Four Teams Move Into Prime Position In NCAA DIII XC Regional Rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Inter-regional battles — like those that transpired in New Jersey, Ohio and Washington — dotted the landscape in NCAA Division III Cross Country this past weekend. And in turn, those affected the most recent Regional Rankings when they were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Four new teams moved into position to nab an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on November 19, which go to the top-2 teams at each regional championship, while another took over a top spot in the men’s rankings.

QUICK LINKS: Regional Rankings Summary PDF | Men’s Rankings | Women’s Rankings | Rankings Central

We’ll start with the women from Nebraska Wesleyan, who were the biggest movers in the rankings this week going from 9th to 2nd in the Central Region. The Prairie Wolves surprised everybody at the Tori Neubauer Invitational as they finished runner-up behind host UW-La Crosse and beat the “B” team from DI Minnesota. NWU put its entire scoring lineup inside the top-25 and was led by Jamie Larsen (9th overall).

Staying in the women’s rankings, Ithaca jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 in the Atlantic Region with SUNY Oneonta right on its heels at No. 3. The Bombers were runner-ups at the Rowan Border Battle and Taryn Cordani, their standout sophomore, was runner-up to Amy Regan.

Also in the women’s rankings, Colorado College went from No. 3 to No. 2 in the West Region. The Tigers recently rolled to a team title at the Lewis & Clark Invitational, where they put five in the top-10 of a 42-person race.

Over in the men’s rankings, Emory leapfrogged Christopher Newport to become the top dog in the South/Southeast Region. The Eagles took part in the Rowan Border Battle and took 7th — 20 points shy of 6th in a loaded field — while CNU hosted its own smaller invitational and won handily.

Elsewhere in the men’s rankings, Ohio Northern moved up to No. 2 in the Great Lakes Region behind Calvin. The Polar Bears fared well against a stacked field at the Kollege Sports Invitational hosted by UW-Oshkosh. ONU placed 5th out of 37 teams.

These are the penultimate Regional Rankings of the 2016 season. There won’t be any next week and the final ones will come after the big conference championship weekend.

After that it’s time to figure out who goes to NCAAs when the NCAA DIII Regional Championships are held around the nation on November 12.

Be sure to find out how the National Coaches’ Polls changed when they’re announced tomorrow on a LIVE edition of "Cross Country U" at noon ET on USTFCCCA.org.