2017 NCAA DIII Cross Country Men’s National Coaches’ Poll – Week 2
NEW ORLEANS – Take a good look at the top-5 of the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, because with the way the season has gone so far it’s not going to last that way for long.
Change has impacted those from No. 6 to No. 35 in the most recent poll that was released Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
To recap: North Central (Ill.) is still the unanimous No. 1, followed by SUNY Geneseo, UW-La Crosse, Williams and Johns Hopkins.
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UW-Eau Claire jumped from No. 7 to No. 6, while Pomona-Pitzer climbed four spots from No. 11 to No. 7. The Sagehens turned in an impressive performance this past weekend at the UC-Riverside Invitational where they placed fifth in the Non-DI section and beat several teams from the NCAA Division II level.
Loras worked its way back into the top-10 for the second time this season. The ninth-ranked Duhawks won the non-Division I team title at the National Catholic Championships hosted by Notre Dame. Mason Tope claimed victory by 12 seconds to pace Loras.
Further down in the poll, four teams jumped three spots: Middlebury (No. 21 to No. 18), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (No. 23 to No. 20), Bates (No. 24 to No. 21) and Dickinson (No. 27 to No. 24).
Carleton and Brandeis each vaulted multiple spots in the poll from Week 1 to Week 2.
The Knights placed fourth at the loaded St. Olaf Invitational this past weekend and went from No. 35 to No. 27. Donson Cook-Gallardo guided Carleton’s charge with a runner-up effort in a field with several teams ranked in last week’s top-35 (then-No. 7 UW-Eau Claire and then-No. 16 St. Olaf, among others).
The Judges jumped from No. 33 to No. 28 following a runner-up finish at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational. Brandeis has now been listed in the top-35 three times this season, which is the first time since 2011 that the feat has been replicated by Sinead Evans’ team.
Elizabethtown and Otterbein joined the top-35 for the first time this season at No. 34 and No. 35, respectively.
Be sure to check back throughout the season as the poll will continue to shift in advance of the 2017 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on November 18 in Elsah, Illinois.
