By Katie Green, Manager of NAIA Athletics Communications and Media

After closing the 2017 season with their first banner, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) claims the No. 1 ranking alongside the 2017 runner-up SCAD Savannah (Ga.) in the 2017 NAIA Women’s Swim & Dive Coaches’ Preseason Top 10 Poll, the national office announced on Thursday. The teams both tallied 46 points and two first place votes.

• The 2017 defending national champion, Olivet Nazarene, looks to build off of their success in the previous season, which saw the program recording only one loss and finished 1-5 in each of their competitions. The team lost seven individuals, but added 10 in the new season.
• SCAD Savannah will also start the year at No. 1. The team will most notably return a core of four individuals that competed at nationals in 2017, all being All-Americans. 
• No. 3 Keiser (Fla.), No. 6 Loyola (La.) and No. 10 Union (Ky.) made the jump into the Top 10. This is Keiser’s first time being ranked in the Top 10, Loyola saw its first rank in the Top 10 in the 2016-17 season at No. 9 and the first time that Union has been ranked in the Top 10 since the 2014-15 season.
• SCAD Savannah holds the longest active streak in the Top 10 with 30 total appearance. The last 12 consecutive appearances have been in the top five.
• There has been five programs that have been able to maintain the No. 1 ranking for an entire season: SCAD Savannah, Oklahoma Baptist, Fresno Pacific (Calif.), California Baptist and Simon Fraser. Fresno Pacific and Simon Fraser are the only teams to do it two different times.
• Former member California Baptist holds the most No. 1 rankings in women’s swim & dive. SCAD Savannah follows closely behind with 11 No. 1 rankings.

Poll Methodology

• Top 10 team ratings will be recommended to the NAIA Sports Information Department by a Presidential committee. This committee will conduct the Top 10 rating five times during the season.
• The Committee will consist of 5 current NAIA Swimming and Diving Coaches. The committee will use the most current “top times” as the primary source of ranking.
• For the complete ratings calendar, click here.

2018 NAIA Women’s Swim & Dive Coaches’ Preseason Top 10 Poll – (Oct. 26)

RANK   SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES]    POINTS

1. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) [2]    46
2. SCAD Savannah (Ga.) [2]    46
3. Keiser (Fla.) [1]    41
4. Cumberlands (Ky.)    37
5. College of Idaho    21
6. Loyola (La.)    19
7. Asbury (Ky.)    17
8. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)    16
9. Brenau (Ga.)    15
10. Union (Ky.)    10

Dropped from the rankings: Biola (Calif.), Lindenwood-Belleville (Mo.) and  Columbia (S.C.)

Others receiving votes: WVU Institute of Technology 3, Lindenwood-Belleville (Mo.) 2