MEN'S NAIA TOP 25 | WOMEN'S NAIA TOP 25

ASHLAND – Successful season debuts were convincing enough for the Southern Oregon University men's and women's cross country teams to earn bumps in Thursday's NAIA Top 25 coaches' polls.

The Raider men moved up six spots to No. 9. The Raider women climbed one spot to No. 17. Both improvements were the result of team titles won last Saturday at Humboldt State's Jim Hunt Invitational, where SOU easily toppled Oregon Tech's higher-ranked squads.

The Cascade Conference leads all circuits with six teams in the men's Top 25. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) heads the pack at No. 5, followed by SOU, No. 14 College of Idaho, No. 17 Oregon Tech, No. 20 Northwest (Wash.) and No. 24 Eastern Oregon.

In the women's poll, No. 7 College of Idaho and No. 10 Lewis-Clark State are the only CCC teams ahead of SOU. Northwest is No. 23, while OIT dropped out of the poll.

The Raiders will race next on Oct. 2 at the Willamette Invite in Salem.