Griak Causes Movement in Newest NCAA DII Regional Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – No new top-ranked teams emerged in the week three edition of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Regional Rankings, but a few teams better positioned themselves for runs at NCAA Championships qualifying.

A trio of women’s teams and one more men’s squad moved into “qualifying territory” within their respective regions in the rankings announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), while several other moved onto the bubble.

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UC-Colorado Springs jumped to No. 3 in the South Central, Pittsburg State rose to No. 4 in the Central, and Northern Michigan climbed to No. 5 in the Midwest.

For the men, Black Hills State moved to No. 5 in the South Central.

Each region is allotted a certain number of team qualifiers (listed in the tables below) to the NCAA Championships in Saint Leo, Florida, on November 19. Those qualifiers from each region are determined based on the results of regional championships weekend on November 5-6.

All four teams benefitted from strong showings at the Roy Griak Invitational. NMU finished third overall while UCCS was fourth. Pittsburg State finished seventh after taking down regional foe Winona State (13th).

In the men’s race, Black Hills State finished third.

Griak also affected the women’s West’s rankings order, though it didn’t result in any new teams moving into qualifying territory. UC San Diego moved up to No. 3 in the region after finishing fifth, while Western Washington dropped two spots to No. 4 after taking sixth.

Beyond Black Hills State, all was relatively steady in the men’s rankings; no new No. 1 teams ascended to the tops of their regions and no other new teams advanced into qualifying territory.

Behind National Athlete of the Week Ronald Cheserek, Saint Leo moved onto the bubble at No. 4 in the three-bid South Region. The Lions won the non-DI competition at Florida’s Mountain Dew Gator Invitational. The NCAA Championships will be held on Saint Leo’s home course.

See the full rankings below.

he United States (as well as Canada and Puerto Rico) is split into eight distinct regions for both the men and the women, combining for 16 total. Teams qualify to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on November 19 based on their finishes at these regional championships on November 5-6, with each region allotted a specific number of NCAA Championship berths based on 2015 results.

These rankings aim to predict how teams will fare within those regional championship races. They 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 predicted team finishes at the NCAA Regional Championships.