Final NJCAA DI XC Polls Shed Light On National Title Hunt

NEW ORLEANS — How can it be that the NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are this weekend?

Where did the season go?

Seems like just yesterday many of these teams were gearing up for the campaign and now they’re getting ready to race for individual and team glory in El Dorado, Kansas.

With that being known, it’s also time for the pre-championship version of the NJCAA Division I Cross Country National Coaches’ Polls. The most recent installments were released Wednesday and serve as the final ballots of the 2016 season.

NATIONAL PDFs: National Summary | 2016 Week By Week | All-Time Week By Week
QUICK LINKS: Men’s National Coaches’ Poll | Women’s National Coaches’ Poll

Not much changed between Week 5 and Week 6 at first glance. Only eight teams moved in the men’s poll, while four did the same in the women’s.

We’ll start with the men’s poll, where the top-7 remained the same — headlined by none other than Iowa Central. The Tritons, owners of nine first-place votes led by former National Athlete of the Week Omer Almog, will look to win their third consecutive team title. No team since Ricks (Idaho) in 1999 to 2001 has won more than two in a row.

Central Arizona, led by former National Athlete of the Week Gilbert Kigen, is hoping to stand in Iowa Central’s way. Kigen won the individual title last year and with that low stick — as well as a few others — the Vaqueros could win their first team title since 2013. Central Arizona nabbed the other first-place vote from the coaches.

South Plains (Texas) is the only other team with more than 180 points in the poll. The Texans made quick work of Region V and last won an NJCAA DI title in 1997.

A bit further down in the poll, North Iowa Area CC moved up from No. 9 to a tie for No. 8 and Lansing (Mich.) CC fell one spot to No. 11. Colby (Kan.) CC and Iowa Western both jumped one spot as Cowley County (Kan.) fell two and Ranger (Texas) returned to the poll at No. 24.

The women’s poll remained the same from the top (Iowa Central) all the way down to No. 16 Dodge City (Kan.). The Tritons are still the odds-on favorite to walk away with the women’s crown with eight first-place votes and will be led by defending individual champ and multiple-time National Athlete of the Week Leanne Pompeani.

If Iowa Central wins, it would be its first title since 2013. The Tritons went into last year’s race as the favorite as well, but were knocked off by Lansing (Mich.) CC, a team that just so happens to be No. 2 in the poll and owner of two first-place votes.

Elsewhere in the poll, No. 17 Macomb (Mich.) CC and No. 18 Butler (Kan.) CC switched spots and No. 21 North Iowa Area CC and No. 22 Trinidad State (Colo.) JC did so as well.