FINDLAY, OHIO - Two teams, which went unbeaten in league play last fall, have been chosen to repeat as champions of the Mid-States Football Association Mideast League and Midwest League in a vote by the league coaches.

Ohio Dominican, in the Mideast, and St. Ambrose, Iowa, in the Midwest, each compiled 7-0 records and earned the automatic berths to the 2007 NAIA playoffs as league champions.

ODU, which finished 12-1 overall a year ago, received 5 first-place votes to 3 by the University of Saint Francis of Fort Wayne, Ind. The Panthers will be led by MEL Player of the Year Cris Reisert who rewrote the MSFA record books last fall. He is one of 18 starters ODU will feature in 2008.

Saint Francis, which won 8 straight MEL titles until falling to ODU last year, have molded a 102-22 record in 10 seasons under coach Kevin Donley. USF returns 13 starters.

Saint Xavier finished third in the MEL voting, ahead of Malone, Walsh, Urbana, Marian and Taylor.

Meanwhile, St. Ambrose was voted No.1 on seven of the eight ballots in the Midwest, finishing 7 points better than McKendree which garnered the other first-place vote. SAU's 2007 title came on the heels of an 8-0 record a year earlier, but the Fighting Bees return just 8 starters in 2008.

McKendree was 5-2 in MWL play last fall along with Olivet Nazarene and returns 14 starters.

Olivet Nazarene was third in the voting, followed by William Penn, Quincy, Trinity International, St. Francis, Ill. and Iowa Wesleyan.

                                          Mideast League

School (2007 record)                       1^st-Place Votes      Points

1. Ohio Dominican (7-0, 12-1)                            5                   60

2. Saint Francis, Ind. (6-1, 11-2)                        3                   59

3. Saint Xavier (5-2, 10-3)                                                      48

4. Malone (4-3, 8-4)                                                                38

5. Walsh (2-5, 5-6)                                                                 31

6. Urbana (3-4, 6-5)                                                               26

7. Marian (1-6, 1-9)                                                                18

8. Taylor (0-7, 2-9)                                                                  8

                                                    Mideast League

School (2007 record)                  1^st-Place Votes       Points

1. St. Ambrose (7-0, 8-3)                                  7                  63

2. McKendree (5-2, 6-4)                                   1                  56

3. Olivet Nazarene (5-2, 5-5)                                                43

4. William Penn (3-4, 5-6)                                                      37

5. Quincy (4-3, 6-5)                                                              35

6. Trinity International (1-6, 2-9)                                           21

7. St. Francis, Ill. (3-4, 3-8)                                                  19

8. Iowa Wesleyan (0-7, 0-11)                                             14