After receiving votes in the first four polls of 2009, a pair of teams are making their first appearance in the Top 25. British Columbia has finally broken in at No. 11 and Shorter (Ga.) is listed at No. 19. These newly ranked squads replace Concordia (Ore.) and Black Hills State (S.D.), who were previously ranked 13th and 25th, respectively.

Still ranked in the Top 25, Cornerstone (Mich.) tumbled nine spots this week from No. 15 to 24. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) and Eastern Oregon each improved six spots in this week's poll. Embry-Riddle was previously ranked 19th and is now 13th, while Eastern Oregon was at No. 23 and is now No. 17.

The Golden State Athletic Conference boasts five nationally-ranked teams in Azusa Pacific, Biola, No. 7 Concordia (Calif.), No. 15 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) and No. 23 Vanguard (Calif.). The Association of Independent Institutions has three ranked teams in California State-San Marcos, Simon Fraser and British Columbia.

For the third consecutive week, California State-San Marcos is ranked second, but sits 28 points back from Azusa Pacific with 687 points. Biola and Simon Fraser swap spots from the previous week at No. 3 and 4. Separated by a mere three points, Biola recorded 661 points to Simon Fraser's 558. Cracking into the top five with 602 points is College of Idaho, bumping up to No. 5 from 6.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next poll will be released on Oct. 14.

Others receiving votes: Concordia University (Ore.) 133; Black Hills State University (S.D.) 120; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 93; Kansas Wesleyan University 79; Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 58; Westmont College (Calif.) 57; Northwest Christian University (Ore.) 26; Jamestown College (N.D.) 26; Bethel College (Ind.) 15; Doane College (Neb.) 13; Baker University (Kan.) 3; Oklahoma Baptist University 3; Shawnee State University (Ohio) 1; Taylor University (Ind.) 1; Illinois Institute of Technology 1; Southern Oregon University 1.