on its home course in the Roadrunner Classic, DS strengthened its national résumé and earned a spot near the top of a deep NAIA field.
 
The Roadrunners now sit inside the national top three with momentum, and with multiple elite programs clustered closely in the points, every event down the stretch carries added significance in the chase for seeding and positioning.
 
Next Poll: April 17
 
2025-26 NAIA Men's Golf Coaches Top 25 (April Poll)

1. Keiser (Fla.) — 498 (18 first-place votes)
2. Oklahoma City — 482
3. Dalton State (Ga.) — 454
4. Webber International (Fla.) — 441
5. OUAZ (Ariz.) — 427
6. Reinhardt (Ga.) — 425
7. Texas Wesleyan — 415
8. Coastal Georgia — 374
9. USAO (Okla.) — 365
10. Friends (Kan.) — 354
11. Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) — 349
12. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) — 319
13. Marian (Ind.) — 299
14. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) — 276
15. Missouri Valley — 274
16. British Columbia — 252
17. Wayland Baptist (Texas) — 247
18. Cumberlands (Ky.) — 216
19. Hastings (Neb.) — 205
20. Point (Ga.) — 198
21. Indiana Wesleyan — 197
22. Victoria (B.C.) — 176
23. Southeastern (Fla.) — 127
24. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) — 104
25. Ave Maria (Fla.) — 103

Dropped: Northwestern Ohio, William Woods (Mo.)
Receiving Votes: William Carey (Miss.) (91), Northwestern (Iowa) (76), William Woods (Mo.) (53), Northwestern Ohio (49), Texas A&M–Victoria (36), St. Thomas (Fla.) (34), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (9), Grand View (Iowa) (9), Cumberland (Tenn.) (5), Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) (4)
 
Ratings 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".

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