LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Repeat national champion Virginia Wesleyan University kept rolling and remained the unanimous choice atop the NFCA Division III Top 25 for a 24th straight poll.
The (11-0) Marlins were 4-0 last week, then swept Averett on Tuesday to run their record over their last 75 games to 72-3. They also unveiled their completely renovated home, which was renamed Tom and Betty Broyles Field at TowneBank Park.
National runner-up Illinois Wesleyan (2-0) didn’t play last week, but opened its 2019 campaign with a pair of victories on Tuesday in Florida, and No. 3 Ithaca is off to a 3-1 start to its season.
The top six teams in the Top 25 remain unchanged, and the first 11 spots this week were unanimous. East Texas Baptist (19-0) scored five more wins to remain sixth, while No. 7 Christopher Newport (9-1) gained one spot in the rankings on the strength of a 6-0 week, and Coe (13-0) wrapped up a perfect trip to South Carolina to slide up to eighth.
Elsewhere, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (9-2) moved up three places to 12th after sweeping La Verne for its eighth straight win, and Lynchburg (13-1) went all the way from receiving votes to 13th by winning all seven of its games last week, then scored a sweep of nationally-ranked Salisbury on Monday.
Berry (11-3) dropped nine places to 16th, based on last week’s 3-2 performance, but has gone 3-1 the last two days, including a split with No. 3 Ithaca and a sweep of Chapman.
Kean (10-1) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (9-2) are new to the Top 25 this week, at 18th and 23rd, respectively, in recognition of their strong starts, while No. 25 Pacific (12-5) moved up from the receiving votes category.
The NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll is selected by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Current 2019 records are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses.
NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – March 13, 2019
|
Rank |
Team |
2019 Record |
Points |
Previous |
|
1 |
Virginia Wesleyan (8) |
11-0 |
200 |
1 |
|
2 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
2-0 |
192 |
2 |
|
3 |
Ithaca |
3-1 |
184 |
3 |
|
4 |
St. Thomas (Minn.) |
6-0 |
176 |
4 |
|
5 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
0-0 |
168 |
5 |
|
6 |
East Texas Baptist |
19-0 |
160 |
6 |
|
7 |
Christopher Newport |
9-1 |
152 |
8 |
|
8 |
Coe |
13-0 |
144 |
9 |
|
9 |
Linfield |
10-1-1 |
136 |
13 |
|
10 |
Williams |
0-0 |
128 |
10 |
|
11 |
Wisconsin-Whitewater |
0-0 |
120 |
11 |
|
12 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
9-2 |
106 |
T15 |
|
13 |
Lynchburg |
13-1 |
97 |
RV |
|
14 |
Pomona-Pitzer |
11-2-1 |
92 |
14 |
|
15 |
Central (Iowa) |
1-1 |
81 |
T15 |
|
16 |
Berry |
11-3 |
80 |
7 |
|
17 |
Manhattanville |
4-0 |
51 |
21 |
|
T18 |
Kean |
10-1 |
49 |
NR |
|
T18 |
Salisbury |
9-4 |
49 |
17 |
|
20 |
Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
3-1 |
48 |
19 |
|
21 |
Randolph-Macon |
9-2 |
40 |
22 |
|
22 |
Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
4-0 |
31 |
24 |
|
23 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
9-2 |
21 |
NR |
|
24 |
Transylvania |
3-3 |
19 |
23 |
|
25 |
Pacific |
12-5 |
16 |
RV |
Others receiving votes: Geneseo 11, Muskingum 11, Trine 11, Calvin 7, Saint Benedict (Minn.) 7, Luther 4, Birmingham-Southern 3, Whitworth 2, and Wartburg 1.
Dropped out: Hendrix, Rhodes, Rowan, St. John Fisher, The College of New Jersey, Tufts, and Wisconsin-Stout.
* NOTE: Texas-Tyler is reclassifying to NCAA Division II, and Pfeiffer continues the process of going from Division II to Division III. Neither is eligible for the NCAA Division III Championship.
