2022 NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings – Preseason

NEW ORLEANS – Cross country is back!

Here is the preseason edition of the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Regional Rankings for the 2022 season, which was released on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams’ strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. Teams with provisional status within the region may be ranked.

Regional Championships Saturday is set for November 12.

East Region

Defending regional champion MIT is No. 1 to begin the season, followed by last year’s third-place team Tufts, which swapped spots with regional runner-up Colby. The Engineers welcome back five of the seven athletes who helped them win that regional title and then finish runner-up at the NCAA Championships. The Jumbos return four of the seven runners from their team last year and welcomed in a strong freshman class.

The aforementioned Mules, Bates and WPI round out the preseason top-5.

Great Lakes Region

Defending regional champion John Carroll is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Otterbein sits No. 2. The Blue Streaks return six of the seven athletes from last year’s team, including national and regional individual champion Alex Phillip. The Cardinals welcome back their entire flock from last year, which includes three top-15 regional finishers.

Calvin, Mount Union and Case Western Reserve round out the preseason top-5.

Metro Region

Defending regional champion Haverford is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up TCNJ sits No. 2. The Fords welcome back four to their top-5 finishers from last year, including two top-5 athletes, while the Lions return their entire top-7, including two top-10 harriers.

Rowan, Swarthmore and Moravian round out the preseason top-5.

Mid-Atlantic Region

Defending regional champion Carnegie Mellon is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Johns Hopkins sits No. 2. The Tartans return five of the seven athletes who helped them win that title and welcome in an impressive freshman class, while the Blue Jays soared higher and higher each week in 2021 and hope to continue to do so in 2022.

Messiah, Dickinson and Elizabethtown round out the preseason top-5.

Mideast Region

Defending regional champion Williams is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Middlebury is No. 2. Six of the seven athletes who helped the Ephs win that title are back, while the Panthers return their entire top-7 from last year, including four top-15 runners.

RPI, Connecticut College and Amherst round out the preseason top-5.

Midwest Region

Defending regional champion Wartburg is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Washington (Mo.) sits No. 2. The Knights might have lost a few top runners from last year’s squad, but improved a lot on the track and welcomed some new faces. The Bears return four of their top-7 athletes, but lost their top-3 to graduation.

North Central (Ill.), UChicago and Loras round out the preseason top-5.

Niagara Region

Defending regional champion SUNY Geneseo is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Rochester (N.Y.) is No. 2. The Knights put seven runners in the top-5 last year and five of them are back, while the Yellowjackets didn’t have a runner in the top-10, but will return six of their seven athletes from the meet.

SUNY Cortland, Ithaca and Hamilton round out the preseason top-5.

North Region

The top-2 teams from last year’s regional championships switched spots to begin the 2022 season: regional runner-up UW-La Crosse is No. 1 with defending regional champion UW-Whitewater at No. 2. The Eagles welcome back its entire top-7 from last year and were said to have improved in the offseason, while the Warhawks return a solid group of athletes, which includes two top-5 finishers from the 2022 meet.

St. Olaf, UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire round out the preseason top-5.

South Region

The top-2 teams from last year’s regional championships switched spots to begin the 2022 season: regional runner-up Lynchburg is No. 1 with defending regional champion Emory at No. 2. Both the Hornets and the Eagles return their entire top-7 from last year, but the former got the edge thanks to its depth that could make the top-7 this year even harder to crack.

Christopher Newport, Washington & Lee and Berry round out the top-5.

West Region

Defending champion Pomona-Pitzer is No. 1 to begin the season, while regional runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is No. 2. The Sagehens, who are also the two-time defending national champions, return a number of the athletes who helped them to the regional crown last year, which includes four All-Americans. The Stags welcome back several top athletes and were said to have improved quite a bit through the indoor and outdoor track & field season.

UC Santa Cruz, George Fox and Lewis and Clark round out the top-5.