KANSAS CITY, MO. – The Iowa Wesleyan College women’s basketball team has made its first appearance in the national rankings this season, appearing in the most recent NAIA Division II national coaches’ poll released Monday afternoon by the NAIA.
The Tigers are ranked 23rd in this week’s poll, receiving 108 points. It is the fourth time in the last five seasons the Wesleyan women have been in the national poll for at least one week, and the first time the team is ranked since coming in 22nd in the final poll of last season.
IWC moved into the rankings on the strength of a pair of wins last week. The Tigers defeated then-21st ranked Grand View University as well as Viterbo (Wis.) University and have now won 11 of their last 12 games to improve to 13-7 this season. Wesleyan moved up from being ranked 31st last week, when it received 37 points to ranked sixth among teams outside the top 25 also receiving votes.
Iowa Wesleyan replaced Grand View as the second team from the Midwest Collegiate Conference in the national poll. IWC joins St. Ambrose University as MCC schools currently ranked. The Queen Bees (17-3 overall) received 282 votes this week to move up one spot to 11th nationally. Grand View is currently 30th, fifth among teams outside the top 25 with 41 points this week.
The Tigers defeated both St. Ambrose and Grand View at home over the past two weeks and have a 2-2 record against teams currently ranked in the top 25. Wesleyan also defeated #24 Marian (Ind.) University on a neutral court on Dec. 18. The Tigers lost to #6 Jamestown (N.D.) College by six points at home on Nov. 27 and also lost at #9 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) on the road on Nov. 14.
In addition, IWC has a neutral court win over a Walsh (Ohio) University team that was just two points out of being ranked in the top 25 this week, and the Tigers also have wins over Grand View and Valley City State (N.D.) University teams that received votes in this week’s poll. Wesleyan also lost in overtime earlier this season on the road at Quincy (Ill.) University, which is ranked 22nd in the most recent NCAA Division II poll.
The Tigers are 6-1 in MCC play and hold a one-half game lead over St. Ambrose in the conference standings. Grand View is one game back in the league race at 5-2 while Mount Mercy College holds down fourth with a 4-2 record.
Wesleyan will play its next game Saturday when it travels to Forest City to face Waldorf College in an MCC matchup at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast online at www.iwc.edu/onlinemedia.
For more information regarding the IWC basketball programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Complete NAIA Division II national poll
