Frontier teams move in NAIA Poll

Thanks to Carroll College’s win over Southern Oregon last Saturday in Helena, there was a big shakeup in the NAIA Football Coaches Poll.

The poll, which was released Monday afternoon, saw the Fighting Saints remain at No. 3 after their 42-40 win over SOU. However, the Raiders first loss of the season caused them to drop four spots to No. 7. SOU and Carroll are now tied atop the Frontier standings.

Rocky Mountain College is on the rise again. RMC has won two straight and moved up two spots to No. 13 this week. Eastern Oregon is going in the opposite direction. The Mounties lost to UM-Western Saturday, and as a result, dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in four weeks. EOU is still receiving votes however.

Carroll senior running back Dustin Rinker was named Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week. In the Saints’ win over SOU, Rinker rushed 30 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns. RMC defensive back Cory Bummer was named Defensive Player of the Week. In then No. 15 Rocky’s 35-21 win over College of Idaho, Bummer recorded six solo tackles and nine assisted tackles. He had a half a tackle for loss (-1). UM-Western kicker Connor Greth earned Special Team’s Player of the Week. In Western’s 34-28 upset win over then No. 20 Eastern Oregon, Greth was 2 for 2 in PAT’s and was 2 for 2 in field goals.

Northern running back Zach McKinley and linebacker Kami Kanehailua were both nominated for player of the week honors.

Westminster’s Alexis Aalona also earned Frontier Conference Volleyball Player of the Week honors, while UGF’s Erin Legel was named Women’s Basketball Player of the Week and Carroll’s Oliver Carr was named Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

MSU-N’s Dayna Jensen was nominated for the volleyball award, while Skylight A’Jha Edwards and Light Nicholas Blount were nominated in basketball.