SIOUX CITY, IA (GPACsports.com) – Concordia totaled 119 points to top the preseason coaches’ poll to win the 2018-19 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball Championship.  The Bulldogs tallied nine first place votes while Dakota Wesleyan, picked second with 111 points, grabbed the other three first place votes.

Northwestern was tabbed third by the coaches with 96 points, while Morningside was picked fourth (87) and Hastings rounded out the top five with 86 points.

Last year Concordia took the regular season and tournament titles in the GPAC.  Dakota Wesleyan won the NAIA Division II National Championship. In all, five  teams (Concordia, Dakota Wesleyan, Northwestern, Morningside, and Hastings) qualified for the NAIA Women’s Basketball DII National Championship Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Tyson Events Center. Jamestown, now a member of the GPAC, also qualified for the 2018 NAIA National Tournament last year.

Points were awarded on an 11-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.

Here is the complete 2018-19 GPAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:

Place  School Points  First Place Votes 
1. Concordia 119 9
2. Dakota Wesleyan 111 3
3. Northwestern 96
4. Morningside 87
5. Hastings 86
6. Jamestown 71
7. Dordt 55
8. Midland 54
9. Briar Cliff 48
10. Mount Marty 27
11. Doane 24
12. College of Saint Mary 14

Men’s Basketball

Morningside totaled 100 points and is the preseason coaches’ selection to win the 2018-2019 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Basketball Championship.  The Mustangs tallied ten first place votes. Briar Cliff garnered the last first place vote and totaled 90 points and was picked second in the poll.

Dakota Wesleyan was picked third (83) followed by Doane with 69 and Dordt with 56 points to round out the top five.

Morningside won the regular and postseason championships last year in the GPAC.  In all, four teams (Morningside, Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Dakota Wesleyan) qualified for the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Pentagon.

Points were awarded on a 10-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.

Here is the complete 2018-19 GPAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:

Place  School Points  First Place Votes 
1. Morningside 100 10
2. Briar Cliff 90 1
3. Dakota Wesleyan 83
4. Doane 69
5. Dordt 56
6t. Northwestern 46
6t. Hastings 46
6t. Midland 46
9. Jamestown 40
10. Concordia 17
11. Mount Marty 12