BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Two Mid-South Conference programs are in the top 10 of the first SwimCloud NAIA Men's Swimming & Diving Ratings of the 2026-27 season, NAIA officials announced on Friday.

Cumberlands (Ky.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) sit back-to-back at No. 5 and No. 6. Only one point separates them, the closest gap anywhere in the national top 10.
Cumberlands is the highest-rated MSC team at No. 5 with 471.30 points. Karl von Thun leads the NAIA in the 200-yard butterfly (1:49.79) and ranks third nationally in both the 200 freestyle (1:39.83) and 500 freestyle (4:36.53). Gabriel Almeida dos Santos is second in the 200 butterfly (1:51.58) and fourth in the 100 butterfly (49.68). Lazar Antonijevic is third in the 1,000 freestyle (9:35.64). The Patriots' 400 freestyle relay ranks fifth in the country (3:05.45).

Lindsey Wilson follows at No. 6 with 470.30 points. Sergio Ybarra holds the top time in the NAIA in three distance events: the 500 freestyle (4:30.74), 1,000 freestyle (9:25.10) and 1,650 freestyle (15:29.20). Ybarra is also third in the 400 individual medley (4:05.35) and sixth in the 200 butterfly (1:53.33). The Blue Raiders own the second-fastest 800 freestyle relay in the country (7:19.75) and rank sixth in the 400 medley relay (3:31.25).

St. Thomas (Fla.) opens the season at No. 1 with 576.41 points, followed by No. 2 St. Ambrose (Iowa), No. 3 Midland (Neb.) and No. 4 Keiser (Fla.), the defending national champion.
The next SwimCloud NAIA Ratings release is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20.