KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dalton State men's golf closed the 2025-26 season with its highest ranking of the year, climbing to No. 3 in the final Netting Professionals NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Top 25, released May 1 in conjunction with the announcement of the 2026 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship Qualifiers.
 
"Our guys have represented Dalton State the right way all year," Dalton State Head Coach Ben Rickett said. "They've bought into the process and competed with confidence. We're excited about where we are, and we're ready for what's next."
 
The Roadrunners stayed status quo and finished with 478 points, solidifying their place among the NAIA's elite heading into the postseason picture. Reinhardt moved up a position, while Webber International slid one spot.
 
At the top of the rating, Keiser (Fla.) remained the unanimous No. 1 with all 18 first-place votes, followed by Oklahoma City at No. 2.
 
WHY THE FINAL POLL MATTERS
The final coaches' rating plays a pivotal role in determining the NAIA's national championship field. The NAIA Men's Golf National Championship includes 29 teams comprised of 19 automatic qualifiers and 10 teams selected through the final rating, plus 11 individual qualifiers who earn entry through conference medalist honors (when not on a qualifying team), all-tournament recognition, or at-large selection based on Clippd Scoreboard rankings.
 
NOTABLE MOVEMENT AROUND THE POLL
Missouri Valley surged four spots to No. 7, and Grand View (Iowa) made a late jump into the Top 25 at No. 24, strengthening the Heart of America Athletic Conference's national presence.
 
2025-26 NAIA Men's Golf Coaches Top 25 (May 1 Poll)

RANK	LAST TIME	INSTITUTION	POINTS
1	1	Keiser (Fla.) [18]	528
2	2	Oklahoma City	511
3	4	Dalton State (Ga.)	478
4	5	Renhardt (Ga.)	474
5	3	Webber International (Fla.)	468
6	6	OUAZ (Ariz.)	446
7	11	Missouri Valley	401
8	8	USAO (Okla.)	395
9	9	Texas Wesleyan	386
10	7	Coastal Georgia	380
11	10	Friends (Kan.)	375
12	12	Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.)	330
13	14	Marian (Ind.)	310
14	15	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	302
15	13	MidAmerica Nazaren (Kan.)	276
16	16	British Columbia	253
17	18	Point (Ga.)	240
18	19	Hastings (Neb.)	227
19	17	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	219
20	22	Cumberlands (Ky.)	180
21	21	William Woods (Mo.)	165
22	20	Indiana Wesleyan	162
23	23	Victoria (B.C.)	150
24	RV	Grand View (Iowa)	135
T-25	25	Southeastern (Fla.)	117
T-25	24	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	117

Receiving Votes: UNOH (Ohio) 83, Ave Maria (Fla.) 63, William Carey (Miss.) 46, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 30, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 16, Texas A&M-Victoria 15, St. Thomas (Fla.) 13, Southwest (N.M.) 8, Northwestern (Iowa) 7, Taylor (Ind.) 6.
 
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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FIND NEWS AND FOLLOW THE BIRDS: News and updates from Dalton State's men's golf team is posted on dsroadrunners.com and on X (@DaltonStateGolf), Facebook (@DaltonStateGolf) and Instagram (daltonstategolf). Be sure to follow to keep pace with the Birds!
 
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