Final NCAA DIII XC Regional Rankings Shed Light On Postseason

NEW ORLEANS — Allow us to officially welcome you to the NCAA Division III Cross Country postseason.

The first order of business is to reveal the final Regional Rankings of the 2016 season, which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Remember: The results of each Regional Championship on November 12 serve as the definitive version — thus no rankings are needed.

So what changed from Week 6 to Week 7?

For starters there are four new No. 1 teams (two men’s, two women’s) and two more (both women’s) moved into the all-important No. 2 spot in their respective region. You should know by now that the top-2 teams at each Regional Championship earn auto bids to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on November 19.

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

We’ll start in the Central Region of the men’s rankings where St. Olaf moved into a tie for first with Loras. Those two teams have been 1-2 in some order this entire season and both just won their respective conference titles. St. Olaf trumped St. John’s 44-66 for the MIAC crown, while Loras edged Nebraska Wesleyan 67-70 in the IIAC.

Out in the West Region, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps overtook Pomona-Pitzer thanks to a head-to-head victory in the SCIAC Championships. The Stags went 2-5-10-14-16 (47), while the Sagehens came through in 3-4-11-13-20 (51). Whittier College was right there with them as its top-3 went 1-7-8, but 15-21 rounded out the lineup.

Turning attention toward the women’s rankings, we see Nebraska Wesleyan is the new No. 1 team in the Central Region. The Prairie Wolves dominated the IIAC meet, putting six runners in the top-12. St. Thomas (Minn.) also jumped former No. 1 Carleton after posting a decisive head-to-head win at the MIAC meet.

Elsewhere, Hope trumped Calvin at the MIAA Championships and is No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region because of it. Hope’s Erin Herrmann earned a 20-second win and she was one of seven runners from her team in the top-13 this past weekend.

Trinity (Texas) was the last team to move into prime position thanks to its runner-up showing at the SCAC Championships. The Tiger women went from No. 3 to No. 2.

What impact will these rankings have on the NCAA Division III National Coaches’ Polls? You can find out tomorrow at noon ET as they’ll be revealed LIVE on “Cross Country U,” the new podcast presented by the USTFCCCA.