For the first time in program history, The Master’s University men’s cross country team is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the most recent National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Top 25 poll released Thursday, Oct. 13.

The team’s previous high was on Nov. 6, 2011, when they were ranked No. 3.

TMU is fresh off it’s victory last week at the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla.. The Mustangs defeated 29 other programs, most of which were NCAA Division 1 teams. Individually, Brint Laubach placed second and Davis Boggess finished fifth.

“2022 brought in a new era for our running program,” Head Coach Zach Schroeder said. “The Lord has blessed us over the years as we have been hard at work spinning the flywheel of success. The momentum that has been building really broke through this year, resulting in the highest performances we have ever experienced as a team.”

Master’s has the longest active consecutive appearances on the men’s NAIA national poll, which is now 111 times dating back to 2009. The next closes team is Olivet Nazarene out of Illinois with 73.

“We praise the Lord for the consistency He’s blessed us with and recognize that faithfulness over time often results in a greater platform of influence,” Schroeder said. “Most importantly, our guys have the disposition to win. If you spend time with them you will find a steady calm rooted in strong confidence that only high achievers possess when they know what they are capable of doing. However, different than the world’s confidence, our men’s confidence is rooted in knowing God is sovereign over the outcome. Their part is simply to offer Him their absolute best.”

Master’s women’s team remains ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Top 25 poll for the third week in a row. This ties the team’s highest national ranking in program history.

“Both teams are led by remarkable captains, Davis Boggess for the men and Hannah Fredricks for the women,” Schroeder said, referring to two of his All-Americans. “Our captains are so important as they establish and create the threshold of team culture. Everyone knows great teams have great leaders and Davis and Hannah are really setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a historic year for their respective teams.”

The team has legitimate national championship hopes. The course they won on last week in Florida is the site of this year’s NAIA national championship. What makes this year even more intriguing is no team from Master’s has ever won a national championship. And to take it a step further, no team from California has ever won the cross country title.

“Ultimately, we desire the podium because we want to leverage the platform for Gospel influence and praise God for the victory, recognizing that win or lose, we can still worship the Lord,” Schroeder said. “We’re excited to see how the season plays out and what opportunities the Lord will give us.”

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