No. 1 for the First Time, Air Force Leads MCLA Division II Poll

ATLANTA — For the first time in program history, Air Force has taken over the top spot in week two of the MCLA Division II New Balance Coaches Poll, which was released Wednesday.

The Falcons (4-0) leapfrogged defending national champion and former No. 1 Dayton (0-0) for pole position. Air Force grabbed 13 of the 25 first-place votes that were cast this week.

The Flyers dropped into the No. 2 spot, bolstered by 10 first-place votes. Dayton will open its season this weekend with a three-day, three-game road set against No. 15 Wake Forest (6-1), No. 19 Coastal Carolina (2-1) and Miami (4-2).

St. Thomas (4-0) retains its third spot from last week but adds a pair of first-place votes after defeating No. 4 Montana State (4-1) and No. 8 Montana (1-1) in Minot, N.D.

Grand Valley State (2-0), which knocked off a pair of MCLA Division I outfits, migrates up two spots to round out the top five.

Miami and Northern Arizona (0-0) were bumped out of the poll to make room for No. T-22 Denver (2-0) and No. 24 Loyola Marymount (4-0).

MCLA DIVISION II
NEW BALANCE COACHES POLL

1. Air Force, 610 (13 first-place votes)
2. Dayton, 606 (10)
3. St. Thomas, 581 (2)
4. Montana State, 541
5. Grand Valley State, 499
6. UNC-Charlotte, 483
7. Rhode Island, 470
8. Montana, 436
9. Cal State San Marcos, 418
10. UC San Diego, 402
11. Kennesaw State, 367
12. Florida Atlantic, 348
13. Missouri State, 303
14. North Dakota State, 285
15. Wake Forest, 270
16. Florida Gulf Coast, 244
17. Minn.-Duluth, 228
18. Western Washington, 185
19. Coastal Carolina, 171
T20. Northwest Nazarene, 133
T20. Utah State, 133
T22. College of Idaho, 96
T22. Denver, 96
24. Loyola Marymount, 46
25. St. John’s, 44

Others receiving votes: Northern Arizona (43), UC Davis (34), Miami (24), Appalachian State (11), Georgia Southern (7), San Diego (4), Bridgewater State (2), UNC-Wilmington (2), Arizona Christian (1), Drury (1), Saint Mary’s (1)