Dayton, Air Force Jockeying for Top Spot in MCLA Division II Coaches Poll

ATLANTA — Despite being two weeks away from its season opener, defending national champion Dayton was able to hold off a serious competitor and maintain its top ranking in week one of the MCLA Division II New Balance Coaches Poll.

The Flyers (0-0), who will take on No. 16 Wake Forest (5-1) on March 1 to open the season, collected 14 of the 27 first-place votes to remain in the top spot. Dayton edged out Air Force (3-0) for the first chair by 10 points.

The Falcons, who amassed three ranked wins at the Rocky Mountain Rumble, garnered the remaining 13 first-place votes. St. Thomas (2-0), ranked second in the New Balance preseason poll, checks in at No. 3, just ahead of No. 4 Montana State (3-0).

The Tommies and Bobcats will meet this weekend in Minot, N.D., in a big non-conference showdown.

Rounding out the top five is UNC-Charlotte (4-0), which is off to a sizzling start. UC Davis (1-1) left the poll from the preseason to make way for No. 24 Miami.

MCLA DIVISION II
NEW BALANCE COACHES POLL

1. Dayton, 662 (14 first-place votes)
2. Air Force, 652 (13)
3. St. Thomas, 613
4. Montana State, 566
5. UNC-Charlotte, 521
6. Rhode Island, 520
7. Grand Valley State, 516
8. Montana, 465
9. Cal State San Marcos, 444
10. UC San Diego, 429
11. Kennesaw State, 391
12. Florida Atlantic, 362
13. Missouri State, 336
14. Minn.-Duluth, 315
15. North Dakota State, 298
16. Wake Forest, 277
17. Florida Gulf Coast, 256
18. Utah State, 228
19. Western Washington, 182
T-20. Coastal Carolina, 116
T-20. Northwest Nazarene, 116
22. College of Idaho, 99
23. Northern Arizona, 82
24. Miami, 78
25. St. John’s, 67

Others receiving votes: UC Davis (61), Loyola Marymount (49), Denver (20), San Diego (12), Georgia Southern (10), Appalachian State (9), Arizona Christian (7), Maine (4), Central Washington (3), Drury (1), MSU Denver (1), Saint Mary’s (1), Claremont (1), Bridgewater State (1), Tulane (1).