2021 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Preseason

NEW ORLEANS – It’s the dawn of a new era in NCAA Division III Cross Country!

Here are the first Men’s Regional Rankings for the 2021 season, using the new, 10-region model that goes into effect on September 1. For the uninitiated, the new regions that will be used are the East, Great Lakes, Metro, Mid-Atlantic, Mideast, Midwest, Niagara, North, South, and West.

East Region

MIT and Colby sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Engineers return much of the squad that finished ninth at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, including Sanjay Raman, who finished 30th as a freshman. Raman will be joined by the likes of Matthew Kearney, Andrew Mah, among others.

The Mules welcome back all but their No. 1 and No. 7 runners from a 16th-place squad in 2019. Tyler Morris was a freshman in 2019 and placed 36th overall. Morris will be flanked by Ewin Frick, Collins Kibet, Max Lessans and Ben Mellor, among others.

Bates, Tufts and WPI round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Great Lakes Region

John Carroll and Otterbein sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Blue Streaks are expected to be a national contender in 2021 thanks to the maturation of a young squad. Alex Phillip, who finished 15th as a freshman at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, is the leader of the group. Jamie Dailey and Ian Pierson should bolster a strong top-3 for JCU this season.

The Cardinals finished 20th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships with a senior-laden team (six of its top-7 athletes). Otterbein’s new faces starred on the track during the 2021 spring and four different athletes went sub-15 for 5000 meters.

Calvin, DePauw and Case Western Reserve round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Metro Region

Haverford and Rowan sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Fords, who finished 27th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, are a bit of an unknown after racing sparingly over the past few years. Tradition is strong, though, as Haverford has made 27 consecutive editions of the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.

The Profs didn’t compete last year, but made some solid gains on the track. Look for Kevin Lauer, Nick Simila and Jeff Stewart to lead the way for Rowan with Justin Kelly making an impact as a transfer from NCAA Division I Stony Brook.

Moravian, TCNJ and Ramapo round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Blue Jays, who finished fifth at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, might have lost several athletes from that squad, but look formidable. Tyler Amos and Bryce Thalheimer stood out during the outdoor season and should lead the squad.

The Tartans, who finished 18th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, only return two athletes from that squad – but loaded up through recruiting. Matt Karee and Michael O’Broin both return and placed in the top-15 of the 2019 regional championships.

Dickinson, Elizabethtown and York (Pa.) round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Mideast Region

Williams and Middlebury sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Ephs, who finished third at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, are a formidable force in what used to be the New England Region. Despite racing sparingly since that season, the team excelled in intrasquad racing with two runners hitting sub-14-minute marks for 5000 meters and three others who posted sub-15-minute times over the same distance.

The Panthers, who finished 29th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, are expected to contend for the regional crown. Middlebury will have a upperclassmen-laden team led by a pair of now seniors Zander Kessler and Quin McCaugh.

Connecticut College, RPI and Amherst round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Midwest Region

Wartburg and Washington (Mo.) sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Knights, who finished 13th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, have a loaded squad. Nine athletes have posted sub-15-minute marks over 5000 meters and several helped Wartburg win the outdoor team title this past May. Joe Freiburger is expected to be the leader of the squad after a strong year on the grass circuit and track in 2020-21.

The Bears, who finished fourth at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, should make noise this year with a strong team. Jacob Ridderhoff is expected to be the leader after making tremendous strides in the past few years (He finished runner-up in the 1500 at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships).

UChicago, Loras and North Central (Ill.) round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Niagara Region

SUNY Geneseo and Ithaca sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Knights, who finished eighth at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, have a lot of depth with a strong core group. SUNY Geneseo saw several strong efforts during the outdoor track & field season, notably rising senior Matthew Sayre, who finished third in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

The Bombers, who finished 26th at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, reinvented themselves as a contender. A talented mix of individuals, led by Danny Jagoe – who was the team’s top finisher two years ago – should have Ithaca in contention for a return trip.

Rochester (N.Y.), PSU-Behrend and SUNY Brockport round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

North Region

UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Eagles, who finished seventh at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, have a young, but talented team. UW-La Crosse had nine runners under 15:20 this past outdoor season over 5000 meters and three of those dipped under 14:50. Ethan Gregg is expected to take the next step, following an eighth-place finish in the NCAA 10K.

The Warhawks return their top-5 runners from the Midwest Region Championships in 2019. David Fassbender should lead the way for UW-Whitewater, as he was a double finalist in the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

UW-Eau Claire, St. Olaf and UW-Oshkosh round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

South Region

Lynchburg and Washington and Lee sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Hornets have a talented squad that grew into their roles during the outdoor season. Frank Csorba and Maximillian Sparks are expected to lead the way for Lynchburg after they stood out at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a sixth-place finish in the 5000 and a seventh-place finish in the 10,000 meters, respectively.

The Generals are expected to be right up there in the South Region thanks to a bevy of talent. Washington and Lee’s top-5 athletes all own PRs of sub-15:10 for 5000 meters and are reported to have depth behind them as well.

Emory, Christopher Newport and Rhodes round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

West Region

Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps sit No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the season, respectively.

The Sagehens, who won the national title at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, return four of the top-7 athletes from that squad, including top-20 finishers Ethan Widlansky (seventh) and Dante Paszkiecz (16th).

The Stags, who finished sixth at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, return athletes who went 3-4-5 at the West Region Championships – Stevie Steinberg (third), Kyril van Schendel (fourth) and Miles Christensen (fifth), among others.

UC Santa Cruz, George Fox and Colorado College round out the rest of the top-5 at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.